Clinical Guide to Undesirable Drug Interactions & Interferences, Garb, S, MD, FACP: New York: Springer Publishing Co, Inc, 1970, 491 pp, $12.50 clothbound.

A brief summary of kinds of interactions of drugs with other drugs, with foods, and with substances or chemicals used in diag- nostic procedures is given in this book.

A chapter on "How to use the tables," i s very helpful and essential to the reader. Table I consists of two names, which may be drugs, food or diagnostic tests, one or more code letters designating the kind of undesirable interaction which may occur when used together, and one or more num- bers indicating the references from which the information was abstracted. Each entry i s the author's abstract of another author's statements. The author urges the reader to read the original article to judge for him- shelf how much importance he wants to give the information.

The table i s organized on the basis of generic names, alphabetized, with cross- indexing of prominent brand names. The code letters P and T have modifying numbers to specify more exactly the type of interaction involved. Reference numbers appear in the last column, giving the source of information in the entry.

Table II lists those drugs, that are in- cluded within a certain pharmacologic group, alphabetized by generic names. If a reader notes in Table I that a particular drug interacts with a certain group of drugs, he can find out from Table II which drugs are included in that group.

The author stresses that the tables are neither complete nor exhaustive.

This book was designed for the pharma- cist and the physician and it; or one of its

type, should be in every doctor's office and the pharmacy. However, I feel, if a nurse has reason to believe drugs that are ordered may interact, this reference book would be helpful to her on the unit. I found it a very interesting reference book and one in which I could increase my knowl- edge of pharmacology.

Nancy I.. Mehaffy, RN Yarba Linda, Calif

Surgery: Old and New Frontiers, Richardson, RC: (A completely revised edi- tion of The Surgeons Tale with an introduc- tion by Michael E. DeBakey, MD) New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1968, 310 pp, $7.95.

Each chapter of this easy to read volume sheds light on a special area of surgery. Together they constitute an excellent his- tory of surgery. The trials and errors, hopes and dreams, successes and failures of the great names in medicine and surgery are brought to life, The hard work and heart- break that gave birth to the standard tech- niques that we see every day are vividly described and give a greater than ever ad- miration for the work of the pioneers in the surgical field.

Included in this work, which starts with the days before anesthesia and finishes with the age of transplants, are a glossary, bib- liography and a section of illustrations. For easy reference there i s also an index both of subject matter and personal names.

Reading Old and New Frontiers gave me a greater appreciation of the long way that surgery has come in the rather recent past and leaves me with an awakened an- ticipation for where it will surely go, even in our lifespan.

Joan Miller, RN Battle Creek, Mich

182 AORN Journal