Tuberculosis and the Tubercle Bacillus

This is a valuable new book with a targeted readership of clinicians, basic scientists, and others working toward tuberculosis eradication. It extends the current discussion of the subject with an overview of the recent problem and provision of the most up-to-date scientific knowledge on the causative organism and its interactions with the host, holding out a goal of relevance by asking: “How will this help public health?” This book will have strong appeal for laboratory scientists. In addition, infectious diseases and pulmonary clinicians, clinical microbiologists, pharmacologists, and public health tuberculosis specialists can greatly benefit from discussions of the basic concepts driving the major research avenues of the day: tuberculosis diagnostics, comparative genomics, vaccine improvement, drug development, and immune system modulation. For the less scientifically prepared, chapters with detailed discussions of molecular biology can be tough going; I recommend that some sections be read selectively and others be dipped into as needed for reference. This book will not likely replace any of the currently available sources on tuberculosis: many of those published in the last decade have served well and some are in second editions. Rather, Tuberculosis and the Tubercle Bacillus will add depth to the reader's knowledge base and insights for following future developments.