This book consisted of four chapters, the first and last of which were a fast and intriquing read. The two middle chapters were full of complex and iffy statistics which lead to very interesting conclusions. However, one couldn't help feeling that the said conclusions could have been made without the tedious statistics. Especially since data from the ancient world is spotty at best. However, if you ever see this book sitting in a used book store I recommend that you purchase it, I guarantee that you will not come across many books like it very often. The theme of the book seems to be death oriented, and a bit, well, odd. This book is sure to be an unique experience.

For a book that conspicuously describes itself as a "pocket sized manual", the Manual of Common Bedside Surgical Procedures is curiously large. Measuring 6 inches in width from spiral binding to cover edge, the manual is the exact same dimensions as the pockets of 3 of my lab coats (all by different manufacturers). Thus, it is impossible to put this book in the pocket of a size 38 lab coat. Nonetheless, it is the only major complaint this reviewer has about this book.

Written by the Halsted Residents at Johns Hopkins Hospital, the book covers most of the common bedside procedures any surgical, IM or ER resident may encounter. Many handbooks cover a few of these topics (ie, nasogastric intubation, urinary catheterization,sutures, etc.) but not nearly in depth as does Chen's work. From Airway Management,through vascular access procedures, lumbar punctures, splinting to needle biopsies and joint injections the book covers everything well. Each procedure includes:

-indications for the procedure -contraindications -anesthesia needed (if any) -equipment ( I LOVE having a "shopping list" handy when I'm doing procedures) -patient positioning -step by step technique instructions -complications and management after the procedure

Several of the procedures also have graphics to aid in the positioning of the device,incision site,or relevant anatomy.

The book does provide a cautionary warning in the Preface that experience and knowledge cannot be replaced by simply following directions in a book. Despite this statement, I was suprised that some of more highly specialized procedures did not contain enough information about the difficulty or the suitability for a house officer. For example, when the vermillion border of the lip is disrupted, a 1 mm error in matching up the edges is visible to the naked eye. Because of this and the potential for scarring on the face, most surgical residents I know prefer to leave such procedures to Plastic Surgeons and/or their residents. It would perhaps be prudent for some of the more specialized and/or potentially troublesome procedures to include mention of the pitfalls and the possible need for consultation.

All in all, the book is a valuable resource for the fresh resident and I would recommend it to anyone doing a surgical, medicine, or emergency medicine residency as an asset to their book collection.

The author, an esteemed university professor of history, takes an unorthodox approach with this book on the Late Antique/Early Christian period. The book reads almost like a novel, in that Hopkins sets up actual scenarios of people traveling back in time to witness for themselves what Rome was really like (they visit Pompeii in 76 A.D. - in enough time to escape Vesuvius). Other travelers visit other areas of the Roman Empire later in the first century and on into the fourth (i.e., Syria and Egypt). While the premise smacks of the new Michael Crichton novel envolving time travel, Hopkins does thoroughly footnote, and his bibliography indicates extensive study of the major scholars in the field. While this new approach may be problematic to some, it is fresh and opens up new ideas for further study. For instance, Hopkins recreates a Roman bath house, with obvious attention payed to the aftifacts that have been discovered and written accounts of life in Rome that have survived to the present day. There are some problems: passing by houses in Pompeii that display mosaics of dogs that say, in Latin, beware of the dog, Hopkins proposes that the dog, in reality, would be chained there as well. There is literally no way to know this for sure. While problematic in certain details, Hopkins should be commended for producing a vivid account of the period, a time in history that is already receiving a reassessment from scholars in many areas of research.

The borders between history and fiction blur in Mr. Hopkins book, yielding an interesting read, but a lurking impression that maybe this isn't really history. It left me with rather the same feeling I have after reading a well-researched historical novel -- just how much artistic license has the author taken. Without having a broad base of knowledge, one must trust that Mr. Hopkins knows his subject and has only taken license in presentation is he believes that his fictional creations do not materially alter the facts. Although I don't expect his method will soon change the way history is written, I did enjoy his genre-bending; his approach kept my interest to the end and I did pick up some interesting information about religious trends that competed with Christianity in its formative years.

Some have criticized Hopkins' book for not being scholarly. If they mean by this that it does not bore the reader with yet another positivist history of early christianity, they are right. However, critics cannot fault the author for his research. The footnotes present factual evidence in the scholarly tradition to back up Hopkins' interpretation. This book is way overdue. It meticulously and creatively lays out the context of the christian origins. The lay reader will come away with an existential hermeneutic of history based on informed knowledge of the context of christian origins. This is the most important contribution of Hopkins' book. The author traces the role of episcopal christianity in establishing the 1)canon of scripture (necessitated by Marcion and then gnostic christians), 2)the chain of bishops(replacing reliance on Jewish scriptures for legitimacy), and 3) the rule of faith. This sequence was critical in creating the identity of that form of christianity that became a historical force to be reckoned with. The bishops forged a historical reality from the myth of Christ, thus institutionalizing the church under their control. The modern secular world has compartmentalized religion to time and place. The ancient world was not secular. Religious symbolism was literally "in your face" for the ancients. Hopkins does the interested modern a service by opening the door to the complex and syncretistic cultural world of the Roman Empire. In short this book provides a useful tool for appreciating, not merely gaining information, about the world, challenges, and contributions of christianity.