Book excerpt: Featuring expanded and updated content, Introduction to Athletic Training, Second Edition,presents both theoretical and practical information on the duties of an athletic trainer as part of a team approach to caring for injured and ill athletes. The book will provide students with a solid background in athletic training so that they can develop their skills and both succeed and advance in their training and courses. Introduction to Athletic Training, Second Edition,is the perfect guide for athletic trainers striving to keep their athletes healthy and injury free. Part of Human Kinetics'' Athletic Training Education Series, the text not only provides the information on the role of an athletic trainer in caring for injured and ill athletes, but it also considers both the prevention and management of injuries and illnesses. It spans many topics, including professionalism in athletic training, risk factors in sport participation, preparticipation physical exams, fitness testing, strength and conditioning, preventive efforts including environmental concerns and protective devices, and emergency care. The second edition includes many updates and improvements: -A revised chapter on pharmacology that simplifies terminology and deepens the reader''s understanding of the effects of common drugs used in athletics -A comprehensive chapter on epidemiology that discusses how to evaluate information on injury trends and use it to reduce the risk of future injuries -An expanded chapter with updated nutritional requirements and concerns for physically active people -More student-friendly elements including new critical thinking questions in each chapter, more abundant discussion topics, chapter objectives, scenarios, helpful Internet resources, chapter summaries, and a glossary. The second edition is packaged with a Primal Pictures software product titled Essentials of Interactive Functional Anatomy.This CD-ROM will help students thoroughly review components of structural anatomy with a complete high-resolution 3-D model of the human musculature. The model can be rotated and allows for 11 layers of anatomy to be visually removed--from muscles down to bones. The CD also includes 34 animations--each which can be viewed from four different angles--showing clinical muscle function and providing students with a strong sense of the movement and motions around joints. To reinforce the content, IFA Essentialsalso offers an interactive quiz. Students can select the level of difficulty and number of quiz questions, and then using a multiple-choice format are asked to identify or locate various structures on the model. Human Kinetics'' Athletic Training Education Series contains five textbooks, each with its own superb supporting instructional resources. Featuring the work of respected authorities in athletic training, the series was created to parallel and expound on the content areas established by the National Athletic Trainers'' Association (NATA) Educational Council. Introduction to Athletic Training, Second Edition,lays the foundation for a well-rounded curriculum addressing the following NATA content areas: Risk Management and Injury Prevention, Acute Care of Injury and Illness, Pharmacology, Professional Development and Responsibilities, and Nutritional Aspects of Athletic Injury and Illness. Also addressed are the domains of Psychosocial Intervention and Referral and General Medical Conditions and Disabilities. To learn more about the books in this series,visit the Athletic Training Education Series Web site at http://www.HumanKinetics.com/AthleticTrainingEducationSeries IFA EssentialsMinimum System Requirements PC - Windows 98/2000/ME/XP - Pentium processor or higher - At least 32 MB RAM - Monitor set to 800 x 600 or greater - High-color display Mac - Power Mac - System 8.6/9/OSX - At least 64 MB RAM - Monitor set to 800 x 600 or greater - Monitor set to thousands of colors