Book excerpt: "The goal of Pathophysiology of Disease: An Introduction to Clinical Medicine is to introduce students to clinical medicine by reviewing the pathophysiologic basis of the symptoms and signs of various common diseases. The book has proved useful as a text for both Pathophysiology and Introduction to Clinical Medicine courses in medical schools, and it has been popular in similar courses in nursing schools, physician assistants' training programs, and other allied health programs. It is valuable to students early in their medical school years by highlighting the clinical relevance of their basic science courses, and in preparation for their USMLE Step 1 examinations. The book is also helpful to students engaged in their internal medicine and surgery clerkships, and to house officers as an up-to-date summary of relevant physiology and a source of key references. Practitioners (both general internists and specialists who provide generalist care) will find it beneficial as a refresher text, designed to update their knowledge of the mechanisms underlying 132 commonly encountered diseases and disorders. Nurses, nurse-practitioners, physician assistants, and other allied health practitioners have found that its concise format and broad scope facilitate their understanding of these basic disease entities"--Publisher's description.