Customer Reviews

Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews: Pharmacology, 4th Edition (Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews Series)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Overall, there are a lot of mistakes in this textbook that our professors specifically pointed out. It was annoying to find so many mistakes because it undercuts your confidence in the book itself. Further the chapters were not always organized the same and each drug could have been broken down more clearly and succinctly. There are some strengths though, it had nice pictures and side effects were labeled for many of the big drugs using helpful diagrams. I don't feel like this book worked for me because I need material that I can trust more than helpful diagrams, but everyone is different though. If the diagrams really help you sink it all in then by all means enjoy!

I was disappointed with the many errors in this text. During every section, our instructors have to send out a list of corrections in Lippincott's. Pain-in-the-butt. Katzung's Review isn't perfect, but is far superior to this book. -Doc In Training

I have to disagree with the other reviewers- this book is ballsack. It's full of errors, the questions suck, and there are like 4 at the end of each chapter. There is very little room for inaccurate medical texts in my library. I have replaced this book with Katzung and Trevor's Review and you should too. It takes a minimal amount of competency to write/edit these review books- I hope whoever put this book together is treating their cocaine addiction w/ propranolol. Here are a few errors from chapter 1:

1. On page 18, under item number 2, it should read "excretion rate" not "excretion ratio".
2. The equation at the top of page 21 C=C0-e^(-kt) is wrong; here's why:

if dC/dt=-kC
then dC/C=-kdt
and 'dC/C='-kdt, integrating from C0 to C and 0 to t respectively,
we get lnC- lnC0=-kt or lnC=lnC0-kt
taking the exponential.... e^(lnC)=e^(lnC0-kt) == C=e^lnC0 * e^(-kt) <<< ------------ author confused this log rule?
simplifying leaves us: C=C0 * e^(-kt)

3. In the answer to question 1.6, there is an error: the calculation should be Vd = 100 mg/ 20 mcg/mL (not mg) = 100 mg/ 20 mg/L

Math errors are particularly insidious because the uninitiated (read: med students) generally fail to catch them. For example, clueless med student that I am, had I not been doing pharmacokinetics research, I would've never spotted #2.

This is a great summary of pharmacology for board review or as a substitute for a primary textbook. The chapters are well-organized and the language and diagrams are easy to understand.

What isn't easy to understand is why a 4th-Edition book with 18 people listed as authors or editors (all with doctorate degrees) didn't even proofread their book. There are countless spelling errors ("postasium" and hundreds more); sentences that start with lower-case letters; and word substitutions ("half-time" for "half-life"). These aren't difficult errors to catch. For me they are distracting, and they really make me wonder how much attention was given to the important details in the book. At this point (3 weeks out from Step 1), I have little choice but to trust them, but sometimes it's hard.

But if you can get past that, it is a great review. If the publisher wants to pay someone to proofread the 5th edition, please let me know.

Lippincott's pharmacology has it all; concise and complete with illustrations and diagrams. I recommend it for a thorough review with a limitted amount of time.

I am an NP student currently taking a clinical pharmacology class. I find this book helpful, especially as a supplement to the required Katzung text. The book breaks down many of the topics covered in the text but sometimes isn't as clear as I would like. There book references other texts from Lippincott, such as Biochemistry, to explain some topics. The book helps, but in general, if you haven't had Biochemistry in a while, consider other texts.

Great reference book! Graphics are useful (especially for quick look at common adverse effects). Gives succinct description of how drugs in a class work and examples of drugs in a class.

I like the book so far. Its is compact yet readable. If you have used Lippincott for Biochemistry this book is similar in size, and has a similar layout as the Biochem book. LWW also gives you complete on-line access to the book ( a bonus if you have a internet access and don't like carrying heavy books around all the time). The practise questions are good but fairly straigh forward.

This is a great book for anyone who wants to know about drug therapies and how they work in the body. Great for medical students and for those who are studying STEP 1

This is the fourth pharm book I have purchased for my advanced nursing career. This is one of the best books I own. Very easy to read and the chapters are to-the-point, and not overwhelming. Enough illustrations to be helpful and not confusing. I only wish the cover was sturdier--I use it so much it is becoming a little worn; still a very well-written text.