In this home health reference, which is designed as a first stop for a general audience, alphabetically arranged entries cover a wide variety of health-related subjects including medical terms and procedures, basic anatomy and physiology, and diseases and pathologies. The coverage is brief but thoughtfully prepared so that after a visit to the doctor, for example, a patient can decipher some of the terms that were tossed around but never fully explained. Most entries are a paragraph or several paragrahs ( acoustic nerve, aspirin, astigmatism ; the longest are about two pages ( breast cancer, circulatory system ). Page layout is clear and friendly, with important points highlighted in various ways, and approximately 1,200 color illustrations supporting the text. Entries are cross-referenced, and many include print references and contact information for relevant organizations. The appendix is devoted to emergency medicine and first aid. General editor Gotto is dean of the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, and he provides a brief introduction. The title page identifies this work as the inaugural volume of the Weill Cornell Health Series, but there is no further information about the series. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)