FORUM
BOOK REVIEW

Davey's companion to surgery in Africa. 3rd ed

By Adelola Adeloye, Opeoluwa O Adekunle and Oluyombo A Awojobi. Pp. x + 468. Illustrated. Soft cover (R425.00). Hard cover (R700.00). Acecool Medical Publishers. 2009. ISBN 978-978-902-469-8.

This book lives up to its name and most definitely focuses on some uniquely African pathology, which is not included in most of the larger First-World surgical texts. Its stated role is that of a book for medical students at universities in the tropical belt of Africa to be used alongside a standard text. As such, the book achieves its goal.

The subject matter is varied and includes content relevant to most of the general surgical sub-specialties, such as urology, neurosurgery, maxillo-facial surgery, ENT and trauma.

Where the book falls short somewhat is in the actual quality of the production, with both print and picture reproduction quality being poor. In addition, there are inconsistencies in the layout as well as academic content of different chapters, some being of higher quality than others. However, for medical professionals and surgeons working in the tropical belt of the African continent, this textbook would be a valuable adjunct to standard texts.

Sharon Cox

Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital