There has been a relative explosion of occupational medical texts produced in the last few years. The field is arguably the most diverse of any medical specialty, as are the backgrounds and practices of those in it. Thus, the challenge for a single text devoted to this broad, fascinating specialty becomes what to incorporate. Fortunately, Dr Zenz, the chief editor for his third edition, has been at it a while. He has even thoughtfully included highlights of the two previous editions in the prologue for a quick comparison of the evolution of the field from the 1975 and 1988 editions.
Dr Zenz requires no introduction as one of the pioneers in occupational medicine, and the previous editions of his textbook were automatic references for the library of any serious practitioner in the field. The new work contains a mere 43 more pages than its predecessor, and it was compiled with