Building on foundations

Foundations of Parasitology (6th edn)Sullivan Electronic Atlas of Parasitology CD-ROMedited by G.D. Schmidt and J. Janovy, Jr,McGraw–Hill, 2000. £86.99 (hbk) (xviii + 670 pages)ISBN 007 247120 4 (book) ISBN 007 238613 4 (CD-ROM)This sixth edition of Foundations of Parasitology comprising 40 chapters provides a holistic overview of the world of parasitology and every chapter is full of illustrations of the major parasites of humans and animals. It would be an overwhelming study tool for any course, including the most advanced. The book is organized in such a way that it can be used easily for a semester course, beginning with principles in general areas such as evolution, ecology, immunology and pathology. The chapters are grouped according to protozoa, phyla and arthropods. Within these groups, teachers can pick and choose the model systems of special interest to them and their audience, rather than go sequentially through the book.The editors indicate in the preface that numerous changes were made to this edition, and this is indeed the case. They assert that the book is ‘for upper-division courses in general parasitology’. The authors might feel this way because of the incredible amount of material the book contains. However, the material would also be suitable for most basic general parasitology courses. There is little, if any, molecular biology to challenge students. In fact, the absence of recent fundamental molecular biological findings is a major deficiency of the book. This is especially so for the flagellated protozoa and malaria (the models best known to this reader), among other parasites. Antigenic variation, RNA editing, mechanisms of cytoadherence and multi-functional proteins are among the factors for which mechanisms have been worked out at the molecular level. It would have also been a welcome addition if the editors had included more, not less, information on known virulence factors and their mechanism(s) of action. The sections on pathogenesis read more like a description of symptomatology for the diseases than an account, where known, of the complex host–parasite interrelationships and the role of virulence factors and host responses.The accompanying CD-ROM is intended to provide supplementary information to the student. The format and presentation of the materials in the CD are user friendly. However, many of the illustrations within the CD were not of the highest quality expected for digital technology. Indeed, more colour pictures, as found for the malaria erythrocytic forms, were expected within the book. Had the authors provided more high-quality color photographs of parasites in the text, the usefulness of the CD-ROM would have been more questionable.The editors did an excellent job in placing URLs of the Web for additional references. The Glossary and Index were excellent, as before. The number of references in each chapter can be questioned in terms of their relevance for teaching, given that some of them were quite old. It would have perhaps been better to cite minimal references (updated reviews) and include anecdotes and review questions, as in many science books today.Despite these shortcomings, the book is a welcome addition to any student and teacher who is serious about the world of parasitology. The vast amount of material for all of the parasites is presented in a way that is easy to understand for students from a general to a more advanced, albeit descriptive, parasitology course.