Content area
Full Text
The Merck Manual of Geriatrics, ed 3 Beers MH, Berkow R, eds. Rahway, NJ 07065, Merck Research Laboratories, 2000, hardcover, 1,533 pp, illus, ISBN: 0911-910-88-3, $32.50.
Through an interdisciplinary approach, which is heavily weighted toward physicians' area of practice, this third edition provides a comprehensive and thorough approach to the field of gerontology. Because of the vast amount of material covered within the text, most topics have very brief discussions aided by tables of data and figures to illustrate points.
The overall format of the book provides for easy navigation. Within the text, reference points printed in red direct the reader to tables and related pages. Also, the reader can easily flip to the beginning of each chapter using the notched tabs on the outer edge of the page. The references and appendixes are easily found through red-- marked edges.
The information in the text is objective, and it is based on the most current research available, with contributions from more than 150 content experts. The text contains 16 sections with a total of 134 chapters. The first section, "Basics of Geriatric Care," uses a broadbrush approach to issues of aging in this country. Topical chapters include the biology of aging, demographic trends, assessment methods, team methods, care...