The avid and conscientious reader of contributions to medical literature can only feel dismayed and depressed when he becomes aware of this volume, the first supplement to Tobacco (1961). The supplement contains 685 pages of annotated, indexed commentary on the subject of tobacco and smoking, encompassing the information contained in over 4,000 references!
With the sensitivity of the confirmed cigarette smoker, I felt that the choice of reviewer must have been made with some malice, and perhaps even as a personal message. Overcoming this paranoid ideation, I steeled myself to perform the assigned task which seemed certain to be a desert-dry chore. To my complete surprise, the text is written in elegant style, the tenor of which is set by the "Introductory Comments." This short section is truly a delightful, informative, succinct declaration of the intent and philosophy of the authors in the writing of this book.
The authors are