With this "small book on a large topic" (author, p VII) the author has attempted "to compress much useful information into a practical guide." The question naturally arises, "useful" to whom? Most of the chapters are too elementary for all but the neophyte; on the other hand, important new areas, such as rapid fluorescent diagnosis, are recommended to the uninitiated in an unjustifiably pat and misleading way.
Each chapter and subtopic ends before the surface of the subject is scratched. Epidemiology is a misnomer in the title since patterns of occurrence of the diseases are conspicuously absent from the discussion of most of the diseases, which is not surprising in view of the brevity sought by the author.
As a collection of definitions and quotations the book may be useful for elementary classes but it can hardly compete with the extremely informed, useful, and less expensive American Public Health Association