Electric Review - Rat on Reference

These recommendations speak to books with strong reference or professional content and each have high value to both collegiate and public libraries alike.

THE CLMP DIRECTORY OF LITERARY MAGAZINES AND PRESSES. Forward by Sherman Alexie and Robert Hershon. Council of Literary Magazines and Presses. Highly recommended directory of literary presses and magazines for writers of all genres, including fiction, poetry and non-fiction prose. Listings include information on publishers and online journals; also data on contacts, submission guidelines and circulation figures. The Council of Literary Magazines and Presses is a non-profit organization in support of independent publishing. A must have for journalists and freelance writers.

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A DIRECTORY OF AMERICAN POETS AND FICTION WRITERS. 2003-2004 edition. Poets and Writers Inc. Listing of writers in the United States, with contact information. Invaluable resource for journalists, community leaders and students who must contact writers. Must have for all school libraries, High School to University level.

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LEGAL ANALYSIS AND LEGAL WRITING. William H. Putman. Second Edition. Thompson/Delmar Learning. Comprehensive text on the principle mechanics of legal writing and case law analysis. Includes chapters on statutory analysis, case briefing, legal correspondence and more. This text is useful for paralegals, law students and journalists. Also useful for government employees who must do report and budget analysis and who must interpret large amounts of information and synthesize it for presentations. Imperative for all college level libraries.
HEART FAILURE: SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES AND CLINICAL PRACTICE. Phillip A. Poole-Wilson; Wilson S. Colucci; Barry M. Massie; Kanu Chatterjee; Andrew J.S. Coats. Churchill-Livingstone. First rate clinical text on the medical implications of heart failure, written and edited by many of the leading cardiologists in the United States. The book is focused on clinical concepts, approaching the disease from the researcher's point of view. Accordingly, the presentation is tailored to medical students and the general practitioner or internist, offering insightful commentary on the mechanics of heart failure and ways the medical professional might approach diagnosis and treatment. Doctor Chatterjee's chapter, written in collaboration with Doctors Tony Chou and Stuart Hutchison, explores ways the physician can manage patients who are in acute heart failure. This is a major reference text meant to expand the over-all understanding of this category of coronary disease. Fine illustrations also. Invaluable to all college libraries and especially to university students with biology and physiology majors.
DORLAND'S ILLUSTRATED MEDICAL DICTIONARY. 30th Edition. Saunders Publishing. For over a century, Dorland's has been the medical profession's equivalent to Black's Law Dictionary. This edition contains more than 123,000 entries that cover the full spectrum of medical terminology, offering hundreds of illustrations and photographs that illuminate and examine many of the definitions. The material on alternative medical therapies makes this edition of Dorland's an especially valuable tool for the general household and for those who continue to explore herbal medicines and holistic measures. In this age of HMOS and fast moving technology, Dorland's offers consumers a reference source which can help them to understand the things their doctors are saying, giving patients the opportunity to gain knowledge and take a more active role in their health care. Obviously, this is a "must-have" for all college libraries. It would be a useful volume for public libraries as well, giving those individuals who cannot afford to purchase their own copy vital access.
THE ART OF MEDICINE: WHAT EVERY DOCTOR AND PATIENT SHOULD KNOW. Kevin J. Soden. Mosby Publishers. Kevin Soden is a former emergency room physician who is now a widely acclaimed medical journalist and a regular on the "Today Show." His most recent book, The Art of Medicine, is very unique in that it attempts to explore the practice of medicine from both the doctor's and the patient's view point. Aside from the crisp writing and analysis, what's most appealing about Soden is his courage to confront issues that most doctors run from: issues like the fact that many MDS don't listen well and thus alienate the very individuals they're being paid to heal ("In the doctor-patient relationship, either party has the ability to discharge the other. Physicians do not have to deal with disruptive, non-compliant patients and patients do not have to deal with physicians who will not listen to their concerns" -- page 62). As a writer, Soden sometimes uses short vignettes to recreate the situations that doctors routinely face, offering both the medical professional and the patient an opportunity to "live in the other's shoes." Take a moment and hunt down a copy of The Art of Medicine: it's a rare chance to learn what patient and doctor can do to better interact with the other.