Medicine in the twentieth century /

Editors Cooter and Pickstone introduce these 46 essays by writing that "the history of medicine in the twentieth century is the history of the twentieth century." Readers might have been better served if the actual title had included a subtitle describing the contents more completely. The editors admit that certain topics, such as the insurance industry, were omitted--a regrettable omission. No history of medicine in the 20th century can be complete without an analysis of the effects that the insurance industry had on medical practice, patient care, and medical technology. The essays are divided into three sections: "Power," describing the power that political-economic systems and health care agencies in Great Britain, Western Europe, and the US had over the history of medicine; "Bodies," discussing the changing concepts of "the body" in the 20th century; and "Experiences," covering experiences from the viewpoint of the patient, the media, institutions, and a carrier of infection--the mosquito. Each essay concludes with references and a list of further readings. Recommended with reservations for academic and public libraries serving graduate students through practitioners. O. L. Paradis Baylor University