This is a most useful book. The authors have presented the subject effectively, applying the traditional approach of German medical textbooks. It is a comprehensive and readable review. Many details of normal and abnormal physiology, often not readily at hand for the busy clinician, are included in the text. The literature is exhaustively reviewed (2,036 references) and includes journals published in languages other than German and English. Only the section on the social and legal aspects of dialysis was disappointing. Here, a more thoughtful approach with amplification of the ethical and psychological problems by more philosophically oriented collaborators could enhance the value of the book. To this reviewer's knowledge, no comparable book is available in English. Therefore, translation of this book would not only enlarge its audience but also add a valuable text to the literature of English-speaking people.