***Click here for revised and updated list.***
Here are the best medical books of all time:
- The Chest X-Ray: A Survival Guide by Gerald de Lacey (2008, reviewed here)
- Brain CT Scans in Clinical Practice (2009, reviewed here)
- Learning Radiology, Recognizing the Basics, 2e, by William Herring MD (2011, reviewed here)
- Acid Base Case Studies (2004) by Ira Kurtz MD (reviewed here)
- Clinician’s Guide to Laboratory Medicine: Pocket by Samir P. Desai MD (2009, reviewed here)
- Atlas of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology (2007, reviewed here)
- Differential Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases (1996, reviewed here)
- Robbins and Cotran Atlas of Pathology, 2e (2009, reviewed here)
- Antibiotic Basics for Clinicians: The ABCs of Choosing the Right Antibacterial Agent, 2e, by Alan R Hauser, MD, PhD (2012, reviewed here)
- Sapira’s Art and Science of Bedside Diagnosis, 4e (2009)
- Physical Examination of the Spine and Extremities (1976, reviewed here)
- Minor Emergencies (2007, reviewed here)
- NMS Surgery Casebook (2003, reviewed here)
- Cope’s Early Diagnosis of the Acute Abdomen by William Silen MD (2010, reviewed here)
- Basic Clinical Neuroscience (2007) by Paul A. Young PhD.
- Netter’s Essential Histology by William K. Ovalle PhD (2007)
- Gallagher, Christopher, MD, Board Stiff TEE: Transesophageal Echocardiography, 2e (2013)
Criteria for inclusion:
- Educational value: the degree to which the book successfully teaches, simplifies and distills an otherwise complex topic – and makes it stick.
- Timelessness: the degree to which the book stood the test of time, or is expected to do so.
- Relevance: the degree to which the book is useful to physicians across multiple specialties.
- Transformative value: the degree to which the book changes both one’s understanding, framing and appreciation of a particular subject or specialty. I favor books which will make you better at what you do, and not just make you know more.
- Uniqueness: I give books special consideration if they are the sole books, or best books, about their respective topics.
- Conciseness
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