The Praeger Handbook of Occupational and Environmental Medicine [3 volumes]: [Three Volumes]

This book has rightly attracted accolades from other reviewers. Some have commented on its uniformity of presentation due to its sole authorship. Others have commented on the up-to-date coverage of a range of subjects important in occupational medicine. While I agree with both accolades, I want to recommend the book to practitioners who see patients in a general practice and occupational medicine settings. Format of the book also deserves a favorable mention.I'm a practitioner of occupational medicine so I need information offering a hands-on approach. For this approach a text must cover common topics such as evaluation of an office for indoor air quality, clinical presentation from solvents exposures, and risk factors for ergonomic injuries in office environments. Topics under active research such as stress, nanomaterial, and toxic molds also require a current understanding in the practice of occupational medicine and general practice. The Guidotti book covers both the approach to common workplace situations as well as offer context for topics under active research. The coverage is consistent with the general trends of the literature that appears every month in our journals. For example, literature emphasizing uniformity of treatment of low back pain identifies specific findings called "red flags". Patients with low back pain who also have "red flag" findings deserve specific imaging studies or clinical evaluations. Dr. Guidotti's book explains low back pain in the context of the red flag presentation. Coverage of other topics also blends the clinic approach of a condition or exposure with the current state of medical knowledge. The results are readable and timely topics presented to the practitioner with the assurance that the information is both current and usable. This is the hands - on approach I need when faced with questions from the workplace that challenge clinical medicine.In this era of e-books and e-reader, I complement the author for selecting a three volume set printed on 6 x 9 inches sheets. With three volumes divided into Principles (volume 1), Central Issues (volume 2) and Practical Insights (volume 3), a reader quickly gains familiarity with the location of specific topics. Each volume easily fits in ones hand, is not too heavy to hold, and uses lettering that does not strain the eyes. Three smaller volumes is a definite advantage over similar genre printed as large texts that are unwieldy. The reassurance of holding subject matter as printed material competes favorably with an e-reader where loss of subject matter occurs with loss of battery power.Who should read the Guidotti book? Clearly practitioners of occupational health should have a copy. I also recommend it to internists and family physicians participating in general practice. One third of visits to practicing physicians originates from exposures in the workplace. Using Dr. Guidotti's book, these practitioners can fit the clues they find on exam to a diagnosis and treatment that will benefit their patients. Add clinical usefulness featuring a hands-on approach as another accolade of Dr. Guidotti's book.Written on December 20, 2010, by:James W. Allen MD, MPH, Working Healthy Always LLC, Wilmington, DE

It is virtually unheard of in this day and time for one person to write a three volume 1500 page work of encyclopedic proportion. Concise yet comprehensive, this is a clinically focused, practical guide to recognizing, preventing, and treating work-related and environmentally induced injuries and diseases. Volume one lays out the core principles of occupational and environmental medicine. Volume two deals with the central issues and volume three pulls it together with practical insights. The handbook is easy to read and understand. The tables and line graphs help the reader to conceptualize and pull together key concepts. The resources and noteworthy readings at the end of the chapters provide an excellent guide to in-depth information. This series is essential reading for the occupational residents, and belongs in the library of practicing physicians and those interested in the field.

This is a great book and I would very highly recommend it for residents to read in training and in preparation for the boards.For my OM Boards, I pretty much used this and Rom as my only two sources. Tee's book explains things more clearly but there are certain topics that are covered only in Rom in depth.The book is comprehensive but easy to understand and friendly and even entertaining at times. You get the sense that Tee is talking to you as a colleague in a friendly manner. The explanations are very clear.

The information in these 3 volumes are very thorough, but the format presents itself in a very tedious fashion. They should be considered as good books for quick "look-up" information, but not interesting enough as study aids.

These volumes are very clear on what they are, and what they are not. Dr. Guidotti does not try to replicate details that are not specific to the field of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and that are readily available elsewhere, but presents the essential elements in straightforward, highly readable style. Recommended for anyone who wants to understand what distinguishes this specialty from others.

The Praeger Handbook is a brand-new entry into the crowded field of books on Occupational and Environmental Medicine. It is a superb textbook for residents, a great reference book for the practitioner's bookshelf, and must reading for established "Occ Docs" and leaders in the specialty because it sees the field from a whole new point of view. Physicians will never look at Occupational Medicine the same way after reading this book. The author (it is hard to believe it was all written by one person) has taken the whole field apart and put it back together in a new way. Good writing throughout and flashes of humor keep the text fresh. Although the author advocates for the worker's well being, his balanced approach with his encyclopedic knowledge of the field allows all medical readers to feel comfortable accepting his learned expertise. This is the best book on Occupational Medicine to come along in many years.