Sarah Edwards, Peninsula Medical School

The systems of the body books are a new concept to me. I have only recently been introduced to them The principle of the books is brilliant. Taking one section of the body and discussing it. This book as described above takes you through different MSK disease and discusses them. I have been looking for good physiology textbooks and was hoping this one would be a useful addition. The content is good, just I find it very difficult to read. There is a lot of text. I have mixed feelings about this book. Try before you buy!

Posted 14th Oct 2010

Latifa Patel, University of Liverpool

I give this book a Buyer Rating of 4/5 (Buy it later… when the loan comes in). Although I am becoming a fan of the, “Systems of the Body” range this book does confuse me. Not entirely sure if I love it or loathe it... it’s like marmite. It covers eleven disease areas; rheumatoid arthritis, soft tissue rheumatic disease, nerve compression, back pain, bone disease, cartilage disease, crystal arthropathies, skeletal disease muscle disease, autoimmune disease, trauma, infectious disease. Through the chapter it looks at basic anatomy, and physiology, then discusses the pathology, touches clinical features and then covers treatment and management. I like the idea that you can pick a topic and learn about it in a concise chapter however the level of detail covered in the different chapter varies. In summary I’m not sure where this book would stand on my shelf. Anatomy? Clinical? Revision? I do like the clinical cases boxes and the paragraphs of, ‘interesting facts.’ Another perk is the objectives section on the cover of every chapter –tell you what you should know after studying the chapter. Finally, this book has managed to maintain its appeal, great glossy cover, smooth writeable pages with some room in the margin for annotations and a splash of colour – and all this at a great low price. It’s also quite a thin book surprisingly. As always make sure have a look for yourself. Enjoy, Latifa (“,)

Posted 31st May 2010

G, University of Bristol

The Musculoskeletal System provides a concise and accessible introduction and revision aid for medical students. Within each chapter, a major disease is introduced by clinical case and this is followed by a description of the relevant anatomy, physiology and biochemistry; thereby encouraging the reader to gain an integrated understanding. The text provides succinct information in a user-friendly, well illustrated format … taking in such key topics as rheumatoid arthritis, crystal arthropathies and soft tissue rheumatic diseases. The text is also accompanied by clear diagrams and images, encapsulating essential knowledge. Overall, it is a helpful reference for students in need of an introduction to the musculoskeletal system or a revision tool. Topics are explained in an easy to understand and clear manner. This book is an effective resource for medical students, as well as students of nursing and other allied health professions who need an introduction to the musculoskeletal system. It can be used as a concise introduction or revision text by students. Despite there being no online access via student consult it is still a useful aid for anyone who wants a concise introduction to the subject.

Posted 20th May 2010