For anyone who struggled to understand why the nephron concentrates, then dilutes, then concentrates again the urine, this book will do much to ease your pain. Since medical school I've purchased Editions 1, 3, & 5, just so that I could keep up with my interns & residents. Here's how he does it:
#1: short book, (you know how intimidating those tomes can be)
#2: lots of diagrams
#3: end-of-chapter questions (with answers & explanations)

If you want to understand the Kidney, no matter where you are in your studies or practice, I wholeheartedly recommend this text.

Renal physiology can be very difficult to truly understand, and yet an understanding of it is essential to understanding so many aspects of physiology, pathology, and pharmacology. Studying diuretics for cardio pharm is nightmarish unless you understand the physiology of the loop of Henle. Vander takes this difficult yet important subject and makes it easy to understand. The book reads extremely quickly, and the flow-charts and diagrams are amazing. I never even opened Berne & Levy for renal phys--I read Vander's book (which is no longer than B&L's renal chapters) and cruised through renal phys. I am writing this review now, a year after I took physiology, because I am now studying for the USMLE Step 1. I have not looked at Vander's book in a year, but I still remember renal phys, and reviewing it now is the easiest part of my studying (the only easy part, in fact). That is because, thanks to Vander, I actually understand renal physiology. A great book!!

For any medical student that needs a comprehensive, but easily understood explanation of the structure and function of kidneys, I highly recommend Renal Physiology by Vander. It is very well written, and covers all the basic principles that you will need to know to understand pathologies associated with the kidneys.

This is not a scholarly book in the sense that it's not part of any visible academic debate. It does not treat any particular issue in enough depth to be so.

It is, rather, a sort of textbook. Call it "Introduction to Academic Thought About the Bible." Following the order of the biblical texts and with detours to discuss such topics as the pseudepigrapha and the inter-testamental period, the book lays out basic issues of historical, archaeological and textual biblical criticism, such as, for instance, the idea of the J, E, D and P-authored components of the Old Testament, or the question to what extent the books of Joshua and Judges present different narratives of the conquest of Palestine by the Israelites, and what archaeology has to say about that conquest.

The book does not discuss theology (at least, not modern theology). If you're an inerrantist, this book is not what you're looking for. If you're reading the Bible for the first time, this is probably too much information and not the kind you need to help you follow the narrative. Though it has a section of color plates (and black and white photos throughout) and a limited number of maps, this is not an atlas. This is also not a debunk-the-Bible book -- mainstream believers in the inspired nature of the Biblical should by and large have no objection to the contents of this book.

But if you're generally familiar with the Bible, and interested in increasing your knowledge (in particular, I would suggest reading this alongside a reading of the Bible itself, a method to which the organization of this book lends itself) about Bible studies, I recommend this book without reservation.

This book goes through the Bible historically and gives you the latest in textual and archeological research. It is an easy read, and it seems written for mass consumption, but it is not unscholarly. It is for true students of the Holy Scriptures and not for people who think the holy books are magic words from God. It is a sane, yet reverent approach to the study of ancient literature which we believe is inspired by God. It is NOT fundamentalist. If you are serious about Bible studies, then I recommend this volume whole-heartedly.

I find this book very helpful in preparing for bible study and for the other teacher in Sunday school help them teach the lessons to the children.