Latest among recent books on the kidney is this collection of individual theses on various aspects of renal anatomy and pathology. The title, suggesting the approach, is appropriate to the contents. The intent of the book, as stated in the preface, is to compile recently acquired knowledge of renal pathology in convenient form. With some exceptions, it contains relatively little information not available somewhere in the existing literature. Nephrologists and renal pathologists will recognize many of the contributions. Those embarking upon this field, however, will find the text and illustrations informative, and the bibliographies excellent guides. The encyclopedic style may be cumbersome for the general medical reader or the average medical student, unless he is motivated to probe renal problems in considerable depth.
Because of the multiple authorship, there are numerous examples of overlapping presentation and discussion, references, and even occasional illustrations that might have been sifted out by more