This paperback book contains a concise summary of approximately 700 articles published in 1989 along with brief comments by the editors of each of the five sections: internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery. It also contains approximately 75 "clinical pearls" that, according to the editor-in-chief, "range from classic wisdom passed on by the oral tradition ages ago to the latest knowledge in the ever changing world of medicine." The book purports to provide a road map through the medical literature and a quick way to prepare for rounds.
Although the editors claim to have selected critical articles from the 20 000 medical journals, almost all the articles abstracted in the book are from the five or six most commonly read journals in each of the five specialties. As stated by the editor of the surgery section, the selections reflect the editors' interests and biases. Many of the