Overall a fairly decent textbook, but I would have enjoyed more pictures of disease processes so i can better recognize them in the clinical setting. For the most part I liked the order of the chapters as they went through the various body systems; but I think the renal chapters could have been explored a little earlier in the textbook than they actually were, perhaps between the endocrine and cardiovascular chapters. Having a better grasp on the renal system would have greatly enhanced my understanding of the cardiovascular and respiratory chapters, especially concerning the different types of heart failure and how they are treated, particularly CHF.
The book goes through each body system with a review chapter of basic anatomy and physiology of the system, followed by a chapter on alterations of function (the "patho" part), and then a chapter of alterations of function as pertaining to children. At the end of every chapter there is a HUGE reference list provided for further study of any particularly interesting or confusing topics.
I read EVERY word of this book in 3 months and have walked away with a greatly enhanced understanding of the human body. The textbook does a good job of explaining things in a way that most people can understand. However, i **DO NOT** recommend this book for the person who doesn't already have a good grasp on NORMAL physiology (and anatomy). It assumes the reader already has a good foundation of A&P, without this foundation it goes without saying that it would be impossible to understand the "alterations" of normal A&P. The chapters on normal A&P at the beginning of each system are meant as a review/refresher only as these chapters are short.
I will keep this book throughout my early nursing career as a reference! :) This class ruled by life for 3 months, but did truly enjoy it and I am glad i gave it my all. I feel much more confident as a result.