The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

interpretable as the original publications in refereed journals, but each manuscript has its appropriate references (through 1986) at the end. This book is printed on good paper, with a strong binding and black-and-white photographic reproductions of good quality. The type faces vary from paper to paper and appear to be direct photographic reproductions of the manuscripts. As some of the printing is of poor quality, this difference can be a distraction. Since there are no similar books on this subject, despite its deficiencies the volume can be recommended for medical school libraries and as a reference for sections of pediatric cardiology, infectious diseases, and, perhaps, immunology. While all of the material contained here may be found in medical journals, this book would be useful for a student or trainee who wanted to review the state of knowledge about KD or anyone concerned with research in any area relating to KD. The index and references would lead the reader to the original research papers, where necessary. The book would make a worthwhile addition to a personal library only for those actively engaged in treatment or research of KD. For others, chapters in one of the recent infectious diseases textbooks would be a more appropriate and a more efficient way of learning about this most interesting and perplexing disease. Most readers are probably already familiar with the veritable compendium of medical information available in The Merck Manual. Newly released is the fifteenth edition of this truly encyclopedic compilation of clinical material. The subject matter in its 24 chapters ranges from pathophysiology organized by system to clinical pharmacology to poisoning. There are hundreds of illustrations and helpful tables as well as section after section explaining special diagnostic procedures. Most important, the contributing authors number over 300 and include individuals with recognized expertise in the individual areas each summarizes. A brief, representative listing includes Emil Frei III on lymphomas, John C. Nemiah on the neuroses, Fred Plum on various neurologic disorders, and Allen Steere on Lyme disease. This extensive text has been updated with a complete section on AIDS, one on cancer chemotherapeutics, and numerous sections on the newest imaging modalities. I am unfamiliar with many other pocket-sized texts whose subject matter is so extensive, varying from summaries on the most esoteric of disorders and syndromes to well-written summaries of basic pathophysiology. Probably because of space constraints, the individual sections do not include references; …