Benjamin Snowden, Hull York Medical School

Guyton's Physiology is a bible for physiology. It may be a little pricey but is well worth the expense. It is packed with detail; not all you will need but it knocks books like Tortora out of the water. There are very few inaccuracies compared to simelar books. It's organisation is really good and for PBL outcomes; there seems to be a wealth of information on even the most detailed points. Not the most readable and a bit wordy for revision; but it perfect to understand those things you may have not thoroughly understood.

Posted 11th May 2009

David Miller, University of Glasgow

Okay so the idea of 1116 pages of physiology is a little daunting at first, but the secret it hides is its it comprehensive coverage of everything- and I mean everything. Guyton & Hall excels in that truly it’s the only book you’ll need to pick up to study physiology. The text can seem a little meaty at first with a lack of diagrams, however its got all of the information you will need in an easy to understand format under well laid out headings. The dispersed diagrams are simple and to the point avoiding elaborate and unnecessary detail which can be picked up in the text. The big plus point is the thorough detail devoted to explaining clinical conditions and the mechanisms of disease. Overall, Guyton and Hall is a very comprehensive textbook with detailed coverage of pathophysiology of clinical conditions. My advice – if your going camping buy a Swiss army knife, but for 1st to 3rd year exams medicine let Guyton and Hall be your not so pocket sized do it all.

Posted 1st Jul 2008

Nicholas Kerr, University of Southampton

This textbook is truly one of the pillars of contemporary medical education and aesthetically better and more intuitively organized than the previous editions. The new Guyton is also Student Consult-friendly with the whole text available online, yet the layout is a slow read. The online version has updates and animations which clarify things further.
The information contained within the newest edition is up-to-date, drawing from the recent developments in peer-reviewed journals. The illustrations supporting the text are well thought out and simple yet still convey enough information to elucidate concepts to even physiologists. The text itself is concise and well written yet can be intimidating with its density. This is the only physiology book that you should buy to study medicine although it lends itself to being supplemented with other, less dense, texts. Indeed, this book may be too dense to use as a first approach to a topic. Linda Costanzo’s Physiology 3rd Edition, Elsevier, presents the information as clearly as Guyton but in fewer pages and in less detail - a perfect book to supplemental Guyton.

Posted 1st Jul 2008

Samira Muktar Gaya, University of Maiduguri, College of Medical Sciences

I have read at least 3 different textbooks of Physiology but none of these books measure up with the features and guidelines of the book called Textbook of Medical Physiology by Guyton and Hall. This edition of this book is a perfect tool for students studying Medicine and other health sciences like Nursing. It is designed with easy to read pages in an attractive and eye catching manner, it solves the problem of lack of understanding because of the way it is presented with ease in understanding and high tec diagrams in colourful forms.
The book is a revision guide during exams and Oral viva tests in Physiology because the external examiners in Nigeria use this book as the reference point in Physiological values e.g. The tidal volume is 500ml. What excites me about the book and other Elsevier titles is that as you purchase the book you can access it online with no extra cost while you have the textbook already.
The book is highly colourful, easy to understand diagrams and in a simplified English that stands out among other texts in the bookshop.
It is a perfect tool for students who wish to excel as distinction students in Physiology and future clinical courses in Medicine.

Posted 1st Jul 2008