Titles That May Interest You

Abstract

papillary muscle of the same heart. This dynamic homology is quite remarkable, especially given the structural and biochemical heterogeneity of the intact left ventricle. These data support the notion that the whole heart data can provide a "window" to the cellular aspects of E-C coupling, at least for hearts with no discrete inhomogeneities. This chapter by Pfeiffer et al. provides a phenomenological approach, based on statistical time-series modeling, to extracting information regarding interval-force relationships from patient data. Finally, the role and evaluation of force-frequency phenomena in the clinical setting are presented in the last chapter by Dr. Seed. In summary, the chapters in these two sections (Parts 3 and 4) are of uniformly high quality, easy to read, replete with references, and many provide valuable historical perspectives on the assessment of cardiac function. The only significant quibble we have is that the editors missed a golden opportunity to have someone attempt to synthesize what is known about species differences in excitation contraction coupling into a cohesive view of how they relate to species differences in the expression of interval-force behavior. Species differences are noted and commented upon in some of the chapters. However, it is frustratingly difficult for one generally interested in this phenomenon, but not immersed in its details (i.e., those of us in the wider audience of investigators and clinicians interested in cardiac function) to gain a cohesive picture from reports of species differences in the primary literature. That quibble aside, however, this volume represents an excellent review of the interval-force relationship of the heart, an important aspect of cardiac function , from historical, mechanistic, and practical viewpoints. In so doing it provides a rich source of information for those interested in cardiac function, and is a valuable contribution to the cardiac function literature. Sanjeev G. Shroff* Bryan K. Slinkerí *Cardiology, Department of Medicine University of Chicago tDepartment of Veterinary and Comparative Anatomy, Pharmacology, and Physiology Washington State Unviersity Pullman, Washington 99164 TITLES THAT MAY INTEREST YOU As a service to our readers whose specific interests span the full spectrum of the fields of biology and medicine, we are providing the titles of and relevant information about some of the books sent to us by the publishers that will not receive full review treatment. Whenever possible we will add a short description of each book. 150 Book Reviews Evolutionary Ethics. Edited by M. H. Nitecki and D. V. Nitecki. Albany, N. Y.: State Univ. of New York Press, 1993. Pp. 368. $16.95. "This volume analyzes the biological and philosophical disagreements in evolutionary ethics and points out difficulties with the interpretations," as well as arguing that the concept of evolutionary ethics has changed since the time of Thomas Huxley. The book is based on the Field Museum of Natural History Spring Systematics Symposium, held in Chicago on May 12, 1990. There are four sections. "Ethics and Cosmic Order" outlines the history of evolutionary ethics and comprises three chapters by turn-of-the-century scholars : Huxley, Leslie Stephen, and John Dewey. "Philosophical Advocacy" presents three papers dealing with modern arguments supporting evolutionary ethics. A historian, a philosopher, and an evolutionary biologist support the sociobiological interpretation of evolutionary ethics. The third section, "Philosophical Skepticism," has four chapters refuting the interpretations and positions held in section two. Then, the fourth section, "Biosocial Debate," comprises six diverse chapters dealing with many complex and fundamental issues, written by a bioethicist-ornithologist, physical anthropologists, a paleontologist, an ecologist , a sociologist-historian and zoologist, and a social anthropologist. "We are neither advocating nor denying the reality of evolutionary ethics. We are aware that the great pendulum of intellectual fashion has swung toward sociobiology, and that evolutionary ethics may offer the resolution of our worldview of humanity and of human morality" (from Preface). From Humors to Medical Science: A History ofAmerican Medicine. 2nd ed. By John Duffy. Urbana: Univ. of Illinois Press, 1993. Pp. 418. $42.50 (cloth); $14.95 (paper). This is the updated and thoroughly revised version of the classic The Healers, published in 1976. Chapter titles help in indicating the scope of the volume: "The Beginnings of American Medicine" (including Indian medicine); "The Eighteenth Century"; "Medicine the...