This classic has grown again. Between the first and second editions the number of pages devoted to text actually decreased, though the material presented increased due to larger pages, smaller pictures, and the change to double columns. This time, the use of thinner paper has allowed the text to increase from 1,381 to 1,736 pages (plus index), without appreciable increase in size. Some may occasionally find it disconcerting to see through the pages, but the increase in content without increase in bulk is worth it (even without ecological considerations). Coupled with this has been further distillation of the older material, allowing incorporation of new data and insights as well as the addition of new entities.
This book has much to offer anyone interested in metabolic and inherited diseases. For the neophyte there are concise expositions of the normal physiology to give needed perspective for the lucid discussions of most disorders.