The Merck Manual of Medical Information

by Mark H. Beers

Book Overview

For more than 100 years doctors have been coming to us for advice. Now you can, too. The Merck Manual has traditionally provided exclusive, up-to-the-minute information to doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. Now, with this special Home Edition, the general public can access virtually the same critical data contained in the physician's version -- but in everyday language and a reader-friendly format. With contributions from nearly...

Customer Reviews

Bought for a Class...

...and it turned out to be very useful in every day life!

GREAT home reference!

This reference book is easy to use and understand. When I first leaned of this home edition version of the Merck manual I was hesitant. Over the years many books have been published that are medical in nature, some published by doctors, but the content is watered down or so vague that a layperson doesn't derive much information from it. Some books are actually condescending in attitude, some patronizing. So many books briefly skim symptoms and then caution to call a physician for more information. My son was diagnosed on the phone by our pediatrician with chicken pox and it was made clear that they did not want to see him for a physical exam. I was given a tiny bit of information by the office staff but was still curious for more information. I spent over an hour surfing the Internet looking for information but found watered down information, repeated many times over on multiple websites, including some written by physicians intended for laypeople to use. I looked at my parenting books written by doctors (one titled "The Portable Pediatrician") and was still lacking any substantial information. But when I consulted the Merck Manual home edition, (which I had forgotten I bought recently and had not yet used), I was surprised at the level of information given. There are many details that I had not found elsewhere, such as number of days from exposure to outbreak, how long it takes the pox to change from first appearance to crusted over, about how long the infection lasts, and treatment suggestions. Reasons why some children have a mild outbreak vs. a severe outbreak were even provided, something I had not found anywhere else. The information here is not dumbed down in that it is not so vague that it is not useful. There is a lot of information here but it is written in a style for the layperson to understand. I appreciated the writing style, which presents information to the non-physician without putting on airs. Anyone who, like me, prefers to gather information and learn about things rather than making a call or office visit to their doctor to get just one opinion will appreciate owning this book. At about 1500 pages it covers many illnesses and ailments. If you are interested in this book I suggest you buy it so that you have it at your fingertips 24 hours a day, for whatever may arise. I am not suggesting this take the place of a doctor, but I know from working with physicians that there are certain calls that are non-emergent in nature that are not appreciated when the office is closed! Note: I write this review in 6/2002 and don't know why the review never appeared here. I am resubmitting it over three years later. I have been using this book regularly since I wrote this review for many ailments and it has never disappointed me. I am still very happy with it.

User Manual for the Human Body !!

If you are not a doctor, this book is probably the one and only medical book you will ever need, and if you *are* a doctor, you probably read a lot of other books, but this is a must. Sometimes you are surprised how you miss a book that's been around for a century! wish I had access to this book earlier. This book has been used by medical practitioners for a century. now it is been presented in a very readable form for the non medical community, without diluting it a bit. It has all the questions and answers that pop up all the time about our own body. What is a cold?, what is a fever?, what can be wrong with my stomach?, what could go wrong with my stomach?, how is exercise beneficial?, How does the heart work?, what could go wrong?, how do I care for it?,what is a diet?, what are the essential stuff the body needs, what can go wrong with my ears, nose, throat?, what is dying?. Just amazing. These few are like a few grains on the sands of a mighty ocean. The beauty of this manual is that, it doesn't give some random answers to random questions, nor is it some feel-good mumbo jumbo. The entire manual is very logically structured. It begins with the description of the human body, cells, their structure, and begins the study using the major organ systems as the guiding map. Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nervous, Skin,Musculoskeletal, Blood. Each of these systems are taken one at a time, explaned in depth, the functioning, the disorders, the symptoms and the therapies. There is no topic not covered. For example, many of us I bet have had this feeling, that in certain cases, when we take a drug given by the physician, we are not sure if the cure is due solely to the drug or is it just imaginary. would it have been cured even without taking the drug. I was surprised to know from the Merck, that this is a very well researched area and the effect is called the Placebo effect. so doctors know about it too ;) Lots of useful references too, such as the generic vs trade names of drugs. etc. The size of this manual surely indicates that what we have got in the form of our human body is indeed a complex system. and wow! we have a fantastic user manual in Merck! Thank you Merck and the numerous medical professionals who have contributed to it. The entire book is available for free, online at Merck's website and fully searchable. However, the paper version is a very handy reference. They come in economical pocket size with b & w images, and a slightly bigger version with color illustrations and better paper.

1500 pages of information, not watered down!

This reference book is easy to use and understand. When I first leaned of this home edition version of the Merck manual I was hesitant. Over the years many books have been published that are medical in nature, some published by doctors, but the content is watered down or so vague that a layperson doesn't derive much information from it. Some books are actually condescending in attitude, some patronizing. So many books briefly skim symptoms and then caution to call a physician for more information.Recently my son was diagnosed on the phone by our pediatrician with chicken pox and it was made clear that they did not want to see him for a physical exam. I was given a tiny bit of information by the office staff but was still curious for more information. I spent over an hour surfing the Internet looking for information but found watered down information, repeated many times over on multiple websites, including some written by physicians intended for laypeople to use. I looked at my parenting books written by doctors (one titled "The Portable Pediatrician", no less) and was still lacking any substantial information. When I consulted the Merck Manual home edition, (which I had forgotten I bought recently and had not yet used), I was surprised at the level of information given. There are many details that I had not found elsewhere, such as number of days from exposure to outbreak, how long it takes the pox to change from first appearance to crusted over, about how long the infection lasts, and treatment suggestions. Reasons why some children have a mild outbreak vs. a severe outbreak were even provided, something I had not found anywhere else. The information here is not dumbed down in that it is not so vague that it is not useful. There is a lot of information here but it is written in a style for the layperson to understand. I appreciated the writing style, which presents information to the non-physician without putting on airs.Anyone who, like me, prefers to gather information and learn about things rather than making a call or office visit to their doctor to get just one opinion will appreciate owning this book. At about 1500 pages it covers many illnesses and ailments. If you are interested in this book I suggest you buy it so that you have it at your fingertips 24 hours a day, for whatever may arise. I am not suggesting this take the place of a doctor, but I know from working with physicians that there are certain calls that are non-emergent in nature that are not appreciated when the office is closed!If you are looking for a book about children's ailments that encompasses not only western medicine but lists an array of other treatment methods, I suggest Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child: A Practical A-To-Z Reference to Natural and Conventional Treatments for Infants and Children by Janet Zand. I found this to be an excellent companion to the Merck manual, home edition. The Merck manual gives more information about the disease or ailment itself

Excellent Medical Information Source For Every Home !

This hardbound 1,509 page authoritative health care encyclopedia will serve you well. Designed for home use, it covers every major medical/health care topic. Complete table of contents, and well indexed (over 11,000 entries) to make finding the information easy. Major topics range from Anatomy, Drugs, Bone, Joint and Muscle Disorders to Disorders of Skin, Eyes, Immune System, and Children's Health Issues. Many informative tables are provided. You'll find clear, easy to understand answers to most of your health questions. Even though I am a health professional and have access to the standard Merck Manual, I keep this volume at home for ready reference and refer to it often. Well worth the price. There are many books on the market about health care topics, but this one IS AUTHORITATIVE !