Book excerpt: Featuring 29 chapters by doctors and other experts, this textbook covers the basis for public health, the settings for its practice, its tools, and the provision of public health services. Topics include the determinants of health, legal dimensions of public health, government involvement at different levels, community assessment and change, data management, organizational issues, prevention effectiveness, disease control, tobacco and alcohol, and environmental health. Appendices list national public health associations, provide a historical perspective on the development of public health leadership institutes, and discuss core competencies. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.