Roberto Ferrari and Lionel H. Opie. 188 pages. New York: Raven Press; 1992. $65.00.

An extraordinarily attractive, engaging, and effective atlas, illustrating myocardial microstructure with electron µgraphs and structural drawings and illustrating chemical and physiological functions, normal and abnormal, with schematics and flow diagrams. A consistently applied color code makes clear the structure, cellular organelles, metabolites, and cycles shown in each schematic or diagram. The text on the left-hand page facing each right-hand page illustration is a short but clear explanation. The ingenious concepts applied in the design and format of this atlas could be profitably applied to other organs, notably the kidney and liver. Trainees in cardiology who find it difficult to retain complex textual descriptions may find this book a godsend. The price may seem a bit high, but it is not for a book of this quality.