Lecture Notes on Gastroenterology

In the search for review monographs on subspecialty areas of internal medicine (as for those on other topics), there is a premium on brevity. Unlike a standard textbook, a review should try to convey essential information in as little space as possible, so that it can be read and understood quickly. These two books, though of slightly different styles, admirably fulfill these qualities. Lecture Notes on Nephrology has its greatest strength in its brevity. With an emphasis on lists and tables, and as few sentences as possible, this volume communicates more facts per page than almost any other medical text. Yet it is so constructed that it is still exceedingly easy to read. What it lacks is comprehensiveness, and illustrations are few, but as a quick review of nephrology, this book is outstanding. The volume by Elias and Hawkins on gastroenterology differs from the other textbook in that it is longer, with more illustrations, and quite a bit more text. As with the volume on nephrology, great emphasis is placed on lists, tables, and flow charts; it differs in that the minimalist approach to sentences is replaced with a very well-written text, characterized by clarity and wit. As such, it is somewhat slower reading, but enjoyable nontheless. Again, a great emphasis is placed on conveying information rapidly, and again the volume is immensely successful. These two monographs were a delight to read, extremely informative, and would be useful to the house officer or clinical clerk. I look forward to reading other volumes of the series. This is the sixth edition of this concise, pocket-sized review text. One of an extensive series of similar works by British authors, this book seems aimed primarily at undergraduate medical students or other non-neurologists interested in a broad overview of the field. Dr. Draper, neurologist at the Institute of Neurological Sciences in Glasgow, has divided his work into three major parts: Structure and Function of the Nervous System, History and Examination, and Diseases of the Nervous System. The individual chapters are well organized and well written, making it possible for the reader to review the basic information concerning a neurological subject in a matter of minutes. Omissions are almost inevitable in a book of this size; although it is not a 225