Pathology and Pathobiology of Rheumatic Diseases glows with the uncommon precision of the pathologist, the clarity of the tea cher, and the unswerving commitment of the investigator. Fass bender has produced a major contribution to the literature of rheumatic diseases. The practical experience and wisdom brought together in this book, substantiated by excellent exam ples of histopathology, produce a landmark for all who have made the study of rheumatic diseases their profession. The enor mous achievements made in molecular biology, genetics, struc tural biochemistry, and clinical science have been assembled in this book to interact in a meaningful way with the anatomical histology of the rheumatic diseases. It is not easy for any single investigator to paint the picture of a disease process, from its clinical description to its mechanisms, and then to a defined hypothesis, and finally an understanding. Nonetheless, Fassbender has done this in a clear and convincing way that integrates our current knowledge of this group of dis eases. Scientific discovery in medicine moves from the bedside to the bench, back to the bedside, and then back to the bench, etc. It is this iterative process of new observation and new discovery that has given us the achievements in medicine over the past century.
From the reviews: "But it is one of those 'must have' books that we all dip into from time to time when we need relevant background, scholarship, overview and insight. This book will have relevance when many others are remaindered; it has the hallmarks of classic." A. J. Freemont in "Rheumatology" Jul 2002, 41: 837 (British Societey of Rheumatology) "This is one of those rare medical books that is a pleasure to pick up and browse. ... What it does very well is to encapsulate one man's perspective and experience of pathology and pathogenic processes of rheumatic diseases within a historic milieu. ... it is one of those 'must have' books that we all dip into from time to time when we need relevant background, scholarship, overview and insight. ... it has all the hallmarks of a classic." (A. J. Freemont, Rheumatology, Vol. 41, 2002)