Recently, we published an infographic that provided a snapshot of the pathology book publishing landscape. Now, we’re diving further into the key books every pathologist should know about in 2022.
Doody’s Core Titles is an annual list of the most distinguished titles in the health sciences. The first such list was published in 2004 after it was announced that the Brandon/Hill Selected Lists, which had served the medical library community for nearly 40 years, were to be discontinued. Doody’s Core Titles aims to be a collection development tool for health sciences librarians, especially those in small or hospital libraries, by identifying the titles that should be considered “core” to any health sciences collection – and selection for the list has come to be regarded as one of the highest honors a health sciences book can receive.
Each year, content specialists and seasoned librarians come together to select and score the most important book titles in 121 specialty areas. Content specialists use their expertise in the field and reference the entire database of Doody’s expert book reviews to make their selections. Librarians use their in-depth collection development knowledge and liaising experience to make additional selections then score each title. Finally, librarians designate which of the selected titles should be considered “essential purchases” for any health sciences library.
The 2021 list features 22 core titles in pathology, of which six are considered “essential purchases.” To learn more about a few of these key books, read on…
Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, 10th Edition
First published in 1957, this is one of the most venerated pathology books of the 20th and 21st centuries. Edited by veterans of pathology book publishing (Vinay Kumar, Abul Abbas, and Jon Aster), this book has served as both textbook and reference on the pathologic basis of medicine for generations of medical students. In his review, Ivan Damjanov states that he “cannot imagine a major modern textbook of pathology could be written better than this.”
Enzinger and Weiss’s Soft Tissue Tumors, 7th Edition
This soft tissue pathology text is another mainstay reference in library collections. For over 35 years, it has provided pathology trainees and surgical pathologists with comprehensive coverage of soft tissue tumors and diagnostics. In his review, Kyle Perry indicates that Enzinger and Weiss “remains the premier reference for soft tissue pathology… [it] should be considered a necessity for anyone who has even an occasional interaction with soft tissue tumors.”
Stocker and Dehner’s Pediatric Pathology, 5th Edition
Stocker and Dehner was originally published as a two-volume set in 1992 simply called Pediatric Pathology. Covering all aspects of general, organ system, and forensic pathology, this comprehensive single volume, just released in June, is the only pediatric-focused Core Title in pathology and is one of only three books on the list with a woman, Aliya Husain, as lead editor. In her review of the fourth edition, Camelia Stefanovici writes that Stocker and Dehner “is a must-have for anybody who signs out pediatric pathology specimens and performs perinatal and pediatric autopsies.”
Histology for Pathologists, 5th Edition
First published in 1992, this text straddles histology and pathology by contrasting normal tissue functions and pathological alterations. Written by and for anatomic pathologists, this is the only histology-focused text selected as a Core Title in pathology. In her review, Anamarija Perry lauds this text as “one of the most popular textbooks in pathology” and suggests that it “is probably the only histology book that a pathologist would ever need.”
Greenfield’s Neuropathology – Two-Volume Set, 9th Edition
Just before the first edition of this text was published in 1958, its senior author and editor (J. Godwin Greenfield, for whom the book would later be titled), passed away suddenly after suffering a heart attack. This set carries on Greenfield’s legacy and comprehensively covers the pathological and clinical manifestations of neurological disease. In a review, Sherry Krawitz states, “Every neuropathologist needs to have Greenfield’s Neuropathology at hand for constant reference.”
The Art and Science of Cytopathology – Four-Volume Set, 2nd Edition
This encyclopedic set is one of the oldest Core Titles in pathology and doubles the size of its 1996 first edition. It is one of two titles published by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Press selected as Core Titles in pathology; ASCP Press is the only association publisher with titles on the list. In her review, Fang Fan calls this set “a masterpiece of cytopathology” and further writes, “If there is a perfect book for cytology, this is it. It provides the most comprehensive review of cytopathology in all organ systems.”
To learn more about Doody’s Core Titles, click here
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