Respiratory Physiology: The Essentials

From The Critics

Reviewer: Steven K. Hamick, BIS, RCP, RRT, AE-C(William Beaumont Hospitals)
Description: The ninth edition of this classic primer on respiratory physiology is an easy-to-read, concise, descriptive representation of the field. It updates the eighth edition published in 2008.
Purpose: Entering its fifth decade, this book has been used in conjunction with Dr. West's lectures for medical and allied health students. Like its predecessors, it pays careful attention to keeping the material understandable, concise, yet detailed — which is why previous editions have been held in such high esteem by thousands of readers who have used it as a primer, an additional study aid, and a board prep resource.
Audience: The book is targeted at medical students and allied health students. The author is an unquestioned expert on respiratory physiology.
Features: Each chapter explains a complex component of respiratory physiology in easy-to-understand language and contains learning objectives, various images, graphs, and tables, before ending with a review of key concepts and questions to reinforce learning. The appendix contains answers with rationales to chapter questions and various respiratory equations. An online resource is also available as an additional learning aid.
Assessment: Respiratory physiology is a very challenging subject and this book helps students quickly develop a fundamental understanding of the respiratory system. As with the previous editions, this is a must-have book not only for medical and respiratory care students, but also for university, college, and hospital libraries.