As the scope and complexity of pediatric cardiology have expanded during the past decade, encompassing in a single text the accumulated information about this field has become more difficult. The editors of this reference-style book have succeeded in bringing together an exceptional group of collaborators to compile a well-focused text on children with cardiac disease. Since the ultimate outcome of congenital heart disease is often determined by the earliest management decisions, this focus is well placed.
The first section explores the scientific foundations of our understanding of structure and function in the developing heart. The chapters on growth, morphogenesis, and function tie the most advanced theory of gene control to familiar congenital defects. Subsequent chapters on the conduction system, myocardium, and pulmonary and systemic circulations maintain this high level of integration of the new with the previously understood. The section on diagnostic methods goes far beyond the usual fare to