Color Textbook of Pediatric Dermatology

It is somewhat difficult for a dermatologist to fairly evaluate a textbook for primary care physicians. To keep the text simple, readable, and easy to use for the pediatrician or family practitioner, certain detail must be excluded. This can be frustrating for the seasoned specialist who naturally hungers for detail. Given the stated goal, "to meet the specific needs of the clinician responsible for the primary care of children," Weston and Lane have written an excellent book that will be very useful for many. The book is clearly designed as a handy reference to be used while seeing patients. Included is a problem-oriented index that divides diseases into categories such as blistering disorders, red papules, and brown lesions. The categories are further subdivided into specific age groups. I think this is useful for those unfamiliar with dermatologic entities and jargon and will greatly aid busy clinicians in diagnosing unfamiliar dermatoses.