Bynum and Bynum are both historians of medicine, William at U. College London and the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, and Helen at the U. of Liverpool; both are emeritus, yet very active in their field. They have brought together a delightful book--highly visual (382 illustrations, most in color and many full page) and accessible and of interest to a wide audience. The material is structured around 70 entries, each treated in two to six pages, with engaging text and, as mentioned, abundant and varied visual material. Entries begin with Egyptian medicine, Chinese medicine, and medicine in India and proceed through the specifics of health and disease such as circulation, germs, parasites, hormones, and other discoveries; the invention of various tools of the trade (e.g. stethoscope, hypodermic syringe, lasers); the battles against the scourges (e.g. plague, typhus, smallpox); breakthrough medicines and surgical techniques; and medical triumphs. US distribution is by W.W. Norton. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Read Less