Physiology Secrets by Hershel Raff, Hershel Raff (Editor)

From the Publisher

Physiology Secrets, 2nd Edition is a good balance of basic physiology and clinical applications with comprehensive coverage of physiology. As basic science courses are increasingly becoming problem-based, with an emphasis on clinical applications of basic science principles, the Secrets approach is ideally suited to present this kind of information. In its basic Q & A format, this approach is also especially well suited to focusing on the key information in each area of what can be a difficult subject of study.

• Concise answers with valuable pearls, tips, memory aids, and "secrets"
  
• Includes multiple choice "Final Exam" Q&A
  
• Raff now editor of leading undergrad physiology book, Vander's Physiology. Will have increased name recognition.

• New chapters include Cell Signaling, Physiology of Bone, Endocrine-Metabolic Integration, Endocrine-Immune Interactions, and Physiology of Aging
  
• Raff has become an increasingly major name in Physiology and is now on the author team of the Vander Physiology text from McGraw-Hill (competitor to Guyton and Hall)
  
• All chapters have been updated and expanded, with special focus on strengthening and expanding the Cardiovascular chapter.

Wilmer W. Nichols

This book conains chapters devoted to cells, nerves and muscles, cardiovascular physiology, maternal-fetal physiology, exercise physiology, and temperature regulation. A final exam for each chapter is included at the end of the book. It is designed to be used as an adjunct to, not a substitute for, a standard physiology text. The editor, a basic scientist, gives a comprehensive review of basic physiological principles in a question-answer format. A large audience is targeted, consisting of both medical students and medical graduate students. It could also be used by undergraduate students preparing for a career in medicine or biological research. This book provides an extensive review of basic organ system physiology. All chapters are presented in question-answer format so the student can test his/her knowledge of what they have learned from lectures, class syllabi, or physiology texts. Also, each chapter concludes with a list of recent references and a final exam that includes several questions with multiple choice answers is provided at the end of the book. Each chapter is prepared by an expert in a particular area. Neurophysiology is excluded, since most present-day medical school curricula have a separate course that covers neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. Included in this book are a limited number of informative figures and a few tables. This is one of a series of books in the major medical specialties and subspecialties. This book is recommended for undergraduate students and first year medical students. There is no other book in the field quite like this one. It could be used as a review source for physiology textbooks such as Guyton's Textbook of MedicalPhysiology, 8th edition (WB Saunders, 1991), or Berne and Levy's Physiology, 4th edition (Mosby-Year Book, Inc., 1998).

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Robert W. Teel, PhD (Loma Linda University)
Description:This book is somewhat unique in that questions are stated in each chapter dealing with concepts and issues in physiology with explanations following each question. Illustrations are simple, black-and-white, and in general help in grasping concepts being considered. There are tables that summarize pertinent information and a bibliography at the end of each chapter. Exam or study questions for each chapter in the book are found at the end of the book and answers are provided. Material that relates more to neuroscience is not included.
Purpose:The purpose is to present physiology as answers to pertinent questions but in a manner that integrates organ systems while emphasizing the cellular and molecular aspects. The author's purpose is noteworthy and, overall, the objectives have been met.
Audience:The book is written for students taking a solid course in physiology. There is no emphasis on any one specialized area particularly, but rather the book attempts to cover all areas of physiology except for those that relate more to neuroscience. The credibility of the book is significantly elevated by the contributions of multiple authorities who have written chapters.
Features:In addition to the chapters that cover the basic important areas of physiology, there are useful chapters covering electrophysiology, signaling, genomics, exercise, and aging. The same format is used throughout even though the chapters may have been written by different authors. Each chapter succinctly summarizes pertinent information that relates to important concepts in specific areas ofphysiology. Efforts have been made to contain the cost of the book and therefore illustrations lack the flair seen in most recently published books of physiology. The bibliography section at the end of each chapter is often quite limited and some of the references are not very current. The use of the term "secrets" seems trivial.
Assessment:The concise approach to answering the questions that are basic to grasping the key concepts of physiology can be helpful when the book is used, as the authors state, as a supplement to standard textbooks in physiology. The book seems more appropriate for a more advanced course in physiology and does incorporate clinical relevance. The chapters covering areas like genomics, bone physiology, and aging are not always included in standard textbooks. The absence of chapters in areas covered in a neuroscience course is appropriate only if the student also takes a neuroscience course. There are other books whose purpose is to summarize or review the key areas of physiology such as Basic Concepts in Physiology: A Student's Survival Guide by Seidel (McGraw-Hill, 2002) . This edition is essential since new chapters have been included and previous chapters updated to reflect new information. A real strength of the book is the contribution of multiple individuals to the writing of the chapters.

Rating

3 Stars from Doody

Product Details

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents