This magnificently crafted textbook from the Mayo Clinic, now in its third edition, sets a true benchmark in the study of cardiology. Even after decades of concentrated research and the investment of billions of dollars, cardiovascular disease continues to strike over one million Americans each year as medicine struggles for a more effective way to mitigate its devastating toll. Accordingly, the Mayo Clinic Concise Textbook of Cardiology (edited by Joseph G. Murphy) provides medical students of varying levels with both a thorough and contemporary exploration into the great labyrinth of the human cardiovascular system. Topics of coverage include signs and signals of heart disease; primary symptoms; and guidelines to diagnosis/treatment (as clinicians are taught how best to approach patient evaluation and the long-term management of symptoms). Murphy's text is noted for its ability to distill vast amounts of information into sharp, digestible, 'bite-sized' portions. Ultimately, the Mayo Clinic Concise Textbook of Cardiology presents readers with a readily accessible manual that grafts the latest discoveries in cardiovascular medicine into a seamless narrative which extends from classroom to examination table with equal precision. ~John Aiello
MEDICINE
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS FOR PHYSICAL THERAPISTS. Screening for Diagnosis. Catherine C. Goodman. Teresa Kelly Snyder. Saunders.
Goodman (University of Montana) and Snyder (Montana State University) are leaders in the study and implementation of physical therapy regimens as a component to an overall treatment plan for the patient. However, this text goes deeper, dedicating itself to teaching Physical Therapists (PTs) “how to screen for medical disease [in order] to make an informed diagnosis.” Many times, Physical Therapists will be treating patients who are not making sufficient progress toward recovery. It is at this point that the PT should begin to assess whether or not the patient has some hidden neuromuscular or musculoskeletal problem or an organ-related disease which is exacerbating their condition. Here, Goodman and Snyder do an outstanding job of teaching PT clinicians and their staffs that the screening process of the patient is the most important step towards properly diagnosing (and ultimately treating) the sick and injured. Differential Diagnosis provides a step-by-step roadmap (as affirmed by the American Physical Therapy Association) meant to guide the PT through patient examination/evaluation. Topics of coverage include the patient interview; keys to physical assessment; keys to differentiating between different kinds of pain; screening for various types of disease including cardiovascular conditions and Endocrine/Metabolic disease; screening for neuromuscular and musculoskeletal conditions; and screening for various cancer-related abnormalities. The best element of this text is found in the way it teaches the PT to pay careful attention to each aspect of the physical assessment. Often, it’s this examination (coupled with the patient interview) that allows the PT vital insight into hidden particles of information that can help pin-point a diagnosis. In Differential Diagnosis, Goodman and Snyder teach the PT to carefully weigh risk factors and patient histories against symptoms before any treatment plan is created (with an assessment as to whether the patient requires referral for specialty care made concurrently).
Recommended as an in-office reference for all Physical Therapy clinicians and their staffs. Simply, regular review of the information contained in this handbook can help to provide more effective care, heading off potential emergencies before they can jeopardize the well-being of the patient. ~John Aiello
Also from the Elsevier Health Profession’s shelf
A CLINICAL GUIDE TO DENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY. Louis H. Berman. Lucia Blanco. Stephen Cohen. Mosby.
Dentists who work in urban settings and provide support for trauma centers often see patients who have sustained facial damage and require specialized care. In turn, this kind of work is some of the most pressure-packed and delicate a dentist will ever perform, since many times accidents or other blunt-force trauma has caused great destruction to tooth and tissue. Clinical Guide to Dental Traumatology is a well-organized textbook designed to escort dentists through treatment procedures for commonly encountered tooth injuries. Topics of coverage include crown and root fractures; luxation injuries; and exarticulations. In addition to addressing treatment procedures, the authors also are careful to discuss complications that can occur in an effort to stress to physicians that no part of such trauma care is ever routine. Going further, Berman and co-writers also discuss how to confront pediatric and geriatric patients whose ages pose specific challenges. Finally, there is also a standout section on the legal aspects of treating dental injuries that all doctors should pay careful attention to. In sum, Clinical Guide to Dental Traumatology demands recognition for the step-by-step counsel it provides on an array of dental emergencies. In addition, the stunning color plates offer overview of key points while also providing physicians with visual direction on difficult-to-master surgeries.
This text is recommended to all dentists whose practices include the treatment of dental traumas. Also recommended to instructors in dentistry programs that teach the fine-points of trauma care. Finally, recommended to all Health Science libraries as a general reference text. ~John Aiello
MEDICINE AND CARE OF THE DYING. Milton J. Lewis. Oxford University Press.
Reviewed by Frank Aiello
Sociologist Otto Frank has observed that Western medical treatment involves a compromise between care and efficiency by creating the illusion of involvement. However, this illusion is now showing signs of severe strain as the costs of technology and health services, particularly in America, reach an unconscionable level.
Simply put, few will be able to afford the benefits of scientific medicine or obtain entry into arrogant and greedy healthcare systems which often treat patients as little more than an opportunity to bill an insurance company. Somewhere, in the quest for medical research and research dollars, the physician’s commitment to caring for patients has been lost.
In Medicine and Care, Milton J. Lewis notes that outspoken critics such as Thomas McKeown, Archibald Cochrane, Daniel Callahan and Eric Cassell have argued that high-cost, high-technology medicine is resulting in diminishing returns and an unsustainable system:
“It was a health care system with acute separated from chronic patients, home care form hospital care, and preventative measures from curative services. .. In the United States, Daniel Callahan and Eric Cassell were also calling for medicine to rediscover the lost art of caring. Callahan, on the grounds of humanity and economic sustainability, claimed that the health system had to cease giving primacy to high-technology medicine that aimed to cure all diseases and, in a godlike way, forestall death.” [p. 61]
Lewis further notes that in the mid 1990s, attention was focused on providing palliative care (especially after the publication of a report by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science, entitled, Approaching Death.And Lewis writes:
“[The report] identified four broad deficiencies in the care of people with incurable conditions: too may suffered from the failure of caregivers to offer effective palliative and supportive care; from caregivers who pursued aggressive treatment known to be ineffectual and even harmful to the dying patient; from regulations and other issues that frustrated the administration of adequate pain control; from fragmented organization that complicated the coordination of care; from Medicare hospice benefits requirements that could not be reconciled with the progression of many terminal illnesses that lack the steady progression of incurable cancer; from fee structures that induced overuse of procedural services but underuse of patient management and supportive services; from deficiencies in the education of health professionals that meant they did not know how to adequately care for dying patients; and finally from insufficient research (biomedical, clinical, epidemiological, and health services) into end-of-life care.” [p. 117]
Palliative care is defined by the author as the alleviation or mitigation of suffering, while palliative medicine is recognized as the management of patients in the throes of far-advanced diseases for whom the focus of care is enhancing quality of life. However, in present-day America, both the government and the healthcare industry appear to staunchly resist the focus on palliative care in favor of generating revenue of the massive medical industry:
“Under Medicare, home care programs did best, but for cost reasons, they used nursing homes for inpatient purposes. These homes, however lacked proper pain control services . . . Physicians tended to resist involvement in hospice programs, often referring only for the home support they offered...Medicare regulations sharpened physician opposition by requiring that patients be classified as terminal before admission to the hospice and the recommendations of the hospice team take precedence over the physician’s.
“Hospices were often in competition for referrals with area hospitals, nursing homes and home health agencies in a period when health care as a whole was facing financial cutbacks resulting form the government’s wish to contain expenditures...Educated, middle-class people disproportionately used the hospice programs. Neither ethnic minorities nor rural patients had adequate access to them…
“Two decades after the first hospices came into being in the United States, conventional health care structures were apparently more able to co-opt hospice than hospice was able to change traditional medical care.” [pp. 138-139]
Lewis writes in a clear and straight-forward manner and does not skirt difficult topic areas, choosing instead to open the eyes of his readers to the fact that sometimes the best medicine is resisting scientific intervention and providing comfort until the hour of death.
In addition to the illuminating information on palliative care and ways that physicians might integrate it into patient-plans, Medicine and Care also contains excellent chapters on the public debate involving pain control and euthanasia and the current state of the ‘right-to die’ movement (which grabbed international headlines recently in the Terri Schiavo case).
Readers and students should pay careful attention: The issues raised Lewis are not going away anytime soon.
Recommended as a primary text in courses that address new approaches to caring for the terminally ill. Further recommended to Health Science libraries as a general reference text – an in depth exploration of medical, sociological and philosophical issues focused on how to help people die in peace and with dignity. ~The Editor.
MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY : A MOLECULAR AND BIOCHEMICAL APPROACH. Thomas Nogrady. Donald F. Weaver. Oxford University Press.
By John Aiello
Now in its 3rd edition, this text from Oxford is recognized for its readability and clear-honed pitch, as the authors delve deeply into the mechanical specifics of how drugs take action on the human body.
As inferred by its title, Medicinal Chemistry focuses on molecular and biochemical principles, looking to unlock some of the mystery of how narcotics work, analyzing the mechanics of drug action on a broad and incisive molecular plane.
The text begins with a strong overview of the primary principles of medical chemistry, before graduating into exploration of the properties of drug molecules and the characteristics of drug receptors (in turn deftly outlining" drug receptor interactions"). Finally, through analysis of these receptors, the reader will be able to draw a discernible link between how disease stalks a human cell and how science might design better chemical compounds that hold the power to isolate pathogens (and then eradicate them from the host).
Nogrady’s and Weaver’s third edition is noted for updated information on myriad areas of study. However, the revised chapter on the immune system is of major importance: As Public Health offices in cities across the world struggle to prepare for a possible outbreak of Avian flu, a more acute understanding of how to use drugs to forestall the spread of viral and bacterial disease is desperately needed. To this end, the data Norgrady and Weaver share is vital, as scientists fight against the clock to build medications which have more striking power against pathogens (but don’t alter the overall balance of the body). Sections on specific drug classes (including medicines for antihypertensive, antiviral, and anticancer drugs) have also seen vast revision, with recent advances in pharmacological research smartly noted.
Aside from its organization (linear in fashion, building from one topic section to the next so as to create an ordered course of study), the value of this manuscript is in its greater social importance: When researchers come to understand the exact way each different drug class acts on human cell structure, they will then be able to design better medicines with fewer side effects and a more complete ability to counter-act disease. This will result in better medicines at more cost-effective pricing, in turn boosting the world-wide economy.
Recommended as a teaching text in any Pharmacy or Medicinal Chemistry course which concentrates on teaching students how to dissect the mechanics of drug action on human cell structure. Further recommended to all Health Science libraries as a general reference text.
Also recommended from Oxford:
HUMAN BRAIN ANATOMY IN COMPUTERIZED IMAGES. Second Edition. Hanna Damasio. Oxford University Press. Oxford’s place as an academic publisher is personified by this medical science selection: In short, this book is about understanding the makeup of the human brain, a cell-by-cell scientific dissection of our quest for knowledge, this academic testament to our insatiable need to perfect an understanding of the human mind. Here, Damasio presents a compilation of normal brain scans that have been created through the expert anlayis of three-dimensional magnetic resonance images. This title is noteworthy because of the sharp and concrete detail with which it allows the reader to peer into the dimensions of the brain and then assess the varied depths of its neurological landscape.
Recommended as a teaching text in all Radiology and Nuerology courses that dedicate themselves to interpretations of brain-scan images. Further recommended to all practicing Radiologists an in-office reference source with practical value.
TEXTBOOK OF PALLIATIVE NURSING. Second Edition. Betty R. Ferrell and Nessa Coyle. Oxford University Press. In medicine’s ultimate journey to cure disease, it sometimes overlooks an obvious issue: What do we do when the patient can’t be cured? How do we gently usher them into death in a dignified and humane manner? In this text, Betty Ferrell (City of Hope National Medical Center)and Nessa Coyle (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center) do an exemplary job answering these questions for us in their well-conceived and important nursing manual. Palliative Nursing (now in its second edition) offers concrete direction for hospice and palliative care nurses who are charged with comforting patients in the throes of dying. This title is worthy of firm consideration by both instructors and practicing nurses because it integrates scientific principles (how do we adequately and effectively manage pain) with personal and private topics (how do we help one embark on the journey into the next state) in both compassionate and human terms. Upon completion of this book, the reader is left with a deeper understanding that medicine can only go so far. And when that point is reached and the doctor has taken the patient to the end of the road, it becomes the sole responsibility of the care-giver to be able to alleviate the fear and denial the terminal patient is often struggling against. Simply, no nurse who cares for the terminally ill should be without access to this text.
Recommended as a teaching guide in advanced nursing courses that confront palliative care topics. Required for all hospice care centers as an ‘on-the-job’ resource. Finally, recommended to all Health Science libraries as a general reference text.
This text by Dr. Prat (Chairman of Pathology University of Barcelona) is unique in both scope and construction -- a manual built for use by the practicing pathologist in the course of patient evaluation, it outlines the anatomy and pathology of the ovary in complete terms.
Pathology begins by surveying the basics of the ovary -- including anatomy and histology. From here, we move into a detailed analysis of the diseases that most commonly strike this region of the body. Well-detailed exploration of all forms of malignancy found in the ovarian system is presented, including discussion of the general features of ovarian cancers (and hereditary factorswhich also influence predisposition to the disease). In addition, readers will find outstanding chapters on Steroid Cell tumors and various Endocrine Syndromes as related to the incidence of ovarian cancer. Over 500 color plates come together to provide quick diagnostic reference points for the clinician, further assisting in swift diagnosis.
The key element to this text is in the fact that it has been written with a keen and practical eye - with an eye focused on the way that pathologists think and work, the information is presented so as to allow it to be accessed in the course of the treatment room. In short, Pathology is not reserved for research or theoretical discussion, but instead, it is also at home in the hands of the doctor who is in the midst of trying to diagnose a patient who presents with ovarian abnormalities.
Prat, known throughout the world as a leading voice on the subject, wrote this text alone and without co-authors. Accordingly, he achieves a continuity in style and presentation here that is sometimes lacking in other medical science texts. It is this trait (coupled with the fact that the book will beimmediately meaningful to the practicing physician) which makes Pathology the authoritative reference in the field.
Recommended to all Health Science libraries as a general reference text. Further recommended to all Gynecologists and Gynecologic Pathologists.
THE SHOULDER. Charles A. Rockwood Jr. Frederick A. Matsen III. Michael A. Wirth. Steven B. Lippitt. Saunders.
This text marks the primary reference available to the medical community on afflictions of the shoulder, collecting the work of 60 authorities in the field and examining the topic in full detail.
The text begins with an over-view of the anatomy of the shoulder (both gross and developmental). From here, the authors move through exploration of how clinicians can most effectively examine and diagnose patients. A complete discussion of the primary problems that surface during examination is included, with fine chapters on rotator cuff injuries, fractures of the clavicle, fractures of the scapula and nerve abnormalities. Finally, the reader will note that material on tumors and related malignant conditions common to the region has also been included - giving the physician a complete summary of everything that is likely to be encountered in this area of the body. In addition, discussion on all treatment options presently available to the patient is provided.
This third edition contains the latest data available to the clinician regarding both diagnosis and treatment. The authors have done a splendid job in chronicling their subject, directing their audience on every aspect of the shoulder practice:
Employing a comprehensive approach in their style, The Shoulder presents information on anatomy, physical examination, x-ray examination, primary symptoms/causes of disease, as well as the most up-to-date treatment options available. And it is here that the meat of the text is realized: Rockwood (Department of Orthopaedics, University of Texas Health Science Center) and co-authors have done an excellent job in discussing how to proceed with treatment according to the individual needs of the patient.
Cutting edge data on arthroscopic procedures establish the far-reaching advancements that have taken place in the field, and further evidence how this area of medicine has evolved. Obviously, the way that physicians evaluate and treat disorders of the shoulder has changed drastically during the last decade, and this selection gathers the most relevant analysis from the top scholars in the field in one place. In light of this fact, The Shoulder is likely to be the only reference text physicians will use on a daily basis in the course of their practice.
Recommended to all health Science libraries as a general reference text in the area of orthopedics. Further recommended as an in-office reference for all orthopedic specialists reflecting the most current research on the subject. Would also prove useful for sports medicine specialists and physical therapists who work with patients suffering from shoulder injury/disease.
CAMPBELL’S OPERATIVE ORTHAPEDICS. 10th Edition. In 4 Volumes, with CD-ROM . S. Terry Canale. Mosby.
Campbell’s Operative enjoys an esteemed reputation in surgical circles -- for this biblical reference is all-inclusive and contains the most recent data available on invasive orthopedic procedures. Here, Dr. Canale (Campbell Clinic University of Tennessee) and his co-writers analyze over 1,800 surgical procedures in full and comprehensive detail. These four-volumes feature an amazing 9,000 illustrations and graphics which are designed to direct the surgeon through the often delicate intricacies of these procedures. There is literally something for a reviewer to expand on within very page of this text, but the thing that stands out is in the fact that the writers offer multiple treatment approaches for many of the conditions: the lesson here is that the treating physician should tailor therapy to the individual patient and not fall into a routine when presented with typical clinical problems. Also, there is new research and analysis of hip fractures, which will prove especially meaningful to doctors with vast geriatric practices. In addition, the data on elbow and wrist arthroscopy offers sound alternatives for physicians whose focus is sports medicine and injury (or injury related to repetitive motion). Note: The CD-ROM is an added bonus, as it features video clips of ten procedures that are detailed in the text -- creating a hands-on lecture on video thus allowing the practicing surgeon to absorb this information into the deepness of the mind for long-lasting retention.
SKELETAL TRAUMA. 3rd Edition: Basic Science, Management, and Reconstruction. In 2 Volumes. Bruce D. Browner. Jesse B. Jupiter. Alan M. Levine and Peter G. Trafton. Saunders.
In keeping with Campbell’s Operative, Skeletal focuses on advancements in treatment of bone injury. Here, the authors have come up with the definitive specialty text that outlines in comprehensive detail the matters of skeletal trauma. As noted, the focus here is comprehensive, and information on myriad conditions is presented, including cutting-edge material on trauma reconstruction, infection, and management of limb-length discrepancies. 93 contributing writers look into the skeleton of the human body with an eye towards treating common and not-so-common problems. Accordingly, there is a wealth of information on how to confront foot injuries, as well as analysis on total hip-replacement and direction on deformity correction. In light of the myriad subject matter collected here, this text will prove valuable to the many layers of the medical community who routinely encounter skeletal trauma - from Radiologists and Emergency Room personnel to Orthopedic Surgeons (and Physical Therapists responsible for post-op care).
SHOULDER ARTHROSCOPY. Gary M Gartsman. Saunders.
Like the Rockwood title reviewed above, Gartsman (University of Texas Health Science Center) has developed a text that covers the burgeoning arena of arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder in bright detail. Gartsman, widely considered an expert in the field, offers analysis of both complex and simple procedures, with especially relevant material on rotator cuff injuries, as well as treatment options for osteoarthritis (a huge problem in many female geriatric patients). Nearly 1,000 images augment Gartsman’s treatise -- offering the surgeon a visual demonstration as he makes his way through the material. Additionally, the video portion of the CD-ROM provides a step-by-step road map advising the surgeon on how to proceed through an arthroscopic procedure. A wealth of information is presented in a clear and practical package, making this required reading for all Orthopedic Surgeons who treat afflictions of the shoulder.
Each selection is recommended tohealth Science libraries for their value as general reference texts. Further recommended asin-office references for all orthopedic specialists reflecting the most current research on the subject. Would also prove useful for sports medicine specialists and physical therapists who work with patients suffering from skeletal injury/disease.Finally, recommended to Emergency Room physicians for relevant direction on assessing and treating traumatic injuries of the human skeleton.
AlCAMO’S FUNDAMENTALS OF MICROBIOLOGY. Jeffrey C. Pommerville. Jones and Bartlett.
Now in its 7th edition, Alcamo’s Fundamentals of Microbiology marks the consummate teaching text in the discipline, reviewing each of its major components. The text begins with a broad overview, exploring how Microbiology came to be recognized as an independent area of study.
From here, the reader will be able to examine the basic concepts of chemistry in relation to Microbiology. With the foundation now built for deeper study, the reader will be engaged in an analysis of bacteria and how it constructs the various diseases that impact the human species; this includes a well-researched chapter on airborne bacterial disease. Further, information on micro-organisms (the virus and the fungi) is presented, in addition to thorough discussion on resistance and immune-related disorders.
Because of the way it’s written, Alcamo’s makes complex material accessible to the student reader. Microbiology is one of the most complex areas of study in all the medical sciences, and Pommerville (Professor of Biology at Glendale Community College) does an admirable job in keeping Alcamo’s readable.
Too many times science writers tend to become taken with their knowledge of the subject material, losing sight of the fact that the young reader cannot "keep up." However, this problem does not befall Alcamo’s. Instead, the time has been taken to present introductory notes to the student on how to use a textbook. As "basic" as this may sound, do not over-look its importance: instead of jumping into the core of the course material, Pommerville moves into it slowly, allowing the student to absorb the basics that must be learned before advancement in the subject area can be achieved.
There is also a continual impetus here to teach "science as a process of knowing" - a concept which is vital as the student begins to explore the idea of Microbiology in conjunction with the modern practice of medicine. In short, this book has been written for application within the profession rather than mere theoretical study, and it achieves its mission admirably.
Recommended to all Health Science libraries as a general reference text - the material here is presented in a clear and concise manner, with the idea to inspire the student to more in depth study. Further recommended as a classroom text in all Allied Health subjects, and in all nursing programs which explore Microbiology theories.
GRAY’S ANATOMY E-DITION. The Anatomical Basis Of The Clinical Practice. 39th Edition. Edited by Susan Standring. Churchill-Livingstone/Elsevier.
There is a reason this text has been around for nearly 150 years -- it is simply the best at what it does - surveying the scope of the human anatomy so that the health care community can use it as a resource in the daily course of patient treatment.
Gray’s offers so much to its audience that it is impossible for a reviewer to touch on all its significant attributes. However, wrapped up here in its brand new format, the design has been updated to better reflect how doctors practice medicine. The idea here is practicality, and E-Edition is organized according to body region rather than organ system, making it easier for physicians to use in the examining room. This 39th edition is also careful to reflect the changing course of medicine, with inclusion of data on the inner ear, pelvic floor and endoscopic imaging (among so many other relatively new interests of concentration).
To last for a century and a half, you have to be very good at what you do. And that’s why we have to recommend Gray’s - it is abundantly good at everything it does. And it’s best selling point is that it is bold enough to keep up with the times. This E-Edition (the package contains the text, plus the CD-ROM, plus the on-line access) is quite a bold undertaking - bringing Gray’s amazing breadth of knowledge to the age of technology.
Remember, the many generations that grew up on Gray’s were use to seeing it in its stodgy book form, unaccustomed to seeing it spruced up on computer disk, unaccustomed to seeing the text come springing to electronic life. But by issuing this text in a companion electronic edition, Elsevier has given doctors the chance to obtain continuing web site updates on the subject matter in the comfort of their own offices. Further, these doctors can also use the CD-ROM in conjunction with the text to gain even more from the elaborate images/illustrations. Obviously, our new generation of physicians who have grown up on computers will relish the E-Edition because it has kept up with the way medicine is moving throughthe 21st century.
Even though its 150 years old, Gray’s has been careful to stay current with the changes in medicine, maintaining its place as the elder master of every doctor’s medical library.
Recommended to all physicians as an in-office reference manual. Recommended as a class text in all anatomy courses at both the medical schooland general college level. Recommended to all Health Science libraries as a general reference text. The best anatomy text for the last century.
PHOTOAGING. Edited by Darrell S. Rigel. Robert A. Weiss. Henry W. Lim. Jeffrey S. Dover. Marcel Dekker.
This collection of treatises by some of the leading voices in Dermatological Science examine the effects of the sun on the aging process of skin, looking at the phenomenon in connection with the various treatments clinicians can use to combat symptoms and pathology.
The authors, led by Darrell Rigel (a Professor of Dermatology at New York University School of Medicine) do an exceptional job looking at photoaging in comprehensive terms, beginning their text by exploring the reasons why skin ages in the first place. From here, we are led into a discussion of the effects of UV rays on the human body. It is believed that long-term exposure to UV is at the root of photoaging, and the authors do a fine job is dissecting this topic, instructing the physician on what to look for in the patient who presents with sun-compromised skin (further speaking to how clinicians should approach the study of the effects of UV on the skin).
In addition, a full analysis of all available treatments doctors can use to help restore damaged skin is included (along with achapter reviewing the particular legal issuespertinent tophysicians who treat patients with photoaged skin).
The comprehensive nature of this text gives it immediate, broad-based reference value to physician, student and researcher. The best aspect of Photoaging is that it deals with the whole of the subject in a detailed and well-organized format. Although it will be of deep value to practicing Dermatologists, the book does a good job in addressing the subject in terms that will be meaningful to the internist and primary care physician as well.
All available treatment options have been examined, with vital chapters on Chemical Peels, Ablative Laser Resurfacing and Fat Transplantation. However, the most timely chapter expands on the use of Botulinum Toxin Ain Photoaging, as Bo-Tox is being used more frequently across the country to combat sagging skin. Since patients are likely to be coming to their doctors requesting Bo-Tox treatments more and more in the future, doctors need to have a full understanding of what this course of therapy entails.
Moreover, the authors have also taken the time to address the fact that differences in patient skin require the doctor to tailor treatments to individual needs and genetics - in short, this is not a "one size fits all" area of medicine, and these authors do a laudable job in bringing the point across.
Recommended to all Health Science libraries as a general reference text. Further recommended to all Dermatologists and internists as an in-office reference presenting cutting-edge research and discussion on the effects of photoaging on human skin.
C</FONT><FONT color=#000000><FONT size=3>OLOR ATLAS OF COSMETIC OCULOFACIAL SURGERY.William PD Chen. Jemshed A. Khan. Clinton D. McCord Jr. Butterworth Heinemann.
This text sets the standard in the field of Oculofacial Surgery, addressing this burgeoning field in comprehensive terms.
In Color Atlas, Chen and his co-authors (each recognized authorities) have put together a benchmark text on the subject of facial surgery. Beginning with clear direction on how to approach the preliminary examination of the patient, the authors deftly move into the anatomical structure of the eyelid. At this point, the reader begins exploration of topics such as preoperative preparation and safely anesthetizing the patient.
By formatting the text in this step-by-step manner, the authors work to build a sound and solid foundation which lets the reader absorb the finer points of oculofacial surgery. Accordingly, this is where the meat of the text is found: Chen, Khan and McCord provide vital counsel in all phases of reconsturctive surgery, touching on the latest advancements in technique and treatment.
Physicians who access Color Atlas will receive expert instruction on Botox application and laser surgery, as well as laser resurfacing procedures to be used in conjunction with drug therapy. There is also an in depth chapter on Asian blepharoplasty with cross-sectional line drawings that note the differences between the Asian and Caucasian upper eyelid structure - a segment that allows the surgeon to study the intricate nature of this facial region in detail before scalpel ever touches skin. Well-used illustrations abound, including line-drawings and color frames which address anatomy as well as surgical methods.
In Color Atlas, Chen and his co-authors have provided a deeply layered text: this book will be looked on as "the authority" in the realm of Oculofacial Surgery for decades to come.
Recommended as in office reference for plastic surgeons, ophthalmologists and head/neck surgeons. Also recommended to all Health Science libraries as a general reference text. Finally, Color Atlas would be a sensible choice as a teaching text in any course addressing oculofacial surgical techniques.
CAMPBELL’S UROLOGY. In the 8th Edition.Patrick C. Walsh. Alan B. Retik. E. Darracott Vaughan Jr. Alan J. Wein. W.B. Saunders. Touted as the "Bible of Urology" by many a reviewer since it was initially published in 1954-- there is a reason this text is held in such high regard. Basically, everything a physician needs to know about Urologic disease is contained in these pages, the information presented in a series of chapters that build textbooks within textbooks - comprehensive and impeccably detailed, sewing together the leading voices on the subject.
In this four-volume set, readers will find full analysis of both adult and pediatric urology - developing its analysis (of Urologic disease) in aspects related to both diagnosis and treatment. It is simply impossible to note highlights here, since the book as a whole constitutes a benchmark in academic medical publishing. Volume 1 addresses the foundational basics, addressing the anatomy of the Urologic systems, including the Kidneys, Ureters and Genitalia. At this point begins the real journey into the subject, as full and in depth analysis of the myriad layers of the Urinary Tract moves into the identification and treatment of the primary Urologic afflictions (Volumes 1 through 4).
As previously noted, the authors’ analysis is not limited to adult disease. Instead, physicians will find that Pediatric Urologic dysfunction is also reviewed, including well-developed data on evaluating Pediatric Urologic patients and treating Renal disease in children.
Obviously, the fact that Campbell’s has been around for five decades evidences how invaluable this text has become to the medical community. Aside from its value to practicing physicians, Professors of Medicine have used the book as a teaching tool to help residents begin to explore the sub-specialty of Urology. The 8th edition should only continue the tradition of using Meredith Campbell’s treatise to instruct aspiring physicians.
In the end, it does not seem plausible that a Urologist would not want have Campbell’s Urology in their office as a definitive reference. Also recommended to Internists and physicians with family practices as a reference tool (Urologic disorders are common maladies and HMOs often limit the ability of the patient to seek specialty care; thus, family doctors are being called upon to treat more and more Urologic disease). Also recommended to all Health Science libraries as a general reference text.
Note:
Campbell’s is also available in CD-ROM applicable to both Windows and Macintosh systems. The CD contains the full text of the four volume set, additional images, plus the second edition of the Campbell’s Urology Study Guide (see our review of the Study Guide in the Library Advisory on the Industry News Page).
MALE AND FEMALE SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION. Allen D. Seftel. Associate Editors: Harin Padma-Nathan. Chris G. McMahon. Francois Giuliano. Stanley E. Althof. Mosby.
Male and Female Sexual Dysfunction is a text marked by many revolutionary features, including cutting-edge analysis of new research in the field of female sexual dysfunction (and appropriate treatments). In light of the attention focused on the advent of Viagra to treat impotency, sexual dysfunction is no longer a topic that must remain hidden from view. Instead, patients are more comfortable talking to their physicians about their problems and ways to deal with them.
Accordingly, Mr. Seftel’s has written a book to assist the clinician with diagnosis and treatment plans -- his text truly comprehensive in scope, written in a succinct and economical style, always careful never to lose sight of the fact that doctors need information in a clear and straight forward manner (noting that) "...sexual medicine has matured into an almost full-fledged subspecialty of the medical sciences...which does not belong to either sex or to one specialty area of medicine It deals with one of the most common international human maladies..." (From Ira D. Sharlip’s Foreword).
Male/Female covers all facets of sexual dysfunction as they relate to both sexes, with well-developed chapters on "Prostate Cancer and Erectile Dysfunction" and Peyronie’s Disease. As previously noted, the book does not ignore female dysfunction as many of its predecessors have; instead, women’s issues are addressed in detail, with an emphasis on treatment.
Recommended for urologists, internists and primary care physicians as an in-office reference manual. Should also be considered as a class text by instructors in advanced urology programs because of its detailed analysis of the subject matter - the writing clear, concise and conducive to addressing the focus of the student. Further recommended to Health Science libraries as a general reference text.
PELVIC FLOOR DISORDERS. Alain P. Bourcier, PT. Edward J. McGuire, MD. Paul Abrams, MD. Elsevier/Saunders. Textbook that serves as the authoritative voice on afflictions of the pelvic floor, detailing the subject from multiple angles, with comment offered from urologists, specialized physical therapists, gynecologists and nurses coming together to create a thorough analysis of all facets of this complex and often misunderstood problem. Includes comprehensive coverage of all pelvic floor disorders (damage from childbirth, urinary incontinence in the elderly patient, post-prostatectomy incontinence, pediatric bedwetting, male/female sexual dysfunction, among several others). What’s really best about Pelvic is that it includes the basics -- providing an overview of how the pelvic floor system works before exploring the myriad ways it can malfunction. By doing this, the authors stress the fact that a physician cannot competently address treatment unless he firsts understands the way this complex system of muscles is meant to function. Well-developed chapters provide direction on both diagnosis and treatment -- with the emphasis on long-term management of symptoms.
Recommended for all urologists and nurse practitioners who deal with patients presenting with pelvic floor disorders. Further recommended to all Health Science libraries as a general reference text.
PROSTATE CANCER UNDERSTANDING. Fernand Labrie. Michael Koutsilieris. Paschalidis Medial Publications (A McGraw-Hill Professional Book). This new text addresses the affliction of prostate cancer in its entirety - -a comprehensive study of a disease that is attacking men more and more frequently today. The authors have written Prostate Cancer in a classical academic style, outlining the way this type of cancer spreads and the best ways for a physician to treat the patient after the onset of disease. However, Labrie and Koutsilieris don’t stop there; instead, they expend a great deal of effort discussing the fact that the best treatment option for this killer disease is in early detection of the cancer cells: if a doctor can begin to treat the disease before the tumor takes deep root and spreads, then the prognosis becomes more positive for the patient. As the authors point out, it is only through screening and early treatment that medicine can hope to improve the survival rate for those who fall sick with this type of cancer. In addition to these topics, prostate cancer susceptibility genes are discussed, data which can help urologists and other internists better understand the factors that make certain men more likely to present with malignancy. Well-written and impeccably researched, this is a magnificent textbook that can serve the student and practicing physician equally well. In the end, Prostate Cancer functions as both a teaching text and a treatment manual - the authors careful not to "talk down" to their readers, but instead, presenting information in an even-handed and deeply detailed manner.
As noted, the book is recommended as a teaching text in the fields of urology and urologic oncology. Further recommended as a manual for the internist or urologist to use in-office in the course of patient examinations. Finally, would be a welcome addition to all Health Science libraries as a general reference text.
HANDBOOK OF OBESITY. George A. Bray. Claude Bouchard. Marcel Dekker. Today, more than ever, people are obsessed with their weight and how they look. The topic is foremost in everybody’s mind, and there has even been litigation in recent years over weight discrimination related to the work place.
We are simply an obsessed culture - obsessed with being fat, yet still unable to control our eating patterns.
Handbook Of Obesity by George Bray and Claude Bouchard compiles the latest information on the subject of treating obesity and lowering patient risk factors created by being over weight. The text focuses on new ways that doctors are able to treat this ever-growing problem (including drug therapies and exercise regimens designed to prevent obesity):
"B<EM>ehavioral strategies help to reinforce changes in diet and physical activity. Without new habits, long term weight reduction is unlikely to succeed. Most people unfortunately return to baseline weight without continued behavior modification. Learning how to include behavior modification in weight reduction therapy is essential. Behavior therapy is designed to permanently alter eating and activity habits."
(Page- 127)
This study peers at the problem of obesity from myriad perspectives, examining the latest research in the field so that physicians can better manage the obese patient. However, the issue of weight gain is not a simple, cut-and-dried problem. As the authors note, there are many social stigmas which accompany the condition, and these have to be carefully assessed in conjunction with the way the doctor addresses treatment. Bray and Bouchard are careful not to flee from these issues, instead discussing themin relation to their medical analysis.
All facets of the condition of obesity are investigated, including patient evaluation, prevention, and treatment options. To reiterate, the authors do a nice job in dissecting the fact that this problem is both a medical and social one that requires careful consideration on the part of the health care professionalbefore treatment ensues.
Recommended for all primary care physicians as an in-office reference, providing deep insights into how doctors might deal with over-weight patients. Should also be considered as a possible teaching text for dietitians and medical students studying diabetes and in courses that deal with obesity treatment and prevention.
Reviews in this section written by Editor unless otherwise noted.
ENGINEERING
MATHEMATICAL METHODS FOR PHYSICS AND ENGINEERING. A Comprehensive Guide. 3rd Edition. K.F. Riley. M.P. Hobson. S.J. Bence. Cambridge University Press.
The disciplines of physics and engineering are based in mathematical method – in essence, math is the cornerstone of scientific study allowing for researchers to dissect a problem and then reassemble it, revealing its core in the nakedness of the process. In this text, Riley (University of Cambridge) and co-writers have created a magnificent primer that offers comprehensive coverage of all mathematical principles relevant to the physical sciences. In turn, the following topics are analyzed: Preliminary algebra; preliminary calculus; complex numbers and hyperbolic functions; series and limits; partial differentiation; multiple integrals; vector algebra; matrices and vector spaces; normal modes; vector calculus; line, surface and volume integrals; Fourier series; integral transforms; first-order ordinary differential equations; higher-order ordinary differential equations; series solutions of ordinary differential equations; eigenfunction methods for differential equations; special functions; quantum operators; partial differential equations (general and particular); partial differential equations (separation of variables); calculus of variations; integral equations; complex variables; application of complex variables; tensors; numerical methods; group theory; representation theory; probability; and statistics. In addition, the authors have included over 800 practice exercises, half of which contain solutions. This feature is note worthy because it re-enforces the time-honored foundational principles behind teaching mathematics: Basically, the study of higher mathematics is a process of trial and error, and students do not retain their lessons unless they are able to investigate problems, point-by-point, through rote practice. To this end, the exercises provided allow readers to immediately apply the theories of the text to the actual process of mathematics. Recommended as a supporting class text in any engineering or physical science class, serving as a trusty companion for the student whose course of study is predicated on the realms of advanced mathematics.
NONLINEAR PROGRAMMING: THEORY AND ALGORITHMS. 3rd Edition. Mokhtar S. Bazaraa, Hanif D. Sherali, C. M. Shetty. John Wiley.
This important text covers the theory and algorithms of nonlinear programming in comprehensive terms – a tried and true resource that has the potential to open myriad doors within the mind of the student, this in depth exploration into a subject that marries aspects of applied mathematics and industrial engineering. As noted in the publisher’s summary of Nonlinear Programming, this work is premised on “the problem of optimizing an objective function in the presence of equality and inequality constraints [since] many realistic problems cannot be adequately represented as a linear program owing to the nature of the nonlinearity of the objective function and/or the nonlinearity of any constraints…” In turn, this text covers the three major parts of nonlinear programming (convex analysis; optimality conditions; algorithms and their convergence) in clear and insightful prose that employs richly illustrated examples in order to bring the student to the core principles of the discipline. Now in its fully-updated third edition, readers will benefit from coverage of topic areas such as interior point methods and nonconvex optimization that represent the latest research in the field. In addition, the numerical problems and advanced theoretical exercises serve to test the reader on retention as material is presented. Noted and recommended for its logical format and sharp editing that never wavers in its focus. Highly recommended as a core-classroom text in the fields of Operations Research, Management Science, Industrial Engineering or Applied Mathematics (with an emphasis on those engineering disciplines that utilize analytical optimization techniques).
MATH REFRESHER FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS. 3rd Edition. John R. Fanchi. John Wiley.
This text serves to help students in the advanced sciences review myriad mathematical concepts. The mission of this text is to allow students to revisit core principles in mathematics as they apply to the sciences and to engineering. The book focuses on practical applications and includes exercises that test readers on problems likely to be encountered in real-world situations. Includes chapters on integral equations; calculus of variations; tensor analysis; and partial fractions. Fanchi is an accomplished writer who is able to communicate in a clear and straight-forward manner – drawing the student into the material rather than creating deeper layers of intimidation. Recommended as a supporting class text in all science and engineering courses where graduation from the curriculum includes a re-testing of mathematical skills/ efficiency.
LAW
LITIGATION TRIAL PRACTICE, SIXTH EDITION. William M. Hart. Roderick D. Blanchard. Thomson-Delmar Learning.
Reviewed by Frank Aiello
This text is now in its Sixth Edition and, after even a cursory reading, it’s easy to see why. Here, Hart and Blanchard present a full overview of the litigation process, with an emphasis on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure -- working in a systematic manner, providing complete examples of each of the documents customarily dealt with in the trial process (such as answers, interrogatories and motions, with review of the format required for each document). In addition, the authors offer examples of myriad form letters; a list of key terms augmenting each chapter; and useful guides called “Technology Notes.” For example, the Notes for a chapter on medical examinations and records list various web sites where the practitioner can obtain on-line assistance focused on pertinent medical issues. Hart and Blanchard also provide an insert entitled “Cite-Mate” written by Deborah Bouchoux which sets forth an invaluable citation reference for busy practitioners and their aides. In the real world, such assistance is invaluable – saving attorneys untold time which then can be used for more pressing assignments such a preparing for trial. Although Hart and Blanchard state that the text is intended to prepare paralegal students to work with lawyers, the breadth of information and the manner in which it is presented makes this an valuable reference guide for the whole of the legal community (including budding paralegals, law students, and young lawyers whose hands-on litigation training was either markedly limited or all-together-ignored by law school faculty). In sum, this well-organized and well-designed text should be in use in law school procedure courses as a supporting class manual. It is further recommended to advanced paralegal students who will be greatly benefited by the practical information it collects.
LABOR LAW AND EMPLOYMENT. VICTORIA E. ULLMANN. Thomson-Delmar-Learning.
In the corporate workplace, the threat of litigation remains a major concern – any mistake by a supervisor in managing his staff often results in a costly lawsuit (made even worse by Defendant’s attorneys’ fees and bad PR). So what can businesses and employers do to stem the tide of labor-based litigation? Demand that the Human Resources Department get current with the law – and fast. In Labor Law, Ullmann (an experienced and well-regarded attorney) has drafted a textbook that cuts to the core of the subject, taking students through the terrain of Employment Law with clarity and precision. Rather than create a one-dimensional text for the paralegal student, Ullmann has instead built a book that is also relevant to advanced business management students (as well as to mid-level managers in all segments of the business world). It is obvious at page one that Ullmann is a tremendous legal writer, and she never wavers from her mission – which is to give accurate and practical meaning to the ultra-complicated web of legal standards that govern labor in the United States. Accordingly, the author includes analysis of the Federal System; at-will employment (which has become an increasingly prickly area); implied contracts; worker’s compensation; drug testing; infliction of emotional distress; the Fair Labor Standards Act; statues governing discrimination; reasonable accommodation and disability; the procedural framework of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; erudite analysis of McDonnell-Douglas; and a review of ERISA. Throughout, Ullmann presents summary of the applicable or governing case law within the text of her analysis, thus allowing readers to digest ‘the law’ in relation to the author’s extrapolation. In turn, students are given every opportunity to review key points of information and then apply it to the context of the law in the manner that the Courts do (a method that shows the reader how the legal process works beyond the confines of the classroom). This text is recommended as a primary teaching text in any paralegal course that is focused on Employment Law. Further recommended as a supporting class text for Business Administration courses based in Human-Resource topics. Finally, Labor Law should be considered as an in-office reference by Human Resource Directors who hold positions in companies where they are in effect the ‘first-line of defense’ charged with diffusing potential legal problems before they reach an actionable stage.
Of Related Interest
MEDICAL MALPRACTICE. Law and Litigation. Beth Walston-Dunham. Thomson/Delmar-Learning.
Another smoldering spot for attorneys and their staffs comes via the realm of medical malpractice, as changes in the legal landscape have altered how these cases are litigated. In this text, Walston-Dunham first reviews the history of medical malpractice in America before moving into a step-by-step analysis of the typical med-malpractice case. Walston-Dunham’s historical overview provides a nice segue into the meat of the book, which is looking at the different forms medical malpractice takes and the ways that attorneys evaluate and litigate such claims. The author’s “Anatomy of a Lawsuit” is a perfect tool for the classroom in that it effectively dissects the complexities of the courtroom for the student, cutting the material into neat ‘bite-sized’ chunks that promote reader comprehension. However, the value of this text is in the way that Walston-Dunham presents the case from both the Plaintiff’s and Defendant’s perspective, demonstrating to the student how the same fact situation can be manipulated as each side puts their ‘spin’ on an event. Practically, this demonstrates to students how much a forum of debate the practice of the law really is, further demonstrating that success in this arena requires acute factual analysis in addition to the ability to move a jury to an understanding of complex legal and scientific concepts. Walston-Dunham has done an admirable job in both the writing and organizing of this text, setting elements of theory against typical ‘real world’ situations in order to immediately test a student’s ability to apply what they have just learned. Medical Malpractice is recommended as a primary teaching text in paralegal programs surveying the litigation process in Tort and professional negligence claims. Further recommended as an in-office reference for practicing paralegals, serving as a compact review of key information.
AN INTERVIEW
WITH LEGAL WRITER
BETH WALSTON-DUNHAM
Examining the landscape of the law, what changes have altered how attorneys presently assess and litigate medical malpractice cases?
Over the last 10-20 years, there have been dramatic changes in the legal profession concerning medical malpractice cases. For one, things are a lot more competitive – from a marketing standpoint, attorneys must be able to litigate these kinds of cases, yet they also must be selective in evaluating them, because of restrictions on recovery and the penalties that are imposed on lawyers who file frivolous lawsuits. Now lawyers must approach medical malpractice claims from a practical business-perspective rather than on a purely emotional level, which used to be common place.
In terms of medical malpractice litigation, what particular challenges are presented for a trial lawyer and his staff as they enter the courtroom?
Evidence is the key. But in these kinds of cases, evidence can be difficult to acquire, especially if you’re the Plaintiff. The Defense and its employees are usually in control of all the evidence and of many of the witnesses. Obviously, this can be problematic. But, it should be remembered that this control only goes as far as the loyalty of the employees. Medical malpractice claims are not like a car accident, where you can visit the scene and interview witnesses who are not directly connected with the case. Instead, most of the witnesses in medical malpractice cases are connected to the Defense side, which creates obvious problems.
Do you think lawyers are seeing an increase of actionable medical negligence claims given the growing problem with physician errors during the course of patient treatment?
Absolutely. The large numbers of errors [as reported in recent studies] have caused an increase in litigation. I think the reasons for this are easy to understand: The more patients that doctors see the more likely there are to be errors. And with errors there is the very real potential for lawsuits. Basically, the increased numbers of patients being seen in hospitals produce mistakes and the mistakes often produce litigation. And I think this trend will only increase, given the fact that the Baby-Boomers are all growing older. And as they age, they will need medical care, resulting in even more patients seeking treatment in hospitals over the next 10 years.
Do you see lawsuits as beneficial to keeping the process in check? Do they serve as an effective deterrent against physician negligence?
I don’t think the goal has ever been for lawsuits to deter recklessness. Instead, the primary goal of the process has been to provide compensation to the injured party. Yet, from a secondary standpoint, it is true that doctors know the potential for litigation is always looming. That’s just a fact of life of their profession. And physicians are aware of it. These suits can take a heavy toll on a doctor, and the attorneys who prosecute these cases should be aware of this fact. A lawyer must remember that you do not jeopardize someone’s career with a lawsuit unless the claims are well-founded.
Do you think that the caps on damages/recovery now in force in many states have colored attorney-perceptions with regard to litigating medical malpractice claims? And are injured parties suffering as a result?
Well, the vast majority of these cases fall into a gray area and Plaintiffs often have little access to evidence. Therefore, it can be hard for them to find a lawyer who will pursue a claim. It’s a very difficult proposition for the lawyers evaluating these cases. The reality of medical malpractice cases is that the cost of prosecution can many times exceed recovery, creating a negative situation for both the attorney and the client. The reality is that damage caps can make many cases impractical to prosecute, ending in a travesty of justice for those people who have been injured but who can’t find lawyers to help them…
~John Aiello
Of Related Interest
ENTERTAINMENT LAW. Jeffery Helewitz. Leah Edwards. Thomson/Delmar-Learning.
Another specialty-area within the American Courts comes via the practice of entertainment law. The common image one conjures when the word “entertainment” is blurted is of a high-powered lawyer battling a studio executive for an extra ‘mil’ for his client. Sexy fantasy, but hardly all that common. In actuality, this arena is much like other civil concentrations, dependent on a practitioner’s ability to apply statutory arguments to unique fact structures. Here, Helewitz and Edwards offer a deep glimpse into the nuts-and-bolts aspects of entertainment law. Chapter topics include full review of pertinent Constitutional issues; Federal regulation of intellectual property; contracts; partnerships; the legal structure of the entertainment industry (as related to television, film, theater, records, music publishing, book publishing and sports law). In addition, there is a well-developed chapter on entertainment law and cyberspace. This material is especially relevant given the growth of the internet, which has made information instantly available and instantly open to be copied and re-circulated. The author’s inclusion of this topic serves to stress that the changing landscape of the world and its reliance on technology-driven mediums also alters the way lawyers and their staffs approach a case/client. This text is notable for the effortless way it presents its data: Helewitz and Edwards write with the student in mind, setting important terms off in the margins and providing succinct definitions, emphasizing core-concepts with multiple examples in an attempt to integrate the reader with the text. Too often, legal writers are overly-broad and overly-technical in their presentation, losing less advanced readers along the way. However, Helewitz and Edwards do not fall into such a trap; instead, they realize that their mission is not to write like lawyers, but to teach complicated concepts to a student audience. Accordingly, Entertainment Law meets this mission in workman-like fashion. This text is recommended as a primary teaching text in paralegal courses devoted to entertainment-law topics.
BIOLOGY/CHEMISTRY/PYSICS
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOPHYSICS. Meyer B. Jackson. Cambridge University Press.
This selection marks an outstanding addition to the field of biophysics, premised on both molecular and cellular principles. In the past, texts in this area have often been staid and singular in focus, looking at biophysics in purely foundational terms. Here, however, Jackson (University of Wisconsin Medical School) has created a sharp and multidimensional resource that marries different aspects of the scientific journey together in one volume, in turn helping the advanced college student refine his ability to apply principles of physical chemistry to the multiplicities of biological research.In his treatise, Jackson covers myriad topics, including g</SPAN><SPAN>lobal transitions in proteins; molecular forces in biological structures; conformations of macromolecules; and molecular associations, in addition to erudite analysis of diffusion and Brownian Motion. Further, the appendices provide a fantastic overview of applicable mathematical concepts (i.e. matrix algebra; Fourier analysis). These appendices serve as a refresher course of sorts and are meant to give students the chance to revisit the whole of their mathematical backgrounds (applying the core of their knowledge to relevant principles of molecular and cellular biophysics). More than anything, this text is note worthy for its ability to cross-over the boundaries of multiple disciplines (mathematics, physical chemistry, physics, biology, statistics), in an effort to show the student that the study of science requires a mastery of vast principles and the innate ability to synthesize theory and then reapply it to new sets of problems. As noted, Jackson’s treatise presupposes some level of competency in both advanced mathematics and chemistry and is written for students who are embarking on dedicated graduate-level study in the field. Recommended as a primary teaching text in all Biophysics courses that teach the application of molecular and cellular biophysical principles to various biological systems. Further recommended to all college-level libraries as a general reference text with long-term value.
Of RelatedInterest
PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (6th Edition). Edited by Keith Wilson and John Walker. Cambridge University Press.
This text, edited by two of the most esteemed faculty from the University of Hertfordshire, will be of interest to all serious students in the sciences.Principles and Techniques of Biochemistry serves as an expanded edition of the previous Principles And Techniques of Practical Biochemistry. In essence, this text provides analysis of the theoretical principles and the applications of those principles as they relate to the disciplines of biochemistry and molecular biology. During the last two decades, the landscape of modern medicine has changed a great deal, with discoveries in areas like stem cell research and genomics making it necessary for chemists and biologists to have extensive knowledge of the molecular structure of the human form. Accordingly, Wilson and Walker have constructed afundamental course book that not only looks to discuss the principles of these concentrations of study, but also looks at the ways scientists should go about applying theory to the every-day practice of medicine and laboratory research. Topics of coverage include cell culture techniques; centrifugation; molecular biology (including bioinformatics and basic techniques); recombinant DNA and genetic analysis; and protein structure (including purification, characterization and functional analysis). We note this textbook because of its ability to merge the disciplines of biochemistry and molecular biology and illuminate the links that render these areas of study interdependent. Well-edited and clearly written, providing students with a stable point of reference which they will be able to utilize beyond the confines of the classroom. Recommended as a primary text in classes that connect the principles and practices of biochemistry with molecular biology. Imperative reading for those students entering pre-med programs. Finally, recommended to all Health Sciences libraries as a general reference text.
PSYCHOLOGY
EXPLORING THE DIMENSIONS OF HUMAN SEXUALITY. Third Edition. Jerrold S. Greenberg. Clint E. Bruess. Sarah C. Conklin. Jones and Bartlett.
This outstanding text surveys the core-points of sexuality, examining the intricacies of desire and attraction that bring members of the human species together. What is best about this teaching manual is that it carefully addresses the fact that human sexuality is multi-dimensional: A byproduct of spiritual, psychological, and social factors that blend together to help each individual form their own private sexuality. It is important for students of this discipline to note that people and their approaches to sexuality are all different, and thus what is right for one person might not be right for the other. Accordingly, Exploring The Dimensions does an exemplary job at addressing this point in cogent and understandable terms, opening up for discussion the question of just what factors assemble to create our sexual identities. In addition, Greenberg and his co-writers show readers that their sexual actions can indeed have decided consequences in terms of the transmission of sexually-based diseases. Given the present state of youth in our society (most notably the rising rate of teenage pregnancy) these topics are of core-importance and they should be taught to all undergraduate college students as a means to foster an awareness of (and appreciation for) the idea of sexual responsibility. Recommended as a teaching text in all undergraduate Psychology or Human Sexuality courses that address the effects of sexuality on the culture and on the individual. This particular selection is note worthy for its clarity and for its ability to tackle tough subjects with flair and dignity – inviting student participation rather than fostering alienation.
GROUP COUNSELING. Concepts and Procedures. Robert C. Berg. Garry L. Landreth. Kevin A. Fall. Routledge.
This serves as one of the best manuals presently in circulation premised on the use of group counseling in the treatment of psychological disorders. In the past, there has been on-going debate among psychologists regarding the effectiveness of group therapy. Yet, as the smoke has cleared, many practitioners continue to believe that group counseling can indeed be an effective path in maintaining the health of the patient – providing that these group sessions are conducted in a manner that allows the individual a certain level of comfort: The idea is to empower each assemblage of patients to want to participate in an honest exchange of their feelings. In this text, the authors write in clear and compact style, presenting a guidebook on the foundational concepts behind the practice of group counseling (in addition to an outline of procedures the clinician should follow in order to facilitate productive group sessions). Some of the most enlightening information is presented in the chapter on how the psychologist should work through issues of resistance, using the process as a means to bring patients to a deeper comfort zone. Going further, readers will find strong chapters on other common trouble-areas that surface in group counseling situations (as well as suggestions on how practitioners should structure group sessions in order to motivate meaningful patient participation). Recommended as a primary teaching text in advanced psychology courses that focus on modes of therapy/treatment (and the physician’s ultimate role in the process). Noted for its organization and clear delineation of its subject matter.
Of Related Interest
CHOOSING METHODS IN MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH. Mental Health Research From Theory to Practice. Edited by Mike Slade and Stefan Priebe. Routledge.
This text is devoted to teaching students and clinicians how to choose proper research methods when examining mental health/scientific questions. The basic premise of Choosing Methods is to show scientists that the path they take in dissecting a given problem will have a direct influence on both the data discovered and the way future medical communities collectively come together to initiate treatment plans. This book is extremely important to advanced students of psychology because it does an exemplary job in outlining research methods applicable to the study of psychiatric medicine. In addition to painting a practical picture on how the art of the research study can inspire generations of clinicians, it also seeks to demonstrate that researchers need to know the probable demographic they are attempting to reach before their study begins (settling on a method that fits both the scope of the project and the target audience it hopes to capture). If these elements intersect at the same time, then the information extrapolated will likely have a profound impact on the reader (in turn making the data applicable to the practicing physician in the course of patient treatment). Recommended to psychology instructors teaching courses focused on implementing useful mental health research projects. In addition, this text should be on reserve in all college-level libraries: It proves vital to all students of science who can use the information presented by Slade and Priebe to conduct viable research studies in a multiplicity of areas.
Also of Note From Routledge Psychology
PERSONALITY DISORDERS AND EATING DISODERS. Exploring the Frontier. Edited by Randy A. Sansone. John L. Levitt. Routledge.
This book marks a terribly important point of reference for the young psychologist, as this treatise by Sansone and Levitt sets forth a clear link between personality and eating disorders. Basically, those with eating disorders are exhibiting self-destructive behavior rooted in the blunt-force of some deeper psychological injury. However, in the past, psychologists often neglected to appreciate the intersection of symptoms, often treating each disorder independently instead of as intricately related processes. Here, Sansone and Levitt do a masterful job at stripping away obsolete preconceptions, striving to show how practitioners of psychotherapy can learn to look at the whole patient and not just bits and pieces of a person. If mental health specialists can do this, they will likely gain a clearer understanding of why an individual is troubled, in turn enjoying a far better chance of treating the impetus behind the patient’s pain. As the authors infer, the walls within the human mind form over time and in reaction to myriad traumas. Consequently, many humans learn to cope with their suffering via a reliance on things like food, alcohol, and narcotics, hiding from themselves. Yet, the very best psychologists know how to look beyond the first clinical picture, working to unlock the door to the individual core. Highly recommended as a primary text in courses focused on teaching techniques of psychotherapy for patients who present with eating disorders.
OBESITY AND MENTAL DISORDERS. Susan L. McElroy. David B. Allison. George A. Bray. Taylor and Francis/Informa.
This volume very much warrants serious review by the medical community as a whole, and not just by physicians dedicated to psychiatric care. In 21<SUP>st century society, there is a literal epidemic of obesity, as individuals sometimes carrying as much as double their required body weight suffer from myriad secondary disorders, including heart disease; crippling arthritis; and diabetes.
Further, there has been on-going investigation among scientific researchers as whether a true correlation exists between obesity and mental illness. And the authors write: “Many emerging lines of evidence suggest that reexamination of the relationship between obesity and mental disorders are in order, particularly for mental health professionals. In this regard, the significant overlap between obesity and psychopathology in clinical populations may be the most important…”
In this volume, McElroy and her co-writers carefully deconstruct their subject in careful terms, attempting to draw tangible links between the life-altering afflictions of obesity and mental illness.
After reviewing the history of obesity, the authors look to the connection between being over-weight and the onset of psychotic disorders. Accordingly, there are insightful and thought-inducing chapters on topics like mood disorders and obesity; the increase of cardiovascular risk factors concurrent with schizophrenia; obesity and impulsive/compulsive mood disorders; and a crisp breakdown of the relationship between body fat and various diseases (hypertension; diabetes; dyslipidemia). Moreover, relevant discussion as to treatment options for obesity with and without psychopathology has been included.
In addition to the in depth data presented here, this book is absolutely vital to the mindset of the medical professional, since this material seeks to draw tangible links between obesity and various mental breakdowns. And going further, the authors also examine ways that doctors and other healthcare professionals can begin treating individuals who present with obesity-related illness.
The most important bit of data for the doctor to take from this book is to understand that an overweight person might be fighting more than physical illness; in addition, they may be suffering from some form of mental disorder, too. Thus, when dealing with an obese patient, a course of therapy should be developed that accounts for concomitant attention to both the mind and the body.
This text should be a required reading for all student-doctors looking to gain certification in internal medicine, for there is an important lesson to be learned here: That physical illness is often the byproduct of myriad issues that require the patient’s mental state to be taken into full consideration. All doctors would be well- served to learn this early in their careers and then incorporate the perspective into rituals of daily patient care.
HYPNOSIS AND TREATING DEPRESSION. Michael D. Yapko, Editor. Routledge.
Hypnosis has long been thought of as a taboo in traditional medical circles – a last-gasp backroom treatment option that only the most radical physicians would consider. However, the times have indeed changed, and hypnosis is now seen as quite a viable treatment plan to be used in conjunction with counseling and pharmacological therapies.
In this very profound text, Yapko (director of The Milton H. Erickson Institute of San Diego) gathers contributions from the leading thinkers in the field who write compelling essays on ways that therapists might be able to integrate hypnosis into care-plans for those suffering from myriad forms of on-going depression.
What is best about this text and Yapok’s perspective is that he is seeking to draw scientists out of their insulated cocoons and formulaic worlds, asking that they move within themselves and become creative - the idea is to use a broad sampling of different treatment options to help heal the wounds that bruise and cripple the human psyche.
This perspective is absolutely vital to students who are approaching the end of their programs and about to be licensed to practice psychiatric medicine. It seems obvious that future success in this field will require practitioners to abandon preconceptions about cutting-edge therapies like hypnosis, looking to consider such treatment options on an individual basis. To this end, Yapko and contributors make a compelling case for hypnotically-based treatment plans to become a common alternative for patients in the dark throes of depression.
Recommended a supporting text in courses that focus on treating depression. Further recommended to all Health Science libraries as a general reference text.
Anatomy is a basic prerequisite to all pre-med programs, as well as a requirement for all nursing and health-related professions. Anatomy and Physiology courses are simply the cornerstone of these fields, with students requiring a complete mastery of this material in order to move on to more advanced courses. Here, Canby (Des Moines University) has created a problem-based manual leading the student through multiple layers of anatomical data byway of a ‘case study’ model. Instead of ‘lecturing’ his readers, Canby instead thrusts us to the core of the material and forces an interaction with the clinical applications of the discipline: This ‘hands-on’ approach meant to focus the student’s attention on the ways that one human organ system builds on the next, forming a synchronized system of cells and vessels which keep the heart and brain fed with blood. In his problem-based approach, Canby brings students to the deep significance of our anatomical structure by helping them to examine its substructures or subspecialties. Topic coverage includes chapters on the back; thorax; abdomen; pelvis/perineum; lower limb/upper limb; and head/neck, with specific diseases/conditions discussed as part of the exploration of each region. Readers will find Canby’s style immediately effective, as he had built a platform on which to test the student’s ability to apply their understanding of anatomy to the clinical ‘stage’ of the examination room. Noted for its clarity, organization and illustrations which come together seamlessly, helping students with both comprehension and retention of complicated material. Recommended as a primary course text in Anatomy courses in pre-med programs. Further recommended to instructors as a secondary classroom manual in all nursing programs: Canby’s analysis provides a vital roadmap guiding readers through the intricacies of human construction.
Of Related Interest
CRASH COURSE: METABOLISM AND NUTRITION - With STUDENT CONSULT (Online Access). Albert Clark. Mosby.
Mosby’s Crash Course series provides a unique and effective way for a student to learn the core of a subject and retain its fine points – clearly written texts that test for comprehension immediately upon the presentation of the material. Here, Clark (Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario) offers a review of the scientific basis of metabolism and nutrition, with discussion of carbohydrate and energy metabolism; lipid metabolism and transport; the metabolism of proteins, purines, pyrimidines and heme; glucose homeostasis; and exploration of the principles of proper nutrition. In addition, Clark includes well-rounded chapters on ways physicians in the clinical setting assess metabolic disease. Given the reality of how much information is flying at medical students and residents at one time, this Crash Course series provides a tidy compendium of lectures that encourages young doctors to revisit vital information – these books cutting to the core of myriad subjects in sharp and shapely narrative style. Imagine a classroom where the instructor stands before you and just gives you the factual information that you have to have in order to facilitate understanding of the subject. Now hold that picture in your mind. In effect, you have just opened an installment of the Crash Course series. Here, the specific focus is on nutrition and the way that the metabolic processes of the human body synthesize food into energy.Readers will be able to use this text (priced at an affordable $30) as a secondary manual to many courses that intersect these topics. Recommended to medical and pre-med students as an invaluable self-study tool that will aid in exam preparation.
PROGNOSTIC FACTORS IN CANCER, THIRD EDITION. Edited by Mary K. Gospodarowicz, Brian O'Sullivan. Leslie H. Sobin. John Wiley.
This selection records important advances in medicine’s fight to better manage the onset of cancer and enhance quality of life issues for the patient. Prognostic Factors sets forth how physicians can better evaluate case-data in order to reach a proper prognosis. Cancer cases are often unpredictable, representing the most challenging situations any doctor will encounter during the course of their day-to-day practice. Accordingly, this is one of the only textbooks of its kind to focus on the clinical methodology for evaluating prognostic factors in order to arrive at humane and effective treatments for the cancer-sick patient. Comprehensive in tone, this book provides a deep overview of site-specific tumors; the lesson: different kinds of tumors require different treatment approaches on the part of the healthcare provider. Gospodarowicz (University of Toronto’s Princess Margaret Hospital) discusses various topic areas here, including head and neck tumors; Digestive System tumors; lung and pleural tumors; tumors of bone, soft tissue, and skin; breast and gynecologic cancers; Urological tumors; brain and ophthalmic tumors; Hematoglic malignancies; and Pediatric tumors. The text is noted for its organization and editing as the authors speak with clarity and precision, stressing that the physician’s role will always be different at different stages of the disease (thus creating the need for an individualized course of care that can only be determined by the immediate condition of the patient). Recommended as a primary text in courses where fellows and residents are taught how to evaluate symptoms in cancer patients. The mission of this book is to help doctors make effective prognostic decisions so as to arrive at practical and effective treatment plans.
CELL BIOLOGY PROTOCOLS. Robin Harris. John M. Graham David Rickwood. John Wiley.
This text is truly written for the modern curriculum, stitching together various areas of scientific study as they relate to the discipline of Cell Biology. In today’s research laboratory, the cell biologist is required to have a working knowledge of myriad subjects, including analytical biochemistry, molecular biology and molecular genetics. Accordingly, this text assembles data on various protocols (light and electron microscopy; concepts of cell culture and cell separation; subcellular fractionation; organelle and membrane isolation, and the use of in vitro reassembly systems in Cell Biology) in an effort to present students and practicing researchers with a text as vast as the cellular forms which create the human dynamic itself. Recommended as a primary teaching text in both Cell Biology and Molecular Biology courses, noted for its ability to show the reader that the study of science is the study of multiplicities drawing from the motion of the world.
TECHNOLOGY
IMPROVING ALMOST ANYTHING: IDEAS AND ESSAYS. Revised Edition. George E. P. Box. Foreword by Dr. J. Stuart Hunter.John Wiley.
Another standout science text from the ageless John Wiley and Sons, Mr. Box’s manuscript analyzes ways that researchers can improve myriad scientific processes and, in turn, enhance aspects of quality in the broad fields of manufacturing and technology. Box’s Improving Almost Anything is premised on ways science can intervene with the goal to improve processes as they relate to the theory and application of product design. In his treatise, Box analyzes the underlying philosophy of the scientific method in order to reconnect students with their own personal impulses of creativity. Basically, Box leads his readers back to themselves, trying to inspire advances in technology and research by leading students back to the ‘wheel’ whereby they might find new ways revitalize product quality. The book is divided into five key parts (Part A, “Some Thoughts on Quality Improvement,”; Part B, “Design of Experiments for Process Improvement;”Part C, “Sequential Investigation and Discovery;” Part D, “Control;” ,Part E, “Variance Reduction and Robustness” ) which come together to bring the student back to the point where scientist morphs into inventor, driven by the insatiable need to make the whole of the process (from design to production) more stable and efficient. Recommended as either a primary or supporting text in any course that explores the marriage of science and technology as each relate to product design and quality control.
NURSING
DEVELOPING EXPERTISE IN CRITICAL CARE NURSING. Julie Scholes. Blackwell.
The demands placed on the critical care nurse are, without a doubt, intense - -as physicians require nurses in this role to be able to function at the highest level while providing treatment and support for multiple patients who dwell in the throes of life-and-death illness. Accordingly, critical care nurses must test and retest their skills as they serve as the physician’s ‘second set of eyes,’ reading symptoms and administering treatment plans; simply, any error for a critical care nurse is a catastrophe with fatal consequences. In this text, Scholes analyzes the progression of skills that needs to occur for a nurse to be able to effectively master the requirements of the critical care ward. Scholes’ analysis grows from a clinical perspective and examines how critical care nurses should approach the study of nursing. The idea is to be able to take the core skills-set that all nurses must possess (the ability to be able to meet basic patient needs, administer medication, facilitate laboratory testing and support the mission of the physician) and then transfer them to the practice of critical care medicine – where the speed of the job is increased tenfold amid patients in grave condition. Basically, critical care nursing requires that a nurse be able to apply the essence of their skills to the most pressurized of all medical environments. Consequently, critical care nurses cannot just be competent; instead, they have to be variable experts in the field of nursing with the innate ability to read a situation and immediately assess patient stability (or instability), noting each subtle change in condition that could be the precursor to a bigger event. Here, Scholes tells us just what kind of mettle this job requires, looking at how skills are acquired, nurtured, polished and expanded so that an individual can maximize their potential while satisfying strict regimens of patient care. Well-written and impeccably organized, as Scholes leaves the reader more certain of the steps they will need to take in order to develop their capabilities to parallel the demands of ‘critical care.’ Recommended as a class text in advanced programs/courses that explore specialty-care in nursing.
FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING. Sue Carter DeLaune. Patricia Kelly Ladner. Thomson/Delmar-Learning.
Reviewed by Karen C. Bagatelos, M.S.N.; N.P.
Fundamentals of Nursing carries an appropriate title, for this text serves as a comprehensive reference appropriate for students as well as experienced nurses already in established practice.
Authors DeLaune and Ladner do an exemplary job at providing a through overview of the history of nursing; standards of care; professional accountability; proper health habits; and ways in which nurses can best respond to the basic psychosocial and physiologic needs of their patients. However, throughout this text, the main focus for the reader is on the nursing process itself.
Obviously, the science of nursing as we know it has taken many years to evolve, and Fundamentals provides an excellent summary of both the art and science of the discipline which, when stitched together, define the practice of nursing.
Even though the discipline is vast and marked with competing responsibilities, nurses spend the majority of their time tending to patients’ psychosocial and physiologic needs in an effort to assist them to regain their health. In essence, this is the beauty of the science of nursing.
Yet, beyond this, instructors in the discipline are charged with helping novice nurses attain an understanding of the art of nursing which develops over time and through experience – the ultimate goal is for a nurse to be able to use the whole of their knowledge to best address shifting patient needs.
Accordingly, DeLaune and Ladner present an excellent review of the nature and science of nursing in this multilayered text, with Fundamentals divided into six primary sections which comprehensively describe myriad aspects of the profession:
Section one describes the history of nursing (including the evolution of nursing practice; nursing theory; research and evidence-based practice; and health care delivery systems). The second section offers a sound review of the nursing process. Section three reviews the fine-points of professional accountability, including pertinent examination of both the legal and ethical responsibilities which accompany a nursing license. The fourth section thoroughly describes promoting client health, with a focus on the natures of the life cycle. The fifth section discusses the patient’s basic psychosocial needs (including the stress-response, spirituality, loss, and grief). Finally, section six reviews how nurses can best respond to the patient’s basic physiologic needs.
In addition, the authors have augmented their treatise with a full array of charts, tables, drawings and pictures that will help the reader retain the substantial amount of data being addressed. The authors have also included a comprehensive review of nursing diagnoses and care plans which provide a sharply-styled refresher course for practicing nurses in all sub-specialties.
In sum, Fundamentals of Nursing serves as an excellent resource for students – a text that allows beginners to develop a complete understanding of both the art and science of nursing while also presenting experienced nurses with a reference of long-term and wide-ranging value.
Karen C. Bagatelos holds a Masters of Science degree in Nursing, serving as both a Nurse Practitioner in Gastroenterology and Assistant Clinical Professor of Community Health Systems at the nationally ranked University of California, San Francisco Medical Center. Reach her through The Electric Review.
CLINICAL DECISION MAKING: CASE STUDIES IN MATERNITY AND WOMEN’S HEALTH. Diann S. Gregory. Thomson/Delmar Learning.
Recently released by<B>Thomson Delmar, CLINICAL DECISION MAKING: CASE STUDIES IN MATERNITY AND WOMEN’S HEALTH byDiann S. Gregory (Miami Dade College) is presented with unique focus and delicate precision: A text meant to "bridge the gap" between knowledge and the student’s ability to apply that knowledge.
Here, Gregory has structured a manualmeant to assist nurses in the making of clinical decisions that relate directly to women’s health and to maternity-based cases. In this unique and practical series from Delmar Learning, nurses are summoned to the "front lines" of the classroom and confronted with real life scenarios; the idea is to present a "case" study and then step back while the nurse assembles the myriad information and offers the proper care. Gregory’s ultimate lesson is to show that the typical classroom is a sterile and completely controlled environment, while the hospital itself is a kinetic and unpredictable stage where anything can happen at any time. Good nurses mustmaster the transition, or lives willlikely be compromised.
Clinical Decision Making has been deemed worthy of consideration for classroom adoption because ofits boldness and breadth, a textbook that in effect marriesthe walls of the classroom to the hospital maternity ward and then demandsthe reader initiate an appropriate plan of action -- immediately testingthe nurse’s retention of material and their ability to transfer that knowledge directly to the care of the patient.
PEDIATRICS. From Thomson-Learning’s Case Study Series. Bonita Broyles. Thomson-Delmar Learning.
As part of the same series, Bonita Broyles Pediatrics uses an identical editorial format to stress the core idea of the Learning Case Study Series:to re-enforce principles of critical thinking so that the nurse is able to use proper judgment in assessing a case and initiating treatment. Divided into 20 independent studies, Broyles’ Pediatrics paints real life pictures ("case studies") and places the nurse smack-dab in the middle of the treatment room with a call to evaluate varied situations and provide appropriate remedies.Each case begins by setting the scene, asthe nurse/reader is presented with various pieces of personal data (such as patient age, gender, ethnicity, cultural considerations, pharmacological specifics, and spiritual considerations), before being confrontedwith a factual summary of why the patient requires care. At this point, the reader is pressedwith several questions of consideration which, when answered correctly, offer a "blue-print" to a suitable course of therapy. Aside from its pin-point writing and sharp organization, the best part of this text is that it forgoes the predilection to "lecture" (something so many medical texts fall prey to), instead dedicating its full focus to the practical world where patients are not names on paper but instead actual living breathing people whose well-beingis in their nurse'shands.
Each of these texts is presented in multiple versions, with either 20 or 40 case studies documented. Thecompact and streamlined versions offering 20studies are appropriate for use as a secondary class text in support of a more generalized manual on the foundationalaspects of nursing.
Among the new breed of college student, the two skills most lacking are 1) the ability to write a basic essay; and 2) the ability to effectively comprehend what has just been read. Arguably, these are two of life’s most important intellectual functions, processes which most of us repeat on an hourly basis. In this text, Spears expertly teaches students how to read and interpret information, beginning her treatise from a foundational stand-point, carefully leading the student through common trouble areas. After defining the reading process and its requirements, the author moves into an in depth discussion of vocabulary, stressing the fact that no one can read or write effectively unless they first hone their vocabulary (examining the way that words are used in different contexts). From here, Spears delves into related topics, including: how to make accurate inferences from the information being presented by a writer; how to determine tone and point of view in any piece of writing; and how to develop critical/analytical reading skills in order to effectively counter a given position. In addition to the core topics Spears presents, this text stands out because of its organization, with the author smartly adding exercises at the end of each chapter as a means to immediately test the student’s comprehension of material. In the end, the act of reading should not be drudgery for students, but instead, should excite and enliven their minds and promote intellectual discovery. The catch is that no one can reach this point unless they first learn how to approach the exercise. To this end, Deanne Spears’ Developing Critical Reading Skills marks one of the best texts of its kind currently available. Recommended to instructors of reading courses (beginning at the intermediate level). Noted for its clear perspective and for the way it involves the student in every step of the presentation.
AlsoFromMcGraw-Hill
THE AIMS OFARGUMENT. 5<SUP>th Edition. Timothy W. Crusius. Carolyn E. Channell. McGraw-Hill.
This text/reader is vital to teaching the elements of argument. Among entry-level English composition courses, most students struggle mightily with any assignment that requires an argumentative essay. Simply, an astounding number of undergraduate students are unable to fashion an argument on paper that sways the audience to their side of the ball. Here, Crusius and Channell stress the “rhetorical context,” teaching students to approach the medium by first learning to read and analyze data before formulating a strategy to alter the course of their reader’s perspective. I think what sets The Aims of Argument apart from other books in this subject area is the way that it touches upon “mature reasoning” as the cornerstone to effective argument. Bluntly, too many students are influenced by the talk-show circuit, where specious arguments rule the stage. However, these authors are smart to talk about reasonable argument in the first pages of their manual, in effect creating the idea that any relevant argument is premised on a thorough understanding of the facts: The mission is to acknowledge the opposing point-of-view and then strip it away, point-by-point. This edition is also important for the incisive casebook it features – “After 9/11: Understanding Terrorism.” By including this material, the authors take a monumental event still bloody with emotion and use it as a tool to teach original tactics of argument the student-thinker can employ both inside and outside of the classroom for years to come. Recommended as a primary teaching text in all Rhetoric courses that stressthe elements of argument. Further recommended in Logic or Philosophy courses as a supporting class text, recognized for its ability to effectively dissect language and weaken opposing perspective.
Of Related Interest
REASONING AND WRITING WELL. 4<SUP>th Edition. Betty Mattix Dietsch. McGraw-Hill.
This four-part handbook takes an interesting approach in that it features four elements of the writing process together in one handy volume. Reasoning and Writing presents as a reader; a guide on rhetoric; a research manual; and a handbook on the writing process itself – this centralized resource offering students one book that is meant to be used beyond these confines of the classroom. In addition to the chapters on argument and the fine-points of critical thinking (which form the real meat of this volume), the material Dietsch has included on the basics of writing (organization, sentence structure, drafts and revision) are critical to the development of the undergraduate writer, for these are the skills that allow for success at the college level. These days, too many students are winding their ways through school without being able to address complex assignments where a theory must be analyzed and the critical eye applied. Simply, one cannot write an effective argument without first being able to construct a logical sentence whereby each verb is presented in its proper tense. It’s easy to say, but not so easy to accomplish. Here, teaching through example, Dietsch writes with both sharpness and clarity, deftly using graphics to set off important details which need to be cemented in the mind of the reader. In the end, Dietsch’s style shows the student-writer just where mastery in the field can lead. Recommended as a primary class text in all college-level English-1A or 1B courses, a book spotlighted for its lucidity of detail and for the positive energy it builds in the eye of its reader.
Of Related Interest
ENGLSIH SKILLS WITH READINGS. 6<SUP>th Edition. John Langan. McGraw-Hill.
A polar opposite to the Dietch text, the sixth edition of John Langan’s English Skills with Readings is singular in scope, seeking to create a manual that provides insight into those basic areas students must focus on in order to become competent writers. Accordingly, Langan’s text is best suited to students struggling to find their way through the requirements of college-level writing classes. In English Skills with Readings, Langan provides a comprehensive summary of the writing process, including analysis of sentence structure; the nuances of the thesis point; paragraph structure; how to support a thesis point with evidence/detail; and the importance of revisions/drafts (in addition to reviewing the fundamentals of grammar, punctuation and proper word usage). Langan augments this exhaustive exploration into the mechanics of writing by including seventeen readings (by Andy Rooney, Paul Logan, Amy Tan, Bill Wine and others), showcasing pieces which evince the subject matter of the text and show the student-writer just what an effective essay looks like. Recommended as a primary course text for classes which review the basic tenants of composition as a stepping-stone to English 1A. Notable for the author’s ability to strip information to its core principles, in turn creating a guidebook that invites rather than intimidates.
The Electric Review recommends that instructors in the following disciplines investigate these titles as possible frontline teaching texts, notable for their clarity, presentation and accessibility to the student reader. These selections mark references that are clearly defined and expertly edited, comprising the most up-to-date voices in their respective fields. In addition to our snapshot-listing, we are providing links directly back to the appropriate publisher’s page: Please follow the publisher’s specific link-cues for further information regarding these laudable classroom resources. ~John Aiello
This text is a major release linking elements of Preparative Chromatography to the fields of fine chemicals and pharmaceutical research. The core of Schmidt-Traub’s study is steeped in the idea of bringing chromatographic processes to the industrial-based production line. Intricate analysis by the authors (stitched together by Schmidt-Traub’s skillful editing) serves to join basic principles of chemistry with aspects of fine-chemical engineering to strengthen the industrial process as it relates to both food and pharmaceutical production. Target: Although the obvious audience for this book is among the practicing professional (chemists, pharmaceutical researchersand fine-chemical engineers), Preparative Chromatography would also prove to be an indispensable classroom resource in chemistry courses focused on teaching the practical applications of the chromatographic process. Go to wiley.comfor information. ~John Aiello
ADVANCES IN PHOTOCHEMISTRY. VOLUME 29. Editors: Douglas C. Neckers. Wiliam S. Jenks. Thomas Wolff.Wiley-Interscience.
This selection surveys current literature in photochemistry, and then goes one step further, analyzing the material with in depth eyes as a means to build a bridge between the scientist and the idea of critical study. The ultimate purpose of a text like this is to dig beyond the surface, propelling the student-reader toward deeper levels of understanding, pushing the student-reader back into the laboratory (where further research might yield revolutionary advancements in the field). Target:Advances in Photochemistry would prove to be a useful supporting class text in any chemistry course that investigates aspects of the photochemical sciences. Go to wiley.comfor information. . ~John Aiello
ELEMENTS OF TIDAL-ELECTRIC ENGINEERING. Robert H. Clark. Wiley-Interscience.
This treatise exemplifies the true strength of John Wiley and Sons – for 200 years, Wiley has dedicated itself to taking rarefied areas of study and synthesizing them into clear and concrete classroom presentations. Here, Clark presents an authoritative analysis of the fine-points of tidal-electric engineering (these concepts now of ever-increasing importance given the dire projections for a 21<SUP>st-century energy crisis). Elements examines the idea of tidal power development from all relevant perspectives, with pertinent discussion of its economic factors, in addition to a full risk assessment and exploration of its environmental impact. Target: Appropriate frontline teaching text in all advanced power-engineering courses (noted for its amazing breadth and for its incisive analysis – traits that make it indispensable for the college-level library as well). Go to wiley.comfor information. . ~John Aiello
Of Related Interest
ELECTRIC POWER PLANNING FOR REGULATED AND DEREGULATED MARKETS. Arthur Mazer. Wiley-Interscience.
Directly related to the preceding title, Electric Power Planning is a crisp addition to the Wiley canon, serving to examine the electric power planning industry as it morphs from a completely regulated marketplace into a business model of deregulation and broad reach. Accordingly, Mazer analyzes the electric power market from multiple vantage points in an effort to teach readers that deregulation of the industry places more of a burden on the individual to ensure that power systems function with maximum safety and efficiency. Topics of coverage include utility operations and traditional planning approaches; asset management; investment analysis; risk management; and environmental considerations. Noted for its acute examination of both the scientific and business elements of building electric power systems. Target: Recommended as a primary text in all engineering courses premised on teaching students how to plan and implement efficient power systems. Also functional as a reference for attorneys and public policy analysts who work in the field. Go to wiley.comfor information. . ~John Aiello
ASTROPHYSICS. Decoding the Cosmos. Judith A. Irwin. John Wiley.
Irwin’s text is a masterful exploration of the study of astrophysics, examining the key theories that connect the core principles of physics and astronomy. Here, student-readers are presented with a delicate analysis of the physics of astronomy, with pertinent discussion of how densities, temperatures, masses and energies are determined (further communicating information about these independent worlds separated from earth by perfect bands of space). Topics of coverage include the power of light (luminosity and spectral power); the interaction of light with matter; the interaction of light with space; the essentials of matter; and the essentials of radiation. Target: Highly recommended as a frontline teaching text in all undergraduate astrophysics classes. This selection is noted for its clarity of presentation and for its wonderful illustrations that serve to illuminate key-points for the reader. Go to wiley.comfor information. . ~John Aiello
CHILDHOOD ED.
WEEK BY WEEK. Barbara Ann Nilsen. 4<SUP>th Edition. Cengage Learning.
By John Aiello
In this important resource, Barbara Ann Nilsen looks at children in terms of individuality and not as mere ‘case studies’ in an attempt to show students contemplating a career in childhood education that teachers must take nothing for granted when assessing a toddler.
Nilsen has formatted her treatise to cover both aspects of emotional and intellectual development for the child-learner. For example, in chapter 1, the author examines separation anxiety and the adjustment of child-to-school; and later, in chapter 5, she examines the best methods to use in order to accurately assess the level of emotional development on the part of the child.
In essence, the whole point behind this text is to help the prospective teacher to see that each child is utterly unique (requiring the instructor to assess them as individuals and not as ‘pieces of the whole’).
Week by Week proves Nilsen to be an accomplished academic writer whose work resonates with order and depth. In fact, organization is one of this text’s brightest points. Specifically, the author sets a strong foundation for how to properly document a child’s core development (such as creating weekly plans of action and honing behavioral observation techniques) before looking at ways to record the growth-progression of the child (anecdotal recordings; logs; checklists; standardized measurements in relation to cognitive development) – thus creating this linear and logical roadmap that moves through multiple levels of the subject matter in a thorough yet fast- paced manner.
Going further, what’s best about Nilsen’s prose style is that it is economical without sacrificing content. In my professional capacity as a book reviewer, I have found that many times academic writers will over-state their subjects, stuffing chapters with facts until they swell well beyond the student’s scope of comprehension. Or, academic writers will go to the other extreme: Trying to write so sparsely that they leave gaping holes in chapters, effectively destroying a student’s ability to develop an intimate understanding with the author or the data.
However, here, Nilsen reaches a happy medium – giving her readers the information they need without overwhelming them with too many words or too many long-winded passages – her mission to streamline the idea of the ‘teaching process’ into digestible portions.
Week by Week is recommended for use in Child Education programs as either a supporting or primary textbook based on its primary strengths – organization and the author’s ability to write effectively for the student-audience.
INFANTS AND TODDLERS. Curriculum and Teaching. 6th edition. Linda Watson. Terri Swim. Thomson/Delmar Learning.
By John Aiello
Once new parents confirm that the child they’ve just had is healthy, focus turns to issues of development as they seek to find a path through which to teach their child fundamental life-skills. However, the learning process only begins at home, and in today’s fast-paced world of working parents, the task of ushering a tot through these formative years often falls to dedicated child-care providers.
Here, authors Watson and Swim have updated their reference for an all-new 6<SUP>th edition – this child-centered approach designed to help infants and toddlers to quickly become comfortable with the life-long process of learning.
As the reader moves through this text, it becomes readily apparent that teaching a young child requires preparation, empathy and skill. Accordingly, a definite and ordered approach must be undertaken that allows the toddler to confront challenges and assimilate bits of information at a pace that promotes deep retention. Basically, the caregiver must attain a complete understanding of the way the child-brain functions before they can ever hope to succeed as ‘teachers.’
In Infants and Toddlers, the authors have gone to great pains to analyze this subject from its foundational perimeters, moving from the basic tenants of the discipline to specific elements of child education. Topics of coverage include infant and toddler developmental characteristics and proper caregiver preparation (with in depth overview of the history and theories that create the core of early child education); how to create a positive learning environment relevant to the young mind in its first 36 months of life; and the path caregivers should take to match teaching strategies with age-level/development level (as a means to give the child only the information they are ready to absorb).
Infants and Toddlers is an important text for many reasons – the writing is superlative, while the breadth and reach of its material transcends the often narrow constraints that plague books about teaching. Here, Watson and Swim are able to show that those providing child-care and instruction to infants and toddlers must develop a kind of partnership with the young learner so as to influence positive intellectual development.
This 6<SUP>th edition is noteworthy for the multitude of new information it imparts, including exploration into aspects of brain development (as well as dissection of Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory). In addition, in depth case studies augment the chapters, providing a platform from which the student-reader can quickly apply the core principles they have just learned to a practical setting.
Recommended as a primary course text in all childhood education classes dedicated to developing effective curriculums for infant and toddler. Further recommended to all college-level libraries as a general reference manual with long-term research value.
T</STRONG><STRONG>homson-Delmar Learning is a distinguished leader in academic publishing known for its ability to merge traditional academic disciplines (nursing, paralegal, agribusiness) with the technology and trade worlds (fire prevention, computer science, automobile technology) – this reference center for instructors in a multiplicity of disciplines spanning the breadth of the university curriculum. Here, The Electric Review spotlights a sampling of Thomson-Delmar’s key titles on the tech and trade side of the ball --each of these selections noted for their classroom potential and strict adherence to sharp and penetrating analysis. Simply, specialists in these areas require textbooks that outline data in clear and concrete terms, guides able to escort college-level readers through often complicated labyrinths of material with seamless efficiency. As we move into the third quarter of the year, we also pay tribute to these outstanding books. ~ John Aiello
THE STREET MEDICS HANDBOOK. Owen T. Traynor. Patrick R. Coonan. Thomas J. Rahilly. Jonathan S. Rubens. Thomson/Delmar-Learning.
This is both an important professional reference and classroom manual predicated on outlining vital information for “pre-hospital emergencies that paramedics and EMT’s do not encounter on a daily basis.” Here, the reader is presented with a text that steps outside the box to help those healthcare professionals on the frontlines deal with routine calls that morph into unforeseen emergencies. There is a vast amount of material covered in these pages, including common occurrences like allergic reactions and cardiac arrest, in addition to discussion of near drownings; exposure to infectious diseases; sexual abuse and rape; smoke inhalation; response to terrorist calls; and central nervous catheterization. The Street Medics Handbook is noted for its organization and for the clarity of its presentation, with the ‘problem-oriented’ design meant to immediately test the student’s retention of the material. Published in a handy, pocket-size format that allows it to find a place in the EMT’s coat pocket or fanny-pack - an indispensable reference for all practitioners of street-based emergency medicine. ~John Aiello
Of Related Interest
EXAM PREPARATION - FIREFIGHTER I AND II. Andrea Walter. Marty Rutledge. Chris Hawley. Thomson/Delmar-Learning.
This text is mandatory reading for students entering the fire academy, as it outlines the essential information on those fire-fighting techniques which must be mastered in order to pass the certification examination. Based on Bloom's Taxonomy, Exam Prep escorts the reader through myriad topic areas, including comprehension questions, practical application of theory and problem-based analysis. In addition, three 100-question exams are included to allow prospective firefighters a ‘rehearsal’ of sorts as they gain practical experience with various testing formats. Finally, students are challenged with an epic 200-question examination that provides a final ‘practice run’ (encompassing a survey of the most advanced areas of fire-study). The 2007 edition includes both an enlightening chapter on test-taking strategies, as well as a CD containing all the aforementioned exams in a tidy computerized format.~John Aiello
THE EMT-BASIC EXAM REVIEW. Kirsten M. Elling. Thomson/Delmar-Learning.
Elling’s text covers the final step in the EMT’s curriculum, allowing students the opportunity to review essential information for the certification examination. Organized so as to meet the requirements of the DOT National Standard Curriculum, EMT Exam Review covers an amazing 1,500 questions in 33 chapters, testing the EMT on both the cognitive and affective elements of the DOT National Standard Curriculum. What is note-worthy about this exam review is that is seeks to cut beyond surface retention, looking to help students come to grips with the core-elements of the EMT program. It is a fact of life that EMTs in both rural and urban settings must cope with sudden emergencies, thrust into chaotic and dangerous situations where ‘anything can happen.’ In light of this, anything short of absolute mastery of this course material will jeopardize patient survival (average competence in this profession is simply not acceptable). Thus, Elling’s EMT Exam Review should be required reading in all EMT programs throughout the nation. ~John Aiello
WHY-DRIVEN EMS REVIEW. Second Edition. Bob Elling. Kirsten M. Elling. Mikel A. Rothenberg. Thomson/Delmar-Learning.
Why-Driven EMS Review (now in its second edition) presents a series of questions and answers meant to supplement the basic course materials in use in all EMS programs. Formatted in accordance with the DOT Paramedic curriculum objectives, this text stresses in depth analysis of core data so as to move the student toward a deeper understanding of both the course material and their role in the healthcare process. Topics of coverage include general principles of pathology, pharmacology and medicine administration; patient assessment and the art of the physical examination; body system specialties (including cardiology and neurology); traumas, rescue and crime scene awareness; and the roles and responsibilities of the EMS provider in the healthcare process. Like the title featured in the preceding review, the idea of the textbook is to cut beyond a basic ‘surface’ understanding of the EMS curriculum. Instead, the authors strive to expose the student to the ‘why’ or reason behind the actions they are taking. Bluntly, if EMS students can develop a true understanding/appreciation for what they are doing, a better patient experience is likely to result. ~John Aiello
Previously Featured
PHYSICAL AND TECHNICAL SECURITY. Robert Gruber. Thomson-Delmar Learning.
In this post 9-11 age, thoughts of terrorism reign supreme. In the short span of a half-decade, America has become a nation that is driven by a need to secure its edges and eradicate its vulnerabilities. In this textbook, Robert Gruber (an instructor at Northern Virginia College with an impeccable Naval intelligence background) introduces us to the nuts and bolts of physical and technical security, with deep analysis of both the theory and practical sides of the topic. Physical and Technical features a comprehensive overview of the ways that both corporations and government can approach individual security needs, including discussion of the electronic components prevalent in the field; communications systems; test equipment; video/optics; alarm systems; computers/software; transmission line theory; tools and their usage; access control (locks and keys); technical surveillance countermeasures; and risk analysis. Readers will quickly notice that Gruber is a masterful academic writer whose true strength is in being able to convey the fine points of his subject matter in clearly defined terms. For example, Gruber’s chapter on technical surveillance not only touches on the methods of espionage, but also dissects the inner-sanctum of its purposes and objectives: The idea is to paint the student-reader with a complete picture of the reasons why we need advanced security systems while also outlining the ways these systems are built and implemented. In addition, Gruber provides complete chapter summaries (as well as a compendium of key terms and discussion questions) as a means to promote retention.
Recommended to college-level instructors in under-graduate Administration of Justice courses focused on teaching the fundamentals of security. Further recommended to libraries in the college sector as a general reference text which will have long-term value. ~John Aiello
BLUEPRINT READING FOR ELECTRICICANS. Delmar Learning in Partnership with NJATC.
This text allows both practicing and apprentice electricians to develop necessary skills required to decipher blueprints. The ability to read a blueprint is often overlooked by contractors; however, it is literally the most important skills-set any builder can possess. The inability to accurately read a blueprint jeopardizes everything from water lines to sewer systems, placing the entire civic planning system at risk. Here, readers are exposed to myriad concept-drawings, sketches and plans and then immediately tested on retention through various blueprint-reading exercises.
Instructors will note that the material presented here is applicable to both the commercial and industrial communities –absolute required reading for all student-electricians looking toward a career in construction. In addition, students in advanced electrical engineering programs will also benefit from exposure to this material in this form, as it tests understanding of fundamental principles in a practical, ‘hands-on’ fashion. ~John Aiello
FIRE PREVENTION: Inspection and Code Enforcement. 3<SUP>rd Edition. David Diamantes. Thomson-Delmar Learning.
The steady increase in building throughout the country should immediately bring our attention back to practical concerns for safety: It’s not enough that the housing market drive the economy to prosperity, it is also necessary that we ensure that each new structure adheres to strict building and fire codes. Here, Diamantes (a fire protection consultant and Code Trainer from Virginia) has developed the consummate handbook relating to fire-prevention through code enforcement. In turn, Diamantes’ text includes very detailed examination of the right of entry; the inspector’s enforcement authority; the permit system; building limits and types of construction; and routine maintenance of fire protection systems. In addition, the treatise looks beyond the cores of the model building and fire prevention codes and strives to dissect the legal, economic and political considerations intertwined with the fire inspection process. Instructors will note that the strength of Fire Prevention comes by way of its organization, as readers are presented with a tidy three-part format that allows for the complete study of code administration, inspection and enforcement – the idea is to show the student in real terms that inspectors are charged with the ultimate task of preventing fire and preserving human life. Accordingly, in order to excel at this assignment, inspectors must be able to administer the intricacies of the fire code and then apply this data to the strict procedural requirements of enforcement.
Although we are recommending this selection as a primary course text in all fire inspector training programs, it should also be strongly considered as in-office reference manual by all county building inspectors, noted for its comprehensive tones and fresh perspective. No would-be fire inspector should be released from their academic program without having digested this material. ~John Aiello
Of Related Interest
THE EMT-INTERMEDIATE EXAM REVIEW. Bob Elling. Kirsten M. Elling. Thomson-Delmar Learning.
This is a must-have for all recent graduates of EMT programs seeking certification in the field. Here, Elling and Elling provide a study guide that meets the DOT National Standard Curriculum – a handbook comprised of well-over 1,000 practice study questions that provides cogent and fundamental reconsideration of the core-principles of the discipline. As students in all medical-related fields know, coursework comes at a hurried pace; many times, key information is lost amongst the fields of the mind suddenly weighted down by a vast assortment of statistics and formulas. Accordingly, review manuals such as this one serve to offer students logical, personalized and in depth refresher courses – books allowing readers to re-familiarize themselves with key areas of focus and absorb the data at their own pace. No EMT student on the threshold of their certification exam should by-pass this review as it could very well be the difference between passing and failing. ~John Aiello
MASTERING THE CPAT. A Comprehensive Guide. Al Wasser. Donna Kimble. Thomson-Delmar Learning.
For aspiring firefighters, the Candidate Physical Ability Test is a major hurdle that causes much consternation, with students in the discipline fearful of what will be required of them in terms of strength and conditioning. In Mastering The CPAT, the authors attempt to strip some of the mystery away from the test by reviewing its aspects (and then suggesting a proper training regimen that will bring students closer to acceptable levels of physical competency). As Wasser and Kimble stress, no student will be able to conquer the CPAT obstacle unless they are fully conditioned – and this means both mind and body. Accordingly, information on developing positive habits for nutrition, fitness-training and mental discipline is imparted in a clear and compact style that allows student readers to quickly absorb the ‘lecture.’ Here, Wasser and Kimble speak in an intimate tone that is born of experience and knowledge: These are not two writers who have been hired to develop a textbook on a subject they know nothing about. To the contrary, both are well-acquainted with the physical demands a career in fire-fighting presents, and their text reiterates this understanding page by page. ~John Aiello
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES. J. Curtis Varone. Thomson-Delmar Learning.
Unfortunately, a career in emergency services is not just about the ambulance call, not just about extinguishing the fire. Unfortunately, every call presents possible legal consequences that could bring you into a courtroom in front of a judge. This text (written by a practicing attorney who is also a firefighter with over 30 year’s experience), examines the possible legal ramifications inherent with these professions. Topics of coverage include OSHA; the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act; employment discrimination; sexual harassment; civil liability; criminal law/procedure; and negligence. Instructors in fire-fighting programs should give serious consideration to adding this text to their curriculums as a supporting manual: Students need to be taught from the onset that their ‘chosen profession’ is framed by myriad expectations which are governed by various statutes. In turn, Varone’s treatise makes this point absolutely clear – his voice born of a life-long experience that has merged the worlds of emergency service and the law with an elegant flair. ~John Aiello
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS CHEMISTRY. Second Edition. Armando S. Bevelacqua. Thomson-Delmar Learning.
In this age of terrorism, the threat of an enemy using some form of biological warfare has increased ten-fold. Thus, it has become paramount that scientists and emergency service workers understand the chemistry behind hazardous materials so that threats can neutralized without the loss of human life. Here, Beveacqua (A Lieutenant in the Orlando Fire Department) examines the fundamental chemistry and toxicology of hazardous materials so that the initial line of defense can effectively assess situations before they escalate to a point of crisis. Topics of coverage include chemical structures and physical effects; inorganic compounds; organic compounds as related to organic structure, non-polar compounds and polar compounds. In addition, a science officer’s reference is featured. This selection is noted both for its organization and the author’s ability to address extremely complicated layers of data in a sharp and incisive way without ever sacrificing the reader’s ability to immediately comprehend the presentation. This second edition contains a chapter on infrared spectroscopy which offers in depth analysis of ways HazMat specialists should respond to chemical emergencies.
This text is applicable as either a primary or supporting manual in any courses premised on defending against chemical hazards. ~John Aiello
NFPA’S POCKET ELECTRICAL REFERENCES. Charles R. Miller. Jones and Bartlett.
This guide proves indispensable to any technician involved in the electrical industry. In NFPA (published in a handy pocket-size format so that it can be specifically carried on the job), both the practicing electrical engineer and the practicing technician now have a go-to reference on electricity and its governing properties. Here, readers will find everything from frequently referenced 2005 NEC tables to myriad mathematical formulas that apply to the nuts-and-bolts of the everyday profession. Charles Miller, a nationally recognized authority in the field, has organized this material so that it can be used to help a practitioner ‘on the fly’ complete his project. Topics of coverage include an assortment of wiring configurations for three and four way lighting switches (in addition to data and phone jacks); conduit bending (with notable illustrations to emphasize key pints); voltage calculations; conduit and tubing fill tables; load calculations; discussion on conductor sizing; and expansive analysis of Ohm’s Law. Finally, Miller has augmented his treatise with a summary of first aid procedures to be followed should emergency strike in the field. Well-presented and impeccably researched, NFPA proves to be a perfect tool-box companion for all electrical professionals (this book that allows busy workers to keep up with changes in the discipline without having to re-enter the classroom). ~John Aiello
Jones and Bartlett Electrical References – In Brief
A USER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRICAL PPE. Based on NFPA 70E. Ray A. Jones. Jane G. Jones. Jones and Bartlett.
Also in pocket-size format, this tiny manual surveys true life and death information on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). For electrical professionals, the specter of electrocution and fatal injury is always present (as amazing amounts of deadly current are often being contacted in dangerous confines). Simply, the only thing for the electrician to rely on is the barrier he’s created between body and voltage. This manual by Jones and Jones explores the protective clothing, tools and equipment available to the electrical professional, in addition to pertinent instruction on how to properly use each of these items. The authors have also included details on compliance with OSHA standards, rendering this slim volume as comprehensive as it is practical. ~John Aiello
STALLCUP’S ELECTRICAL CALCUALTIONS SIMPLIFIED. 2005. Jones and Bartlett.
Stallcup’s is simply the authority in terms of summarizing electrical calculations for the classroom and the working professional. Students seeking certification in the field will find this an invaluable reference tool that surveys the main principles of electric currents (presenting the data in relation to basic Code calculations). Topics of coverage include how to calculate branch-circuits feeder and service loads; conductor ampacities; the sizing of overcurrent protection devices; raceways and cable trays; motors and motor circuits; A/C and refrigeration equipment; generators; and transformers. Countless illustrations help to evince key-points of understanding, providing the reader with an added instructional tool. ~John Aiello
PHARMACOLOGY FLASH CARDS. George M. Brenner. Stephen Back. Saunders.
This sheaf of flash cards will provide salient direction to medical students at both the undergraduate and graduate level, assisting in the development of a deeper understanding of Pharmacology. Brenner’s flash cards are notable for their design that facilities quick and easy reference. Accordingly, cards utilize a dual-sided format: on the first side of the card users will see the drug’s name and keys to its pronunciation. The flip side compiles relevant notes on each drug in short-form that serve to provide a basic outline for usage (with data on the primary clinical uses for each medicine). These cards offer information on more than 200 of the most commonly prescribed medications, with color-coding by drug category facilitating student use. Medications featured include: Verapamil; Diltiazem; Enalapril; Methadone; Ipratropium; Testosterone; Trastuzumab (among many others). This selection is a can’t miss for stressed out students looking to cut down on study time. For around $35.00, students can buy a classroom resource that in effect offers them a ticket to their own personalized Pharmacology review. ~John Aiello
WRITE IT DOWN. Guidance for Preparing Effective and Compliant Documentation. Second Edition. Janet Gough. CRC Press.
In light of recent controversies surrounding the safety of certain medications, the process the FDA uses to test and approve drugs has fallen under scrutiny. Beyond the FDA’s myriad processes, researchers and drug manufacturing companies are also being held to strict regulations in terms of recording and documenting their own data.
Write It Down, recently released by CRC Press (part of the Taylor and Francis Group and a leader in scientific publishing) is dedicated to providing salient direction on how the pharmaceutical industry should go about documenting its work. This selection is notable for its readability and for its concrete vision: a unique book that marries aspects of science with sharp comment on technical writing in order to provide a community of medical researchers a manual that keeps their specific needs in mind.
Here, Gough (an expert in compliant systems documentation) has drafted a text that strongly sets forth the fact that documenting the inter-workings of the pharmaceutical industry is not like any other kind of technical composition. Instead, this kind of report writing takes absolute focus and a deep attention to detail:
"The main purpose of the book is to help writers of English master the art o preparing effective documents. It includes extensive information o the structure of the language, with focus on those components that are particularly troublesome for non-native writers of English....[with] [m]any examples...provided by professionals in the industry..."
(From Gough’s Introduction)
Write it Down covers a wide range of topics, including discussion of writing within a regulated environment; first drafts/revisions; collaborative assignments; acting in the capacity of a reviewer; the writer's impact on his reader; how to write "negative news" letters; organization for written presentations; punctuation/grammar/parts of speech; and how to support reported data with detail, in addition to instruction on constructing manuals and methodology reports that speak to a broad audience (to cite obvious centerpieces). Moreover, the analysis of punctuation and the guidance on ways to construct a sentence are especially noteworthy segments, as the author makes her points in a manner that is at once conducive to developing a general understanding of these lost skills.
In short, Gough has presented her readers with a book that is rare in the world of science writing: rather than authoring a tome about throwing out the facts in any-old haphazard style, she has taken the time to stress "voice" and the importance of the presentation. In the end, Ms.Gough instills in her reader the idea that even scientific reports deserve to be put in an original frame.
This book is recommended to all facets of the pharmaceutical industry for its clear-sighted direction on how to write for a scientific audience. In addition, Write It Down is appropriate for all Health Science libraries as a general reference with long-range academic value.
Over the last year, news reports have surfaced that directly question the safety of certain popular cholesterol and arthritis medications, further questioning the effectiveness of the methods currently in use to test medicine safety before these chemical potions hit the retail market.
Even though recent advancements in such medical therapies have revolutionized the treatment of disease, they also pose some new considerations for physicians - forcing doctors and pharmacists to move toward a closer relationship in order to prevent deadly drug interactions.
To this end, the American Pharmacists Association’s list of publications is note- worthy because these books speak to the most relevant concerns physicians and pharmacists are likely to have in the course of dispensing medication to patients. Hallmark selections include:
HANDBOOK OF BASIC PHARMACOKINETICS. Wolfgang A. Ritschel. Gregory L. Kearns. American Pharmacists Association. This handbook, now in its sixth edition following its initial release in 1976, addresses the way drugs influence reaction in the human body though absorption, distribution and elimination. Without such specific information, health care providers would be at a loss to provide the correct dosing regimen for a given drug.
Unfortunately, many doctors today are so pressed for time that they fail to thoroughly research the possible effects a medicine might have on a patient before scribbling out a prescription -- probably leaning on the idea that the pharmacist and his trusty electronic computer brain will be there to red flag a possible problem. Yet, sometimes these safety mechanisms fail and potentially fatal reactions occur.
Accordingly, the only way to stem these kinds of problems is to insure that the medical community is educated with the most up-to-date research. Here, Ritschel and Kearns discuss basic pharmacokinetics with a focus on clinical application - rather than lecture to the classroom, the authors have written a book that is meant to assist the provider in the direct treatment of the patient. Topics covered include drug liberation, absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination; analysis of medicine effects on the GI tract; and vital data on dispensing drugs to children, the elderly and the obese.
Clearly written and impeccably researched, will serve pharmacists, physicians, and instructors in the field equally well. Also further recommended for all Health Science libraries as a general reference text. Stamped at the bargain price of $54.95 -- it’s simply a must-have for the practicing physician.
PAGLIAROS’ COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO DRUGS AND SUBSTANCES OF ABUSE. Louis A. Pagliaros. With Ann Marie Pagliaros. The only text of its kind to examine the most common drugs responsible for substance abuse. Louis Pagliaros (Professor of Pharmacopsychology) and Anne Marie Pagliaros (Director of Substance Abusology at the University of Alberta) have come up with a different slant on this manual in that in addresses abuses prevalent in both prescription medication and street narcotics (which are usually left out of the standard texts on the subject).
Pagliaros’ is also noteworthy because of the way that the authors attempt to examine the hidden reasons why individuals become addicted to certain substances, thus encouraging the physician to thoroughly dissect the addiction potential in a particular patient before dispensing a drug.
In the end, Pagliaros’ has been assembled to further the physician’s understanding of the substances that are most abused throughout the world so that steps might be taken from the doctor’s perspective to mitigate these trends. Includes fine chapters on pyschodepressants and pyschostimulants, as well as discussion of the withdrawal syndromes that will often plague a patient trying to kick an addiction.
Recommended to all health care professionals as a general reference text meant to be used in the course of patient treatment.
HANDBOOK OF NONPRESCRIPTION DRUGS: AN INTERACTIVE APPROACH TO SELF-CARE. Multiple Editors, including Rosemary R. Berardi. American Pharmacists Association.
In this era when millions of Americans can’t afford basic health insurance coverage, more and more individuals are moving toward self care as a way to cope with non-life-threatening illness/injury.
In this handbook, the editors have compiled information for the health care provider to use in order to counsel patients on ways to safely and efficiently administer self care (with relevant in depth data on non-prescription drugs and their optimal usage). In addition, readers will note information on non-drug therapies and alternative treatment options all meant to help the patient help themself.
Even though the concept of the text is self care, the secondary theme is safety - the point is that self-care is not a plausible alternative unless patients have a full understanding of their role in the process and a full understanding of how to administer nonprescription medication (and other supportive treatments). To this end, Berardi and her co-editors have created a reference handbook that serves to escort the physician step-by-step through patient instruction on all home care procedures.
Recommended for all health care professionals, from physicians to nurses to pharmacists; in short, any health care provider who has direct contact with patients should have this book available as a teaching tool. Also recommended to public sector libraries as a general reference text.
THE PHARMACY TECHNICIAN. A Comprehensive Approach. Jahangir Moini. Thomson/Delmar Learning.
The study of Pharmacy Science is one of the burgeoning areas of medicine, with many new challenges facing the young student whose goal is to dispense medication as part of a hospital pharmacy (or retail chain). Accordingly, Moini (Florida Metropolitan University) has written a text that addresses the major topics that comprise the National Certification Exam for pharmacists; simply, the pharmacy student will need to have a firm grasp on all of this data in order to gain licensing in the profession. The best aspect of Moini’s presentation is in the way he writes: instead of laboring over passages, he moves through the material in crisp fashion, immediately getting to the core of it. For example, in the chapter on Allergy and Respiratory Drugs, he begins with a quick over-view of the primary anatomy of the system before exploring the concepts of allergic reaction (including a brief but effective snapshot of Anaphylactic Shock). Once Moini’s defined the role of Histamines in the process, he begins to analyze the different drug therapies that physicians
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