Karsenty (genetics and development, Columbia U.) compiles 17 articles by researchers from Europe, the US, Australia, and Japan who discuss the effects of bone on whole-organism physiology and how the study of this discipline aids in the understanding of the pathogenesis of degenerative diseases affecting several organs. Chapters address various hormones and neuromediators ranging from serotonin to osteocalcin, as well as knowledge about the ability of bone to regulate phosphate metabolism. They demonstrate, through examples of hormones emerging during evolution with bone and coordinating the regulation of bone mass accrual, energy metabolism, and reproduction, that the appearance of bone during evolution has impacted the physiology of the entire organism, and also show, through the example of the skeleton, how a genetic-based approach to the study of the physiology of a given organ can reveal multiple new functions, connections with other organs, and novel identities for well-known molecules. They discuss the basic principles of bone cell biology, the central control of bone mass, neuropeptide Y and bone formation, the gastrointestinal tract and the control of bone mass, the skeletal actions of insulin, transcriptional regulation of the endocrine function of bone, regulation of bone resorption, the clinical aspects of fibroblast growth factor 23, bone marrow fat and bone mass, and the significance of organ crosstalk in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Academic Press is an imprint of Elsevier. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)