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BOOKS menus. The text, however, does not represent two separate contributions. Drs. Spoek and Lowenberg worked together for four years at the Rochester Minnesota Child Health Institute under the late C. A. Aldrich, to whom the book is dedicated. Dr. Aldrich, despite the fact that his philosophy on physician-parent teaching was that the teaching of attitudes was more important than teaching details, would have liked the book. B. S. V. The P r e v e n t i o n of Disease in E v e r y d a y Practice. Isadore Givner~ M.D., and Maurice Bruger, M.D., St. Louis, 1955, The C. V. Mosby Co., 964 pages. Price $20.00.
This text, edited by an ophthalmologist and an internist, consists of thirty-three chapters by different authors on the preventive aspects of various diseases: thus Chapter 1, A Practical Outline of Cancer Prevention, by Wynder; Chapter 2, Prevention of Poisoning --Accidental and Intentional, by Press ; Chapter 3, Preventive Pediatrics, by Ginandes, and so on. The book is intended for the practitioner, and some of the discussions are excellent. However, the authors, for some reason or other, have seen fit to include subjects that are unimportant from the prevention standpoint to the practitioner, as ~'Preventive Aspects of Neurological Surgery ~' and " P r e v e n t i v e Aspects of Cardiac Surg e r y , " which are technical subjects of interest and importance to the neurological and cardiovascular surgeons, but do not concern or interest the practitioner. I n such instances the discussion is puerile so f a r as neurological and cardiovascular surgeons are concerned, aud would not be the slightest value to the trained specialist in these fields. While the idea of the text is good, the editors have produced a large uuwieldly text which is so padded with material that should have been left out, that they have succeeded in producing a book of little interest and value to the practitioner. The P e d i a t r i c Years. Louis Spekter, M.D., Springfield, Ill., 1955, Charles C Thomas, 734 pages. Price $12.50. The Director of the Bureau of Maternal and Child Hygiene of the Connecticut State Department of Health, a well-trained pediatrician who has also been certified by the American Board of Public Health, has writ-
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ten an unusual~text on pediatrics. I t is not intended for p]aysicians or even nurses, but rather for the group of social workers, teachers, physical therapists, educators, and others who work with children, but who have not had medical experience in their training. It attempts in simple language to discuss the diseases of childhood with stress on the preventive side. We know of no similar book, and the author is in a much better position to judge of its need. I t is a difficult task to present technical medical subjects in a simple way and, as a whole, the author has done a good job. Oar chief criticism is that the discussion of many subjects is too extensive, and that the author has included many rare and uncommon as well as common diseases. Details as to specific treatment have carefully been avoided. The book is intended as a work of reference, and an excellent glossary has been included. I t will be interesting to follow the reception of the text. Child Behavior. Frances L. Ilg, M.D., and Louise B. Ames, Ph.D., New York, 1955~ Harper & Brothers, 364 pages. Price $3.95. Both authors are well known for their association and work with Arnold Gesel] at the Yale Clinic for Child Development, and since 1948 the GeselI Institute for Child Development. This " p o p u l a r " book on behavior and behavior problems is based on a widely read syndicated newspaper column started by the authors in 1951. The text, however, is not a reprint of the newspaper discussions. While there is nothing' particularly new, or at variance with current thought, the authors, through the experience in writing for the laity, have produced a sound readable book which measures up with the better texts for parents. Cardiovascular Surgery. Edited by Conrad Lain, M.D., Philadelphia, 1955, W. B. Saunders Co., 553 pages. The papers preseuted, together with discussion, at an international symposium held at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit in March, 1955. The papers reflect the tremendous development that has taken place in cardiovascular surgery in recent years, and will be of great value and interest to those working in the field of cardiology. Most of the leading figures in the field from Europe, Canada, and the United States were present and took part.
This text, edited by an ophthalmologist and an internist, consists of thirty-three chapters by different authors on the preventive aspects of various diseases: thus Chapter 1, A Practical Outline of Cancer Prevention, by Wynder; Chapter 2, Prevention of Poisoning --Accidental and Intentional, by Press ; Chapter 3, Preventive Pediatrics, by Ginandes, and so on. The book is intended for the practitioner, and some of the discussions are excellent. However, the authors, for some reason or other, have seen fit to include subjects that are unimportant from the prevention standpoint to the practitioner, as ~'Preventive Aspects of Neurological Surgery ~' and " P r e v e n t i v e Aspects of Cardiac Surg e r y , " which are technical subjects of interest and importance to the neurological and cardiovascular surgeons, but do not concern or interest the practitioner. I n such instances the discussion is puerile so f a r as neurological and cardiovascular surgeons are concerned, aud would not be the slightest value to the trained specialist in these fields. While the idea of the text is good, the editors have produced a large uuwieldly text which is so padded with material that should have been left out, that they have succeeded in producing a book of little interest and value to the practitioner. The P e d i a t r i c Years. Louis Spekter, M.D., Springfield, Ill., 1955, Charles C Thomas, 734 pages. Price $12.50. The Director of the Bureau of Maternal and Child Hygiene of the Connecticut State Department of Health, a well-trained pediatrician who has also been certified by the American Board of Public Health, has writ-
125
ten an unusual~text on pediatrics. I t is not intended for p]aysicians or even nurses, but rather for the group of social workers, teachers, physical therapists, educators, and others who work with children, but who have not had medical experience in their training. It attempts in simple language to discuss the diseases of childhood with stress on the preventive side. We know of no similar book, and the author is in a much better position to judge of its need. I t is a difficult task to present technical medical subjects in a simple way and, as a whole, the author has done a good job. Oar chief criticism is that the discussion of many subjects is too extensive, and that the author has included many rare and uncommon as well as common diseases. Details as to specific treatment have carefully been avoided. The book is intended as a work of reference, and an excellent glossary has been included. I t will be interesting to follow the reception of the text. Child Behavior. Frances L. Ilg, M.D., and Louise B. Ames, Ph.D., New York, 1955~ Harper & Brothers, 364 pages. Price $3.95. Both authors are well known for their association and work with Arnold Gesel] at the Yale Clinic for Child Development, and since 1948 the GeselI Institute for Child Development. This " p o p u l a r " book on behavior and behavior problems is based on a widely read syndicated newspaper column started by the authors in 1951. The text, however, is not a reprint of the newspaper discussions. While there is nothing' particularly new, or at variance with current thought, the authors, through the experience in writing for the laity, have produced a sound readable book which measures up with the better texts for parents. Cardiovascular Surgery. Edited by Conrad Lain, M.D., Philadelphia, 1955, W. B. Saunders Co., 553 pages. The papers preseuted, together with discussion, at an international symposium held at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit in March, 1955. The papers reflect the tremendous development that has taken place in cardiovascular surgery in recent years, and will be of great value and interest to those working in the field of cardiology. Most of the leading figures in the field from Europe, Canada, and the United States were present and took part.