Textbook of melanoma, John F. Thompson, Donald L. Morton, Bin B. Kroon (Eds.). Martin Dunitz, an imprint of Taylor and Francis, London (2004), 400 pages. $395.00. ISBN: 1-90-186565-7.

Abstract

The saying, “You cannot judge a book by its cover” rings true very often. However, with regards to the Textbook of Melanoma, the cover represents its contents well. (The two most striking features found on the cover of the Textbook of Melanoma are its appropriate title and the eye-catching bright orange cover.) Webster's dictionary defines textbook as “a book that contains the principles of a subject, or a literary work relevant to the study of a subject.” This book contains the principles of all things melanoma and presents them clearly and concisely. Edited by three physicians from three different continents and containing input from more than 90 contributors, the Textbook of Melanoma presents 14 sections and 64 chapters in a concise and easy to read manner. The book begins with an intriguing and informative history of melanoma. Portraits of John Hunter, who is credited with the first published account of melanoma in 1787, and Rene Laennec, who is debatably the first to describe melanoma as a disease entity in 1804, immediately give life to the book. The final chapter presents practical and useful guidelines for such topics as primary prevention, secondary prevention, treatment of primary and recurrent melanoma, and follow-up suggestions, along with levels of evidence to support these guidelines. Sandwiched between chapters 1 and 64 are 62 comprehensive and informative chapters that cover many topics relating to melanoma, including the role of sunscreens, prevention strategies, surface microscopy, the management of lymph nodes, and melanoma in children. For completeness sake, there is also an entire section devoted to primary melanoma in noncutaneous sites, including primary melanoma of the gastrointestinal tract and ocular melanomas. This is a “textbook” in the true meaning of the word. Another theme of the book is the color orange. Not only is it the color of the cover, it is encountered throughout the book as the background for multiple concise and informative charts, tables, graphs, and illustrations. The bright orange color becomes a welcome sight as it presents large amounts of information superbly summarized within its confines. In this case, one can tell a book by its cover. Orange and aptly named, the Textbook of Melanoma will be a welcome site on many bookshelves for years to come.