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Isokinetics: Muscle Testing, Interpretation and Clinical Applications by Zeevi Dvir. Churchill Livingstone, Edin- burgh, 1995 (ISBN 0 443 04794 4). Illus. 199pages. f30.

Do not be deceived by appearances! On first opening this book - no colour plates, few photographs and rather too many tables and equa- tions for my liking! - my initial reaction was that it would be a tedious and ‘heavy’ read, but take my advice and read on! To get the most out of reading this book you need both concentration and some understanding of muscle action and biomechanics and although it could never be described as a ‘light’ read, or a book t o browse on in a free moment, the author has made the subject of isokinetics interesting and understandable.

I t is a review of the available literature on the subject of isoki- netics, hence each chapter has an excellent reference list which is comprehensive and by-and-large up to date. I particularly like the style of referencing - by name rather than by number - making a more enjoyable read, and helping the reader t o become familiar with names of the ‘gurus’ in specialist areas.

The first chapter covers the phys- iological and biomechanical aspects of isokinetics, an invaluable section that introduces factors to be consid- ered when testing muscle power. I t is useful revision (if required)

of forces, moments, torques and mechanical advantages and how they apply to muscle function generally and isokinetic muscle testing in particular.

The book continues with a ‘Noddy-ish’ guide to the basic components of, and their role in, an isokinetic muscle testing system, plus an overview of the different types of systems. An explanation of the results produced and their strengths and weaknesses is given, again with many references for the reader to take up if further details are required. I would strongly recommend this section to any department considering buying isokinetic equipment.

The text continues with a review of the literature on the validity and reliability of the equipment and then t o the indications for, and contra-indications to, the uses of isokinetics, both as a tool for testing muscle function and as a part of a therapeutic programme for muscle conditioning and rehabilitation. The final chapters review the liter- ature published from isokinetic studies on the hip, knee, ankle, trunk and shoulder. A chapter is devoted to each area and, in addi- tion to revi.ewing the literature, ‘gaps’ in the knowledge are identi- fied - providing useful ideas and suggestions for future research.

In summary this is an excellent book for anyone with an interest in isokinetics or considering using or purchasing the equipment. Readers

will learn a great deal and the comprehensive reference lists for every chapter will provide a useful starting point for a literature review on many aspects of muscle function. I t is good value as a refer- ence text in a departmentallmedical library.

Jane Lockwood MSc MCSP CertED(FE)

Pearl Weekley’s Universal Book of Sign Language

by P Weekley. Shensi Publications Ltd, Richmond House, Donnerville, Admaston, Telford TF5 ODE, 1995 (ISBN 1 900096 00 5). 48 pages. f2.

This book consists almost entirely of line drawings of mainly hand signs, intended for doctors and patients. I t starts logically with ‘Hello’ and includes some parts of speech not usually included when signing - an advance on the ‘Me Tarzan you Jane’ approach.

The text is to be translated into many different languages. The author suffers from motor neurone d’ isease.

While the aims of the booklet are somewhat idealistic - i t hopes t o span race, creed and colour, and integrate people of different nation- alities into the community - provided all participants use the same text it would obviously be useful in helping communication when speech is ruled out for any reason.

Health Research in Practice - Political, ethical and methodological issues edited by Derek Colquhoun and Allan Kellehear. Chapman and Hall, London, 1993 (ISBN 0 412 47470 0). 189pages. f 14.99.

This book addresses a range of issues concerning the human rela- tionships and social processes which occur during research. The reader becomes aware that those being researched should not be regarded as just subjects, but are participants who, by engaging with the research process, bring their influence to bear upon it. Researchers have probably always known that these issues were present in their research, but perhaps have found difficulty in acknowledging them as instru-

mental to the research procedure. This text skilfully reveals the complexities of these interactive processes, while addressing the methodological problems in an informative manner.

This text is not about design or techniques in the practice of research, but is concerned more with the fundamental issues of the formative nature of the research experience. Informed discussions cover ontological and epistemo- logical dimensions of research. Methods are unwrapped and scru- tinised to expose their complexities in a thought-provoking way.

Discussions are informed by other literature on the subject, by the personal research experiences of the writers, and by narrative accounts of the researchers and the

researched. These discussions open readers’ awareness to the ethical and political issues in health research. Topics such as evaluative research, cross-cultural research and conflicts among different parties interested in research outcomes are discussed around actual examples encountered by researchers.

This book is recommended for those who do research in health, and will be particularly helpful t o those who encounter the political, ethical and methodological issues addressed in the text. Once read, it would be difficult for a thinking researcher to ignore these issues. Therefore, it is not a book for the fainthearted.

L H De Souza FCSP

Physiotherapy, February 1996, vol 82, no 2