Doody's Book Review

This is the fifth edition of a fairly comprehensive textbook of clinical chemistry. The original purpose was to create a textbook that would capture the current practice of clinical chemistry for clinical laboratory scientists (CLSs). The editors and individual authors have succeeded admirably in this latest edition. This book would most benefit CLS students and practicing CLSs. It would also be useful as an introductory text for laboratory medicine/pathology residents, clinical chemistry fellows or practicing pathologists or clinical chemists. Overall, the book is very comprehendible and accessible ("easy read"). Each chapter begins with clearly stated learning objectives and ends with test questions to evaluate the reader's grasp of the material. I was quite pleased with the chapter on automation (such a hot topic today) which provided a concise yet comprehensive review of the history coupled with a nice summary of the state of automation today and what options are available for those laboratories unwilling to take the big plunge into total laboratory automation. The material covered in this book is intermediate in scope, between that of introductory texts of laboratory medicine/clinical chemistry and authoritative texts (e.g., Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry or Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods ). Overall, the material covered here is ideal for CLSs, but may be insufficient in depth and breadth for the doctoral level clinical chemist. This is a good book to have readily available to CLSs - whether in CLS training programs or in practice. Valerie L. Ng, PhD MD(University of California San Francisco). Copyright 2001, Doody Publishing