Review of Medical Physiology

Ganong's book on physiology is the best physiology book I have encountered. It was difficult to read at the time, but all the details were important, and the knowledge helped me through many subjects later. It contains all the information you will ever need on physiology, and the index is extensive. If you want a fast-read, easy book, this is not it.

This is the premier physiology textbook on the market, by far and away the best physiology textbook in the world for physicians and medical students. It is concise without being too brief and detailed without being boring. Whereas Guyton contains lots of extraneous words, every word in Ganong is designed to convey the maximum amount of information. This book is ideal for medical students; it allows the rapid assimilation of concepts with the appropriate level of depth. An added benefit is the fact that this book is revised every other year meaning it is always current. This text also has chapter review questions (Both short answer and MCQ) with answers (for the MCQ questions). -- StuPot

Ganong's Review of Medical Physiology is an absolute marvel of brevity and conciseness. It has all the information you need -as up-to-date as it is possible in a textbook and faultlesly organized. All the fundamental concepts are explained in a clear and lucid style -and they are invariably presented from a molecular point of view, which facilitates understanding enormously. None of Guyton's verbosity to be found here. A work of real talent.

I agree with the other reviewers who have pointed out that this is a "review" book and not a textbook, and thus is often too brief and condensed in style for those who are new to the subject of physiology. However, the 'classic' physiology textbooks (i.e. Guyton or Berne & Levy), while excellent when you are new to the subject, are vast tomes - each section being a hundred pages long or more. That's fine when you are starting out, but you will come to them with a heavy heart when you are pushed for time or cramming for exams. That's where Ganong's brevity is a real advantage - it covers all the major points, without "dumbing down" the science which can lead to misconceptions, and it doesn't weigh a tonne. Thus it provides a very comprehensive review of physiology (and a good deal of neuroscience) without breaking either your biceps or your bank ! What I really love about Ganong is that it is so up-to-the-minute. The knowledge that you gain from Berne & Levy and Guyton will be expanded to the next level by Ganong. Sometimes I actually pick it up and read it just for the hell of it, it's so interesting...It's also particularly strong on physiology at the cellular and molecular level, which is obviously increasingly important in modern medicine. I'm a medical student and loads of my friends rave about this book. It has also been recommended to me by a number of doctors and professional scientists. Bravo, Prof Ganong - I'm looking forward to the next edition!

This book is one of the best Physiology books around. Although not primarily aimed at medical students, as it skimps slightly on the explanatory aspect, it is unique in the sheer amount of information it conveys. Not only that, it is very easy and quick to revise (for the day before the exams.) The amount of clinical information conveyed is very good and its section on endocrinology is unparallelled.