Annual Review of Physiology, vol 57.

Hoffman JF, DeWeer P, eds. Palo Alto, CA 94303-0139, Annual Review Inc, 1995, hardback, 905 pp, illus, $49.

The 1995 volume of the Annual Review of Physiology (ARP), like all previous volumes, is a collection of reviews of current developments and pertinent studies actively being pursued in physiology. The text provides a comprehensive examination of a number of topics in a wide spectrum of physiologic disciplines. The span of articles encompasses addressing cellular and molecular physiology questions in neurological, endocrine, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and renal systems. Whereas the range of topics is broad, emphasis is placed on particular issues or themes that are currently receiving strong interest. The titles of articles in the neurophysiology section, for example, include "[5-HT.sub.3] Receptor Channel," "Mechanisms of Activation of Muscle Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors and the Time Course of Endplate Currents, " "Mechanisms of Activation of Glutamate Receptors and the Time Course of Excitatory Synaptic Currents" and "Physiological Diversity of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Expressed by Vertebrate Neurons."

The subjects of the reviews tend to stress molecular and cellular physiology in all of the disciplines. The reviews are written by respected authorities in the various disciplines who are actively involved in research in their respective fields. The length of each article is approximately 20 pages, and the book includes an extensive bibliography. There is a complete and descriptive table of contents and an extensive subject and author index.

This volume also contains a special topic section focusing on a thematic topic of particular importance to a number of physiologic disciplines. This year the topic is nitric oxide. Various aspects of nitric oxide physiology are discussed by several reviewers underlining the interdisciplinary theme of the subject.

One of the most attractive features of this series is the inclusion of an autobiographical sketch of a prominent or highly respected scientist who has made significant contributions to a particular discipline of physiology. This year the scientist is pharmacologist Dr Hans J Schatzmann from the Department of Veterinary Pharmacology of the University of Bern, in Switzerland. Even though the individual may be known only by others in the same discipline, the wise comments offered by a person of such high stature after so many years of study research and contributions to science is priceless to both the established researcher and the beginning graduate student in any scientific discipline.

The following quote, included in his article, summarizes Schatzmann's perspective on his career and what influenced him the most, "Unfortunately, one has to choose between describing science, and doing it." Schatzmann, for example , reflecting on his student days in physiology, relates how teaching and learning was presented ". . . teaching included experiments done by students on themselves. We ran around with Haldane bags, pushed needles into each other's arms, and tubes down each other's esophagi and ascertained the appearance of CheyneStokes respiration in healthy subjects during sleep." The reader gets a sense from the autobiography that schools today are far too soft on students and fail to present the rigors of science as they should be.

This collection of reviews is highly recommended for review by individuals conducting research in a specific or associated area or who want an in-depth review of a specific area covered in the volume.

Kennon T Francis, Phd, PT The University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, Ala

Dr Francis is a professor and physiologist in the division of physical therapy. He has written several research articles on the physiology of exercise and health promotion.