Pocket Companion to Textbook of Medical Physiology [Paperback]

Arthur C. Guyton MD (Author), John E. Hall PhD (Author), Arthur C. Guyton (Author), John E. Hall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 25, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0721687296 | ISBN-13: 978-0721687292 | Edition: 10

This is a pocket companion to Guyton's Textbook of Medical Physiology that provides a concise overview of physiology facts and concepts crucial for the study of medicine. The book is small enough to be carried in a pocket. It succeeds in distilling huge amounts of information from the parent text into small, digestible concepts.

Editorial Reviews

Review

My medical physiology course is extremely intense and there is no time to read all of the assigned reading in the textbook. Thanks to this pocket version of the text I am able to review chapters in half the time. I also recommend the textbook which provides detail description of figures that may not be covered in the pocket companion.

Pretty good text and a must for serious advanced physiology students who are headed toward medical or advanced nursing/PA degrees. It helps to simplify and consolidate the immense amount of minute and detailed info stocked up in the big text.

I wish many other books with complex topics had a pocket companion comparable to this one. If the topic is important to your success, then having the pocket companion is indispensible. I see the pocket companion as the architect's view (high level design) of physiology and the first step to learning. Depending on interest and time, you can selectively drill down into the textbook to explain topics of greater importance to you. If a particular topic is not that important you can just read the companion. I have already swept through many chapters and when I hit a chapter I wanted to understand in more detail, such as sports physiology, I went off and read the entire textbook chapter. When other chapters have more detail then I need I stick with the companion. Count yourself lucky to have this pocket companion as a first "cut" to the knowledge in the textbook, it will help immensely during the absorption and after for the quick and convenient recall.

I have been using this book, along with the 'Big Daddy' version for preparation for my surgical primary exams. In summary, it's gold. No, it won't tell you everything that the big book does, and certainly not as much detail as thicker texts like Ganong, but I think that is the real benefit of it. ALL IT HAS IS THE BASIC FACTS, and that is all you need to grasp the concepts and therefore answer most questions. If you are looking for a high distinction on your exams, then take a month off work and read Ganong. If you have less than a week and are trying just to pass, then 'Baby Guyton' is gold. Five stars.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Dr. John E. Hall DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY AND B 2500 N STATE ST JACKSON, MS 39216 601-984-1810 [e-mail]

Product Details

• Paperback: 605 pages
• Publisher: Saunders; 10 edition (August 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0721687296
• ISBN-13: 978-0721687292
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #482,048 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Be the Medical "Architect" with this, drill down into the "plumbing" with the Textbook, January 7, 2009

By 

Robert R. Rowntree (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pocket Companion to Guyton & Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology, 11e (Guyton Physiology) (Paperback)

I wish many other books with complex topics had a pocket companion comparable to this one. If the topic is important to your success, then having the pocket companion is indispensible. I see the pocket companion as the architect's view (high level design) of physiology and the first step to learning. Depending on interest and time, you can selectively drill down into the textbook to explain topics of greater importance to you. If a particular topic is not that important you can just read the companion. I have already swept through many chapters and when I hit a chapter I wanted to understand in more detail, such as sports physiology, I went off and read the entire textbook chapter. When other chapters have more detail then I need I stick with the companion.

Count yourself lucky to have this pocket companion as a first "cut" to the knowledge in the textbook, it will help immensely during the absorption and after for the quick and convenient recall.

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pocket Companion as a good review, esp. before you sleep!!, January 18, 2001

By 

Khalid Alnaqbi (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pocket Companion to Textbook of Medical Physiology (Paperback)

This pocket companion serves as a concise overview of the most important facts & concepts from the parent textbook (Guyton's Textbook of Medical Physiology). However, it does not contain all the details or some clinical relevances, that's why you have to go back to the parent textbok for furthur info.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Much better than the big book!, March 17, 2008

By 

William Mcfadden "William Mcfadden" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pocket Companion to Guyton & Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology, 11e (Guyton Physiology) (Paperback)

Lets be realisitic. In medical school who has the luxury of reading the text book from cover to cover? No one! If your class is following Guyton, forget the big book and follow this instead. It is pointless to read the big book because it is far to dilute. The important points become difficult to pick out. Rather than being dilute, this pocket book is concise and it gives information in a narative, not bullet point, format that makes it a quick read. I will give a warning, however. Although this book is much better than the big Guyton textbook, you may find it, just like the big book, deficient in only a few points needed for USMLE step 1. However, no source is perfect!