ˇ§One commendable feature of this textbook is its accompanying website:
www.antimicrobe.org. The website extends the
contents of each chapter including photographs and information on historical
aspects of infectious diseases. The websitesˇ¦ great strengths are the search
engines, Smart Search and the Guided PubMed Search, which help direct and hone
queries. The website not only provides direct access to the appropriate sections
from Volumes I and II, but it also offers access to original research, and
prompts permit user to ask questions regarding causation, diagnosis, and
treatment. The website has numerous clinical vignettes, which are useful for the
practicing clinician. Because of its access to a number of databases and its
intuitive search strategies, the website is one resource that every physician
who treats patients with infections needs. Overall the format is a further step
away from traditional hardcover textbook, more towards a cyberspace portal;
directly linking the specialist with the rapidly changing pace of the infectious
disease literature. - Heath C,
Australian Society for Infectious Diseases (ASID)
Newsletter, July 2006
ˇ§Antimicrobe.org is a Web-based version of the
textbook that provides updated clinical information on a wide variety of
microbes and antimicrobial agents. The dynamic nature of
antimicrobe.org allows for up-to-date clinical information (for example,
the chapter on Candida species on antimicrobe.org
has 649 references, whereas the corresponding chapter in the textbook has 466
references) that would be of benefit to practicing physicians anywhere. The
hyperlinking of multiple cross-referenced resources increases the available
database. The Smart Search engine allows users to ask specific questions and
find focused answers, either within the textbook or through PubMed. The
extensive treatment focus of the Web site and the format make it a unique
reference, compared with other print- and Web-based references. Comprehensive
material not found in other textbooks or other online references sets this
reference apart from others already on the market. antimicrobe.org is a resource
that should be a part of every practicing infectious diseases clinicianˇ¦s
armamentarium. -Burdette S,
Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2006
Over a hundred authors contributed to the book, their expertise covering a range
of disciplines, including not only microbiology and infectious disease but
pharmacology, dermatology and emergency medicine. This diversity, coupled with
the fact that the authors were from a range of different countries ensures that
the book offers a broad perspective of the subject. This, however, is only half
the story. Those purchasing the book are also allowed free access for a limited
period of time to a complementary Internet web site (www.antimicrobe.org),
which houses a copy of the entire book. This is a major advantage to the reader
as the large size of the book is likely to make one disinclined to carry it
around on a regular basis, and online access to the content is clearly a
valuable resource. The online version also offers a number of advantages in
comparison to the hard copy, particularly the use of links that allow references
cited in the text to be accessed either as abstracts or full papers. There is
also a search option that allows the reader to rapidly look for information.
-Johnson A, Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy,
2006
This volume is useful as a reference text for pharmacists, pharmacologists, and
infectious disease specialists who want ready access to detailed information
regarding the clinical and molecular pharmacology of anti-infective agents. The
sections about antibacterial agents included in the text range from providing
information about old standards, such as chloramphenicol, aminoglycosides, and
tetracyclines, to discussing the newest agents such as the ketolides and the
oxazolidinones.
Although the Web site provides access to all of the texts in this series, its
real strengths are the search engine and its access to various sources of data.
Because of its access to a number of databases and its intuitive search
strategies, Antimicrobial Therapy and Vaccines Web
site is one resource that every physician who treats patients with infections
needs. - Aronoff SC, Clinical Infectious
Diseases, 2006
