P. L. Mollison, C. P. Engelfriet, and Marcela Contreras; eds. 1015 pages. Oxford, England: Blackwell; 1993. $129.95.

The ninth edition of this textbook continues to reinforce its deserved place as a standard reference work in the field of blood banking. The encyclopedic detail and extensive references provide current information in most areas of blood banking. The book is especially strong in the serologic aspects of blood transfusion. The field of transfusion medicine is changing greatly, however, and one wonders if a text on clinical blood transfusion should not also address the clinical aspects of transfusion medicine in as thorough a manner. Today's transfusion medicine specialist must coordinate blood procurement, blood conservation, and blood transfusion practices that encompass issues important in quality assurance, patient care, and cost-effectiveness. These administrative aspects, along with new therapies in the field of interventional hematology such as blood substitutes, hematopoietic growth factors, photopheresis, and stem cell transplantation call for a growing role for blood bankers in the clinical arena. A textbook that incorporates all of these aspects, along with a definition of what it means to be a transfusion medicine specialist, will be an important sign of maturity in this burgeoning field.