Clinical-Trials Books

I was diagnosed a brain tumor 5 years ago, it was removed 15 days later. I was astonished to find so much informations in this book I shoud have known from the very beginning that nobody knew or dare to share with me.
I strongly recommend this book for someone dealing with this problem (family, patients). The message of the book can be summed up as "Grab your illness yourself and fight". It also give hope which is invaluable although many things influence the outcome (each case is different). Nonetheless I was convinced (as a scientist myself) with the pragmatic approach of the author.

My sister was recently diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) and I have been trying for more than three weeks to get information on the internet about available treatments. I found out about this book on the Wikipedia page on Glioblastoma. Reading this book has been extremely helpful for me to understand what my sister is dealing with and what I can do to maximize her chances of survival by finding information on the available treatments and their likelihood of sucess. Moreover the survival story of the author is truly inspiring and gives hope to patients and family members that the gloomy statistics of the medical establishment about this monstruous disease may be beaten.

Dr. Ben Williams is an excellent writer who provides a rare opportunity for readers to learn about his "terminal" cancer through a scientist's eyes. In short, he has already survived and thrived over 15 years after he received a diagnosis of a disease that was supposed to lead to a rapid trip to the undertaker. In part one, he shares a very personal view of his own round-trip to Hades. His wry sense of humor makes it enjoyable, even though we share his painful experiences in the hands of some physicians who are not going to win awards for bed side manners. Patients and their loved ones can be torn apart by the healing art of medicine that was meant to cure them, but Dr. Williams kept his dignity and his wits about him, allowing his survival. In part two, Dr. Williams explains why the medical system needs reform. This is an excellent review of some of the basic flaws of scientific medicine. Physicians be warned, Dr. Williams is an iconoclast with a razer sharp mind and first rate scientific credentials, even after being kicked in the head with a near fatal brain tumor. Many physicians who have not had the benefit of an inductive scientific approach may be surprised to learn new ways of examining data. Third, Dr. Williams shares information that your oncologist won't tell you, including alternative medicine, supplements, cutting edge treatments and sources of information. Throughout the book the layman is provided with helpful guidance that will enable the patient and his/her caretakers to make their own choices. The book is also important because Ben was a very patient mentor to me when I was an undergraduate studying experimental psychology at the University of California, San Diego, some 33 years ago. I have the greatest respect for him as a leading scientist and a teacher; and now I have an even more profound respect for him as a tough fighter, and a leader who used his scientific prowess to save his own life, and who then wrote about it to help save others. My bias in favor of Ben aside, this important book will probably change the way cancer is dealt with politically, clinically and scientifically. It is an inspiration to all of us because it shows that what makes the human brain truly amazing is its ability to not only recover function, but to actually improve itself as a result of trauma. They say, "Physician, heal thyself". Dr. Williams not only talks the talk, he walks the walk. Bravo!

The Gold Standard treatment for Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) brain tumors is a combination of surgery, radiation and the chemotherapy themozolomide (Temodar / Temodal).

Untreated, GBM uniformly kills its victims within four months.

For 10% of all patients treated with radiation, that survival expectation increases to two years. At four years, 3% of the original group will still be alive.

Add Temodar and surgery to that radiation, and 27% of those treated can expect to survive to two years. At four years, 12% of those treated with the Gold Standard combination will still be alive.

University study press releases cheer the dramatic increase in surivival rates for patients receiving Tamodar along with radiation and surgery. From 10% to 27% for two years and from 3% to 12% for four years are big jumps.

While the numbers do represent a significant increase, the fact remains that at four years, 88% of those receiving the Gold Standard treatment for Glioblastoma Multiforme tumors will be dead.

In 1995, before Temodar was anywhere near the marketplace, Dr. Ben Williams discovered that he had a large Glioblastoma Multiforme tumor. Williams looked at the survival rates for those receiving the recommended treatment and did not like the odds.

A research scientist and academic, Williams scoured every resource to create a state-of-the-art Glioblastoma Multiforme protocol. He received all of the standard treatment, which he supplemented with six other anti-cancer, pro-immune agents (and aspirin for the side effects).

Williams combined the prescribed treatment:
* Surgery (which left mass behind)
* Radiation
* BCNU chemotherapy
* PCV chemotherapy

With these addition of these agents:
* Tamoxifen
* Verapamil
* Accutane
* Melatonin
* Mushroom extract
* Gamma Linolenic Acid
* Aspirin

The treatment the oncologist recommended was certain to result in Williams' death. Yet the doctor refused any treatment outside the standard protocol, for fear of doing harm.

Williams believed that nothing was more harmful than death. The oncologist only budged a little. He gave Williams some Tamoxifen. Everything else Williams took to reduce his tumor - including a higher dose of Tamoxifen than the oncologist would prescribe -- he researched and obtained on his own.

A 1995 Gold Standard for GBM tumor treatment did not exist. The oncologist offered surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. The difference between 1995 and 2007 is the accuracy of the radiation and the quality of the chemotherapy.

At two years from diagnosis - when 92% of patients receiving standard treatment would be dead - Williams received the first of what is now 12 years of clean MRIs.

Williams regards his low-toxicity drug cocktail as a synergistic weapon against glioblastoma multiforme. He compares the current Gold Standard GBM treatment to the AZT AIDS treatment. Although AZT worked at first, the body developed a resistance to it. No more HIV patients were alive at four years on AZT than off of it.

GBM cancer cells also adapt to chemotherapy. They're not adept at adapting to the low-toxicity cocktail Williams invented. The Accutane prevented the cancer cells from consuming the cells nearby. The Tamoxifen slowed the cancer cells' ability to extrude out the chemotherapy. The Gamma-Linolenic Acid produced free radicals inside the tumor, killing it from the inside out.

As a rule, oncologists do not offer these treatments to brain tumor patients. These treatments are not "proven." If the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has not blessed the substance then the doctor will not prescribe it, even if the doctor's treatment itself means almost certain death.

Doctors know, says Williams, that their patients will die. So what is the problem prescribing low-toxicity agents that might cure brain tumors?

Going outside the system can have a dramatically negative affect on a doctor's career. He might be accused of fraud, profiteering or incompetence. In a profession based on the credo "First, do no harm," doctors would first like to do no harm to their own careers.

Doctors find themselves trapped between the FDA and the medical self-policing infra-structure on the one hand, and certain death for their patients on the other.

Doctors won't prescribe the cocktail agents Williams took because they are not "proven" according to FDA standards. The approval process requires billions of dollars. Pharmaceutical companies won't research drugs that will not be economically viable. The drug must be exclusive to the pharmaceutical company. The population requiring the drug must be large enough to expect a return on investment.

Many of the agents Williams used to cure his cancer are not patentable. Competitors would be able to copy and sell the compound. About 12,000 people a year are diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme tumors. The market is not large enough to justify very expensive scientific trials.

Beaten down by disease, radiation and chemotherapy, few GBM patients have the energy to climb the hurdles to promising but not "proven" treatments. Even when the outcome is certain death patients who ask for more will not receive it. Just as AIDS patients created political pressure to get "unproven" treatments for HIV, Williams encourages GBM patients to insist on access to "unproven" treatments for GBM.

Dispensing only "proven" treatment is legal, says Williams. But denying dying patients access to substances that could save their lives is grossly unethical. Already fighting the deadliest of brain tumors, patients should not have to fight for promising but "unproven" cures. Until the political pressure on the FDA reaches a critical mass, he says, the GBM Gold Standard Treatment will still produce a four year death rate of 88%.


[...]

This book was written by Dr. Williams, an eminent and widely published experimental psychologist in the field of learning theory and many other related fields. Dr. Williams was diagnosed in 1995 with a glioblastoma with, for all practical purposes, zero chance of survival. He immediately went on a quest for maximizing his chances of survival by evaluating and combining traditional and nontraditional treatment approaches. Today, in 2007, he is alive and well. This book should be of interest for anyone, even if not affected by cancer personally. I found it a remarkable account of how one can deal with catastrophic diagnoses and seemingly hopeless situations. It also critiques current FDA policies and conventional medical practice by providing a wealth of facts, literature citations, and well-developed logical arguments. There is also a very readable discussion of the statistical approach, written for a lay audience, of experimental design, and of implications for the methods for the social and medical/biological sciences. This book includes a systematic, open, thoughtful, and fair evaluation of so-called alternative treatments. The evaluation of these alternative treatments is so convincing because it was undertaken by someone like Dr. Williams, who knows the scientific approach so well. I call this book "inspirational" for anyone who has to tackle important life-and-death decisions.

Just some of the information Kauffman provides on blood pressure myths:

A. Did you know that the higher blood pressure reading should be 100 + your age? Neither did I.

B. Older women get higher blood pressure than older men, but live longer nevertheless and there's no need for medication unless blood pressure exceeds 180 (and even then the medication is not really of much help compared to the nutritional supplementation of magnesium, vitamin C and omega 3 EFAs). This is NOT what we've been told - if we had, pharmaceutical companies would make billions less each year.

C. When allowance for age is made, less than 5% of older people should be treated for high blood pressure (and even then the medication is not really of much help, especially compared with the benefits of nutritional supplementation of magnesium, vitamin C and omega 3 EFAs).

D. Conventional advice about exercise and diet does not work, after which they give you the drugs.

E. Diuretics: everyplace you might search, internet or otherwise, is unanimous that diuretics are beneficial for high blood pressure. Kauffman shows that the maximum possible benefit is 1.5 days extra of life after 5 years of taking diuretics! Yet diuretics have awful side effects; that's why you find strong warnings against taking diuretics for weight loss purposes.

F. Vasodilators, Beta-Blockers, Calcium Channel Blockers, ACE Inhibitors and Angiotensiin Receptor Antagonists are all proven to either be more dangerous than beneficial or to be working only because, despite terrible side effects, they help with retention of potassium and/or magnesium. Why not just take magnesium and potassium supplements? Oh yes, of course, because drug companies do not profit from nutritional supplements.

There's so much more. There's no real evidence that moderate drinking of red wine is beneficial yet the far superior anti-oxidant capability of 1 gram of Vitamin C goes unremarked; cancer cure rates have not changed much in the last forty years, the "success rates" merely refer to a 5-year survival rate but with terrible quality of life after chemotherapy and the like. Perhaps worst of all: for over a decade there has been a quick and simple blood test for many types of cancer, costing just $200, (the Anti-Malignin Antibody in Serum (AMAS) test) but most doctors don't know of it!

The book is not an easy read, but is so loaded with useful information you will constantly refer to it. If you care about your health, or that of those around you, this is a must read book.

Convincing revelation of the nature and causes of common medical myths that are costing the country Billions of dollars and hurting rather than aiding our health.

This was exactly what I was looking for, INFORMATION and while it isn't a book for the beach, I will read and refer to it for many days,months and years. Would not part with this book.

One of the most remarkable examples of herd behavior among humans is their tendency to create and believe lore about medicine. Although biomedical researchers consider themselves above all this, as Kauffman shows, they are not. Without engaging in either inflated rhetoric or florid outrage, Kauffman exposes and dissects conventional wisdom in a careful selection of conditions that affect large numbers of people. Despite the occasional misstep, he puts the evidence and argument out on the table for us to see and judge. We cannot ask for more. When you are finished reading it, send it to your doctor.

If you care about your health, or that of those around you, this is a must read book.

This certainly isn't a book you can simply skim read. It took me a while to ponder about the impact this might have (I'm a medical student). The arguments are very well presented; he puts all the studies in front of you and analyzes them in a relevant manner.

What I consider to be a minor flaw in the book: the author sometimes concludes that certain differences in mortality are "negligible" when I don't think they are negligible. Certainly though, improvements in mortality rate are far easily attainable via fish oil, magnesium and other quality supplements.

I would love to see a new version of this book, further exploring and digging through the literature on various drugs and supplements.

Written from the heart, with compassion and experience, Stone focuses on the basic principles of conducting clinical research with an engaging and entertaining approach.

" A fascinating journey through the difficult maze of clinical research.
Dr. Stone,whimsically, shares her "View From The Trenches" which makes
this several steps beyond your usual "how to "experience. The book is well written and should be a must for anyone involved in clinical research."

This readable, lively text provides an essential road map through the slough of despond for anyone who conducts or has contemplated conducting clinical research. Pitfalls, quicksand, torrents and deserts await the unprepared traveller into such hostile country, and Dr. Stone's guidebook provides up to date, detailed and useful instructions on how to avoid them all. The author speaks with the voice of long and sometimes daunting experience, yet her tone is unceasingly encouraging, engaging and inspiring. With corporations dictating the national medical research agenda, inside and outside academic medical centers, the ground rules for a productive research career have changed. Research is now open to anyone who sees patients, and no longer requires the ability to design complex studies and interpret statistical data. Instead, it demands understanding of legal and market forces, methods for to negotiating, organizing and maintaining a team based enterprise, and a large dose of humility and good humor. All of these Dr. Stone offers, along with such critical tools as forms to be used for different types of studies, references to books and internet resources, guidelines to assure that research is conducted ethically, and information on where to get further training and help. Any health professional who has ever wanted to join the research enterprise will find something useful in this book, and those already on board will be carried forward to new heights of productivity and reward.

Dr. Judy Stone provides an excellent informative guide to clinical
research in her new book, Conducting Clinical Research: A Practical Guide for Physicians, Nurses, Study Coordinators, and Investigators. She
captures the attention of the reader through her delightful writing style and validates essential research elements through her immense research
experience. Dr. Stone's book provides an educational foundation for the
novice researcher and is a necessary reference for all clinical research
personnel. Conducting Clinical Research: A Practical Guide for Physicians, Nurses, Study Coordinators, and Investigators should be a "must read" for all study coordinators, research nurses, and investigators. Dr. Judy Stone exemplifies learning from the clinical trials expert.

Judy Stone's "Conducting Clinical Research: A Practical Guide for Physicians, Nurses, Study Coordinators, and Investigators" should be required reading for anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of clinical trials research, from physicians and other investigators to data managers and analysts and last, but not least, both medical students and students of epidemiology and biostatistics who intend upon embarking in careers in clinical trials research. Dr. Stone does an impressive job covering the philosophical, legal and research-oriented aspects of clinical trials research, without making this job seem too dry or inaccessible for the novice researcher - for which this book is primarily intended - as well as those with extensive familiarity with clinical trials research. I, for one, wish I had this book years ago when I was working as a data manager for a clinical trials study conducted by researchers from Columbia University's Departments of Medicine and Epidemiology. But now I have a copy - which was graciously provided to me by the author for the purpose of writing this review - and it will be an important reference that I shall use when I am again working as a data manager for a clinical trials research study; it is a reference I am certain that others interested in clinical trials research shall find most useful too.

Stone begins her book with an extensive introduction to clinical trials research, explaining why and how it is done, and describes how to choose a suitable site (or sites) for a potential clinical trial. Next she devotes several chapters to covering the legal and other regulatory issues related to clinical trials research, which, I might add, is done with ample doses of humor. Chapters 5 and 6 cover daily aspects of an ongoing clinical trial, covering both practical considerations with respect to issues such as obtaining medical supplies to those related to keeping in contact with those patients who've enrolled in the trial. Chapter 7 may be the most important chapter, since it discusses extensively the ethical issues pertaining to clinical trials research, noting how these issues have influenced the establishment of international and American legal documents, especially in light of the crimes committed against humanity by Nazi scientists and doctors conducting unethical medical experiments on unwilling patients during World War II (Left unmentioned by Dr. Stone are the war crimes committed by Japanese scientists and doctors against unwilling East Asian prisoners and American prisoners of war during World War II; but these, no doubt, also influenced the establishment of rigorous international and American codes governing the use of human subjects in medical research.). Although the book contains two final chapters devoted to politics in research and opportunities for graduate and other types of study pertaining to clinical research; more than half of the book is composed of appendices pertaining to every aspect of clinical trials research and opportunities for further study (Much to my surprise, one notable omission is Columbia University's Department of Epidemiology, whose faculty include notable researchers interested in the teaching of sound clinical trials research.).

This is the best book I have read on the potential for stem cell therapy from the patient's perspective. It is written in the most straightforward manner possible, focused not on polemic but on being helpful. So much so, that the author takes nothing for granted, even the patient's knowledge about the Internet (a few plodding pages on that topic alone) but also on the practicalities of using pluripotential cells. The book is also exceedingly honest: the author recounts his experiences (and transient recovery) during the placebo arm of a trial of stem cells. My one quibble is that after giving us so much detail about the wind up to the transplant, we get very little detail on the author's outcome after the stem cell infusion. Did it last longer than the placebo? How many years out has it been effective? This part of the review may be grossly unfair as I have no idea how sick the author was when he wrote this. Maybe he was in a hurry to get the word out and did not have much follow up time to report on. Despite among the driest writing styles I have experienced in many years, I find the story of this book has stuck with me.

Stem Cells Saved My Life: How to Be Next is the true-life story of author Bernard Van Zyl, who suffered from severe heart disease that could not be brought under control by conventional surgery or therapy. Yet an FDA-approved clinical trial transformed his life - adult stem cells were harvested from his own body, and used to bolster the strength of his heart, transforming him from a dying invalid and giving him a new leash on life. Stem Cells Saved My Life does more than tell his story; it presents what he has learned about stem cell treatments, FDA-approved clinical trials for stem cell therapies that are currently helping thousands of people, and advice for readers who may be in need concerning how to locate and get into such clinical trials. Written in plain terms for readers of all backgrounds, Stem Cells Saved My Life discusses adult, embryonic, fetal, and umbilical cord stem cells, and is enthusiastically recommended for its inspirational message to never give up hope to anyone struggling with a medical problem that can potentially be helped through stem cell treatment.

This book has given me a new perspective on Stem Cell research. Especially as it pertains to real science as opposed to rhetoric. The book presents an interesting case study about a specific kind of treatment, but it also delves into the various research that is going on in the field of Stem Cells. It was informative and well researched.

As a librarian, I am often asked to help patrons find information on health conditions. I have found that these patrons aren't just looking for cold facts, they are also seeking the human side, the human impact of their medical condition. One of the aspects of the book Stem Cells Saved My Life: How to Be Next I enjoyed the most was the balance of these two needs.

I highly recommend this book to libraries large and small, to those with similar conditions, and especially to those whose families are affected.

Mr. van Zyl describes the severe heart condition which resulted in death, resuscitation, and a six way bypass which left him totally disabled. Severe fatigue prevented him from leading a normal useful life. After being turned down as a candidate for a heart transplant the doctors indicated there was no hope for improvement and no further medical treatment was available. Mr. van Zyl would not give up that easily. He researched the internet to find experimental medical clinical trials that could result in improvement in his condition. He found a clinical trial using adult stem cells that are injected directly into the heart. If successful the damaged heart muscle would be repaired and the function of the heart improved. The lengthy study was being conducted in the Boston area and Mr. van Zyl lives in Florida which presented a physical challenge for him to travel each month to receive the treatments. His dedication and determination resulted in a marked improvement to his heart and he now leads a useful and purposeful life. His story is an inspiration to all people with a desperate medical condition for which there appears to be no hope and no further standard medical treatment is available. This book is a "must read" for people in this condition and for all people who want to learn more about the potential of adult stem cell research.

This is an excellent book. It outlines the important issues of clinical trials well. It is understandable and thorough. A must for anyone who is interested in actually doing trials. Not a good book for a brief, superficial overview.

Covers many aspects of trials (particularly facets of design and analysis)not yet covered by other books, eg randomisation with minimisation, and meta-analysis of trial results. Readable, applicable, practical, good references, well structured.

The amount of knowledge and the scope of this book are the exact need for the first contact with clinical trials. Yet, it is not a simple or superficial text. Instead, it not only will guide the reader through the basics of trials (and there is so much that is not basic in it) but the author points the reader to hundreds of papers and books that are landmarks. I regard this book itself as one of these landmarks!

This book is very unique. Basic statistical concepts are clearly presented but only those concepts that are important in clinical trials. The author presents all the issues with clinical trials including ethical issues with some historical perspective. Principles of randomization and statistical design are clearly presented. It offers discussion of Bayesian techniques and meta-analyses, cross-over designs and group sequential methods (interim analyses). For statisticians doing clinical research like myself, this is a valuable reference source.

This book is very unique. Basic statistical concepts are clearly presented but only those concepts that are important in clinical trials. The author presents all the issues with clinical trials including ethical issues with some historical perspective. Principles of randomization and statistical design are clearly presented. It offers discussion of Bayesian techniques and meta-analyses, cross-over designs and group sequential methods (interim analyses). For statisticians doing clinical research like myself, this is a valuable reference source.

Dr. Klawans protected the patients and lawyers in these cases by keeping them anonymous in this very readable book. There is no index. Chapter 1 tells how he became an expert witness when treating a patient as a neurologist. Chapter 2 tells of a sad case on iatrogenic water intoxication. Most malpractice cases involve average doctors who made a mistake (p.38). Chapter 3 tells why you have to ask the right questions to get the right answers. Chapter 4 discusses the EEGs of Jack Ruby. The importance of winning for an expert witness is in Chapter 5. One of the most important chapters is on carotid stenosis in Chapter 6. Chapter 7 explains the importance or reading labels on laundry products and following their instructions. "Therapeutic Misadventure" is explained in Chapter 8; did Dr. Parks refer Mrs. Schwartz to Dr. Cooper by mistake? Sleep drunkenness is explained in Chapter 9, and its consequences (pp.136-137).

Chapter 10 tells of a woman who had difficulty falling, she said. The rare third-nerve injury is explained in Chapter 11, and the difference between fiction and a scientific article. Chapter 12 tells of the Trial of Dan White, who shot the San Francisco mayor and another politician. The trial record has been impounded! Chapter 13 explains tardive dyskinesia, an iatrogenic disease caused by long-term exposure to drugs used to treat schizophrenia. No treatment may mean years of psychosis. If you want to know the reason for malpractice suits, read Chapter 13. It has both the good and the bad. Chapter 14 examines the "insanity" of Ezra Pound. Dr. Klawans does not appreciate the reactionary politics of that era. If a woman uses birth control pills, smoking increases the chances of having a stroke. This can create aphasia (Chapter 15).

Chapter 16 explains the disease dystonia. Dr. Klawans explained how hysteria could be mistake for this disease when the patient could gain from this disease. Could somebody escape from the police by checking into a hospital room as an AIDS patient (p.245)? The dangers of lead poisoning for children are documented in Chapter 17. Drugs, as well as premature birth, can affect a child's brain permanently. The dangers of smoking too much too long are described in Chapter 18. This is one cause of emphysema. This leads to a buildup of blood CO2 levels. But the real cause of death was human error (p.271)! The last chapter tells of a woman who had an accident in a federal office building, and began to feel tired and sleepy a lot (a common sigh of depression). The clothes worn by Dr. Klawans swayed the federal judge! Is this a warning against an inquisitorial system where the judge is also the jury?

If anyone is interested in reading about a physician(neurologist) who has learned the ropes of the court system and whoentertains the reader with forensic medical tales, this is the book to read and savor. Although Dr. Klawans is a frequent medical expert witness for both sides of the versus, he does not hesitate to use the term "hired gun" for impartial medical experts and minces no words in describing the shortcomings of the tort system. In case after case, Dr. Klawans describes how the system works as he plays the role of expert for both plaintiffs and defendants in medical malpractice cases. I recommend this book particularly for physicians who need a distraction from the present travails of corporate socialized medicine (managed care). It will also help them get through the ropes of the court system, if and when he or she is summoned to participate in courtroom proceedings and chances are, he or she will!

Miguel A. Faria, Jr., M.D., Editor-in-Chief of the Medical Sentinel of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) and author of Medical Warrior: Fighting Corporate Socialized Medicine.

This text is an excellent reference which contains many
cases on clinical malpractice . The author details the
facts of each case and presents legal outcomes together with
the individual stories behind each legal complaint. This book
is a goldmine for anyone even considering the formulation of
a legal claim against a doctor or institution. The author
explains many of the fine legal nuances in plain English.
Here is a typical sample:

"The jury gave Mrs. Cook over one million dollars. It was the
first malpractice case in which TD resulted in a million-dollar
verdict for the plaintiff. It was not all that much money, considering the outcome. Mrs. Cook has severe contorting movements that she cannot control. There are no medicines that can help her. The standard ones we use reserpine and tetrabenazine, tend to cause severe depression in susceptible individuals. And no one could be more susceptible than Mrs.Cook."

As a newly-trained neurologist, I was fascinated by these tales of neurology and the law, from both plaintiff's and defense's viewpoint. Though the stories are dated, the general principles are all too true, and teach physician and patient alike why lawsuits occur.

the book arrived on time and in excellent condition as good as new. the seller was prompt.

This is definitely an excellent book on clinical trials. Topics such as protocol development, trial data, statistical analysis, trial report, etc. are covered in reasonable detail. Actual trials are cited to illustrate the authors' points. The book also has many helpful references.

I found this book excellent as a basic guide to statistics, both for interpreting the results of medical trials as well as designing a study. Useful for all stages of a medical career- as a student, doctor and researcher.

continues to integrate and expand upon what is currently at issue in the new field of forensic psychology. next time I teach forensic psych on the undergraduate level, will use much of this text

This book is extremely thorough yet easy to use. It came highly recommended by two very respected (well published, board certified, etc)professors I worked under as part of my clincal internship. My primary duites are not as a forensic psychologist; however, I have found in the couse of my work for an Outpatient Community Mental Health center that one can never really avoid forensic / competency issues and related evaluations. I have referred to this text often in the year since I purchased it; this book has proved invaluable. Forensic issues are increasingly prevalent in todays clinical practice; even if you are not primarily interested in forensic psychology, chances are you have or will be asked to assess competency at some point; while clinically oriented professors often offer some guidance on this matter, they often lack the epxerience / expertise to thoroughly train their students on the legal aspects of such determinations. This book provides the most relevant and accurate needed to ensure prudent and high quality. My only regret is that I did not purchase this book sooner.

Rob Metzger, Psy.D.

"The first edition of this book was a classic, widely cited both for its analysis of forensic assessment instruments and for Grisso's integrative theory of forensic evaluation. With the second edition, Evaluating Competencies remains a classic. I expect that whenever a forensic psychologist of psychiatrist prepares for an advanced examination in this specialty, this book will-or should-be one of the first books reviewed."
Philip H. Witt, Ph.D.
Clinical Associate
Dept. of Psychiatry

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

What a great book! I wish Shilpesh Patel was a famous cardiologist. I loved all of the interesting facts. I wish Shilpesh was my dad. When i grow up i want to be a cardiologist 2!{even though he is my dad}

Best book I ever read .The pictures are wonderful. Shilpesh patel must be a very smart person. I wish he was my dad.

One of the best books I have ever used for insomnia.

Susan Quinn's Human Trails blends science with medical insights as it draws unusual and important connections between scientists, investors in scientific and medical research, and how drug trials are financed and conducted. Hers is written from lead investigator diaries and closed-door meetings with investors, offering more than an outside look at the facts.

I knew Susan Quinn's HUMAN TRIALS would be an engaging, informative inquiry into the intricate process of bringing a new drug therapy to market. What I didn't expect was that the book would read like the best of thrillers -- it takes the reader on the suspenseful and sometimes heart-wrenching journey into the very heart of the war against disease. HUMAN TRIALS is ultimately about the people who populate the closed society that chronic, degenerative illness creates (in this case, MS and rheumatoid arthritis): the patients and their families who suffer and hope, and the doctors, scientists, and investors who, from motives that mix intellectual egotism, financial gain, and selfless dedication, bring their best weapons of mind and spirit to the battle. Quinn does an admirable job describing and demystifying the strategy involved in one novel approach to conquering, or at least containing, MS and RA; the reader learns in compelling detail just what it takes to develop an untested theory into a viable, marketable protocol. However, HUMAN TRIALS goes beyond scientific process to tell a story of risk and courage on both sides of the line. On this particular journey, failure is simply a subset of perseverance, knowledge arrives in unexpected ways, and victory is really a matter of the heart more than the body.

This book grabbed me from the start since I also have one of those incurable, untreatable autoimmune diseases that rarely threaten your life, but certainly ruin it. Scleroderma patients had a recent, similar roller-coaster ride with what was thought to be a promising therapy. I could easily relate to everyone involved - patients, treating doctors, researchers, and investors. Ms Quinn took very complex material about MS and the research surrounding it and made it understandable, while telling an exciting and emotionally engaging story. Though it doesn't help me to cope day-to-day with my disease, it does make me understand the processes and people involved in the search for a treatment.