Review
"... succinctly meets the needs of its target audience, trainee medical laboratory scientists and medical students.it is
excellent value for money."
British Journal of Biomedical Science
"An ideal primer for trainee medical laboratory technicians requiring basic information for diagnostic haematology and for medical students studying the physiology and pathology of blood."
Aslib Book Guide
Book Description
SUBJECTAn important part of diagnostic haematology is the ability to confidently and accurately assess blood flims, particularly when studying the physiology or pathology of the blood. This ability enables those without much prior knowledge of the field to acquire morphological skills and to understand the relevance of haematology tests to the care of patients.NEEDThere is now a need for a new edition of this pocket guide, as A Beginner's Guide to Blood Cells is an ideal introductory text for a diverse group of practitioners who need a concise overview of diagnostic haematology. The book will be updated and expanded throughout to include more information on the clinical aspects of haematology and indicate further tests that are likely to be useful if an abnormality is found in the blood. It is particularly useful for those preparing for haematology examinations, as the last section is a self-assessment chapter enabling readers to test the knowledge they have acquired.FORMATThe book will retain its current format. It will be divided into five chapters. The first four chapters encapsulate all the most basic information regarding blood cells including the blood film and count, assessing white cells and platelets, and haematological findings in health and disease. The final chapter contains self-assessment questions of varying levels of difficulty including multiple choice questions and clinical cases. An electronic version of the second edition is also available on BloodMed.com as an e-book.COMPETITIONThere is no direct competition at this level. Most of the other books on blood cells are more expensive and aimed at a much higher level including our own complementary book by Bain: Blood Cells - A Practical Guide.CONTENTS AND ORGANISATIONSee contents list belowFEATURESOutlines the basics of diagnostic haematologyStresses the skills required to diagnose diseases of the blood by morphological analysisExplains the clinical relevance of haematology tests in patient careGives a simple explanation of the full blood count and a table of normal rangesTests understanding with a self-assessment sectionPAST HISTORYThe first edition of this title published in 1996. Sales to date are 3800 copies of the regular edition and 1200 of the international edition giving a total of 5000 copies. An electronic version of the second edition exists on BloodMed.com so the only costs for hard copies of this new edition will be colour printing and paper.SUPPORTBarbara Bain is a world-renowned expert in the field of blood morphology. She is very well respected both as an excellent teacher and author internationally, with sales of all her haematology titles doing consistently well.MARKETINGWe have a major presence in haematology and transfusion medicine through our journal and book publishing program in this field. An important market here, particularly in the USA, is the laboratory technicians and we can target these through organisations such as the American Association of Blood Banks. In addition, we have access to all of the subscribers to BloodMed.com, which hosts an electronic version of the second edition and, therefore, can be used for marketing purposes.SUMMARYA Beginner's Guide to Blood Cells presents, in a convenient and practical format, a concise view of diagnostic haematology. It is an ideal book for trainee laboratory technicians and scientists who need an introduction to the field and for students studying the physiology or pathology of the blood. It is also an excellent quick reference guide for newly qualified physicans, particularly those preparing for any haematology examinations.
