Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology, 12e

My mom kept asking me for birthday gift ideas and when I mention a textbook she says “well that doesn’t sound like a fun gift.” She eventually just sent me a gift card for amazon and this was my birthday present that I picked- (vitamins being the other.) I guess it could seem lame but I have to stay smart and healthy working in the ER so I can take care of the interesting people in this world. I bought the pocket guide to this text a while back at a used book store. The pocket guide refers to the text often if the reader is seeking more detail on the subject. I liked it so much I bought a textbook I don’t even need so I could read more. I am a nurse and this is a book for MED students but patho is patho. I am a firm believer that a solid understanding of the pathophysiology is necessary to truly comprehend why you’re providing the care you are for a patient. It also helps to be able to teach your patients. I started reading about alcoholism and pancreatitis and I was hooked ! Maybe now that I can take time to asorb the material (and not cramming and memorizing for an exam) I am enjoying learning a bit more. I was very happy to find this book and I will continue to refer to it. Study to save lives ! I would recommend this as well as the pocket guide. Bookshelf staple :)

Truth be told, it's still in it's plastic wrapper, but I bought it because I use this edition often at school as a reference or when I have to teach myself something and so far Guyton hasn't let me down (or is it Hall?; I heard Guyton died). This book doesn't get weighed down with jargon; concepts are clearly and concisely laid out so that the reader can easily follow. Diagrams and images add another level to conceptually difficult material. I've heard that there are some errors in this edition that weren't in the last, but I haven't personally found any. I've used it quite a bit for the physiology of hearing and the vestibular apparatus, G proteins, and I plan to use it for endocrinology and probably renal physiology.

The book is in excellent condition. The book itself is awesome. Great information and it is easy to read.

The explanations contained in this book are very detailed and well written. Each subject is dealt with using clear explanations and a lot of illustrations that help make understanding easier. The kindle edition lacks some of the illustrations available in the print edition, but I didn't find enough omissions to detract from my understanding of the material. I would have given the book five stars had all the illustrations been available. I purchased the Pocket Companion as well, but found myself heading back to the full version time after time while reading the abridged version.

I read the negative reviews before I buy a book and while on Amazon searching for something else I happened on the negative (one or two stars) reviews for this book. As to the one-star review, "worst book I ever purchased" that's really hard to believe. The worst? I guess the reviewer doesn't read a lot. And not to be too provocative, the problem with this book perhaps lies with the reader. As to the others, I am reminded of the science of taxonomy. You can classify animals in many different ways. As an example the Order Carnivora contains animals that are carnivores and animals that are not (think Panda). And there are other Orders whose members are carnivores. What's a mother to do.... So as to "it's all over the place" Lipid digestion could go under metabolism or the Small Intestine or Enzymes - or it could go in segments in all three. That's not the fault of the authors, it's just the way the human body is put together and how we choose to view its various functions Guyton (and now Hall) has always been the initial "goto" when I needed to research a specific physiological function.

This is one of my favorite physiology texts, and provides the reader with comprehensive knowledge regarding nearly every conceivable physiology topic. The systems-based organization makes finding topics within this hefty text relatively easy; furthermore, the chapters are well-organized and concise, each covering very specific aspects of the topic at hand. As a consequence Guyton and Hall's text makes an excellent supplement to other, less-impressive physiology texts (and there are plenty). I highly recommend this book as an addition to any serious biology/pre-med/med. student's library.

enjoy using it to pass part 1 and 2 of chiro school

I wanted to get a good understanding of Cholesterol and the means of synthesis from Carbohydrates, Fats (fatty acids), and Proteins (amino acids). Carbohydrates, fatty acids and amino acids each have a unique pathway to the formation of Acetyl-Co A, and from there there is the Mevlonate pathway to the formation of cholesterol as well as ubiquinones CoQ10, Heme A, Sterol, Dolicholls and a few other terminal compounds. The book covered the Acetyl-Co A steps and ignored the entire Mevalonate pathway. Thus future medical graduates will lack any understanding of the total synthesis picture of the cholesterol molecule, and the associated potential statin side effects from inhibition of the entire Mevalonate pathway by the blocking action of HGM-CoA reductase (statins are HMG-CoA Inhibitors). The term Mevalonate is not even in the index. In that sense, I feel cheated. I will be looking for something better on this vital topic, more vital now that the new AHA/ACC cholesterol guidelines are set to double the number of individuals on statin drugs.