In the preface, the authors state that
the aim of this atlas and text of Dermatology is to improve the diagnostic abilities of doctors and students alike, not only in patients with white skin (Caucasians), but also in patients with deeply pigmented or black skin. . . . To this end, we have compiled a large selection of colour photographs of common and uncommon skin diseases in black and white skin, so that, where appropriate, the clinical features of most dermatological disorders can be compared in a systematic way.