Wilkins B S Wright D H:

181 pp, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2000 ($100.00).

For a hundred dollars, you could take a short course on the pathology of the spleen and get CME credits, or, for the same amount of money, you could purchase this book, read it in the same time as allotted for the short course, and keep it on your shelf forever. Being a bibliophile and an inveterate adherent of Churchill’s dictum (I love to learn but I hate to be taught!), I would always choose the latter, but then, of course, de gustibus non est disputandum.

This nice book is an excellent introductory text and is ideally suited for residents learning the basics of splenic pathology. Simultaneously, it could serve in lieu of a refresher course for more seasoned pathologists. It begins with a review of normal anatomy and histology, and then covers all the main topics. I would dare to say that 95% of all lesions that a moderately busy surgical pathologist will ever encounter in his or her lifetime are covered. I was glad to see that in England, like in our Department, most splenectomies are preceded by traumatic injury. Lymphomas, hematologic diseases affecting the spleen, and other causes of splenomegaly are well covered and illustrated with color photographs. Most figures are very good, except for a few gross specimens photographed on a dark background, which unfortunately are not of best quality. The text is succinct. The final chapter dealing with the key points of differential diagnosis will be useful for both novices and more experienced pathologists. The references are reasonably up-to-date and well chosen.