The Lung: Scientific Foundations.

The Lung is a two-volume set, which according to the introduction, attempts to present the "concepts and procedures of pulmonary physiology, morphology, and cell biology together in one text." Obviously, this work is not intended to be read from cover to cover, but rather to serve as a reference source, providing the reader with recent, in-depth information on virtually all aspects of pulmonary physiology and related topics. Volume 1 contains four sections covering (1) general cell processes in the lung (synthesis of proteins, receptors and transduction, neutral endocrine and endothelial regulatory peptides, and others), (2) major anatomical components (epithelium, endothelium, interstitium, mobile cells, pleura, chest wall), (3),pulmonary growth and development, and (4) pulmonary mechanics (statics, dynamics, and circulation). Volume 2 includes sections covering (1) pulmonary gas exchange (blood gas transport, control of ventilation, peripheral gas exchange, and other related topics); (2) the fetal, perinatal, postnatal, and aging lung; (3) lung injury, defense, and repair (proteases, antiproteases, oxidants and antioxidants, particulates, infections, air containments, and many other topics); and (4) special environments and interventions (altitude, hyperbaric oxygenation, oxygen therapy, mechanical ventilation, and other related topics).

The pulmonary mechanics, pulmonary gas exchange, control of ventilation, and peripheral gas exchange treatments are most likely to be of particular interest to physical therapy researchers. The pulmonary mechanics section includes chapters on pressure-volume relationships, respiratory muscles, neural control of airway smooth muscle, pharmacology of airway smooth muscle, lung sounds, and work of breathing, among others. The pulmonary gas exchange subsection includes chapters covering ventilation, structure and biology of hemoglobin, oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve, kinetics of oxygen and carbon dioxide reactions, carbon monoxide, acid-base physiology, diffusion, ventilation-perfusion relationships, and carbon monoxide effects on oxygen transport. The regulation of breathing subsection includes chapters on the cellular organization of peripheral chemoreceptor function, integration of ventilatory and cardiovascular control systems, dyspnea, and others. The treatment of peripheral gas exchange subsection includes chapters on oxygen demands and bioenergetics of exercise, aerobic and anaerobic mechanisms, oxygen transfer from blood to mitochondria, control of striated muscle blood flow, influence of exercise training on oxygen delivery to skeletal muscle, exercise hyperpnea, determinants of maximal oxygen uptake, systemic effects of hypoxia, and many others.

I believe the editors have been very successful in fulfilling their goal of providing an authoritative and comprehensive reference on pulmonary physiology. The individual chapters have been written by recognized authorities in their respective areas. References following each chapter are extensive and are as up-to-date as can be expected in a work that has 191 chapters. The liberal use of excellent-quality micrographs, charts, and figures helps clarify the text, and an extensive subject index is provided. The physical attributes of the volume (paper quality, binding, cover, and so forth) are first-rate. Overall, I found reading and reviewing this work to be a very enlightening and humbling task. It is difficult to think of an area of pulmonary physiology not covered in this work, making this two-volume set an immensely helpful reference source to anyone involved in respiratory research or to the nonresearcher interested in a concise, state-of-the-art treatment of one of the 191 topics offered. Unfortunately, the price will probably preclude most individuals from obtaining personal copies, but this work is a major accomplishment in pulmonary physiology and should definitely be found in every library used by pulmonary physiology researchers.