Synopsis
Widely considered the "gold standard" textbook for respiratory physiology, this compact, concise, and easy-to-read text is now in its fully updated Eighth Edition. New student-friendly features include Key Points boxes at the end of each chapter and review questions and answers.
A companion Website will offer the fully searchable text, plus animations that illustrate difficult physiologic concepts.
Kevin McCarthy
This sixth edition of Dr. West's classic primer on respiratory physiology once again provides the reader with a concise description of the major features of respiratory physiology in an easy to read and understand format. The book was originally designed 25 years ago as an introductory textbook to accompany lectures on this topic for medical students and allied health students. In this function, the book is unsurpassed in simplicity of approach and integration of the essential concepts in respiratory physiology. Medical residents and fellows will gratefully find this a quick read and an excellent way to review this important topic for board exams. The author has fine-tuned this material based on his thirty years of experience lecturing on respiratory physiology to medical students. The illustrations have been redrawn from earlier editions, most being presented as simple line drawings with the important features of each figure highlighted in red -- perfect for presenting the material for the first time or as a quick review. This book stands alone among texts of pulmonary physiology. The stated goals of providing a means to quickly develop a working knowledge of pulmonary physiology while sparing the reader the daunting equations that riddle most texts on this topic are met.