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edited by J. Patrick O'Leary and Lea Rhea Capote, 3rd ed, 765 pp, with illus, $69.95, ISBN 0-7817-3839-3, Philadelphia, Pa, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2002.

JAMA. 2003;289:2145-2146.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

This third edition of the classic Physiologic Basis of Surgery nicely achieves its purpose of providing a strong foundation in basic science enabling surgeons to better comprehend the clinical disorders that we treat. The text is clear and appropriately illustrated and seems quite complete.

An all-star lineup of 85 experts contribute 26 chapters, ranging from "Cell Biology," "Fluid and Electrolytes," and "Wound Healing Biology" through chapters devoted to each organ system to concluding chapters on aging and surgical technology.

There is, of course, great variability in the depth of basic science coverage required for these disparate topics. The preclinical research pertinent to each forms a vast database. As a result, there is no clear dichotomy between what is relevant to surgical practice and what is too peripheral to warrant coverage for a surgical audience. Each contributor has had to draw this line, with considerable variation. The didactic style also varies . . . [Full Text of this Article]