Book excerpt: Mosby's Guide to Physical Examination is a comprehensive textbook of physical examination, history-taking, and health assessment with a unique emphasis on differential diagnosis and variations across the lifespan. The book conveys a uniquely compassionate, patient-centered approach to physical examination with a strong evidence-based foundation. Clinical Pearls boxes give brief clinical insights with expert tips on techniques, findings, and patient teaching. Mnemonic boxes deliver engaging auditory, visual, and other memory cues to help you remember series of assessment or exam steps. Physical Variations boxes detail multicultural considerations for assessing patients from diverse ethnic and cultural groups. Staying Well boxes describe holistic approaches to health promotion and patient teaching. Risk Factors boxes highlight modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors for a variety of conditions. Differential Diagnosis boxes give comparisons of expected findings for similar conditions and explain how disease presentations vary. Physical Examination boxes provide current data on the most effective techniques for delivering quality patient care. Functional Assessment boxes focus on the patient’s functional abilities and present a holistic approach to patient care. Downloadable text and PDA summaries allow for quick review of the key steps in each system exam. Dynamic learning exercises on the companion website test your knowledge and provide instant feedback on your progress. Updates throughout reflect the latest research findings and evidence-based practice for techniques, normal and abnormal findings, genetics, and assessment. 60 video clips demonstrate exam techniques for each system and are downloadable for use on Video iPod devices. 25 new anatomy and physiology animations provide narrated explanations of processes beneath the skin. New audio chapter summaries, downloadable for use on MP3 players, offer a convenient way to review key content on the go. New 3-column tables featuring Pathophysiology, Subjective Data, and Objective Data provide an illustrated reference that allows for quick and accurate comparisons. 75 new illustrations and dozens of new photos of normal and abnormal findings help to clarify anatomic concepts and exam techniques.