NURSE EDUCATION TODAY 3 19

followed in chapter 7 by a drawing together of themes central to the preceding theoretical and empirical discussion,

Finally, a postscript is provided in chapter 8. The author offers a wider view of related problems and considers attitudes to, for example, people with AIDS. The book is well referenced and indexed. It is a difficult book to read, however, which may be due to the nature of the subject itself. The style is informative and the reported research has been presented inter- estingly to hold the attention of the reader. It is an important and useful contribution to nursing the dying and should most certainly be added to a library list.

CYNTHIA Y AKINSANYA

RGN RM NDN CERT PWT PGCEA DNT

Understanding medical immunology 2 Ed E Kirkwood & C Lewis John Wiley 1989 179pp illus ISBN: o-471-91577-7 02.50

I have no hesitation in recommending this text book. It is immensely readable, the text being presented with- out the use of extensive terminology or immunological jargon and is well supported by clear graphical illus- trations. For student and graduate nurses who are particularly interested in extending their knowledge and understanding of immunology, this book should prove an asset.

The second edition is extended to include an invaluable and very informative section on AIDS. The authors should be congratulated on clearly presenting a subject which is important to the nursing profession in relation to the promotion of health and prevention of illness, in this clear simplified text. The four sections cover:

1. The basic principles: including the immune system, immune responses, and systems which complement the immune systeme etc. 2. Clinical conditions involving immunological mechanisms: including transplantation and tumour immunology. 3. AIDS: including clinical features and management of the HIV-infected patient. 4. Immunological investigations and procedures.

Handbook of perinatal infection 2 Ed J L Sever et al Little Brown 1989 2OOpp illus ISBN: 0-316-78171-l gl5.95

Initially this recently updated handbook appears a concise, authoritative and readable reference book written by and targeted at medical students, doctors and laboratory staff. As it is an American text it does not highlight the British perspectives of these infec- tions. The references are predominantly American and pre 1986 and the limited number of illustrations are black and white. It is of concern that the chapter on AIDS is now out of date and could be confusing and misleading to readers who do not have up-to-date information on this vital issue. However, taking these comments into consideration, the general presen- tation of the information related to viral, bacterial, parasitical and fungal infections in the baby and infant may be useful as a secondary reference source to midwives and paediatric nurses.

JENNIFER A JONES

RGN RSCN RCNT RNT Dip N(Lon) MSc

The nurses dictionary 30 Ed (revised) C Brooker Faber & Faber 1989 472pp ISBN: o-571-15312-7 f2.99

This little book is slightly larger than some of the other Nurses’ Dictionaries available but could still be termed ‘pocket size’. The quality of paper seems rather poor but the print is a reasonable size which should be easy to read at a quick glance.

The preface states that the primary purpose of this dictionary is to provide an easily understood working definition of some of the words and terms involved in the practice of nursing. It seems to full?1 this objective although sometimes more information is given than is necessary for a dictionary. If the user wants other than a brief definition they should be referring to textbooks rather than a dictionary.

The various appendices are a useful addition and they have avoided a section on first aid which many dictionaries seem to feel is necessary and is usually a waste of paper.

I would be happy to recommend this dictionary to student nurses who were unsure which to buy.

JANICE M MCCALL

RGN RCNT

The book according to the authors is primarily A survey of human diseases written for nurses, I feel it accomplishes that aim and D T & R B Purtilo brings out the basic concepts of immunology and is Little Brown & Co. well worth purchasing. 1989 544pp illus ISBN: o-316-72250-2 224.00

CLIFF BECKETT Understanding the altered physiology of disease has BA(Hons) RGN RMN Dip N PGCEA MBPqS always been a pre-requisite to safe and informed

320 NURSEEDUCATIONTODAY

nursing care. Sadly there have been few good text- books that have dealt with this and nurses have had to rely on short sections within general nursing texts. David and Ruth Purtilo’s book fills a much needed gap, offering a comprehensive review of all the major disease processes which are likely to be met in patient care. In particular, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and malignant change are beautifully explained, and should prove helpful in teaching, project or care study settings.

The book is illustrated with black and white photo- graphs and a good array of line diagrams and flow charts. It is pleasing to note that none of these are cramped on the page, and whilst colour illustration could only add to this attractive production, they do convey information accurately.

As with many American texts there are the odd irritations. The book makes extensive use of mortality and morbidity statistics which we could use in a health education context were they not to refer predomi- nantly to the United States. Against this, the American practice of opening each chapter with a series of succinct objectives is educationally very useful.

‘A Survey of Human Diseases’ is then a very worthwhile purchase, both for the library and for students. The text is well organised, more than ad- equately referenced, and will prove a useful aid to teachers and students in both pre- an post-basic nurse education.

BOBPRICE

SRN BA MSc Cert Ed

Human anatomy and physiology E Marieb Benjamin/Cummings 1989 995pp illus ISBN: o-8053-0122-4 f16.95

Elaine Marieb is a lecturer in anatomy and physiology at Holyoke Community College. When students of nursing joined her classes, together with students in physical education, she undertook bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing herself. This experience has enabled her to apply the science of physiology to the clinical practice of nursing throughout this book, and this approach is valuable.

Dr. Marieb’s enthusiasm for teaching is obvious, and it may help explain her somewhat informal and chatty style. In a sense, the book ‘talks to’ its reader, and some may find this irritating. Others may feel this helps to hold their attention and make the process of learning enjoyable.

The book is impressively illustrated, with many full colour diagrams, photographs (including several of cadavers) and photo micrographs. There are oc- casional ‘closer look’ boxes within the text, covering important related topics such as AIDS, dialysis, and steroid use by athletes. Many of the chapters conclude with a summary of development related to the area

under discussion. Examples of pathology (joint inju- ries, hyper- and hypo-secretion of hormones, varicose veins) are given primarily to explain normal funr- tioning.

I would certainly recommend this substantial volume for a nursing library, so that students may have the opportunity to compare different approaches to human physiology.

CJ GOODALL

PhD RGN DipN Cert Ed

Research in nursing H S Wilson Addison-Westley 1989 738pp illus ISBN: 0-201-059460 530.55

This is an expensive but high quality textbook on understanding and practising nursing research. It is very well written and very well produced. Its chapters are arranged in the now standard logical sequence of the research process. There are, however, some inno- vative approaches to explaining difficult elements ot the research process. For example, clearly demarcated extracts of published nursing research are used to reinforce the aspect of research under consideration. Even so, some subjects. for example, inferential statis- tics, are handled superficially: but adequately for introductory purposes. The book is North American, and as one might expect the prose doesn’t endear itself to those nurses coming to nursing research for the first time. I’m not too sure that even hardened UK nurse researchers feel entirely comfortable with the Ameri- can style ofwriting. For this reason, the book. although a must for every nursing library, is probably best used as a reference book, rather than something that could be read from cover to cover. Indeed, because the book is organised into self-contained sections, it lends itself to this form of use.

KEITH HURSI.

RGN DipN RCNT RNT Cert Ed

Series on nursing administration Vol. 2 M Johnson Addison-Westley 1989 212pp ISBN: O-201-12928-0 g26.95

This book has given me a vision of the future and has thereby distressed me profoundly. It is extremely difficult to read because of the American English style. Although I am in print elsewhere saying that this should not be a barrier to understanding, this volume is obscure in the extreme.

However when I managed to penetrate the fog, I was even more disturbed.

The book is divided into nine chapters dealing with various aspects of the introduction of strategic busi- ness units and marketing models into health care in the USA. The organisational structure in question