Neil Kaplowitz; ed. 732 pages. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins; 1992. $105.00.

Major textbooks now contain ample, accurate, and current information. They are carefully scrutinized by reviewers and editors to insure this standard. One textbook is distinguished from another by its content, organization, writing, and accessibility of information. I believe Dr. Kaplowitz's book scores high in each area. The book starts with three chapters on liver structure and function, which I consider to be as concise, well written, and informative as anything I have read in the literature. These chapters, along with the next section on pathophysiology, set a solid foundation for the later discussions of clinical disease. Yet, each section stands well on its own.

The quality of writing is uniformly excellent, concise, and logical. I especially appreciated the near absence of medical academic jargon. The reader is not prodded to credulity by being told that data "clearly indicate that." None of the authors is "tempted to speculate" and statements are not supported by "conventional wisdom." When theories are presented, they are called just that; where supporting evidence is scanty, it is so stated. The worst transgression is an occasional "vast majority." Dr. Kaplowitz either exerted remarkable surveillance over contributors' writing or enlisted the help only of talented scientists and clinicians who were also good writers.

Information is easily accessible, in part because of logical organization. In addition, important points are printed in boldface. Where used effectively, I found this feature helpful. The illustrations are well chosen. Most of the diagrams are simple and address a single idea or concise group of ideas, making them easy to comprehend.

The only aspect about which I have reservations is the method of referencing. Rather than in-text reference numbers, each chapter provides a short, annotated bibliography. Many of the cited works are chapters from monographs, which might not be easily accessible to smaller hospital libraries. This limitation may weaken its usefulness to the clinician seeking an urgent and authoritative answer to a specific question.

On balance, I consider this to be an excellent book. It is a good investment for anyone interested in liver disease, regardless of his or her level of training or experience.