Fishman's pulmonary diseases and disorders, 5th edition

Although this textbook is very expense (like its competitors), it provides considerable value as an educational tool. While on our pulmonary consult service, I did not find that it had sufficient depth to answer complex clinical questions. However, it was an outstanding place for me to relearn in subject areas where my current knowledge was weak. It is also an excellent site to send fellows and residents to read on a subject. The radiologic and some of the basic sections are outstanding syntheses of information that is difficult to learn efficiently from other sources. In spite of the expense, this is an excellent book for a pulmonary fellow or faculty member, particularly if it is used to fill holes in knowledge by reading relevant full chapters. A key question to be answered is how the online access and updating will occur, as this is essential to maintaining the relevance of the material.