March 2012 - Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine

BOOK REVIEWS | SCOPE
rapidly proceeds from basic concepts to
rigorous applications and this is certainly
achieved.
Any text that includes non-ionising
radiation with ionising radiation runs the
risk of trying to be all things to all people,
but in this case the analysis of many
disciplines is one of this book’s strengths in
that it discusses a generic application to
health physics and its management in
numerous applications.
A further aspect of this book is that it
provides an ideal opportunity for trainees to
develop their knowledge and this is
enhanced by the liberal sprinkling of
worked examples and testing questions.
Furthermore, the use of references is
rigorous and valuable in its own right.
Finally the appendices are very helpful
including subjects such as a mathematical
review, data for gamma dose calculations
and electromagnetic relationships.
Overall, this text is very highly
recommended.
Professor Malcolm Sperrin, Director of
Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering at
the Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Trust,
Reading
BASIC HEALTH PHYSICS: PROBLEMS AND
SOLUTIONS (SECOND EDITION)
JOSEPH JOHN BEVELACQUA
Publisher: Wiley-VCH
ISBN:978-3-527-40823-8
Pages: 768
to the minute in every respect.
There is new material on PET and
PET/CT, and revised information about
doses to patients and the general public.
Digital receptors and the differences
between analogue and digital images are
covered as well as image networking and
PACS. Having recently had my wrist x-
rayed, I have seen the advantages for a
consultant of bringing up an image at the
press of a computer key instead of putting
a hard copy on a viewing box, although
there is some lack of detail as a result. But
the new chapter on digital storage and
imaging will help readers to understand
the problems of digital image quality.
Perhaps a new generation of physicists
may devise further improvements.
The original purpose of this book was
to instruct trainee radiologists. The
questions at the end of each chapter are
designed with the FRCR in mind, but a
generation of trainee physicists has also
found these to be an invaluable aid. I
highly recommend this new edition to
both of these groups.
Professor Angela Newing, Gloucestershire
NHS Foundation Trust (retired)
PHYSICS FOR DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY (THIRD
EDITION)
P.P. DENDY AND B. HEATON
Publisher: CRC Press (Taylor & Francis)
ISBN: 478-1-4200-8315-6
Pages: 670 + index (25pp.)
Popular Science
starlight is a discussion on how energy from
the sun is harnessed and used, and how to
survive an earthquake discusses wave
propagation and fracture mechanics.
Whilst questioning the applicability of
this book to the medical physics community,
it never does any harm to review the
broader applications of our core science
training.
I would have liked to have seen a less
trendy title but having said that, I struggle
to think of one that fits the nature of this
book.
This text is another one for the staff room
or for someone with a scientific interest who
may like a challenging read.
Professor Malcolm Sperrin, Director of
Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering at
the Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Trust,
Reading
HOW TO DESTROY THE UNIVERSE
PAUL PARSONS
Publisher: Quercus Publishing Plc
ISBN: 978-1-84916-479-5
Pages: 224
“
The chapter on how to
harness starlight is a
discussion on how energy
from the sun is harnessed
and used
”
Physics for
Diagnostic Radiology
This textbook has now reached its third
edition, indicating how useful and popular
it has proved to be. Since its first edition in
1987 and its second in 1999, radiology and
imaging generally have continued to
advance rapidly. This new edition has
extra input provided by nine scientists
active in the field of radiological physics as
well as the two original authors. All of the
chapters have been revised and updated.
Some of the early ones might have
benefitted from the addition of more upto-date
references and book lists for
further reading, but later chapters are up
How to Destroy the
Universe
I am not really a major fan of ‘popular
science’ books since they rarely achieve
their stated aim of providing a digestible
explanation of complex concepts. However,
with that reservation in mind, I opened this
book and was pleasantly surprised. For
those who remember the traditional
teaching of physics and other pure
sciences, this book describes many of the
applications of physics that often provided
the illustrations for difficult concepts. So,
for instance, the chapter on how to harness
Science 1001
The sub-title (Absolutely Everything You
Need to Know About Science in 1001 Bitesized
Explanations) may be a little
ambitious but the content is a step-up
from the familiar popular science titles
that have become so familiar. The book
reads as would an encyclopaedia but is far
more digestible, providing considerable
insight into concepts which often demand
explanation. The book seems to bridge the
gap for the novice reader between
accurate explanations and accessible
science across a variety of disciplines
including physics, chemistry, earth science
and many others.
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SCOPE | MARCH 2012 | 47