Magill's Medical Guide

This update of the 2011 edition includes an access code for the online version, which has all of the work's text and the majority of the 400 illustrations and medical drawings. The new set contains more than 1,100 entries at 500 to 3,500 words each. The 69 entries include expanded coverage of material related to aging, neuroscience, medical diseases, and infectious diseases. Each volume has summaries listed by anatomy or system and by specialties and related fields, in addition to the table of contents for the set. A definition and a list of the related area of anatomy, body system, or specialty, open each entry, and all entries conclude with references for further information and cross-references. Longer pieces feature a "Perspectives and Prospects" section that may touch on both history and the future. This reference set has some useful highlights. The 70 "In the News" sidebars evaluate news stories related to a particular definition. Volume 1 includes a description of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The end of Volume 5 supplies a pharmaceuticals list and information on types of health-care providers such as their duties, specialization, and training. There is also a bibliography, glossary, and resources list. While readers seeking a more in-depth approach should consider the forthcoming fifth edition of the Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, this set's price is more reasonable.