At A Glance

If you work in the clinical laboratory,
this pocket guide will help you confidently identify most organisms you could
encounter. This useful updated edition continues to present valuable
quick-reference information to the clinical microbiology community in a small
package. Along with specifics on pathogenic microorganisms, there is updated
information on effectively using essential molecular diagnostic techniques for
today???s challenges.

Description

This is the fourth edition of a guide to
clinical microbiology. The previous edition was published in 2004.

Purpose

The purpose is to "present usable
information in a concise and accessible manner." These worthy objectives
are well met by this edition.

Audience

This is intended for practicing clinical
microbiologists, but it also would be of interest to infectious diseases
practitioners, epidemiologists, public health professionals, environmental
hygienists, and anyone interested in clinical microbiology. The author is a
most credible authority.

Features

This edition was published because of the
major technological changes since the last edition -- e.g., MALDI-TOF,
molecular testing -- and the global increase in antimicrobial resistance. Each
of the eight sections is marked by corresponding colored page edges for easy
location. The first section on taxonomy brought back unpleasant (but necessary)
memories, and full credit to the author for making the discussion accessible.
Much of the book is presented as tables. This makes it very easy to navigate to
the issue of interest. A few things I really liked: the final table comparing
CLSI with EUCAST antimicrobial susceptibility interpretations; the drawings of
fungal elements observed on direct microscopy (I thought I had forever lost
Denise Larone's exemplary illustrations but they are here!), identification of
which organisms normally colonize which body sites, and, of course, the many
tables of growth characteristics and biochemical reactions for bacteria of
clinical interest. There are many microbiology books (many from ASM Press)
which are authoritative and the reference standards for this specialty. This is
truly the quick guide for this specialty area to complement the authoritative
references and to pull out for a quick, expert answer.

Assessment

ASM Press consistently produces high
quality books, and this one follows in this fine tradition. This is a fantastic
update to a previously widely respected pocket guide. It is truly concise and
accessible to what can be a very dense scientific discipline. Get it and carry
it with you!

Review Questionnaire

Range/ Question/ Score

1-10 Are the author's objectives met? 10

1-10 Rate the worthiness of those
objectives. 10

1-5 Is this written at an appropriate
level? 5

1-5 Is there significant duplication?
(1=significant, 5=insignificant) 4

1-5 Are there significant omissions?
(1=significant, 5=insignificant) 4

1-5 Rate the authority of the authors. 5

1-5 Are there sufficient illustrations? 5

1-5 Rate the pedagogic value of the illustrations.
4

1-5 Rate the print quality of the
illustrations. 4

1-5 Are there sufficient references? 3

1-5 Rate the currency of the references. 4

1-5 Rate the pertinence of the references.
4

1-5 Rate the helpfulness of the index. 4

1-5 If important in this specialty, rate
the physical appearance of the book N/A

1-10 Is this a worthwhile contribution to
the field? 10

1-10 If this is a 2nd or later edition, is
this new edition needed? 10

-Valerie Ng, PhD, MD (Alameda County Medical Center/Highland Hospital)