Approximately 150 authors involved both in the care of patients and research on gut infections have packed this single-volume text with information. The 97 chapters begin with a brief history of the field and then cover infections caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, and metazoan and protozoan parasites; infections caused by unclassifiable microorganisms; and well-classified organisms whose role in infections is uncertain. There are chapters on epidemiology, the clinical laboratory in diagnosis, prophylaxis for surgery, radiology, endoscopy in the diagnosis of gut infections, mucosal and systemic immunity, the pathophysiology of water and electrolyte transport, oral rehydration, mucins, microbial adherence, cell biology of toxin action, the use and abuse of antibiotics, and vaccines for enteric infections. And this is only a partial list. With a few exceptions, such as schistosomiasis, the editors appropriately excluded hepatobiliary infections.

The merits of Infections of the Gastrointestinal Tract rest largely with its content: informed chapters written by an authoritative group of authors. There is much to praise, especially in the chapters on peritonitis and intra-abdominal abscess, tropical sprue, traveller's diarrhea, Whipple disease, the status of vaccines, and the use and misuse of antibiotics. Buyers can be assured that what is known about gastrointestinal infections lies somewhere within this book's 1610 pages.

Great breadth of coverage often brings redundancy, and this book is no exception to that rule. Some sections duplicate one another, others are too long by half, and inadequate cross-referencing will hobble the busy clinical reader, leaving much valuable information undiscovered. Although a streamlined treatment of this extensive field is not expected, a leaner next edition should be attainable. The book is also inconsistent in form and style, and some of its beautiful color plates are mislabeled.

Notwithstanding these problems, Infections of the Gastrointestinal Tract attracted much attention while it was in my office and was frequently revisited by faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, and students. This is testimony to the need for the book and to the diligence of the authors, who delivered much that will be of value to a wide readership. The contents of this major work clearly came alive for those with enough time to dig out what they needed; thus, proper cutting and stitching could make this book the standard in the field.