As a subspecialty of internal medicine, nephrology seems blessed with more than its just share of outstanding teachers. An impressively large number of them appear together as contributors to the third edition of Professor Black's text on renal disease. Earlier editions of this work have been readable, informative, and enjoyable. Edition 3 carries on the precedent. Its text flows, despite its multiple authorship. Many readers will quickly feel that they sit with their teachers to learn the complexities of modern nephrology.
Outstanding contributions are offered by de Wardener on the control of sodium reabsorption, Hodson on radiology of the kidney, Cameron on the natural history of glomerulonephritis, and Peart on hypertension. The discussion of diuretics by Lant and Wilson is comprehensive, interesting, and enhanced by attention to the molecular structures of the various agents. Misra presents an excellent review of what is known about glomerular basement membrane. His chapter