Environmental Psychology 5th Edition Bell Pdf Reader

Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, 18, 232 234 (2007)
Book Reviews High Altitude Medicine and Physiology, Fourth Edition John B. West, Robert B. Schoene, and James S. Milledge London: Hodder Arnold, 2007 US $149.50, 484 pages, hardcover By the time a book reaches its fourth edition, it has proven its value. Though eager to update their work, the authors of such books are understandably reluctant to tamper with their successful formula. The authors of the fourth edition of High Altitude Medicine and Physiology have met this challenge admirably. The new fourth edition incorporates considerable new knowledge in the field without losing the book’s identity or focus. In some ways, this book is actually a fifth edition, as it is the lineal descendant of Mountain Medicine,1 by Michael Ward, who was one of the authors of the first three editions. Michael Ward, who retired from the enterprise after the third edition, is memorialized in the current volume. He has been replaced by Robert B. (‘‘Brownie’’) Schoene, who is well-known in the altitude community for his scholarship, as are the other two authors, Drs West and Milledge. The style remains sparse but clear and consistent. The authors made the decision to incorporate major recent advances in genetic and molecular medicine into existing material rather than to include separate new chapters. This maintains the coherent flow of the text. Although it is impossible for a textbook to keep completely up to date, the authors have covered the trends sufficiently well to carry this edition forward for some time. The authors have kept the book the same length as previous editions. This necessitated the removal of some material, particularly sections on heat and cold, which are not specific to high altitude. Other sections have been expanded, especially the chapters on women and extremes of age. The references remain at the back of the book rather than in the individual chapters. If there are shortcomings to the new edition, they have to do with some of the material that was removed. Several useful maps and photos have been cut. Attentive readers will also miss the signature photograph, which appeared in the three previous editions, showing the original authors on skis during the 1960 Silver Hut Expedition. With this edition, High Altitude Medicine and Physiology retains its place as the leading scholarly text on the subject. It is less encyclopedic and more clinically
oriented than High Altitude: An Exploration of Human Adaptation.2 Anyone with more than a passing interest in high altitude medicine will want to have this latest edition on the bookshelf for easy reference. Those who are new to the subject or old hands who want a good review will want to sit down and read a few chapters or the entire book. Ken Zafren, MD Himalayan Rescue Association Anchorage, AK, USA References 1. Ward M. Mountain Medicine: A Clinical Study of Cold and High Altitude. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold; 1975. 2. Hornbein TF, Schoene RB, eds. High Altitude: An Exploration of Human Adaptation. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker; 2001.
Wilderness Medicine, 5th edition Paul S. Auerbach, MD, Editor Philadelphia: Mosby Elsevier, 2007 US $199.00, 2316 pages, hardcover, plus Reference DVD-ROM I must confess to eagerly looking forward to each new edition of Dr Paul Auerbach’s innovative and comprehensive Wilderness Medicine. And it’s not because I was his co-editor for the first 2 editions. Nor is it because Paul kindly forwards a signed copy of each edition for prominent display in my library. I simply enjoy the sense of exploration upon immersing myself in this richly illustrated and superbly edited medical landscape. This newest edition doesn’t disappoint. At over 2300 pages, with 157 authors, 97 chapters, and countless photographs and illustrations, the fifth edition of Wilderness Medicine is as much a wilderness encyclopedia as it is a guide to the practice of medicine in the wilderness. But as exhaustive a text as Wilderness Medicine may be, nothing could have prepared me for my first wilderness emergency involving the editor himself. Some years ago, back in the days of wood skis, pine tar, wax, and 3-pin bindings, Paul asked for my instruction with crosscountry skiing. We set out on a beautiful, clear day near Dartmouth College, following a winding ridge-top trail in fresh snow. As I dropped through a small chute with a particularly menacing tree at the bottom, I called back
Book Review to Paul to take it slowly. No sooner were the words out of my mouth when he came barreling down, out of control, headed straight for the tree. Now I looked it up once again in Paul’s newest edition and could find no instruction about how to handle what I faced that day. He managed to flip right before impact and was hanging upside down, stuck in the branches of the tree. There was our future editor, wriggling like a possum held up by the tail. Medical care in the wilderness is all about dealing with the unexpected, learning to improvise, and applying our medical knowledge in uncommon settings. Wilderness Medicine has become the preeminent textbook for all medical practitioners who venture into the wilds for pleasure or professionally. Topics range from the obscure (tapir attacks in Brazil) to the gruesome (frostbitten foreskin) to the common (sprains, strains, and blisters). Its authors speak from vast experience gained by combining their passion for medicine with their fascination for wilderness environments. Wilderness Medicine is logically organized into 13 sections. There are the standard aggregations involving topics such as thermal injury, mountain medicine, wilderness trauma, marine hazards, animal and insect bites, travel medicine, and rescue and survival. Excellent sections can also be found with regard to food and water considerations; equipment, organization, and preparation; and special populations in the wilderness, including the elderly, the disabled, and endurance athletes. Some topics might be more logically integrated within other sections; for example, the chapter entitled ‘‘Chronic Diseases in the Wilderness’’ might be better matched with the section on ‘‘Special Populations’’ than with the chapter entitled ‘‘Injuries and Medical Interventions.’’ But this is a minor consideration relative to Auerbach’s generally masterful job at organizing an enormous amount of information. New sections have been added to the fifth edition, including material on extreme sports, wilderness cardiology, mental health, preexisting conditions and disabilities, and tactical combat casualty care, which brings the consequences of battle injuries into stark focus. There are intriguing sections on plant-derived medical therapy along with a discussion of complementary and alternative medicine for management of pain. The firsthand account, accompanied by photographs of individuals being overrun by a forest fire, is mesmerizing. A brief appendix section entitled ‘‘Drug Storage and Stability’’ continues to offer practical guidance on maintaining a functional wilderness formulary. Few medical texts will capture the imagination as does Wilderness Medicine, and none will better inform the reader. No other reference source is as comprehen-
233 sive, up-to-date, and expertly edited. This text should be considered indispensable for the medical library of anyone who treats environmentally induced illness, who frequents wilderness environments, or who is called on to provide medical care in remote areas. Edward Geehr, MD Newport Beach, CA, USA New Medicine: Complete Family Health Guide Editor-in-Chief Dr. David Peters and Contributing Editor Dr. Kenneth R. Pelletier London: Dorling Kindersley Ltd, 2005 US $35.00, 512 pages, hardcover New Medicine is a well-written and illustrated compendium of information intended to present, side-by-side, explanations that allow the reader to understand choices for therapy from both ‘‘Western’’ allopathic medicine and from ‘‘alternative’’ or ‘‘complementary’’ medicine. Combined, all of this information presents an integrated approach to wellness, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. This is a timely topic for medicine in general, and particularly germane to wilderness medicine, where all available resources for care should be considered. The book is divided into two sections. In the first section, there are definitions, general descriptions, and introductory instructions that define the different types of medicine discussed in the second section, which deals with disorder-specific topics. The chapters in the first section include well-being and health, conventional medicine, nutritional medicine, bodywork therapies, Western herbal medicine, homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, environmental health, mind-body medicine, and psychological therapy. Though none of the discussions was sufficiently comprehensive to be considered definitive or detailed enough to form a basis for a health care professional to practice effectively, I found this portion of the book to be a refreshing overview of a general approach to the art of medicine. It more than serves its purpose of exposing the lay audience to the important principles and practices within each topic. The second major section is titled ‘‘Disease & Disorders.’’ It includes general advice and precautions and discusses the brain and nervous system, skin, eyes and ears, respiratory system, digestive and urinary systems, circulatory system, musculoskeletal system, hormonal system, women’s health, pregnancy and childbirth, men’s health, children’s health, mind and emotions, allergies, and systemic disorders. It covers more than 100 diseases and disorders most amenable to an integrated approach, as estimated by the editors. This is terrific