Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine Books

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

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...

Pros: The best darned internal med text out there.
Cons: Indecipherable to those not in the medical profession (not really a surprise).

As far as I can tell, the American public expects their doctors to be minutely specialized but to also have an up-to-date knowledge of pretty much every medical calamity known to the human body. I’m here to tell you we can’t have it both ways. Doctors...

Pros: Probably the best internal medicine reference available.
Cons: Cost, Cost, Cost

I bought my first copy of Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine as a bright-eyed, excited 1st or 2nd year med student. That was the 13th edition. Then, when I graduated from medical school with my M.D., my inlaws bought me a copy of the...

Pros: great reference
Cons: expensive

This review is only for people who are preparing to enter the medical field ie medical students, pharmacy students, etc. . . The only decision here is whether to buy this book or use the one in your school's library since this is going to be the end all...

Pros: One of the Classic Texts of Modern Medicine
Cons: Not for the Lay Community

There are some medical texts that a physician simply must own, and Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine belongs near the top of a list of them, regardless of your medical discipline/specialty. As a pediatrician, I still find myself turning...

Pros: reasonable thorough, especially on common diseases
Cons: definitely not portable

Weighing in at just over 25 pounds (slight exaggeration), this book is the de facto standard reference text for internal medicine. The index alone is 170 pages long. While it can be found in any medical school library, the book is fairly popular...

Pros: good source of detailed information about diseases
Cons: heavy

Harrison's is probably one of the classics of medical text out there today. If you're a medical student, this is the book to get, even if you're going into, e.g. surgery. The knowledge of medicine is the fundamental to every specialty. And this book...