Atlas of Allergic Diseases

Book Review Atlas of Allergic Diseases, edited by Phillip L. Lieberman and Michael S. Blaiss, 274 pp, with illus, $125, Philadelphia, Pa, Current Medicine (telephone: 800-427-1796), 2002, ISBN 07817-4156-4 Type and Scope of Book: This large (10 1/ 8 × 12 1/ 4 in) multiauthored color-illustrated text concisely reviews the major topics in immunology and allergy. Contents: The first section of the book contains 8 chapters devoted to basic immunology, including molecular biology, complement, chemokines, mast cells, eosinophils, and aerobiology. The 19 chapters in section 2 cover the major topics in clinical allergy, including urticaria and angioedema, atopic and contact dermatitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, otitis media, asthma in adults, occupational asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, food allergy, drug allergy, latex allergy, insect allergy, and primary immunodeficiencies. Additional chapters focus on pulmonary function testing, aerosols, and inhalers. The chapters contain references and recommendations for further reading. Strengths: This book’s greatest strength is the highly visual presentation—there are copious color illustrations, photographs, tables, and algorithms. Each chapter is essentially a series of images with detailed legends. The writing is clear and concise, with no tolerance for excess verbiage. This approach works. Deficiencies: The text portion of the atlas is relatively short and often insufficiently detailed to help with clinical decision making. A few chapters do not cover therapeutics adequately, and the book does not address pediatric asthma. Recommended Readership: Any clinician with a special interest in allergic diseases will find this text beneficial. I highly recommend it to those who learn best through visual and graphic media. Overall Grading: #### James T. C. Li, MD, PhD, Division of Allergic Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn

Grading Key ★★★★★ = outstanding; ★★★★ = excellent; ★★★ = good; ★★ = fair; ★ = poor.

© 2003 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

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