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Current controversies in urologic management
FILM
AND
BOOK REVIEWS
BOOKS Current Controversies in Urologic Management, by Russell Scott, Jr., Ed. Philadelphia, W. B. Saunders co. (1972). This is an important book, not only because it brings together American and European authors, but because of its unusual format and planning which has succeeded magnificently. The authors were given carte blanche to present their views on subjects for which there is room for differing opinion, mainly in the field of treatment. It long has been known that knowledge concerning any given disease is inversely proportional to the number and diversity of its treatments, thus this is a valuable book because it pinpoints these problems in a series of juxtaposed essays by men who have studied a particular area in depth and who can summarize with great lucidity their position. The resulting product with interspersed editorial comment sustains interest mainly because of the contrasts between the somewhat heated style permitted the essayist and the cooler commentary by the editors. This is not a textbook but an original and stimulating experience that one could not get by attending a hundred meetings. The subjects deal mainly with the vexing problems of cancer of the urinary tract. Methodology for urinary diversion, stone, obstruction, trauma, and priapism are also given. This reviewer particularly enjoyed the chapters on the management of renal cancer where the writers’ personalities clearly came through their prose. Certain articles are a little tendentious, especially when the author has nothing polemical to say or refers back to work that was done a generation or two ago. One flat spot is the section on prostatic cancer wherein the argument is sustained by two statisticians who come off second best to the various surgeons who also contributed. After all, this is a book for surgeons as exemplified by the essays on hypospadias by Creevy and pyelolithotomy by Gil-Vernet. I also felt that the authors on traumatic rupture of the urethra did not give enough space to MacKinnon’s valuable work and opinions. The over-all effect is splendid, and the editor can congratulate himself on work well done. The book is not too heavy to read in bed, which is also a good factor. The craftsmanship is excellent, with valuable references and an excellent index. I hope that in about three to five years we may see a sequel, since it is too much to hope that all areas of controversy will have been eliminated by the development of a standard treatment for each disease entity covered. (A. Z.) Urinary Infections, by Thomas A. Stamey, M.D. Baltimore, Williams and Wilkins Co. (1972) pp. 293. Stamey, that habitual over-achiever in the field of urology, has produced a work of major importance which should stand as a landmark for quite a few years to come. This book could have been titled: “All About Urinary Infections.” The author organizes facts
UROLOGY
/
JUNE 1973
/
VOLUME I, NUMBER 6
and ideas in a careful and imaginative fashion to explore correlations and stimulate insights, at the same time he does not club you on the head with his opinions. It is refreshing, after reviewing two similar books by nonurologists (ref.), to read a text written by one with whom a “urologic” viewpoint is shared and with whom the subtleties of urinary obstruction, symptomatology, and so forth are clearly understood. I have always suspected that our nonurologic colleagues are unable to share an understanding of the nuances of urinary tract diseases. Anyone who wishes to learn how the urologist’s mind works should benefit from this book. Stamey’s main thesis is stated in the Preface: The cure of urinary infections in individual patients and satisfactory control in almost all others depend upon ultimately solving the problem of why pathogenic, enteric bacteria become established on the introitus of the female and on the urethra or in the prostate of the male. The book begins with chapters on the diagnosis of bacteruria and antimicrobial sensitivity testing. Here it is sometimes difficult for the clinician to tell what is worth retaining and what is not. Chapter 3 is perhaps the most interesting, since it is a case study in depth of a female with pyelonephritis, illustrating that old saw which states that it is better to study one case well than hundreds badly. The author takes us into infection in nonpregnant females, children, pregnancy, and in males. The significance of obstruction and stone are considered in separate chapters. Last, therapeutic principles are examined in detail. The most valuable chapter is probably this one, wherein the science and art of treating infection is given with examples and basic principles for a variety of urologic situations. The student of infection has at his disposal a wellrounded bibliography from the references at the end of each chapter. On the negative side, the index is far too skimpy for a book of this importance, and this is a serious handicap. The publishers would do well to remedy this in the second edition which certainly will be forthcoming. When dealing with case material, the author is somewhat diffuse and some of the tables are overwhelmingly detailed discouraging study. Stamey’s method is to give all the facts and draw logical conclusions which in turn can be applied to clinical practice. What is perhaps lacking are tables interspersed throughout the text, possibly in bold face type, which tell the clinician concisely what to do even at the cost of “spoon feeding.” This is a valuable book which encourages constructive thinking on the part of the reader, it is for the urologist and as such belongs on the bookshelf of anyone who considers himself a student of this specialty. (A. Z.)
633
AND
BOOK REVIEWS
BOOKS Current Controversies in Urologic Management, by Russell Scott, Jr., Ed. Philadelphia, W. B. Saunders co. (1972). This is an important book, not only because it brings together American and European authors, but because of its unusual format and planning which has succeeded magnificently. The authors were given carte blanche to present their views on subjects for which there is room for differing opinion, mainly in the field of treatment. It long has been known that knowledge concerning any given disease is inversely proportional to the number and diversity of its treatments, thus this is a valuable book because it pinpoints these problems in a series of juxtaposed essays by men who have studied a particular area in depth and who can summarize with great lucidity their position. The resulting product with interspersed editorial comment sustains interest mainly because of the contrasts between the somewhat heated style permitted the essayist and the cooler commentary by the editors. This is not a textbook but an original and stimulating experience that one could not get by attending a hundred meetings. The subjects deal mainly with the vexing problems of cancer of the urinary tract. Methodology for urinary diversion, stone, obstruction, trauma, and priapism are also given. This reviewer particularly enjoyed the chapters on the management of renal cancer where the writers’ personalities clearly came through their prose. Certain articles are a little tendentious, especially when the author has nothing polemical to say or refers back to work that was done a generation or two ago. One flat spot is the section on prostatic cancer wherein the argument is sustained by two statisticians who come off second best to the various surgeons who also contributed. After all, this is a book for surgeons as exemplified by the essays on hypospadias by Creevy and pyelolithotomy by Gil-Vernet. I also felt that the authors on traumatic rupture of the urethra did not give enough space to MacKinnon’s valuable work and opinions. The over-all effect is splendid, and the editor can congratulate himself on work well done. The book is not too heavy to read in bed, which is also a good factor. The craftsmanship is excellent, with valuable references and an excellent index. I hope that in about three to five years we may see a sequel, since it is too much to hope that all areas of controversy will have been eliminated by the development of a standard treatment for each disease entity covered. (A. Z.) Urinary Infections, by Thomas A. Stamey, M.D. Baltimore, Williams and Wilkins Co. (1972) pp. 293. Stamey, that habitual over-achiever in the field of urology, has produced a work of major importance which should stand as a landmark for quite a few years to come. This book could have been titled: “All About Urinary Infections.” The author organizes facts
UROLOGY
/
JUNE 1973
/
VOLUME I, NUMBER 6
and ideas in a careful and imaginative fashion to explore correlations and stimulate insights, at the same time he does not club you on the head with his opinions. It is refreshing, after reviewing two similar books by nonurologists (ref.), to read a text written by one with whom a “urologic” viewpoint is shared and with whom the subtleties of urinary obstruction, symptomatology, and so forth are clearly understood. I have always suspected that our nonurologic colleagues are unable to share an understanding of the nuances of urinary tract diseases. Anyone who wishes to learn how the urologist’s mind works should benefit from this book. Stamey’s main thesis is stated in the Preface: The cure of urinary infections in individual patients and satisfactory control in almost all others depend upon ultimately solving the problem of why pathogenic, enteric bacteria become established on the introitus of the female and on the urethra or in the prostate of the male. The book begins with chapters on the diagnosis of bacteruria and antimicrobial sensitivity testing. Here it is sometimes difficult for the clinician to tell what is worth retaining and what is not. Chapter 3 is perhaps the most interesting, since it is a case study in depth of a female with pyelonephritis, illustrating that old saw which states that it is better to study one case well than hundreds badly. The author takes us into infection in nonpregnant females, children, pregnancy, and in males. The significance of obstruction and stone are considered in separate chapters. Last, therapeutic principles are examined in detail. The most valuable chapter is probably this one, wherein the science and art of treating infection is given with examples and basic principles for a variety of urologic situations. The student of infection has at his disposal a wellrounded bibliography from the references at the end of each chapter. On the negative side, the index is far too skimpy for a book of this importance, and this is a serious handicap. The publishers would do well to remedy this in the second edition which certainly will be forthcoming. When dealing with case material, the author is somewhat diffuse and some of the tables are overwhelmingly detailed discouraging study. Stamey’s method is to give all the facts and draw logical conclusions which in turn can be applied to clinical practice. What is perhaps lacking are tables interspersed throughout the text, possibly in bold face type, which tell the clinician concisely what to do even at the cost of “spoon feeding.” This is a valuable book which encourages constructive thinking on the part of the reader, it is for the urologist and as such belongs on the bookshelf of anyone who considers himself a student of this specialty. (A. Z.)
633