This extremely current and inclusive collection of 17 papers belongs to a group of clinical publications sponsored by the University of California Medical Extension Series. The book, written by 22 specialists mainly from California but also some from other medical centers, is divided into 2 sections. The first is concerned with the clinical use of steroids in the treatment of adrenal diseases, of diseases of connective tissue (the "collagen" diseases) and specific fields of medicine such as allergy, dermatology, lung disease, gastrointestinal disease, renal disease, and neoplastic and hematologic diseases. The second section deals with basic knowledge concerning the biochemistry of steroids, their structuralfunctional relationships, the effects of steroids on water and electrolyte metabolism and renal function, and lastly the effects of steroids on the metabolism of carbohydrate, protein, and fat. These chapters, by S. Roberts, J. M. Koplowitz and C. R. Kleeman, and J. Brown, respectively, are notably clear