Koneman's Color Atlas and Textbook of Diagnostic Microbiology

The recent edition of the "Color Atlas" is the standard by which all other comparable works must be judged. The volume should be the standard reference for both laboratory personnel and clinical microbiology educators. Previous reviews to the contrary, charts and figures represent the current state of the art in microbiologic taxonomy and identification methodology. The book is highly recommended for both professional microbiologists and for the interested layperson with a background in biology, chemistry and pathology.Kerry Snow, Section Leader, Clinical Mycology and Myobacteriology Laboratory, Walter Reed Army Medical Center

If one is looking for a microbiology text that contains clinically relevant information, diagnostic approaches, and tests need to specify and diagnose an organism, then this is the one book that you need to get. Things like molecular basics in bacteria, viruses, etc are not extensively covered, but the text is clinically oriented. I would recommend this book highly to anyone in the medical/clinical field as well as to clinical pathologists.