Respiratory Physiology: People and Ideas (People and Ideas Series)

By John B. West and West J.B.

Book Overview

Present-day respiratory physiology stems largely from the explosion of ideas which took place during and after World War II. A number of the major players are still active, but the opportunity to prepare a personal history of this branch of medicine will soon be lost. In a sense then, this book offers an exceptional, even unique, opportunity. We are offered a first-hand chronicle of the advancements made in respiratory physiology in the course of this century by one of the principal figures in the field. The volume covers every aspect of the evolution of this important area of knowledge: morphology, gas exchange and blood flow, mechanics, control of ventillation, and comparative physiology. Some of the chapters are personal accounts of the development of respiratory physiology as observed by the author. It is hoped that what is lost in objectivity by this approach is more than made up by the captivating insights provided by the author into the process of scientific research and discovery.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195080815
• ISBN13: 9780195080810
• Release Date: June 1996
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, Incorporated
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 2.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.6" x 1.1" x 6.4"

Customer Reviews

Great Respiratory Physiology Book

I am a US medical student, and I picked this book up to go along with my pulmonary block. This book is short and sweet, but don't be fooled: by the time you're done absorbing these lessons on respiratory physiology, you'll be well-armed to study and comprehend respiratory pathology. I found "Respiratory Physiology: The Essentials" to be a clear, well-written book that will likely be useful for Step 1, and will definitely warrant a second reading during the clinical years.

Respiratory Phys Provides The Basics

Respiratory Physiology provides the basics needed for a medical school respiratory physiology unit. By purchasing this book, a medical student is able to focus on the respiratory system in more detail than in some basic physiology texts.

Awesome Guide for the lung

This book was well worth the money! It was concise and helped me understand topics that were very confusing in lecture (ventilation/perfusion relationship). Plus it is a fast easy read. In 4 days I was able to read the book, understand all the important concepts and ace the exam.

-- perfect --

This book was short and concise. Extra gibberish was omitted - the remnants were a beautiful combination of text and explanations to often confusing topics. This book is perfect for any one studying respiration. This book is intended for med school students, but it is written in such a fashion that anyone could pick it up and read it. Reviewing? Cramming? Learning? This book will solve all your problems.

Well worth buying

This is an excellent introduction to respiratory physiology suitable for medical students. It is concise and good for last-minute revising but written in a style that is very easy on the reader. The organisation of the chapters is perfect. My only criticism is that the oxygen and CO2 dissociation curves are not very accurately drawn, but the book is otherwise full of useful diagrams. Well worth adding to your collection.