Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, 16th Edition

Abstract

Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, 16th Edition edited by D.L. Kasper, E. Braunwald, A.S. Fauci, S.L. Hauser, D.L. Longo, J.L. Jameson , 2,607 pp., McGraw-Hill Medical Publishing Division, 2005, $135; 2 volume set, $149 Cecil Textbook of Medicine, 22nd Edition edited by L. Goldman, D. Ausiello , 2,506 pp., W.B. Saunders Company, 2004, $125; 2 volume set $159 When I was invited to review Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine , 16th Edition, I was told that my qualifications are that I trained in internal medicine as well as neurology and that I am a “senior” person. I guess the latter means that I might be sufficiently senile to undertake a book review of the huge tome. I considered some strategies (none of which involved attempting to read the entire book) and decided, with trepidation, that I would undertake the job as a new adventure. A few days after notifying Neurology of my decision, I was asked if I would mind reviewing Cecil Textbook of Medicine , 22nd Edition, as well as long as I was in an adventuresome mood. I thought: “why not?” As a medical student in the late 60s I had read most of Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine , 5th Edition, and as an internal medicine resident in the early 70s I read all of Cecil-Loeb Textbook of Medicine , 13th Edition, in preparation for …