Grade 6 Up-While there is a plethora of print and electronic sources available on medical topics, this set was written with young adults in mind. The entries cover a wide range of topics from acne to stress, breast cancer to tuberculosis-diseases and conditions that this age group is personally interested in or frequently assigned. Less common ailments such as Marfan syndrome, Chagas' disease, and Ebola virus are also covered. The articles are easy to read; some, such as the one on diabetes, are quite lengthy; others briefly cover causes, symptoms, and treatment. Sidebars provide additional facts and definitions. Most of the entries mention at least one other resource, and many note several books and/or organizations and pertinent Internet addresses. Lots of color photographs, illustrations, and diagrams enhance the text. A bibliography and a comprehensive index are found in the third volume. A good starting point for research papers and equally useful to answer quick questions.
Jo-Anne Weinberg, Greenburgh Public Library, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
This handsomely produced and authoritatively written encyclopedia was published in association with the Center for Children's Health Media at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, DE. Almost 300 diseases and conditions are included (with an equal number of color photographs, charts, and illustrations), covering such topics as cleft palate, kuru, obsessive-compulsive disorder, slipped disk, and typhoid fever. Reasons for the inclusion or omission of a topic are not given. Each entry, ranging in length from one to eight pages, contains information on natural history, causes, cures, and prevention, when appropriate. Lengthier entries include sidebars consisting of bibliographies, See references, definitions of unusual words, suggested keywords for searching the Internet and print sources, and pronunciation guides. Highlights of the history of medicine are scattered throughout, and a number of lavishly illustrated parasitic diseases are presented. There is a comprehensive index and a brief but current bibliography. Children and teenagers are obviously the intended audience, though any adult would find this book valuable. By comparison, the 17-volume Encyclopedia of Family Health (LJ 3/15/98) is twice the cost, and though it contains 800 entries and is also aimed at a general audience, it is not as scientifically based. Any school or public library that can afford Human Diseases and Conditions could not go wrong in purchasing it.
-Martha E. Stone, Massachusetts General Hosp. Lib., Boston
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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