The Metabolic Basis of Inherited Disease

The appearance of a fifth edition illustrates the marketability ofanybook. Surely, the publisher would have tired of the effort if there were no interest. This opus required two new editors—in addition to the three senior editors who have labored over all five editions—to coordinate the efforts of 138 contributors who produced 91 chapters. One should not purchase such an expensive tome simply for the weight of authority (approximately 6 lb), but there are many other reasons to recommend this book. Despite the plethora of contributors, they maintain an exceptionally high standard of terse exposition. The clear layout, legible type, and judicious use of superb line drawings and summary tables unify the diverse styles. The introductory comments and summaries serve well to orient the nonspecialist to each chapter. The index and the generous use of apt subheadings facilitate efficient excursions into the text for answers to specific questions. Those