Manson's Tropical Diseases, 21st Edition Edited by Gordon C. Cook and Alimuddin I. Zumla Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders, 2003. 1847 pp., illustrated. $179.00 (cloth)

Abstract

Manson's Tropical Diseases is a classic textbook on the practice of tropical medicine. The first edition was published in 1898, and the 20th edition was published in 1996. The new edition is a comprehensive textbook that covers a wide variety of subjects, including not only tropical diseases and clinical syndromes but also important aspects of international health. Contributors to this volume include many international experts in the field. This edition includes 10 new chapters that broaden the scope of this excellent text in a field that is rapidly changing; the new chapters are “Primary Care,” “Epidemiology,” “Traditional Medicine,” “Genetics,” “Economics,” “Ethics,” “Blood Transfusions,” “Tropical Oral Health,” “Pneumococcal Disease,” and “Sources of Information on Tropical Medicine.” The new chapters “Ethics,” “Traditional Medicine,” and “Primary Care” are especially informative and timely for all students of tropical medicine. The chapter “Sources of Information in Tropical Medicine” is a helpful addition that gives the reader access to numerous other references. The innovative chapters “Economics” and “Blood Transfusions” give fine overviews and thought-provoking discussions of newer problems faced in tropical medicine. The traditional chapters of the book, which cover system-oriented diseases, infectious diseases, and parasitology, are all comprehensive and current in their approach. The editors of Manson's Tropical Diseases recognize the tremendous impact of tuberculosis and malaria in tropical regions. I found the chapters on tuberculosis and malaria to be among the best summaries of these topics in the literature; they thoroughly cover important clinical aspects of the conditions, as well as new developments in prevention and treatment.