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There is a spate of books by physicians, by laymen, or from the collaborative efforts of both directed at instructing a patient about disease, seeing him through an illness, training him to diet, or giving him advice and instruction about innumerable facets of health and disease. Many of these books are appalling. Some are tolerable. A few are excellent. This book by Needles and Stoney states the case for patients with coronary artery disease about as well as it can be stated. Other than a few minor slips, such as regime for regimen, there is no complaint about the way in which the book is written. Indeed it has distinction of style. Most patients can understand its message.
All physicians are frustrated at times by trying to decide whether a patient needs extensive instruction into the nature and mechanism of his disease and of his symptoms or whether this