These two volumes are a unique effort to integrate the clinical aspects and "art" of obstetrics with the basic science and research foundations of the field, which, for the most part, admirably succeeds. While volume 1 is entitled "Physiology and Pathology of Reproduction" and volume 2, "Clinical Aspects of Perinatal Medicine," clinical information is intimately interwoven with basic concepts throughout, making for easy reading.
A refreshing approach to clinical obstetrics is evidenced by the fact that chapters on fetal monitoring and fetal distress are not devoted exclusively to interpretation of squiggly lines on an electronic monitor, but emphasize equally other measures of fetal well-being that are time tested but often forgotten or ignored in the frenzy of responding to electrical distress signals. Limitations of electronic monitoring are pointed out, and common errors in obstetric management based on unsubstantiated assumptions are reviewed. Overall, it makes for a unique approach to the