This is the first of a series of handbooks planned by a committee of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. About half of it ( 12 sections) is concerned with the blood; the remainder ( 13 sections ) deals with hemolymph, cerebrospinal fluid, water and electrolyte content of nervous tissue, fluids of body cavities, total body water and its intracellular and extracellular fractions, urine, digestive secretions, reproductive secretions, milk, dermal secretions, fluids of ear and eye, and body fluids (especially blood) during pregnancy. While the emphasis is on data from man, data on animals, including invertebrates, make up a substantial part of the book. The total amount of information is stupendous and testifies to the diligence of investigators in biology; the care with which it has been digested and set forth by the advisory committee and the handbook staff deserves the highest praise. This book is recommended as an essential reference