The exponential nature of the increase in medical knowledge is
vividly illustrated by the impressive
bulk of this text, comprising 1,258
double-column pages replete with
charts, figures, beautifully reproduced electron micrographs, and
even photographs of contributors.
The wealth of material boggles the
imagination, and chapters go far beyond the standard one gland-one
chapter dictum. Since the size of the
volume precludes it being read
straight through (by any but the
most compulsive), some of the most
perceptive sections may, sadly
enough, be missed. Typical is the
most lucid discussion by Rasmussen
that delineates endocrine control
mechanisms in general and clearly
presents the current direction of biochemical research. It should be required reading for all who wish a
general familiarity with the integrative role of cell metabolism.
A major portion of the text is
given over to diseases of glands of
greatest clinical significance, notably
the thyroid, adrenal, and pancreas.
Ingbar