Merck Manual

This is a comprehensive book, detailing nearly every type of ailment known to mankind. Those who judge just one small portion of it (who may or may not have medical degrees to support their opinions) do the work an injustice by focusing on the narrow instead of the entire range of the book.

This book is full of detail that the average person can comprehend. At times the book does seem a bit rigid in that certain ailments can only occur in specific parts of the body. Case in point, my wife was diagnosed with a ganglion cyst on her ankle, an uncommon location, but according to the book, such cysts are limited to the wrist.

But this does not detract from the overall usefullness of this book as a standard reference. Of course, no book should be the sole source of medical evaluation and doctors must be consulted as the needs arise.

The Merck Manual of Medical Information

Fantastic book for in depth but easy to understand reference book. It give you information in plain English, it's almost like a novel but very educational. For an example: It might say "take acetaminophen (Tylenol)" It gives you the meaning to words that are uncommon to everyday usage. Another great aspect is the the book uses a lot of examples after the explanation so that you can fully understand and apply that information if not understood. I have a learning disability (LD and ADD) and I find it very easy to read and understand with out mind boggling confusion.

Article on circumcision

Having recently assisted at the birth of my son and well informed in the most up-to-date research into the anatomy of the penis and the history and practice of circumcision in the U.S., I read with some surprise and no little chagrin the tendentious and rather uninformed presentation on the subject of circumcision. It is surprising that so little account is taken of penile anatomy or the rights of the subject (most often an infant) of this surgery. In the case of baby boys, no notice at all is taken of circumcision as the surgical removal of significant healthy genital tissue from healthy baby boys. A significant surgical procedure with no medical necessity...seems a bit odd to me. In any event, it certainly casts much doubt for me on the authority of the rest of the manual, which I surely hope stands on firmer scientific footing.