Marc A. Rodwin. 411 pages. New York: Oxford University Press; 1993. $25.00.

A detailed analysis of the varieties of conflicts of interest likely to affect both individual physicians and corporate entities employing physicians. Special attention is given to both incentives and disincentives for services and to consequences in services and the economics of medical care. Potential controls on undesirable consequences of conflicts are considered, and the author concludes with his judgments on "what needs to be done." Several appendixes deal with some specific matters, including the concept of conflict of interest, implications for medical education, and professional-association ethical codes. The notes for the chapters include both references to documentation and specific details relevant to points made in the text. This is a valuable new source of analysis and documentation for physicians, economists, politicians, lawyers, and entrepreneurs concerned with any of the distortions that conflicts may wreak on the quality and efficiency of medical care.