All About Arthritis

by Derrick Brewerton

Overview

This book—intended to dispel the mystique and folklore surrounding arthritis—is the first to explain clearly the scientific aspects of arthritis research and treatment. Brewerton tells the intriguing story of arthritis research, from the days before germs were recognized as causes of disease and when reasons for inflammation were obscure, to the present, when breakthroughs in genetics, epidemiology, X-ray crystallography, cell biology, and molecular biology support major advances in research and treatment. He also addresses the human element, discussing the role in arthritis of such factors as age, gender, emotions, pain, and personality. Brewerton ends the story on a hopeful note, carefully explaining the prospects for prevention and treatment.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780674016163
Publisher:	Harvard University Press
Publication date:	07/21/1998
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Derrick Brewerton has been consultant physician to the Westminster and Royal National Orthopaedic Hospitals and was Professor of Rheumatology, University of London.

Editorial Reviews

[This] is a thoroughly good read putting much current research and concept into perspective and supplying many of the facts which even the most assiduous of rheumatologists may have failed to grasp...The immense factual load of the book is disguised in a style of story-telling which focuses, to a great extent, on some truly remarkable individuals...The reader is left in no doubt that research in arthritis is feverishly active and fascinating.

British Journal of Rheumatology - A. Keat

This book...is written so attractively and with such a sense of wonder and delight at the challenges [of ] arthritic conditions.

Canadian Medical Association Journal - Manfred Harth

[Brewerton] skillfully guides us through the complexities of bacteria, viruses, and host defense; the nervous system; the structure and function of joints; the mosaic of factors involved in arthritis; and the prospects for new forms of therapy. He is particularly elegant when dealing with the complex (and controversial) influence of personality and emotion.

Nature - D. A. Isenberg

[This] is a thoroughly good read putting much current research and concept into perspective and supplying many of the facts which even the most assiduous of rheumatologists may have failed to grasp...The immense factual load of the book is disguised in a style of story-telling which focuses, to a great extent, on some truly remarkable individuals...The reader is left in no doubt that research in arthritis is feverishly active and fascinating.
— A. Keat

British Journal of Rheumatology

This book...is written so attractively and with such a sense of wonder and delight at the challenges [of ] arthritic conditions.
— Manfred Harth, M.D.

Canadian Medical Association Journal

[Brewerton] skillfully guides us through the complexities of bacteria, viruses, and host defense; the nervous system; the structure and function of joints; the mosaic of factors involved in arthritis; and the prospects for new forms of therapy. He is particularly elegant when dealing with the complex (and controversial) influence of personality and emotion.
— D. A. Isenberg

Nature

Over 100 million people suffer the pain and disability of arthritis. Brewerton, a distinguished British rheumatologist, aims to provide a more detailed understanding of this complex disease than brief office visits can provide. He focuses on scientific research into the causes of the various forms of arthritis, ranging from the discoveries of Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch to the work of Pamela Bjorkman, a young Harvard Ph.D. Although Brewerton provides a thorough examination of the scientific background of arthritis, his title promises far more than the book delivers. Readers seeking practical guidance on arthritis treatment and prevention will have to look elsewhere. The Duke University Medical Center Book of Arthritis ( LJ 3/15/92) and Fred Kantrowitz's Taking Control of Arthritis ( LJ 11/1/90) will be more useful choices for most libraries.-- Kathy Arsenault, Univ. of South Florida-St. Petersburg Lib.

Library Journal

Dr. Brewerton, a leading authority on the subject, clearly explains the scientific aspects of arthritis research and treatment to general readers. He brings together a great amount of interesting and useful information and presents it in a narrative that is lively, even exciting. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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