In this second edition, Pulmonary Diseases and Disorders assumes almost monumental proportions, having expanded to 2563 pages in three volumes. The initial flicker of foreboding experienced by this reviewer upon receiving the textbook was quickly extinguished by its attractive cover design, clean page format, and lavish use of color illustrations.
I subsequently found that the value of Pulmonary Diseases and Disorders is not limited to its considerable visual appeal. The textbook is comprehensive, authoritative, and current in its coverage of pulmonary medicine. Furthermore, sections of this textbook are entertaining, engaging, and worthy of casual, nondirected reading in a manner rarely found in leading academic textbooks. Particularly noteworthy in this regard are the early sections that trace the historical development of our understanding of pulmonary physiology and remind us of the seminal contributions of the early pioneers, including Harvey, Laennec, Haldane, Bernard, Henderson, Barcroft, Fick, and Krogh.
Pulmonary Diseases and Disorders