From the potent properties of x-rays evoked in Magic Mountain to the miniaturized surgical team of Fantastic Voyage, glimpses at the body's interior have long engaged the popular imagination. Van Dijck examines the dissemination of medical images to a popular audience, arguing that medical imaging technologies are the material embodiment of collective desires and fantasies, especially the ideal of transparency. She traces the cultural context and social impact of medical imaging practices, such as ultrasound imaging of fetuses, broadcasting surgical operations and the use of digitized cadavers in anatomical study. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)