ER Books

Maybe I am a tough critic but I am a medical buff and not easily pleased with boring cases. I have degrees in chemistry and biology and was very disappointed in the grade school level difficulty of solving the cases. I bought the book with the anticipation of testing my medical knowledge but once I opened the first case knew the book was better suited for a teenager. If you have no medical experience, perhaps this would be a less than nap worthy read but if you know anything about science in general...skip it.

This book gives you a great chance to find out about the crazy world of the emergency room without actually being there. It is well-written and you can't put it down!

Not a bad explanation of reverse engineering. Suitable for a senior design course in mechanical engineering.

Having written NCO-ER and then having it kicked back I found the book usefull. However, if you already have wrote acceptable NCO-ERs then you may not find much more usefull information in this book. If you find your self alone with no help when it comes that time to write an NCO-ER then this book could be for you. It will give you a base from which to start.

Many articles in this 2. edition are just reprints of articles from the 1 edition. It is a real problem that the articles are not dated or have otherwise been indicated whether they are new in this edition (from 2003) or have just been reprinted without updating from the first edition which was published in 73 volumes from 1968 until 2003. (Vol 1-33 A-Z; Vol. 34+35 = Index; Vol 36-73 = supplements)

For example, the article "Philosophy of Science" was pubished in 1977. It is reprinted in the 2nd edition without any changes in content (only typographical changes such as two columns). In the 2nd edition we are misinformed that this entry is "Print Published: 05/20/2003 | Online Published: 06/23/2003". The readers are thus misled concerning what they are reading. This is tru for many articles, I guess much more than 50%.

The only way you can tell whether the article is revised or updated is by looking at the references and see if new references are included - in most cases they are not (alternatively, of course compare the articles in the two editions page by page).

Both the first edition and the second edition have a heavy emphazis on specific libraries in specific countries and is weak in theoretical and conceptual issues.

When this is said, it should be said that there are many important articles in this work and it is an obvious advantage that it is available online and the papers available as pdf-files. I have now read usefull articles that I would not have read if I had to make paper copies from the old edition.

"Code Blue" is a great introduction to hospitals for anyone interested in this topic. While the book's title suggests that it is intended as a tool for writers, I think that many other people would like to have a more comprehensive understanding of the practice of medicine in this venue. This book has been criticized by other readers, and the common thread in their dissatisfactions seems to stem from the fact that this book doesn't offer a detailed explanation of everything that might possibly occur in a hospital. If such a book were to exist, it would be infinitely long and comparably expensive. Working within the bounds of practicality, I think that Drs. Wilson and Page have done a superb job of providing an overview of this subject. If you're looking for highly detailed knowledge on a specific subject you will likely need to perform further research, but that should not be construed as being a criticism of this book. Bottom line: A well-written and informative guide that will give you an insider's view of hospitals. (Review by Kevin Pezzi, MD [...], author of "Believe It or Not! True Emergency Room Stories" and "Fascinating Health Secrets".)

Code Blue is filled with information concerning hospitals and how they are supposed to work, but, as a book (especially a guide to writers), this one badly needs professional triage. It is obvious Drs Wilson and Page know their subject, perhaps too well. It is a slow read, and only one chapter (Mistakes, Complications and Accidents) offers interesting info for new writers. Unless, of course, your plot centers on the future of HMOs. I expected more from these distinguished medical men since they both have contributed two other excellent volumes in the How Dunit Series. Perhaps the most humane jesture is to remove life support from Code Blue, and let it pass on to its final resting place.

I found this book to be very interesting and well-written, but I think it misses the mark as "A Writer's Guide to Hospitals." Maybe it was a bit too ambitious (that's a very broad topic) or maybe the two authors had a different idea of the book's purpose, but I found it vacillated between a soapbox for one author's disenchantment with the medical system in America today (a disenchantment I share) and a good survey of how a hospital works for hospital workers. Here and there I found the type of information I expected to find (what the mood is in certain areas of the hospital, where the power lies, a sample of dialog, and so on), but that was unfortunately the smallest part of the book. The glossaries are helpful and well-written (but not complete -- "Stat" is missing). Though the history section is interesting (I love history), maybe it should have been left out so they could devote more time to what writers need. I'm glad I read it, but didn't really provide me with the info I need for two medical scenes in my novel.

John D. is a young pig that accompanies his uncle, the famous Dr. David Harleyson who is on his way to make a portrait of Br'er Rabbit. Through a series of letters to his dad and brother, John D. describes the journey, his subsequent adventures and relates stories about some of the other Br'er characters including quotes of specific dialogue. The letters are often sweet, "Aunt Lill told me not to make a pig of myself, but I guess I did" but also somewhat stiff as John D. quotes Br'er Bear telling the entire story of Br'er Rabbit and the tar baby; some regular narrative would have provided some welcome variety and also seemed more natural and less confusing. The colorful gouache illustrations depict the various animal characters with charm and wit; Aunt Lill wears very elegant clothing. Bucolic rural scenes show Br'er Fox and his family on a porch at the front of their cabin with some chickens pecking in the dirt below the steps and Br'er Bear standing beside a fence with a cabin behind him, his pants held up by suspenders and next to him a sign advertising "ripe persimmons for sale". An author's note explains the origins of the Br'er stories, and mentions Joel Chandler Harris who collected the tales from slaves. A recipe for Blackberry pie is also included.

I bought this to learn how to adjust my emergency brake and discovered it isn't even mentioned in the book!

It is also printed on very cheap paper with poor photographic reproduction so is of limited usefulness.

I wouldn't buy another book in this line.

HTML version of an article omits 9 figures. All of them! Not good idea for an article titled "Metaschemas ..."

This book does not give any biblical substance on what the gospel message itself is. It mostly talks about how fervency and enthusiasm for the spectacular will somehow by osmosis get people to be "saved". I don't approve of this book because there is no mention of God's law, God's wrath, nor God's Sovereignty in salvation. How can people ever be in need of a real Savior if they don't even hear about how their really lost? And how can people ever need to be "saved", if they don't even know from what?