Download Clinical Immunology: An Introductory Text (Vademecum) eBook

When we survey libraries, including med school, university and private research labs, Vademecum is cited consistently in the top 10 in Immunology.

Yet, when we poll professors, med students and practicing teachers (both practicing immunology and teaching), for over a decade, a little 141 page, 8.5 x 11" monograph comes out in the top three! The book is Dr. Sompayrac's: How the Immune System Works, Includes Desktop Edition.

I'm adding this supplement to the reviews on this text to help any student struggling with macro concepts, and any professor who wants their class to really GET immunology. Here is my review from that book's Amazon page in case you want to consider this (I have nothing to do with the authors or publishers of this text, this is only for YOUR benefit, our readers and shoppers):

A few reviews have said that this little 141 page text is "dated." Two persepectives:

1. The material covered is timeless. Our understanding of T and B cells will evolve over time, but the basic function, and the ideas of receptor sites, etc. are so fundamental that a few decades here or there cannot possibly subtract from the immense value of this text.

2. Current thinking ("2020") is that we're entering an era of completely recasting the immune system, with as revolutionary a paradigm shift as recombinant DNA itself. One aspect of this is thinking of this system as multiple systems (6 or more in some literature). Another is the role of microRNA (small ds- double stranded RNA) and the epigenomic phenomena of RNA-interference.

These phenomena don't subtract from antibody or cell mediated immunity as models, they ADD to them. For complete coverage of the new models, without spending a fortune on a whole text, see any book or recent article by Dr. Bagasra, including: Immunology and the Quest for an HIV Vaccine: A New Perspective.

That out of the way, when our ClassPros and Library Picks surveys poll med students, THIS little text has come up in the top 5 for over a decade! How is it possible, with texts of 1,000 pages, that an 8.5 x 11" 141 page, colorful "High School" looking monograph consistently takes these honors?

The answer is the astonishing flow of the metaphors coupled with "aha" pictures and illustrations on every page. Each page, though PACKED with information, is told like a story, and the pictures, both descriptive and visual, "stick" in your mind in a way that allows a synthesis that no other text has ever achieved, in my opinion (I'm a molecular biologist) in ANY field I've reviewed! Lauren makes the field "seem" understandable with only the most basic understanding of bio, and every reader here knows that simply isn't true--immunology is one of the most complex, rapidly changing fields in all of bio.

You can literally get more insight into the CURRENT view of the immune system from an integrative point of view with intuitive understanding with two days immersed in this book than a semester with Janeway (888 pages), Parham (600 pages) or Male (480 pages). I'm not knocking those fine texts, and you certainly need their detail, but without Sompayrac, you will sincerely miss the "whole picture" that relates SO many topics. As an intro, a reference (now comes with fully searchable pdf), a supplement, or even just an enjoyable popular science review that will make you a LOT smarter than those who took Janeway but missed this (;=)), I cannot recommend this enough, and intend to make sure the adjunctive option is on all those Amazon text pages for the benefit of all of us struggling with this wonderful but challenging field.

Library Picks reviews only for the benefit of Amazon shoppers and has nothing to do with Amazon, the authors, manufacturers or publishers of the items we review. We always buy the items we review for the sake of objectivity, and although we search for gems, are not shy about trashing an item if it's a waste of time or money for Amazon shoppers. If the reviewer identifies herself, her job or her field, it is only as a point of reference to help you gauge the background and any biases.

In the increasingly integrative environment of the biological sciences, "Clinical Immunology" serves as a handy resource for researchers as well as physicians. It provides the novice with a clearly written elaboration of the language, the concepts and functions of the immune system. It is one of the most frequently used reference texts in my library.

This text, like most first edition books, contains numerous errors, defects in organization, and is in much need of revision. In addition, the index is grossly incomplete, making it difficult to find information. Some of the diagrams are helpful, however, they can, in their entirety, be found in other immunology texts, like the Lange Review Series Immuno/Micro text (0-8385-6287-6). Not the preferred introductory book for medical students, nor a bargain at ( ).