Dermatology Reviews

Hair Loss Answers by the Hairdoc

Published in Paperback by Card Publishing (2003-03)

Author: Peter J. Panagotacos

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Americans are in love with their hair

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-04-08

No doubt Dr. Panagotacos will do well with this book. He presents as an expert who knows what he is talking about, and the book is full of straight answers and exploded myths and old-wives-tales. That, plus the fact that Americans are in love with their hair, apparently, and as a result fear hair loss, coupled with the fact that hair loss is seemingly inevitable, and you have recipe for success almost as sure as selling a diet that works to a country full of fat people that worship thinness.

I found interesting statements of fact on virtually every page of this book. I have male-pattern baldness myself, but I come from a generation that did not worship their hair to the extent that today's generations do. But, one of my late female loved ones had thin hair which was the bane of her life, and I know the pain and grief the condition can cause, and the negative effect on one's self confidence.

For those folks who are impacted by hair loss, I think you'll find this book as good as any on the subject, and better than most.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

A down-to-earth resource presenting solid information

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2003-09-14

Knowledgeably written by Doctor Pater J. Panagotacos (a certified dermatologist whose specialty is hair restoration), Hair Loss Answers offers the reader a compilation of straight facts about the causes and treatments of hair loss, including cosmetic treatments, surgical restoration, follicular unit micrografting, cons and false "snake oil" remedies, and much, much more. A down-to-earth resource presenting solid information, Hair Loss Answers is very highly recommended reading for anyone concerned with hair loss and restoration.

Very thorough, yet easy to understand

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2003-09-02

What I liked about this book is that it is comprehensive as well as chronological.

The reasons for hair loss are explained well, and treatment options are presented in a matter of fact manner that is objective and easy to read.

There are also lots of color pictures of hair transplant patients, so anyone considering surgery can really see what it is all about. Patients also describe, in detail, what the surgery is like, and I felt confident prior to making my decision to move forward with surgery that I knew what I was getting myself into.

To date, this is the most informative book that I've come across.

Hair Loss Answers

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2003-08-14

I recommend this book to anyone with a concern about hair loss. It is an amusing and informative book which painlessly answers most of the questions I had about my male pattern baldness. As a result of reading about follicular unit grafting I ended up finding the right hair transplant doctor for me. My mother also had a recent problem with hair loss and it turned out she was having a reaction to one of the medications which were listed in the book as a cause of drug induced shedding. Our family doctor looked it up and changed her prescription. It seems there is something in this book for everyone with hair loss.

okay book

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-07

This book is well writen but mainly talks about hair transplants and drugs. It doesnt really cover natural approaches to hairloss, the author doesnt address the home remedies and vitamins you can take for hairloss. I found "Grow hair fast" by Riqutte Hoffstien a much better source of information and HIGHLY effective treatments. an awsome book that really works.

Eczema in Childhood: The Facts

Published in Hardcover by Oxford University Press (1994)

Author: David J. Atherton

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Eczema in Childhood: The Facts

Helpful Votes: 21 out of 21 total.
Review Date: 2000-06-21

David Atherton goes into great depth to help the reader understand some possible reasons for the eczema. He gives a very comprehensive explanation of how the body reacts to undigested proteins. I found that part to be very valuable.

However, I was very disappointed that he did not mention his opinion on nutritional supplements such as zinc, flax seed oil (Omega 3 vs Omega 6), vitamin B12 or B6, etc. He never mentioned digestive enzymes or his opinion on whether they may assist in breaking down the proteins. He never mentioned if an overgrowth of Candida Albicans in the intestines might be a cause of eczema. He never mentioned acidophilus as a supplement to help balance the flora in the intestines.

I felt that his conclusion was that children will eventually outgrow eczema and therefore, should consider using a very aggressive course of oral steroids. I hope he understands that the reason I am reading about eczema is because after 10 years of American Medicine treating only the symptom, I am looking for assistance in finding the cause. I do not want my child to suffer any repercussions later in life due to a mistake I make now. I tried Chinese Medicine, but, I guess she was one of the 40% which did not benefit from it.

Good resource to have on hand

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2001-05-14

This 250 page book is a valuable resource for any parent contending with infant eczema. I found the color pictures particularly helpful. Without it, I'm not sure that I would have had the courage to insist that our child be seen by a pediatric dermatologist. It turns out that he not only had eczema, but a common secondary infection that looked much like the photos in the book.

David Atherton writes this book not as a sure-fire method to eliminate the source of eczema, but as a tool for trying different tactics to alleviate the symptoms. He also takes the reader through the different stages that appear at different ages. There were several tips that I gathered from the reading, making the book well worth the $... to purchase.

"THE" Book on Childhood Eczema - HANDS DOWN!

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 1999-09-11

IF YOUR CHILD HAS SERIOUS ECZEMA, AND YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT...READ THIS BOOK. IT TELLS YOU MORE THAN ANY OTHER BOOK ON THE TOPIC...IVE READ MANY AND THIS ONE IS EXCELLENT....YOU WILL WANT TO TAKE YOUR CHILD TO ENGLAND FOR DR. ATHERTON TO TREAT HIM/HER. GET IT NOW AND GET TO EDUCATING YOURSELF...YOU WILL REGRET EVERY DAY THAT YOU DELAYED.

Superb, gives detailed medical information in layman's terms

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 1999-02-12

Dr. David Atherton is an experienced pediatric dermatologist who shares the information he has gathered over the years. Detailed medical information of the subject is provided in simple terms. He points to no one remedy for eczema in children and instead provides numerous suggestions in how best to cope with it, including natural remdies. His book has not only helped my wife and I understand our childrens' problems better, but has assured us they are most likely not permanent and will leave no emotional or physical scars.

Just what the doctor ordered...

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2000-02-01

There can be no other ailment as frustrating as eczema: any parent who has stood hopelessly by and watched their child scratch will testify to this. This book is a MUST read for any parent in that position. It covers EVERY question you ever had about the condition and more.

Body Systems Review III: Nervous, Skin/Connective Tissue, Musculoskeletal (Board Simulator)

Published in Paperback by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (1997-07)

Author: National Medical School Review (Firm)

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third choise

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-16

Use series of these books as a 3-rd source of study for Step 1 after Kaplan Q-bank and Q-book. A lot of question sare not USMLE-type format and there are a lot of explanations, but some time not consice and "watery"...

A Must Have!

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-10

Get this whole series and you'll be sure to pass, if not excel on this exam. The questions and answers thoroughly cover the tested material. Don't be disappointed if you miss many of the questions, you'll find that the actual exam is much easier than this series!

How much do you really know?

Helpful Votes: 13 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2000-09-23

By far the toughest of all the review book series. Teaches the fine points and concepts of topics beyond and more thoroughly than I learned in school! Terrific if you have the time and are not easily demoralized.

For comparison's sake, I averaged 66-69% on the exams in this series and in the 70-80% on the NMS exams and I got 240/95 on the USMLE and 669(99th percentile on COMLEX).

Hope this helps. By the way, Kaplan questions are closest to the real thing.

Board System review 3

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-07

This is the Book. The questions r so hard that u must be really stupid. After doing all the BSS books I thought Step1 wasn't that tuff as everyone made it seem to be.

Clinical Pediatric Dermatology

Published in Hardcover by Saunders (W.B.) Co Ltd (1981-06)

Author: Sidney Hurwitz

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A fast and good access to pediatric dermatology

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-05

It is a good book to dermatologist interesting in this topic, because we access a large information about pathology of children. It's a important reference.

comprehensive

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2001-04-28

Even if this book by now is quite old it's probably the best textbook on pediatric dermatology available. The first edition was extremely useful and this second one is even better.It's very comprehensive and there is practically nothing in the field you won't find. This is true even for diseases you miss in texbooks about infections, like perianal streptococcal cellulitis. The register is good, the pictures are very good and it's just the references which by now are outdated. Let's hope the author will write a third edition soon.

Too Old and Too Expensive

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-19

This was a great book in its day. Unfortunately, Dr. Hurwitz has passed away since this edition was published, so who knows if it will be updated. I hate to give it only two stars, but in 2001 this early 90s book is too old an too expensive.

Bernard Cohen's Pediatric Dermatology is easier to read/use and is mor current (1999) and has better pictures. I strongly recommend it over this book.

A Landmark Clinical Reference -- A Classic in its Field!

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-22

Synopsis "...this classic is a complete reference on ths skin disorde rs of infants & children for the pediatrician, pediatric der matologist, & the dermatologist who sees children...contains hundreds of full-color photos." Appropriate for: Pediatricians, Family Practice Physicians.

Author Info Hurwitz, Sidney, MD (Yale Univ)

This Book was reviewed by: JAMA, The Lancet, Mayo Clinic Proceedings and New England Journal of Medicine

From JAMA: One of the most important pediatric books to appear in the last decade...A veritable treasure...The text is well written, and multiple recommendations for treatment will be a particular relief to practitioners...The pros and cons of each mode of therapy are skillfully discussed in a practical way...Highly recommended....... From The Lancet: 'The whole work is evidence of wide clinical experience...Hurwitz has set a standard for years to come'......... From Mayo Clinic Proceedings: 'Dr. Hurwitz has achieved his goal of providing the clinician with a clinically oriented, concise, readable, comprehensive, and utilitarian book...His experience in private pediatric practice and his experience in dermatology residency and practice give him the perception needed to provide the clinician with the information necessary for effective management of skin problems of the pediatric patient... A welcome addition'.... From New England Journal of Medicine: 'The author freely relates his own clinical insights and the treatments that have been successful for him...The recommendations are easy to follow and remarkably up to date'..... Physicians who care for infants, children, and adolescents are challenged by problems involving the skin almost daily. Dr.Hurwitz' book is the landmark clinical reference for pediatricians, dermatologists, and family practitioners alike.

Dermatology: An Illustrated Colour Text

Published in Paperback by Churchill Livingstone (2002-07-15)

Author: David Gawkrodger

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Best very short dermatology book.

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-26

The very best very short dermatology book. Need to supplement it with access to Wolf, references by Rapini, and even eMedicine.

review of the book dermatology by gawkrodger

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-09

This book is very succinct and compared with the books by Habif and fitzpatrick is very short and does not include even half of the dermatological diseases. It discusses bacterial and fungal and viral diseases of the skin with psoriasis only. The explanation on each disease is good but this book is definitely very short and is not good for doctors or specialists in dermatology. In order to make it a good book it should include all or most diseases of the skin and explain it in the same way it is explained in this book.

Simple and Pretty

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-25

I am a fourth year medical student going into dermatology, and I got this book for kicks because I am a book-a-holic and I liked the layout and simplicity. Probably not the first place to go for information, but might serve well as a book you leave around and flip through. I recommend the American Academy of Dermatology website as a good starting spot: check out their tutorials for medical students.

Concise and excellent

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2000-10-02

This book is well illustrated as suggested by title. The pictures of the different skin conditions are particular helpful in enhancing one's memory of the subject. It offers ideal depth for undergraduate study and is most helpful as pre-reading and review. I covered it in a week and am sounding pretty much like a dermatologist in class. Simplicity is the key to my liking of this book.

The Melanocytic Proliferation: A Comprehensive Textbook of Pigmented Lesions

Published in Hardcover by Wiley-Liss (2001-10-15)

Authors: A. Neil, MD Crowson, Cynthia M., MD Magro, and Martin C., MD Mihm

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Excellent and detailed overview of melanocytic lesion aspects

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-05

This book represents an useful and comprehensive overview of the most peculiar and relevant findings of melanocytic lesions.

Fine Text

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-11-26

"A fine text...good photography and special emphasis on new developments, treatments, and diagnostic techniques." (Journal of the American Association of Forensic Dentists, Volume 10-12, 2002)

Valuable Reference

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-11-18

"...well-written and entertaining...will be a valuable reference..." (Modern Pathology, Vol. 15, No. 5, 2002)

"Current views" in a language that is less than precise

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-02-26

It must be the influence of the other authors, because other books by Dr. Mihm are much more clearly written. Nevertheless this book probably has to be read as the alternative is to read journals. Mercy! Please try not to obscure the subject any further.

Vitamin D in Dermatology

Published in Hardcover by Informa HealthCare (2000-02-15)

Author: Knud Kragballe

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Not so great

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-07

It is a symposium in print. Collection of papers that are not peer reviewed.

Finally, Kingsford Charcoal gets into the grilling cookbook game!

Helpful Votes: 11 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-25

This book is perfect for those of us who know that charcoal grilling is the only way to grill. While there are many other fine grilling cookbooks available, this is the first one branded by Kingsford, the only name in charcoal.

This book differs from other grilling cookbooks in the respect that all of it's recicpies were specifically tested on a charcoal grill, and they are all designed specifically for the charcoal grilling technique. This is important because there are subtle differences between charcoal grilling and gas grilling techniques that can make a big difference in how your food acutally comes out.

It's first chapter offers some simple and essential methods for creating the perfect fire for any recipie in the book. I consider myself to be a veteran charcoal griller and I still found this chapter useful. I specfically learned more about temperature ranges and the banked and pocket grilling methods.

The "Chicken [..] With Wild Mushroom Stuffing" were an instant hit with me. I can't wait to try the "Apple Cider-Brined Grilled Turkey" next Thanksgiving!

A winner

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-03

Good book, lots of pics, easy to follow, designed for charcoal (it's from Kingsford, duh!).

Update: I've bought a lot of grilling books, and this one is the best. I would move to 5 stars if I could.

Kingsford Complete Grilling Cookbook

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-23

Great cookbook. Wonderful pictures, easy directions. Recommend for anyone interested in grilling a variety of foods.

The War Against Toenail Fungus

Published in Paperback by Monterey Square Press (2003-09)

Author: Dwight Thomas

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Average review score:

A well-known but hazardous recipe

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-20

As Barry Newman indicated in The Wall Street Journal of November 21, 2005, and as I happened to discover several years ago, Mr. Thomas's recipe for onchomycosis does generally work, but it is not clear that Mr. Thomas understands why it works or what risks it entails.

For long-established cases, no topical treatments are effective, because they cannot reach spores in the nail bed. Systemic treatments have been available for decades, starting with griseofulvin in 1939, but all of them have the potential for major side-effects. Terbinafine, currently the most effective, can provoke liver disorders. Costs will also remain high until generics become available, probably starting in late 2007.

Systemic treatment is effective only when carried out for long enough that nearly all fungal spores inactivated by the treatment are expelled from the nail bed through growth, a period typically at least six to twelve months. Remaining spores will begin to grow again soon after treatment stops. Because longstanding onchomycosis tends to suppress immune response, after systemic treatment has been effective, topical treatment will be needed indefinitely to prevent reinfection.

A problem that people seeking treatment will quickly discover is the maximum recommended treatment period for terbinafine (Lamasil) and itraconazole (Sporonox) of three months. For many cases this is not long enough to eradicate spores from the nail bed. Three-month treatments will often prove to be only temporarily effective.

Short but could be shorter

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-10

Good summary of the issues. His method that he found effective could be summed up in two lines. Use both Lamisil and Penlac. Keep using Lamisil in the following months for an additional 10 days each month. Interesting read nonetheless.

An acquired taste

Helpful Votes: 20 out of 21 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-08

This book is interesting if you are a sufferer of the malady in question. The science in the area of fungal skin infections has always been lacking, given the problems inherent in diagnosis and evaluation of treatments. Purveyors of the newer generation of anti-fungals (since the 80's) have been less than diligent in investigating the most efficient treatment regimens.

Mr. Thomas writes an account of his adventures in the world of dermatology, explaining the terms and giving the benefits of his skills as a science writer, as he spends more than $10,000 to rid himself of this condition. Cut to the chase: it takes a combination of systemic (Lamisil tablets) and topical (Penlac) treatments to prevail, and more than a year. People like Mr. Thomas and myself who have dug into the research literature will usually know more than the dermatologist.

Don't read it as an example of English composition, but it will cast some insight into the problems of dealing with the extreme free-market brand of medicine practised here. And keep in mind that the Lamisil patent expires in January of 2007.

A new strategy to beat toenail fungus.

Helpful Votes: 54 out of 56 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-02

This is a very interesting and easy to read short book. Most likely, if you are reading this review you have experienced this incredibly stubborn ailment (toenail fungus), which affects millions of aging baby boomers. The author explains in detail what this ailment is; and how Penlac (topical) and Lamisil (oral) prescriptions work. And, most importantly he describes a unique strategy on how to better utilize these weapons against toenail fungus.

His rather brilliant strategy is something that no podiatrist knows about. He noticed based on his firsthand experience that Penlac works very well on the tip of the toenail, but not the bed and matrix of the toe. Meanwhile, Lamisil's performance is exactly the reverse. He also noted that the recommended dosage for Penlac is overkill. You don't need to lacquer your toes twice a day. You can get just as good results by doing it just a few times a week. Similarly, he thinks the Lamisil standard length of dosage (3 months) is way too short. It should be longer. The only reason the standard prescription is so short is to reduce the liability risk associated with the very low risk that Lamisil may cause liver malfunction. For healthy people, this drug is actually very safe.

So, by using a lower frequency of Penlac applications combined with an extended period of Lamisil, he completely cured his toes from toenail fungus. Meanwhile, when he tried Lamisil and Penlac on a stand-alone basis; they both failed.

If you are a toenail fungus sufferer, you owe it to yourself to read this book. You will find so much unique well-explained information. His strategy will give you a new cure that has a much higher percentage success than using Lamisil alone. He uncovered studies in France and Germany that corroborated most of his findings.

Braun-Falco´s Dermatology

Published in Hardcover by Springer (2008-12-12)

Author:

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This is the best book for dermatology residents

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-05-04

I have read this book almost 85 % , its very nice and informative book if you consider clinical dermatology as your aim in daily practice. I highly recommend students, GPs and dermatologists to purchase this book. The reputation of the authors as a well known pioneers in dermatology for the past several decades, has highly encourged me to buy this book.

For me , its the best of bests for clinical dermatology practice and deserve all the efforts spent on it.

DR FADI M M HAJJAJ
P O BOX 3530 ABUDHABI United Arab Emirates UAE
Specialist Dermatologists

Very good book for its value

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-09-02

An all inclusive text of dermatology in one volume much like
Andrew's but from the other side of the Atlantic.

Excellent

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-20

I have had the oppurtunity to purchase the book as a budding resident in dermatology. To my astonishment, I learnt that the book has enabled me to develop sound academic and clinical skills.
The presentation is remarkable with the text being very lavish in composition and a pleasure to read. The author has given very vivid and lucid descriptions of the entities, portraying personal opinion and trends across the continents (which the other books lack). The photographs too, are excellent. Chapters cover almost the whole of dermatology.
Although the book does need to be supplemented by further reading - it effectively serves the purpose of a second year resident.It fills the gap that other more in-depth textbooks on dermatology lack - the insight for beginners who are new to the subject.
I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to develop sound skills in the field of dermatology.
I thank the authors for their effort and hope they continue further editions of this book and build on scientific matter while retaining the original text, tables and format.

Color Atlas of Dermatology

Published in Hardcover by Saunders (2000-01-15)

Authors: Jeffery P. Callen, Kenneth E. Greer, Amy S. Paller, and Leonard J. Swinyer

List price: $179.00

Average review score:

Very good pictures and examples

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-15

This is a beautiful textbook full with colored photographs. There is unfortunately no text to explain what the underlying illness in each case is but just the name. So it is like you scan the book to see which picture resembles most in each case get the name and go to another source to find the etiology. I wish there was a little hint in each picture to give some idea.
It is a good book for one to familiarize other possibilities and not rush into quick conclusions.

extremely high quality images!

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2003-09-03

many images, minimal text. from a dermatology resident's perspective, useful to leaf through before the boards, but probably not worth investing in for your library.

Color Atlas of Dermatology

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2001-02-12

Contains excellent color photographs of common and not so common skin conditions encountered in primary care. An essential reference for the emergency department and the office. Well organized into sections and sub-sections. Patients appreciate seeing their rashes in the book and knowing that others have had the same malady.

Dermatology Books