Abstract

Comparative assessments of medical textbooks would help all who use or need to buy them. Next best would be a collection of up-to-date reviews, arranged by subjects, and ‘Medical Textbook Review’ by Daniels and White* aims to provide one. The authors have reviewed the 900-odd books, primarily assessing ‘their value as textbooks for medical students and junior hospital doctors’. They cannot (and do not) claim to be very knowledgeable on all the subjects of the books, but their reviews, which range from 10 to 100 words, are helpful. The section headed Pharmacology and Therapeutics reviews 28 books, and a few that should be there are under Medicine. Books on adverse reactions, clinical trials, medical statistics or medical ethics are not included: their addition next time would be welcome, and so would a subject index. At £1 this guide is good value and should ease many a search.