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In the past two decades research and clinical interest in neuromuscular disorders in childhood has brought forth an enormous volume of literature. During the same period very few books have been written which provide a broad overview of the subject. The text by Swaiman and Wright, therefore, is timely in its attempt to provide "current, useful and detailed knowledge" and to present the clinician "a logical approach to differential diagnosis."
At the outset, the authors stress the principle that lesions producing neuromuscular disorders can be located at various sites within the motor unit or its suprasegmental control. Traditional neurological principles helpful in differentiating lesions at various levels are emphasized, and assessment of neuromuscular function during infancy is described.
Next, a chapter on laboratory tests describes those procedures which have proved valuable. The various serum enzyme determinations, muscle biopsy findings and electrodiagnostic techniques are presented in a fashion easily understood,