Williams Textbook of Endocrinology, 15th Edition

By: Shlomo Melmed, MBChB, MACP; Richard J. Auchus, MD, PhD; Allison B. Goldfine, MD; Rosen, Clifford J., MD; and Peter A. Kopp, MD

ISBN: 9780323932301

Publication Date: July 7, 2024

Reviewer: Baani Singh, MD (Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital)

Description

This is the 15th edition of the book with this title. Since this is a pivotal textbook in the study of endocrinology, it is important for the book to appeal to a changing learning landscape in medicine. The previous edition was published in 2020.

Purpose

Based on reading the preface, the purpose of the book is to honor the tradition of this textbook as a complete and thorough reference book for biochemical and physiologic information pertaining to various endocrine diseases. In addition to this, the prime objective is to enhance the foundation of the text with modernized management techniques and addressing advances in the field. This is a worthy objective because there have been many advances in the fields of genetic, molecular, and cellular sciences that can enhance and help target certain endocrine diseases with precision. Additionally, there have been several advancements in diabetes-related technology, population health and surgical techniques that are worth reviewing in a comprehensive fashion. The book does meet its objective because it reads as a text grounded in fundamentals, while comprehensively addressing the new advancements in the field of endocrinology. For more difficult to understand or abstract concepts, there are illustrations, memorable flowcharts, or abbreviated information bullets that help engagement with the material in different ways.

Audience

This book’s audience is for practitioners of endocrinology as well as learners who are interested in entering the field of endocrinology with an in depth understanding. This book is written for detail oriented, curious practitioners who would like to deepen their understanding of the field they are in. It will also benefit learners who are in the field of endocrinology and help them build a comprehensive foundation around evidence-based management and identification of endocrine disease. The book meets the needs of the intended audience as it can benefit practitioners and advanced learners. The style of writing is geared towards learners who may be reading about a particular disease for the first time, but it can also be read as an in-depth manual for practitioners in the field. The authors are credible authorities on the subject as they are renowned experts from around the world providing evidence based medical management guidelines. In addition to being experts due to the quality of evidence cited, they are also experts because each chapter is a product of collaborating authors reviewing previously compiled expert recommendations. Since pioneers in the field authored previous editions, the foundation of each chapter is the highest quality. Adding to high quality work requires expert level research and citing evidence-based practice.

Features

This book covers both the basics as well as complex management of several endocrine diseases. While providing a foundational understanding of each organ system and relevant diseases, it also discusses evidence-based guidelines for management of diseases as well as clinical trials that discuss newer treatments. The strengths of this book include easy to locate topics, a thorough review of each organ system’s pathophysiology and biochemistry, and addressing the rapidly evolving fields of cytogenetics and molecular testing in endocrinology. Nearly every other page has a helpful graphic or “box” with information that is written to highlight the pertinent information in the paragraphs. There are no major shortcomings of the book, and it comprehensively covers all the areas of endocrinology that practitioners will need to be competent in.

Assessment

This is one of the pivotal textbooks in the field of endocrinology. It is known for its thoroughness, depth of evidence examination, and summarization of both rare and common endocrine diseases. It is a comprehensive reference book that can help advanced learners and practitioners of the field deepen their medical knowledge. It is an updated version, and it is justified to replace the previous edition as there have been many advancements in the field and several new techniques that change medical management have been more readily available. It is imperative that reference texts be updated to reflect the advancements of the field it is describing.

©Doody’s Review Service, 2024, Baani Singh, MD (Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital), Doody’s Score: 94 – 4 Stars!

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