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Textbook of Medical Physiology: With STUDENT CONSULT Online Access (Textbook of Medical Physiology)
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Customer Reviews
Rating:  - Good physiology book but Ganong is better
As many other reviewers have stated Guyton's text is too long winded. Whilst some claim that this aids in reader comprehension and understanding, I find it superfluous and distracting. Another reviewer mistakenly said that "..protein diets raise the GFR, but only Guyton tells you why " Guyton SPECULATES on why (p293) high protein diets raise GFR. The book contains a number of inconsistencies (inaccuracies) and is prone to misreading and I my opinion promotes misunderstandings. Another criticism is the inordinate amount of type-set devoted to the results of animal experiments. Whilst this is important from a research perspective it means the text is far longer than it needs to be (this information could have been removed from the text and included in the end of chapter references). Please do not misunderstand me this is a good textbook, but it is old (2000) and not as good as Ganong's clearer, much more concise and more up to date text (2003).
Rating:  - Still a great physiology book for medical students.
Guyton remains one of the best physiology books for the medical student with its clear elucidation of fundamental physiological concepts and its pathophysiological correlations.
I want to address some of the criticisms of this book. One reviewer claims that it is missing trivia that professors love like the so called ENaC channels. Well, it does mention these channels on pg 304 as the special channels through which sodium diffuses into P-cells. Any medical student who has studied pharmacology or medicine knows that these are the channels that are inhibited by potassium sparing diuretics (amiloride and triamterine). Till recently they were called amiloride inhibitible sodium channels. Since they are found on other epithelial cells, they are now called ENaCs (epithelial sodium channels). There may be many more such trivial points you may find missing in Guyton, but if it is physiology you want to learn (rather than get into trivial pursuit) this is the book for you. No book is perfect and no book can contain EVERY single detail. Even Ganong, while being a very good book is lacking in the explanation of many fundamental concepts which it states but does not explain, for example it just tells you that high protein diets raise the GFR, but only Guyton tells you why. The chapters on cells and immunity etc could use updating, but these are topics covered in great detail in other courses--cell bio, molecular bio, biochem, immunology.
Another criticism is about lack of diagrams. I found that the diagrams in the book were of a functional nature--good enough to explain the concepts being discussed. If it is comic books you are looking for, buy an atlas.
Thirdly, the so called verbiosity. Yes, the explanations are detailed, but many first time readers would find that a positive point. It is hardly physiology for dummies.
In conclusion, although all the above criticisms are justified to an extent, if you want to learn the hows and whys of physiology, Guyton still remains a good book that covers pretty much everything a med student needs to know for physiology for courses and the usmle.
Rating: - THIS BOOK WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPECCABLE....BUT....
This book would have been impeccable only if the authors/editors were more patient and careful. It has a number of misspelt words. There are few figurative illustrations when compared to similar more-than-one-thousand paged texts; and some of them were poorly done. But these aside, I find the contents, particularly the areas that dealt with Physiochemistry, very interesting. I love the comprehensive outlook that most of the chapters wore.
Rating:  - In desperate need for an update
Guyton has a marvellous talent for explaining Physiology, however, the info in the book is dated, a lot has happened regarding cardiac, smooth and skeletal muscle, neuroscience, metabolism, micturition etc etc.
The part about immunology is very poor and should perhaps be removed since there are many much better texts on this subject...
Rating:  - being non-concise makes it an easy reader
I agree with the previous review that this book is quite long and is not at all concise. Concepts repeat themselves everywhere. However, not all students are so bright that they can remember everything in just one go. I am a medical student myself, and I find it frustrating to not being able to understand some important concepts in the later part of a course just because no one reminded me of one or two simple things taught before that I have forgotten. Te secret of the Guyton lies here. Information is repeated continuously, so giving the book consistency throughout the text, as it travels through different areas of physiology. The secret of its lucid explanations lies here too: Guyton likes to hear himself talk. Remember, THIS BOOK IS RECITED. Guyton couldn't write! That's why his text is so similar to a teacher with a voice. You are reading his lecture scripts.
Anyway, I love the book for its explanations where every concept is explained from the very first principles, even though they were taught before in just the page before.
Yes, it is quite a physiology for dummies, but there isn't a lot of students who are not dummies. Being a "dummy" does not mean you are stupid, a "dummy" is just a person who can't memorise and digest everything in one go and needs some reminders here and there to facilitate learning. If you've got a camera memory, don't get this book, or you will feel bored.
However, it's really a long text, so I read it as if it's a leisure book and memorize as much as I can. Don't push yourself!
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