Christensen's Physics of Diagnostic Radiology

When I started my residency in medical physics, I knew very little about diagnostic radiology. My background was in particle physics, so radiation and detectors were familiar concepts but in a different context. The specifics of CT, MRI, and imaging in general were foreign to me. Christensen's book on the PHYSICS OF DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY is, for me, a great primer on how the medical community extracts information from radiological imaging. The text exhaustively covers all the aspects of conventional radiography, such as collimators, filters, grids, screens, and films, as well as more specialized topics like CT and MRI. The text is engaging and easy to read, with a healthy dose of charts and graphs. While Christensen's includes the math, I would say (contra a previous reviewer) that Bushberg is the go-to source for technical details and data (which seems to be the consensus among medical physicists, but perhaps not among radiologists?) Christensen's PHYSICS OF DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY covers just about everything that you'll need to know about diagnostic radiology, although it might be more technical than needed for a radiology resident and too little for a medical physics resident. I found it to have a comfortable flow of information, presenting concepts in a smooth way without bogging down in details. The 4th edition was printed in 1990, so the chapters on CT and MRI will be outdated, but the fundamental physics remains the same. On the positive side, this edition is old enough to discuss processes that aren't used much today (such as film vs. CR cassettes). Chapters: 1-5. X-rays and interactions 6-11. Imaging elements (filters, grids, screens, and films) 12-16. Images (radiographic, fluoroscopic) 17. Stereoscopy 18. Xeroradiography 19. CT 20. Ultrasound 21. Shielding 22. Digital radiography 23-24. MRI

This book has everything. It is so easy to read that you wonder if it's accurate. I used this to study for my ABMP boards and passed the first time. This book is to Diagnostic Physics as Khan's book is to Therapy Physics. Every diagnostic imaging person needs a copy of this book whether you are a physicist or not.

This is one of the greatest books I have ever read in my life . Reading it was a such a pleasure and amusement ! authors are witty and very close to me ,they don;t leave u untill u udnerstand everything .. I never thought I could understand physics this fast and simple .. this book is time honored and invaluable . I totally recommend it for those sitting FRCR part I I studied it and passed FRCR from first attempt .. I really didn't have to add a review for this great book , but I want to since I owe the authors A LOT .. Thank you for this great book ...

This is one of the better textbooks i've encountered for teaching physics to radiology residents. Other books such as Bushberg are good, but it doesn't quite go into the same detail on some subjects like Christensen does. A new edition updating topics such as MRI, digital imaging and removing some of the chapters like xeroradiography would be nice. I'd also like to see a chapter or two on nuclear medicine imaging, but that might make the book a little too big.

This most popular textbook for radiologist physics training courses (73% of market in 1989 AAPM survey) is excellent for the non-scientist who desires both technical and practical information. Needs to add sections on digital radiography, pulsed fluoroscopy, and CCD cameras, while reducing coverage of some fading technologies. This is one of the better textbooks I have used for any course.