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The Words of Medicine: Sources, Meanings, and Delights
1182
Book Reviews
Contents: The text consists of 19 chapters divided into 4 parts. Part 1 addresses clinical applications of genetics to patient care. An introductory chapter outlines the history and future of knowledge gained by mapping the human genome. Part 2 challenges readers to think about diseases in terms of genetics and effects on populations. The third section of the book addresses ethical issues, with emphasis on pediatrics and obstetrics. In part 4, the authors offer potential solutions regarding cost-effective applications of medical genetics, confidentiality, and insurability. The book includes a glossary and an appendix with Institute of Medicine findings and recommendations. Strengths: This engaging paperback introduces major concepts and discusses them in terms that are easily understood. Deficiencies: Because of the overview format, some “specifics” are missing. Therefore, the book may not be worthwhile reading for those with advanced knowledge of the subject. Recommended Readership: Primary care physicians who are interested in an introduction to medical genetics. Overall Grading: #### Matthew E. Bernard, MD, Department of Family Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn
Nutrition in Clinical Practice, by David L. Katz, 432 pp, with illus, $42.95, Philadelphia, Pa, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (telephone: 800-638-3030), 2001, ISBN 0-683-30638-3 Type of Book: A single-authored compilation of clinically relevant issues in nutrition. Scope of Book: The author succinctly reviews the basic science of metabolism, then addresses a broad spectrum of nutritional disorders. The book is a useful updated reference source that covers virtually all aspects of nutrition that a physician might encounter in the clinic. Contents: The text consists of 41 chapters divided into 3 parts. Part 1 includes a section on basic science, presented as a brief summary of the biochemistry and physiology of metabolism; a section devoted to the clinical aspects of dietary management and the role of nutrition and nutrients in certain illnesses; and a section that offers a potpourri of special topics related to clinical nutrition in healthy individuals. The second part of the book reviews principles of dietary counseling, and the final part provides a variety of general information in the form of tables and appendixes. Throughout the text, information is provided as summaries of published articles and consensus statements. Controversies in clinical nutrition are also addressed. Strengths: This book is unique in its combination of basic science, epidemiology, and clinically relevant, up-to-date information. An outstanding, strongly referenced work, its scope and presentation are superior to those of similar texts. The major strength of the book is its approach to dietary management, which provides a wealth of practical information. Deficiencies: Because of the broad multidisciplinary aspects of nutritional disorders, parts of the text unavoidably lack focus, especially the first 4 chapters. Inclusion of figures depicting pathophysiological processes would have been helpful.
Mayo Clin Proc, November 2001, Vol 76
Recommended Readership: This excellent text will serve as a resource for internists, family physicians, endocrinologists, dietitians, and other health care professionals involved in the management of nutritional disorders. Overall Grading: #### Haitham S. Abu-Lebdeh, MD, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn
Neck and Back Pain: The Scientific Evidence of Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment, edited by Alf L. Nachemson and Egon Jonsson, 495 pp, $89, Lippincott Williams & Wilson (telephone: 800-638-3030), 2000, ISBN 0-7817-2760-X Type of Book: A multiauthored textbook created as an initiative of The Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care. Scope of Book: This comprehensive overview encompasses many facets of back and neck pain by using evidence-based medicine. Each chapter is a comprehensive literature review with extensive references. Contents: The book consists of 21 chapters that discuss various aspects of back and neck pain, including neurophysiology, risk factors, epidemiology, and evaluation. Ten chapters are related to treatment, both surgical and nonsurgical. Each chapter can be read as an independent review article. Many of the chapters contain tables that summarize the information presented in multiple articles. Most of the chapters contain a conclusion, and many summarize the conclusions with evidence graded from A (strong evidence) to D (no scientific evidence). Strengths: The summaries and conclusions at the end of the chapters are extremely useful and easy to read. The chapters on treatment are especially good and provide much clinically relevant information. Deficiencies: Some of the chapters are difficult to read because they review multiple articles in succession without an attempt to analyze the quality of each study. The final 2 chapters on cost and social security systems rely almost exclusively on European data. Recommended Readership: This text will be a useful reference source for physicians or physical therapists who have a special interest in back and neck pain. The extensive reference lists would be helpful for someone giving a presentation on one of the areas discussed in the book. Overall Grading: #### Karen Newcomer, MD, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn
The Words of Medicine: Sources, Meanings, and Delights, by Robert Fortuine, 424 pp, $84.95, Springfield, Ill, Charles C Thomas, Publisher (telephone: 800-258-8980), 2001, ISBN 0398-07132-2 Type of Book: A book about English medical language and its development written by a practicing physician.
For personal use. Mass reproduce only with permission from Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Mayo Clin Proc, November 2001, Vol 76
Scope of Book: The author describes not only the classical Greek and Latin sources of medical and pharmaceutical terms but also the contributions from many other languages. Contents: The book includes a brief history of the English medical vocabulary, followed by a discussion of the formation of medical terms from classical languages. The more interesting word stories are in chapters devoted to the word-imagery of medicine—“the formation of medical roots and expressions by a comparison with a similar object, form, or idea from the nonmedical world.” Several chapters discuss eponyms (even the current issue of whether to use the possessive form—Parkinson’s or Parkinson disease?), abbreviations, acronyms, and mnemonics. The continuing evolution of medical language is illustrated in the final chapter, which addresses the language of medical genetics and that of health insurance and managed care. Strengths: This book presents an entertaining and original approach to the history of medical terms. Deficiencies: The organization of the text is inconvenient for reading about a group of related terms; instead, each term has to be looked up in the index. Also, in several instances, only the language of origin is given for a term, without further explanation of its history. Recommended Readership: This book is intended primarily for physicians and biomedical scientists. Overall Grading: #### O. Eugene Millhouse, PhD, Section of Scientific Publications, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn
BOOKS RECEIVED Interactive Electrocardiography: CD-ROM With Workbook, by Curtis M. Rimmerman and Anil K. Jain, 654 pp, with illus, $159, Philadelphia, Pa, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2001 Urology, 3rd ed (House Officer series), by Michael T. Macfarlane, 292 pp, with illus, $27.95, Philadelphia, Pa, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2001 Neurology of the Newborn, 4th ed, by Joseph J. Volpe, 912 pp, with illus, $105, Philadelphia, Pa, WB Saunders Co, 2001 The Pediatric Spine: Principles and Practice, 2nd ed, edited by Stuart L. Weinstein, 1086 pp, with illus, $245, Philadelphia, Pa, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2001 Pediatric Spine Surgery, 2nd ed, edited by Stuart L. Weinstein, 592 pp, with illus, $195, Philadelphia, Pa, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2001 Knee Surgery: Complications, Pitfalls, and Salvage, edited by M. Mike Malek, 507 pp, with illus, $225, New York, NY, Springer-Verlag, 2001 Liver Cirrhosis, edited by Kiwamu Okita, 125 pp, with illus, $89, New York, NY, Springer-Verlag, 2001 Restitutional Surgery of the Ear and Temporal Bone, edited by Malte Erik Wigand, 353 pp, with illus, $129, New York, NY, Thieme Medical Publishers, 2001 Facts and Ideas From Anywhere, by William Clifford Roberts, 172 pp, $39, Armonk, NY, Futura Publishing Co Inc, 2000 The Hatherleigh Guide to Psychiatric Disorders Part II, edited by Frederic Flach, 256 pp, with illus, $29.95, 5-22 46th Ave, Suite 200, Long Island, NY 11101, Hatherleigh Press, 2000 Differential Diagnosis in Neurology and Neurosurgery: A Clinician’s Pocket Guide, by Sotirios A. Tsementzis, 338 pp, with illus, $35, New York, NY, Thieme Medical Publishers, 2000
Book Reviews
1183
Clinical Glaucoma Management: General Signs in Diagnosis and Therapy, edited by Ronald L. Gross, 509 pp, with illus, $159, Philadelphia, Pa, WB Saunders Co, 2001 Heart Rate as a Determinant of Cardiac Function—Basic Mechanisms and Clinical Significance, edited by G. Hasenfuss and H. Just, 275 pp, with illus, $60, New York, NY, Springer-Verlag, 2000 Pathology of Infectious Diseases. Vol 1. Helminthiases, edited by Wayne M. Meyers, 562 pp, with illus, $145, Washington, DC, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 2000 Etiology and Morphogenesis of Congenital Heart Disease: Twenty Years of Progress in Genetics and Developmental Biology, edited by Edward B. Clark, Makoto Nakazawa, and Atsuyoshi Takao, 397 pp, with illus, $150, Armonk, NY, Futura Publishing Co Inc, 2000 Vascular Dementia, edited by John Stirling Meyer, Gaiane M. Rauch, Helmut Lechner, and Carlo Loeb, 310 pp, with illus, $88, Armonk, NY, Futura Publishing Co Inc, 2001 Methotrexate (Milestones in Drug Therapy series), edited by Bruce N. Cronstein and Joseph R. Bertino, 139 pp, with illus, $120, New York, NY, Springer-Verlag, 2000 Contemporary Diagnosis and Management of Diseases of the Prostate, by Muta M. Issa and Fray F. Marshall, 189 pp, with illus, $29.95, 3 Terry Dr, Suite 201, Newtown, PA 18940, Handbooks in Health Care Co, 2000 Advanced Arthroscopy, edited by James C. Y. Chow, 741 pp, with illus, $250, New York, NY, Springer-Verlag, 2001 Inflammatory Processes: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Opportunities (Progress in Inflammation Research series), edited by L. Gordon Letts and Douglas W. Morgan, 144 pp, with illus, $119, New York, NY, Springer-Verlag, 2000 Epilepsy in Clinical Practice: A Case Study Approach, by Andrew N. Wilner, 270 pp, $34.95, New York, NY, Demos Medical Publishing, 2000 Imaging for Junior Doctors: A Survival Guide, by Peter Kember, 145 pp, with illus, $29.95, Philadelphia, Pa, WB Saunders Co, 2000 Primary Pediatric Pulmonology, edited by Allen J. Dozor, 296 pp, with illus, $88, Armonk, NY, Futura Publishing Co Inc, 2001 Principles of Hand Surgery and Therapy, edited by Thomas E. Trumble, 644 pp, with illus, $139, Philadelphia, Pa, WB Saunders Co, 2000 Clinical Acupuncture: Scientific Basis, edited by Gabriel Stux and Richard Hammerschlag, 225 pp, with illus, $25, New York, NY, SpringerVerlag, 2001 Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardia in Patients with Structural Heart Disease (Clinical Approaches to Tachyarrhythmias Series, Vol 13), by Martin Borggrefe, Thomas Wichter, and Günter Breithardt, 116 pp, with illus, $24, Armonk, NY, Futura Publishing Co Inc, 2000 The Skin and Gene Therapy, edited by Ulrich R. Hengge and Beatrix Volc-Platzer, 301 pp, with illus, $84, New York, NY, Springer-Verlag, 2001 Practical Handbook of Advanced Interventional Cardiology, edited by Thach N. Nguyen, Shigeru Saito, Dayi Hu, Vijay Dave, and Cindy L. Grines, 586 pp, with illus, $49, Armonk, NY, Futura Publishing Co Inc, 2001 Sexual Dimorphism of the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis and the Amygdala (Advances in Anatomy, Embryology, and Cell Biology, Vol 158), by Nadya Stefanova and Wladimir Ovtscharoff, 78 pp, with illus, $60, New York, NY, Springer-Verlag, 2000 Tomorrow’s Cures Today? How to Reform the Health Research System, by Donald R. Forsdyke, 168 pp, with illus, $38, PO Box 200029, Riverfront Plaza Station, Newark, NJ 07102-0301, Harwood Academic Publishers, 2000
For personal use. Mass reproduce only with permission from Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Book Reviews
Contents: The text consists of 19 chapters divided into 4 parts. Part 1 addresses clinical applications of genetics to patient care. An introductory chapter outlines the history and future of knowledge gained by mapping the human genome. Part 2 challenges readers to think about diseases in terms of genetics and effects on populations. The third section of the book addresses ethical issues, with emphasis on pediatrics and obstetrics. In part 4, the authors offer potential solutions regarding cost-effective applications of medical genetics, confidentiality, and insurability. The book includes a glossary and an appendix with Institute of Medicine findings and recommendations. Strengths: This engaging paperback introduces major concepts and discusses them in terms that are easily understood. Deficiencies: Because of the overview format, some “specifics” are missing. Therefore, the book may not be worthwhile reading for those with advanced knowledge of the subject. Recommended Readership: Primary care physicians who are interested in an introduction to medical genetics. Overall Grading: #### Matthew E. Bernard, MD, Department of Family Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn
Nutrition in Clinical Practice, by David L. Katz, 432 pp, with illus, $42.95, Philadelphia, Pa, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (telephone: 800-638-3030), 2001, ISBN 0-683-30638-3 Type of Book: A single-authored compilation of clinically relevant issues in nutrition. Scope of Book: The author succinctly reviews the basic science of metabolism, then addresses a broad spectrum of nutritional disorders. The book is a useful updated reference source that covers virtually all aspects of nutrition that a physician might encounter in the clinic. Contents: The text consists of 41 chapters divided into 3 parts. Part 1 includes a section on basic science, presented as a brief summary of the biochemistry and physiology of metabolism; a section devoted to the clinical aspects of dietary management and the role of nutrition and nutrients in certain illnesses; and a section that offers a potpourri of special topics related to clinical nutrition in healthy individuals. The second part of the book reviews principles of dietary counseling, and the final part provides a variety of general information in the form of tables and appendixes. Throughout the text, information is provided as summaries of published articles and consensus statements. Controversies in clinical nutrition are also addressed. Strengths: This book is unique in its combination of basic science, epidemiology, and clinically relevant, up-to-date information. An outstanding, strongly referenced work, its scope and presentation are superior to those of similar texts. The major strength of the book is its approach to dietary management, which provides a wealth of practical information. Deficiencies: Because of the broad multidisciplinary aspects of nutritional disorders, parts of the text unavoidably lack focus, especially the first 4 chapters. Inclusion of figures depicting pathophysiological processes would have been helpful.
Mayo Clin Proc, November 2001, Vol 76
Recommended Readership: This excellent text will serve as a resource for internists, family physicians, endocrinologists, dietitians, and other health care professionals involved in the management of nutritional disorders. Overall Grading: #### Haitham S. Abu-Lebdeh, MD, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn
Neck and Back Pain: The Scientific Evidence of Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment, edited by Alf L. Nachemson and Egon Jonsson, 495 pp, $89, Lippincott Williams & Wilson (telephone: 800-638-3030), 2000, ISBN 0-7817-2760-X Type of Book: A multiauthored textbook created as an initiative of The Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care. Scope of Book: This comprehensive overview encompasses many facets of back and neck pain by using evidence-based medicine. Each chapter is a comprehensive literature review with extensive references. Contents: The book consists of 21 chapters that discuss various aspects of back and neck pain, including neurophysiology, risk factors, epidemiology, and evaluation. Ten chapters are related to treatment, both surgical and nonsurgical. Each chapter can be read as an independent review article. Many of the chapters contain tables that summarize the information presented in multiple articles. Most of the chapters contain a conclusion, and many summarize the conclusions with evidence graded from A (strong evidence) to D (no scientific evidence). Strengths: The summaries and conclusions at the end of the chapters are extremely useful and easy to read. The chapters on treatment are especially good and provide much clinically relevant information. Deficiencies: Some of the chapters are difficult to read because they review multiple articles in succession without an attempt to analyze the quality of each study. The final 2 chapters on cost and social security systems rely almost exclusively on European data. Recommended Readership: This text will be a useful reference source for physicians or physical therapists who have a special interest in back and neck pain. The extensive reference lists would be helpful for someone giving a presentation on one of the areas discussed in the book. Overall Grading: #### Karen Newcomer, MD, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn
The Words of Medicine: Sources, Meanings, and Delights, by Robert Fortuine, 424 pp, $84.95, Springfield, Ill, Charles C Thomas, Publisher (telephone: 800-258-8980), 2001, ISBN 0398-07132-2 Type of Book: A book about English medical language and its development written by a practicing physician.
For personal use. Mass reproduce only with permission from Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Mayo Clin Proc, November 2001, Vol 76
Scope of Book: The author describes not only the classical Greek and Latin sources of medical and pharmaceutical terms but also the contributions from many other languages. Contents: The book includes a brief history of the English medical vocabulary, followed by a discussion of the formation of medical terms from classical languages. The more interesting word stories are in chapters devoted to the word-imagery of medicine—“the formation of medical roots and expressions by a comparison with a similar object, form, or idea from the nonmedical world.” Several chapters discuss eponyms (even the current issue of whether to use the possessive form—Parkinson’s or Parkinson disease?), abbreviations, acronyms, and mnemonics. The continuing evolution of medical language is illustrated in the final chapter, which addresses the language of medical genetics and that of health insurance and managed care. Strengths: This book presents an entertaining and original approach to the history of medical terms. Deficiencies: The organization of the text is inconvenient for reading about a group of related terms; instead, each term has to be looked up in the index. Also, in several instances, only the language of origin is given for a term, without further explanation of its history. Recommended Readership: This book is intended primarily for physicians and biomedical scientists. Overall Grading: #### O. Eugene Millhouse, PhD, Section of Scientific Publications, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn
BOOKS RECEIVED Interactive Electrocardiography: CD-ROM With Workbook, by Curtis M. Rimmerman and Anil K. Jain, 654 pp, with illus, $159, Philadelphia, Pa, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2001 Urology, 3rd ed (House Officer series), by Michael T. Macfarlane, 292 pp, with illus, $27.95, Philadelphia, Pa, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2001 Neurology of the Newborn, 4th ed, by Joseph J. Volpe, 912 pp, with illus, $105, Philadelphia, Pa, WB Saunders Co, 2001 The Pediatric Spine: Principles and Practice, 2nd ed, edited by Stuart L. Weinstein, 1086 pp, with illus, $245, Philadelphia, Pa, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2001 Pediatric Spine Surgery, 2nd ed, edited by Stuart L. Weinstein, 592 pp, with illus, $195, Philadelphia, Pa, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2001 Knee Surgery: Complications, Pitfalls, and Salvage, edited by M. Mike Malek, 507 pp, with illus, $225, New York, NY, Springer-Verlag, 2001 Liver Cirrhosis, edited by Kiwamu Okita, 125 pp, with illus, $89, New York, NY, Springer-Verlag, 2001 Restitutional Surgery of the Ear and Temporal Bone, edited by Malte Erik Wigand, 353 pp, with illus, $129, New York, NY, Thieme Medical Publishers, 2001 Facts and Ideas From Anywhere, by William Clifford Roberts, 172 pp, $39, Armonk, NY, Futura Publishing Co Inc, 2000 The Hatherleigh Guide to Psychiatric Disorders Part II, edited by Frederic Flach, 256 pp, with illus, $29.95, 5-22 46th Ave, Suite 200, Long Island, NY 11101, Hatherleigh Press, 2000 Differential Diagnosis in Neurology and Neurosurgery: A Clinician’s Pocket Guide, by Sotirios A. Tsementzis, 338 pp, with illus, $35, New York, NY, Thieme Medical Publishers, 2000
Book Reviews
1183
Clinical Glaucoma Management: General Signs in Diagnosis and Therapy, edited by Ronald L. Gross, 509 pp, with illus, $159, Philadelphia, Pa, WB Saunders Co, 2001 Heart Rate as a Determinant of Cardiac Function—Basic Mechanisms and Clinical Significance, edited by G. Hasenfuss and H. Just, 275 pp, with illus, $60, New York, NY, Springer-Verlag, 2000 Pathology of Infectious Diseases. Vol 1. Helminthiases, edited by Wayne M. Meyers, 562 pp, with illus, $145, Washington, DC, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 2000 Etiology and Morphogenesis of Congenital Heart Disease: Twenty Years of Progress in Genetics and Developmental Biology, edited by Edward B. Clark, Makoto Nakazawa, and Atsuyoshi Takao, 397 pp, with illus, $150, Armonk, NY, Futura Publishing Co Inc, 2000 Vascular Dementia, edited by John Stirling Meyer, Gaiane M. Rauch, Helmut Lechner, and Carlo Loeb, 310 pp, with illus, $88, Armonk, NY, Futura Publishing Co Inc, 2001 Methotrexate (Milestones in Drug Therapy series), edited by Bruce N. Cronstein and Joseph R. Bertino, 139 pp, with illus, $120, New York, NY, Springer-Verlag, 2000 Contemporary Diagnosis and Management of Diseases of the Prostate, by Muta M. Issa and Fray F. Marshall, 189 pp, with illus, $29.95, 3 Terry Dr, Suite 201, Newtown, PA 18940, Handbooks in Health Care Co, 2000 Advanced Arthroscopy, edited by James C. Y. Chow, 741 pp, with illus, $250, New York, NY, Springer-Verlag, 2001 Inflammatory Processes: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Opportunities (Progress in Inflammation Research series), edited by L. Gordon Letts and Douglas W. Morgan, 144 pp, with illus, $119, New York, NY, Springer-Verlag, 2000 Epilepsy in Clinical Practice: A Case Study Approach, by Andrew N. Wilner, 270 pp, $34.95, New York, NY, Demos Medical Publishing, 2000 Imaging for Junior Doctors: A Survival Guide, by Peter Kember, 145 pp, with illus, $29.95, Philadelphia, Pa, WB Saunders Co, 2000 Primary Pediatric Pulmonology, edited by Allen J. Dozor, 296 pp, with illus, $88, Armonk, NY, Futura Publishing Co Inc, 2001 Principles of Hand Surgery and Therapy, edited by Thomas E. Trumble, 644 pp, with illus, $139, Philadelphia, Pa, WB Saunders Co, 2000 Clinical Acupuncture: Scientific Basis, edited by Gabriel Stux and Richard Hammerschlag, 225 pp, with illus, $25, New York, NY, SpringerVerlag, 2001 Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardia in Patients with Structural Heart Disease (Clinical Approaches to Tachyarrhythmias Series, Vol 13), by Martin Borggrefe, Thomas Wichter, and Günter Breithardt, 116 pp, with illus, $24, Armonk, NY, Futura Publishing Co Inc, 2000 The Skin and Gene Therapy, edited by Ulrich R. Hengge and Beatrix Volc-Platzer, 301 pp, with illus, $84, New York, NY, Springer-Verlag, 2001 Practical Handbook of Advanced Interventional Cardiology, edited by Thach N. Nguyen, Shigeru Saito, Dayi Hu, Vijay Dave, and Cindy L. Grines, 586 pp, with illus, $49, Armonk, NY, Futura Publishing Co Inc, 2001 Sexual Dimorphism of the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis and the Amygdala (Advances in Anatomy, Embryology, and Cell Biology, Vol 158), by Nadya Stefanova and Wladimir Ovtscharoff, 78 pp, with illus, $60, New York, NY, Springer-Verlag, 2000 Tomorrow’s Cures Today? How to Reform the Health Research System, by Donald R. Forsdyke, 168 pp, with illus, $38, PO Box 200029, Riverfront Plaza Station, Newark, NJ 07102-0301, Harwood Academic Publishers, 2000
For personal use. Mass reproduce only with permission from Mayo Clinic Proceedings.