G, University of Bristol

The Renal System provides a comprehensive and concise review of the subject area. It presents information on the key concepts covered within the medical course, and can be used as an introductory textbook to a topic or as an aid for revision. Within the chapters, simple descriptions are followed by more in-depth information. The text provides a good introduction to aspects of the normal kidney and its various diseases. There is a handy table of normal ranges as well as a glossary of clinical terms. Aimed at medical students and those undertaking biomedical science courses, this book covers the essentials of renal medicine, in a succinct and memorable fashion. The authors successfully integrate anatomy, physiology and biochemistry to provide a comprehensive review of the structure and function of the renal system.

Posted 1st Jun 2010

Latifa Patel, University of Liverpool

I give this book a Buyer Rating of 5/5 (Go buy it... NOW!). I rarely give this rating to a brand new book but I am honestly swiftly becoming a fan of the, “Systems of the Body” range. Coming from a PBL generation I really can appreciate what this book does. Let’s face it... kidneys... not really a hot topic amongst medical students... or postgraduates. Yet this book makes it look easy. It starts with anatomy beautifully illustrating the writing with simple easy to follow diagrams and radiographic images. Then in a series of broken down chapters it discusses the physiology of kidneys... Eeek. Worry not though because it really is quite easy to follow. The last few chapters discuss clinical situations involving the kidney. Now I don’t recommend you use this as a substitute for your clinical texts however it serves as a great supplement. Lastly, it covers the effects of drugs on the kidneys (a definite revision tool for exams). Could this book fit anymore... Possibly – maybe a chapter on the drugs used to treat disorders of the kidney would be a nice way to top it off. Throughout the book they are also lots of useful clinical case boxes giving examples and paragraphs titled, ‘interesting facts,’ possibly there to break up the reading and widen your knowledge. 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

Rebekah Sharr, Brighton and Sussex Medical School

An ideal summary of the anatomy, physiology and pathology of the renal system all neatly packaged up into one! Extremely easy to read with visually attractive diagrams. The text and tables used are simple to understand and easy to follow making revision of the subject much more straight forward. Each chapter uses a clinical case which assists in identifying specific issues and in outlining their management. Overall, this textbook will undoubtedly give medical students at any stage a greater and deeper understanding of the renal system and its pathology.

Posted 27th May 2010