Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine 16th Edition Reviews

• As usual, one of the best...

  
  By A3DD5RO7Z59DB2 on 2004-08-14
  Of course there are other textbooks out there that can be of use too, but Harrison's has always been the gold standard. Beware of people telling you to use more "interesting" material; Harrison's can only be boring to those who are either not really interested in learning internal medicine, or those who have just given up on trying to become the best practitioner they can be.
  If you are interested in learning, then this is one of the books you must have.
  
  

• Comprensive Resource

  
  By A592JDESZFMNF on 2004-10-27
  Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine 16th Edition edited by Dennis L. Kasper et al (McGraw-Hill Professional) This behemoth standard textbook and reference work of Internal medicine is written with such comprehensiveness and reasonable clarity that lay people can consult it with profit when needing to research diagnosis and to discover treatment modalities for their condition.
  
  

• A TRUE SOURCE OF AUTHORITATIVE CLINICAL INFORMATION

  
  By AF36GSZI2Q9SG on 2005-11-09
  Indeed, this well-organized and thoroughly illustrated 16th edition of "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine" provides authoritative information on both medicine and surgery. Its contents show a true reflection of the experience, as well as the extensive individual knowledge of its numerous authors and/or contributors.
  This edition not only guaranteed one of the most comprehensive coverage of every aspect of health and medicine, but offers many case-study insights, self-assessment questions (and answers), and diagnostically useful image databank. It also introduced many full color algorithms: in the form of additional scans, charts, and tables. Several chapters and sub-sections did receive remarkable updates: in particular are those dealing with infectious diseases, critical care, cardiology, oncology, and orthopaedics.
  Also, the purchase of this book entitles the owner to a free online access to all the latest updates and materials, which became available only after the book has been printed. This free online access is said to remain valid until a newer edition of the book is published. That should be around 2009: which is some four years from the time of this review. The online access code is on a piece of paper embedded inside the book. Be sure not to misplace it!
  There is quite a lot of things going for this 2607-paged book that I may end-up writing several pages in an attempt to highlight them all. Still, be assured that its depth of clinical information is simply voracious. But despite this, I do not honestly believe that anyone, (especially a student), who has already acquired the 15th edition need to spend again on this one. The information in the 15th edition is still very useful, as well as being current enough. In fact, anyone who cares to check will notice that the 'older' 15th edition has some twenty-two more pages than this 'newer' 16th edition. And in spite of being a few years older, its educational strength favorably matches those of this one. So, sticking with the 15th-ed until the next edition comes out is what I would suggest. This same suggestion applies to anyone who owns or uses either Kelley's or Cecil Textbook of Medicine, which is not more than five years old. But for all first-time buyers, who are considering this one, I will gladly advise you to proceed with the purchase. It is an investment, which is worth its weight in gold!
  
  

• Harrison's aka Da Cash Cow

  
  By A1X73YCGU510HJ on 2006-02-12
  Aight, so I will give it up. The book has a couple of facts about medicine, but homie, how much cheddar is this fool makin off my behind? I mean like damn, EVERY MD and they momma has gotta have this book. And they come out with new editions like Puffy comes out with new names. Like I haven't given these dudes enough bread in med skool? And a hundred dollars?! I'm not gonna say what I coulda did with that kind of spinach, but lets just say it resembles spinach. It do got a good chapter on Ozzie Guillen-Barre though. Makes my legs all numb.
  
  Get it??
  
  Aight, Em Deezie out like a fat kid in dodge ball!
  
  
  HOLLA!
  
  

• Excellent reference for medical students

  
  By A2XAZ5PBOUGF6I on 2005-09-13
  Harrison's is a detailed, robust and in-depth text ideal for medical students. There is no stone unturned. The single book is rather bulky and I therefore recommend purchasing the two volume version.
  
  
• Renal physiology not as detailed as previous editions
  By A861LYLFCAACM on 2006-01-12
  overall an excellent book, but the section on renal physiology is not as detailed as the previous editions. I felt the book skimed over the new class of loop diuretics; otherwise a good book...as usual.
  
  
• Old-fashioned and way past its prime
  By A2B42O6U5H0NF on 2005-12-30
  Does anyone still actually use this antiquity? It's like a million pages and you never get the
  big picture. Not worth the time, and crazy expensive. Lots more succinct books out there
  to learn your medicine like Strong Medicine for Step 3. It's the 21century already and
  nobody uses it anymore except to look up obscure trivia, more as a way to stump the
  attending. I gave it a 5-star rating though, because, as a reference for major presentations
  on specific topics, there's not much better. Uptodateonline is actually a lot better organized
  and the information is more accessible with CD and online versions, so finding data is faster
  and more reliable. I also gave this relic a 5-star rating simply because it gives an ideal upper
  body workout.
  
  
  
• Still the best?
  By ADX3JHQW6TLRU on 2006-01-08
  Despite the new lay out this book just feels dated. New texts such as ACP medicine seem to have claimed the throne. The ACP book is just as complete, has better pictures and graphics and an excellent web site. Could also skip the books and just invest in UpToDate.
  
  
• Simply the best
  By A3U3KHIIMXBXLO on 2005-02-13
  I'm an Italian medical student and I'm going to finish at university this summer.Well I'm working on my thesis and a few weeks ago I went to a great old Professor of Internal Medicine to ask for some explanations and advices about the drawing up of the text and about medical resources to use for my thesis.
  He told me "what have you found?" and I "well many articles from many journals.." "Ok and other?" "I read specific chapters on many books..." And the Prof "There's only a book". He stood up, went to a small bookcase and came back with the Harrison!
  
  
• Also great for specialties outside of internal medicine
  By A1H30S5SLE5JVC on 2006-07-29
  So, everyone knows that Harrison's is the Bible for internists and residents of internal medicine. As a 3rd year medical student, I used the book to research whenever I had to give a presentation or wanted to know more about my patients.
  
  As a pgy-1 in psychiatry now, I find this book more useful than ever, but in a different sense. Being on psych rotations now, I often find that new onset psychosis might be the result of a general medical condition. Although the interface between psychiatry and medicine has improved over the years, my colleagues in medicine of see in black and white regarding this kind of presentation (ie this person is crazy; psych should be treating him).
  
  Consequently, I want to remain not only diplomatic when talking with ER and Medicine residents and attendings, but also want to seem knowledgeable and tailor my thought process more to their speciality. This is where Harrison's is helping me. I read up on the conditions, labs, and treatments of my differential so that when I call, I sound knowledgeable and have a specific idea of how they can help me out. Stating that you're reading from Harrison's lets others know that you're thinking about the patient and not just wanting to dump on another service.
  
  Other reviews have discussed how this version is great with color and treatment boxes; I completely agree. It's nice to have such a large text that you can actually read.
  
  I recommend this book for any of the following:
  
  1. 3rd year students on an internal medicine rotation
  2. Obviously internal medicine residents and internists
  3. Everyone else in medicine for the reasons listed above. No matter what our specialties, we're all medical doctors and should have an excellent medical reference. Harrison's has been and will always be the gold standard!
  
  
• comprehensive textbook
  By AN22K7319SN21 on 2005-01-01
  The book is well written, comprehensively referenced, and will fir in well with the harrisons series, evidence based medicine comes to the fore and the treatment listed for conditions are comprehensive with a fairly balanced view of the effictiveness. It is large, and given the computer age the cd rom may well be more popular, and the pda version when available should also be usefull. As a reference or text I would reccomend this textbook.
  
  
• Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine
  By A22EIWUWL8X4D0 on 2006-03-21
  Color print makes this edition much less monotonous and easier to read.
  
  
• A supposed to be BIBLE in Medicine
  By A3PMGNFVW26JNQ on 2006-03-27
  This text is being widely read by all postgraduates in India. Though authoritative, it has its own drawbacks in that a lot of mistakes feature in the text at various chapters. After having e-mailed the editors and authors about them, they have admitted the same and said that corrections would be made in the next edition. The saddest part is that only the wrong statements are asked as multiple choice questions in many entrance examinations. This can be reduced by a careful proof reading by the authors which I am sure is not being done. A pathetic feature is that the mistakes encountered are faithfully being reproducedx in Harrison's Rheumatology and Clinical Neurology.Previous editions of Harrisons were far better and superior. I sincerely hope that the next edition will be flawless and am eagerly awaiting its arrival.
  
  
• Gold Standard for Internal Medicine Text Books
  By A14F32N2FIQUS2 on 2005-09-11
  For the last 30 years of my medical practice I have bought Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine and I have never found anything better than Harrison's. Most of my talks and classes at the Medical School are based on the chapters found in Harrison's.
  Valter Araujo MD Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases
  Florianopolis/Brazil
  
  
• Awesome Paperweight and Home Improvement Aid
  By A2AGS4CZUYT0TD on 2004-10-03
  Despite the title of my review (for more on that, keep reading), and despite the fact that I'm an acupuncturist, I do love Western conventional medicine and this book.
  
  Seriously, this is the 'gold standard' (not the 'golden standard' as another reviewer put it) of medical textbooks. It's insanely detailed and chances are that pretty much nobody knows or reads all of it. I look forward to reading it more after I finish more advanced chemistry and medical courses (going to become an MD too). Til then, it's partly Greek, partly English.
  
  I once set out to read the whole book, one chapter per day, and I think I made it for two whole days. I actually haven't picked it up except to move, to unpack it, and put it on the book shelf UNTIL TODAY.
  
  My desk from IKEA isn't too sturdy. The place you put the keyboard has a pad (...)of your palms (ergonomic, but not really), but that part is attached by hinges (because it's so important to hide the keyboard when you're not using it) and I put a lot of weight there, and today the second of its three hinges broke. It just hung there looking stupid. It seemed to be saying, "See, wasn't it worth it to spend three hours lost in IKEA wandering around looking for the checkout, grunting me into the car, putting me together, then dissembling me and moving me across town to your new house, and reassembling me?"
  
  My wife and I determined that screwing door jam deadbolt lock hole covers across the space would be the ideal engineering solution. But to drill into it, I needed a solid surface beneath it. I placed atop my chair seat a hefty trinity of Harrison's, A Manual of Acupuncture, and A Practical Dictionary of Chinese Medicine, plus the more slim Dao of Chinese Medicine to create a firm work table. With the help of those books and their authors, I was able to fix my desk, and now I obviously am able to work again. In fact, I spent more time writing this review than fixing my desk.
  
  Thanks guys!
  
  P.S. One more use you might consider for huge books like this: if you get papers wet, they tend to dry in a rippled shape. However, if you dry them off mostly, blow dry them a bit, and then stick them under a pile of huge heavy books, they'll dry mostly flat. Happy drying!
  
  
• NO description necessary.
  By A2I30WO4HD5SJI on 2006-09-25
  I read this as a student in my 3rd and 4th year. This book will help you be a better physician, no matter what specialty. If you buy one book your entire career, this is it.
  
  
• Terrific update of the classic internal medicine text.
  By A29PADJQFT8TMT on 2005-10-08
  This new edition is just what one would expect and hope for. It brings all the topics up to date clearly. An invaluable reference and learning tool.
  
  
  
  
• an excellent reference
  By ARFLESOGLXAFD on 2005-12-13
  There is no doubt that Harrison's is an indispensible reference for internal medicine. The writing is clear, and lay-people as well as medical students and professionals will find a lot of useful and understandable information here. While in my opinion the extra color and illustrations have not added a tremendous amount of value to this new edition, the rapid evolution of medical thought makes the latest updated editions of texts such as this highly recommended.
  
  
• The Gold Standard in Color
  By AH42M71V3Y8H7 on 2006-06-08
  I've been using the online edition of Harrison's 16th for a while now, and only just got the physical book. Even though the print is tiny and there's a dearth of white space to rest your eyes, the colorized text boxes are a big help. I really like the Treatment boxes in with color-coordinated headings - it makes it much easier to get to the heart of what you're looking for. Also, the charts in color make a difference that you don't necessarily appreciate in the online version.
  
  Harrison's is of course The Bible of internal medicine. No other text I know of contains quite the wealth of information on pretty much every topic in internal medicine. This edition lives up to its stellar reputation in the IM world.
  
  
• I think this book should be a part of your home library
  By A5WMBIOGE8Q6N on 2007-04-11
  For 3rd Year medical students, but may serve a more valuable role for individuals with sickness. This is an excellent medical reference book to have available in your home library. The medical jargon is heavy but the degree of comprehensiveness important. The authors approach medicine by approach the problem rationally explains symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. Since everything in the body is chemistry except to see a lot of chemical equations and interactions. However, this does not diminish from relevance of the information in the book. The technical jargon can be easily translated into layman understanding and analogies. This is not a technical journal; it is a guideline. For example IBS: no known cure (adjust lifestyle), reoccurring, may be trigger by psychological events with deniability probable, three symptoms (pain, constipation, and diarrhea), and two prescription drugs that help with the symptoms. The book describes (if applicable) IBS regional areas of pain and discomfort. I found the technical information helpful in identifying the source of the problem.
  
  I hope the authors will build a medical expert system for patients using the principles and knowledge from this book and put it online. Patients need to understand the problem from the view of a doctor in a detail manner and feel comfortable the thoroughly understand the treatment information. Doctors don't have time to explain their reasoning, but this book can feel in the missing information, Harrison is the missing resource. I believe, People are getting smarter and so the exclusive nature of the medical information is dissolving and becoming more accessible. Additionally, Harrison provides enough of a guideline for further medical research on the problem.
  
  
  
• Harrison`s Principles of Internal Medicine
  By A3D3TTV8L9BA95 on 2005-10-09
  Excellent choice for med students who are looking for the newest information about all topics related to internal medicine.
  
  
• You always have to go back to the basics
  By A1X8TLZXN87B0O on 2005-12-19
  Need a Dictionary? Get Webster's. Need a Museum? Got to the Smithsonian. Want to have a great Internal Medicine Book? Buy Harrison's. Great for the medical student, a basic need for the intern, a must have for the Internist; Harrison's is the book you absolutely need in your library if you are interested in the clinical sciences. No self-respected internist should be without one, no wanna be internal medicine aspirant can be with out one!
  
  
• Harrison Principles of Internal Medicine
  By A1BS03UTQLG4FA on 2006-03-16
  excellent textbook , with excellent updates and organization since the last edition
  
  
• Grit and Determination
  By A22VB305DDE7QB on 2005-06-16
  one of the reviewers made a good note of what this book should NOT be used for - house hold handy tool, for drying and fixing stuff. this is a holy book that has stood the test of time for reporting accurately the core principles in the IM, it makes for a very deep understanding the concepts of - Why does disease occour, it fuses Davidsons and Robbins and Hutchinsons in a unique blend. if you find yourself capable of it then you have to also spend time with it, you cant read it watching the TV or sitting in a garden. you need to sit with it and IT alone and go through it extensively, understand the meaning of each and every sentensem, if you really want to be a principled praactitioner, or you could you could use it for household chores, i sure as hell know who i am not going to use it for health care related adivice. no harm intended, just voicing my concerns
  
  
• Harrison's Principles of Medicine
  By AEL7OZLLICTEC on 2005-07-02
  if your in doubt about purchasing this massive book...it's worth EVERY cent! Do it and study it!
  
  
• Bible of internal medicine
  By AAJF4GC24COW4 on 2005-07-18
  Although these days there are a lot of sources including web based sources like [...], Harrison is still the best and an excellent source of internal medicine. I think one of the reasons that has kept this text book as the first is their excellent editors. Dr.Brounwald has been editor of this text book for more than 10 editions and with no doubt he is an exceptional physician and researcher.
  Enjoy reading this excellent source.
  
  
  
• Exelent book for med students
  By A3U8HU0VAWGR0Y on 2005-09-06
  Exelent internal medicine book, very well written (easy to understand) doesnt go into too many details but doesnt forget any important points. It explains very well the pathology and pathophysiology of the diseases in a way you perfectly understand without getting bored.
  
  
• B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L
  By A2AH6UH9K1MDJ8 on 2005-09-10
  I'm a neuroscience major at University of California, Davis. I will be entering medical school next fall. I have reviewed a variety of medical texts and this one is second to none. If you're looking for comprehensive explanations, this is the book for you.
  
  
• Good Book
  By A31VL7LNELA1GI on 2005-09-10
  A very good and comprehensive textbook of internal medicine. Suitable for anyone who's studying for general practice of medicine.
  
  
• Item being reviewed
  By A36NMZE4BB9C73 on 2007-11-07
  they only sent one of the two volumes; make sure you read the small print before buying from this distributor
  
  

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