Greenspan's Basic and Clinical En

Book Reviews

Greenspan’s Basic and Clinical En - docrinology. Ninth Edition. By David G. Since the authors do not assume that Gardner and Dolores Shoback. China: readers have any previous knowledge of the McGraw-Hill Medical; 2011. 880 pp. US topics, they begin each topic with explana - $57 Paperback. ISBN: 978-0071622431. tions of basic concepts. Easy-to-read with clear illustrations, thorough foundation, and In Greenspan’s Basic and Clinical En - research-based clinically relevant novel de - docrinology , the authors of each chapter velopments in endocrinology, the enduring succinctly develop complex physiological nature of material presented in this book processes mediated by the endocrine sys - makes it a useful resource to experienced tem. Two additional chapters on obesity and medical practitioners as well as novices. endocrine hypertension have been included in this edition of the textbook. These chap - Asha Jayakumar, PhD ters are extremely useful in educating med - Yale University ical professionals to tackle obesity and hypertension by understanding the science The Mind's Machine: Foundations of behind it. Expertise in these diseases is nec - Brain and Behavior. By Neil V. Wat - essary, owing to the soaring numbers of son and S. Marc Breedlove. Sunder - obese and hypertensive patients. Hence, an land, MA: Sinauer Associates, Inc.; entire chapter (Chapter 10) has been de - 2012. 453 pp. US $119.95 Paperback. voted to endocrine hypertension; however, ISBN: 978-0878939336. pheocytochroma, which manifests hyper - tension as one of the symptoms, is not men - The Mind's Machine: Foundations of tioned. Also, the embryology of the ovary Brain and Behavior is an introductory neu - is covered in extensive detail, but not that roscience textbook that provides an in - of the testes. There are other instances of sightful and unique exploration of how such editorial lapses. This textbook could thought and action are linked with brain have been refined further by paying atten - function. The book defines the biological tion to such details. Nevertheless, this text - basis of behavior by connecting the philo - book is a meticulous overview of basic sophical history of neuroscience with re - endocrinology as well as exhaustive clini - cent innovations in our understanding of cal information and diagnostic criteria and how the brain works. The book's two neu - guidelines. roscientist authors, Dr. S. Marc Breedlove The order of chapters follows a ra - (Michigan State University) and Dr. Neil V. tional sequence, but within the chapters, Watson (Simon Fraser University), frame the subtopics could be arranged in a bet - neuroscience within a historical context ter format. A brief overview of concepts that is likely to increase the interest and en - at the beginning of a chapter or a sum - gagement of students regardless of prior mary at the end of the chapter would help exposure to the biological sciences. break the monotony of too much text. The Mind's Machine is remarkable in Figures are self explanatory and well-la - several ways. First, the breadth of topics beled and clearly aid understanding of the covered, from cell structure to conscious - concepts, which is an advantage of this ness, is a major strength of the 453-page textbook. text. Additionally, the layout of the book is

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