Confronting such a title, one is not sure what to expect. A perusal of the preface reveals that this is a product of several authors, all clinicians. The scope of recent advances is not specified, but the allusion to the advent of radioimmunoassays (now more than 15 years ago) suggests that advances of at least a decade or two will qualify as recent. This intermediate time frame is convenient. It allows each author the freedom to begin with older, well-established principles, note more recent data, and then discuss his current conceptions regarding the physiology and pathophysiology of an aspect of the endocrine system. A broad spectrum of endocrinology is covered, including clinical diagnosis and treatment.
In general, the chapters are clear and concise, with appropriate use of tables and drawings to enhance the explanations. They are not quite upto-date, for most references are from 1976 or earlier. There is unevenness,