Of health and harrison
Written: Aug 11 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The genius lies in the details; clinically oriented; factually precise
Cons: some basic medical knowledge may need looking up; price is a bit high
The Bottom Line: A must-buy for any health or allied health professional, and I highly recommend that it serves as a reference guide for the health conscious household.
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| krashlite2's Full Review: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine Books |
Perhaps it was you I met at the hospital the other day. Yeah you with your beady eyes staring at this computer screen. Aren't you this same person who didn't have a clue as to what the prescription note tightly clutched in your left hand meant? The very same person who for the previous 30 minutes had listened to what seemed like an endless harangue from an overworked and underpaid medical resident about the joys and pitfalls of living with diabetes, or was it hypertension? It doesn't matter. The point being, all that information seemed to float out through the other ear. Knowledge, my dear friends and comrades-in-health, in this road of life, knowledge is the key to survival. There is a saying that goes a bit like, a fool and his wealth are soon parted. Might I be allowed to suggest that "wealth" can be just as easily juxtaposed with "health" and still ring true. Experts such as doctors and the like must not be second guessed, and we rarely like it when a patient with a smattering of information tells us that we are wrong. However, there is a source that if quoted, will never be second guessed (unlike half the so-called medical advice books out there), and that book is Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine.
Harrison's was first written by a group of editors in 1950 and since then, thirteen other editions have graced the shelves of physicians, nurses, medical researchers and others in the allied health profession. The most recent edition, the 14th edition, was published in 1998, and judging from past patterns, it is likely that the next edition is due in 2002. One of the foremost characteristics of Principles of Internal Medicine is its attention to detail. Unlike some other subjects where as long as one paid attention to the main concept, that is all that matters, medicine like no other fields requires that great attention be paid to the details. Diseases, symptoms, drugs and their toxic effects, allergies and the "exceptions to the rule", the fact that no human body is ever the same anatomically, and many other facets of a health caregiver's profession requires that great attention is paid at all times to these details. So now you see where a complete and unabridged work of pure non-fiction can come in quite handy don't you?
Another unique feature first addressed when this book was being written, was to present the "cardinal manifestations of a disease" first rather than launch into a discussion of the actual illness. After all, patients present with symptoms, not a diagnosis, as the Preface to one of the edition's of the book rightly points out. The book is organized into different categories with this ideology in mind, and this has probably spawned the wide variety of newer medical textbooks that now offer the same type of study, on a smaller scale. Who are the authors? Rest assured that they are all the foremost medical minds in the world, ranging from deans of medical schools to heads of their respective departments at eminent hospitals such as Massachusetts General Hospital and universities such as Harvard Medical School.
If you think I've forgotten about you though, think again. As I somewhat tend to do on occasion when I'm called upon to extol the virtues of my chosen profession, distraction got the better of me. In any event, the "layperson" need not fear this book. Let me assure you that "medicalese" is far easier to comprehend than "legalese". There are far less henceforths, whosoevers and insomuchasses and in most pages, a basic command of the English language is all it takes. Use the index wisely. Let us assume that you'd like to get some information on Diabetes. Rest assured that all the information your doctor possesses on the subject may be significantly less than that written in Harrison's Principles of Medicine. There might be some difficulty reading. Of course, certain anatomical descriptions might be foreign, but if you are suffering from an illness, I think you should take the trouble to do a bit of research and get all the nitty-gritty facts, the ones your doctors thought you too stupid to know, or maybe you just didn't ask the right questions?
In the time it took you to read this review, a key fact hitherto unknown in medicine, might have been found. Who knows what advances stem cell research may produce, if it is allowed at all? Newer editions of Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine can be counted upon to continually update its information and sources. I highly recommend this book as a worthy investment for the safeguarding of your health and your rights as a patient. Harrison's is not a page turner by any stretch of the imagination, and it might tax your patience a bit to have to go through all the pages, but your efforts will be rewarded. Statistical studies have always indicated that the more knowledgeable and aware a patient is of his/her illness, the more likely he/she is to comply with treatments etc and successfully combat it. It may be difficult to understand at times and the $100 might seem a bit high, but the benefits don't have a price tag.
Recommended:
Yes
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krashlite2
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Location: Tampa, FL
Reviews written: 31
Trusted by: 64 members
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Opinions are best served when put into actual practice.
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