Book Review
              Introduction to Human Nutrition, edited by Michael J               “key messages” that focus the reader’s attention. Boxes high-
              Gibney, Hester H Vorster, and Frans J Kok, 2002, 342               lighting related examples and results of current research are
              pages, paperback, $49.99. Blackwell Science Ltd, Oxford,           prominent throughout each chapter. Many tables and well-
              United Kingdom.                                                    drawn figures clarify the text. Formulas are introduced, and
                                                                                 their use is explained with clear, step-by-step examples. Each     Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/78/6/1228/4677540 by guest on 05 January 2023
                 Published by the United Kingdom’s Nutrition Society, this       chapter concludes with a short list to guide further reading;
              new textbook series exemplifies that organization’s mission:       most chapters include classic references. The editors are to be
              “to advance the scientific study of nutrition and its application  commended for the strong consistency in both the level of
              to the maintenance of human and animal health.” Introduction       detail and the presentation of information in this multiauthor
              to Human Nutrition is the first of 4 new textbooks to be           text. The series also has an accompanying website (www.nu-
              released. The rest of the series will include more advanced        tritiontexts.com) with forthcoming links that will include
              topics; the titles of these other volumes will be Nutrition and    teaching aids, suggestions for student projects, book updates,
              Metabolism, Public Health Nutrition, and Clinical Nutrition.       and sample examination questions.
              The series has been written by an impressive panel of nearly         This textbook highlights nutrition as a science and promotes
              130 expert authors from 20 countries, who provide a well-          the integration of the discipline with the related fields of
              balanced, global approach to the topic of nutrition.               molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, physiology, pathol-
                 This introductory textbook was designed for students begin-     ogy, immunology, psychology, sociology, political science,
              ning a field of study in nutrition or for students who might take  anthropology, and economics. It offers an informative over-
              nutrition as part of another curriculum (eg, nursing or pharma-    view of nutrition science. Students using this textbook should
              cy). The editors state that the purpose of the book is to allow    gain an appreciation of the first era of nutrition—the scientific
              the “student to develop a holistic and integrated understanding    discovery process and the elucidation of nutrient function,
              of this complex, multifaceted scientific domain.” The text does    isolation, and synthesis. They are also introduced to nutrition’s
              an excellent job of guiding students through information on        renaissance—a focus on the global concerns of malnutrition,
              how humans obtain and utilize foods and nutrients, and it          both undernutrition and overnutrition (obesity). The authors are
              covers these processes from the molecular to the societal level.   quite correct in emphasizing that this full continuum of nutri-
              The text’s 15 chapters cover the typical introductory nutrition    tion concerns may be seen within the same communities, in
              topics—body composition; energy metabolism; digestion and          single households, and even in single individuals.
              metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids; dietary ref-
              erence standards; and vitamins, minerals, and trace elements—
              and slightly more advanced topics such as food composition,                                       Janet M (Friedmann) Gilchrist
              measurement of food intake, nutrition research methods, food
              policy and regulatory issues, food safety, and global food         Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center
              challenges.                                                        1120 Marshall Street
                 The text is designed to be user-friendly for students, and it   Little Rock, AR 72202
              offers many learning aids. Each chapter begins with a list of      E-mail: gilchristjanetm@uams.edu
              1228                                            AmJClin Nutr 2003;78:1228. Printed in USA. © 2003 American Society for Clinical Nutrition