The central thesis shared by these 15 papers exploring connections between urban living and public health is that living conditions are the most important determinant of population health and that improving living conditions is thus the most promising strategy for improving health. Presented by Freudenberg (public health and social psychology, Hunter College), Galea (epidemiology, U. of Michigan), and Vlahov (director, Center for Urban Epidemiological Studies, New York Academy of Medicine), the papers discuss determinants of health in cities, local and global perspectives on changing cities, health outcomes and determinants, and future steps in research and intervention. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)