The first edition of this clearly written and beautifully illustrated book has achieved such widespread popularity that it is commonly regarded as the "Bible" in the field. The first edition was reprinted seven times and translated into French, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. The authors state that "some wit remarked that it would be nice if someone translated it into English." This second edition represents the "English translation."
I will quote again from the preface,
The most important change in this edition has been the addition of five chapters designed for the clinician. The first of these classifies pulmonary function tests into office, cariopulmonary laboratory, or research procedures and indicates what can be learned from simple tests and when to ask for special, more complex studies. The second presents typical patterns of altered pulmonary function and cases illustrative of each. The third deals with special respiratory and pulmonary problems encountered by