are illustrated with excellent draw­ings. I was initially impressed also bythe neat summary of information inthe first chapter. However, this chap­ter concerned cervical problems, withwhich I have limited clinical experi­ence. When I came to the three chap­ters on upper extremity disorders, Idiscovered errors of omission that gaveme serious misgivings about the con ­tent of the other chapters.

I feel that if Dr . Swezey had beenmore familiar with the available lit­erature on hand and upper extremityrehabilitation, he would have simpli­fied his approach, recognizing that itis impossible to adequately cover allthe ground he attempted to cover inso little space. His readers would bebetter served with fewer specific treat­ment recommendations and referral tomore comprehensive sources for fur­ther information. As it is, he makesmisinformed suggestions, such as athumb-positioning splint that immo­bilizes the thumb CMC and MP jointsin a nonfunctional position, with a vo­lar base that would further limit op­position by blocking ulnar metacarpalmobility. He recommends some exer­cises , such as passive PIP flexion, with­out giving guidelines as to the dangersof stressing lax joints. He neglects anumber of treatment options, includ-

DO YOU LIKE TO WRITE?

We are looking for ASHT mem­bers who can write thoughtful, concisebook reviews. Years of experience arenot a prerequisite, but strong writingand analytical skills are essential. Ifyouhave been looking for a way to becomemore active in your Society, here is anopportunity to do so, and at the sametime to become better acquainted withthe growing body of hand rehabilita­tion literature.

If you are interested, write to Kar­en Stewart, MS, OTR, at:

218 JOURNAL OF HAND THERAPY

ing many possible splints. This ap­pears to reflect both difficulty priori­tizing material to be covered, andinadequate research into state of theart upper extremity rehabilitation. Anexamination of the references cited inthe wrist and hand chapter reveals thatthe author's main sources are the Ar­thritis Foundation, an orthopedic text,and his own work. He has not cited asingle well-recognized expert withinthe field of hand rehabilitation.

Indeed, the author, a physicianwith extensive experience in rheu­matology, internal medicine, andphysical medicine and rehabilitation,mentions physical and occupationaltherapists only one or two times, andnever specifically discusses their rolesor the fact that they are the individualsmaking those splints and treating thosepatients. There is no discussion of phy­sician communication with therapists,patients, and allied health profession­als, and no recognition of their essen­tial contribution to treatment plan­ning and implementation. The bookwould have benefited greatly from ashort description of each allied healthprofessional's role in the rehabilitationteam, and examples where appropri­ate. Such references might avoid po­tential communication problems byencouraging inexperienced rheuma-

Stewart Hand Therapy Group50 Maple Street, Suite 203Springfield, MA 01103(413) 732-4195

You may submit a review, follow­ing the ASHT guidelines (availablefrom Hanley & Belfus, 210 South 13thSt., Philadelphia, PA 19107), or suggestthe name of a book you would like toreview. This should be a book to whichyou have access, whether from yourown library or on loan. In the future,if you become a staff book reviewer,

tology residents, for example, to ac­knowledge and utilize the expertise oftherapists.

When I received this book for re­view, I hoped I had found a usefulhandbook to which I could turn, if notfor detailed information on the upperextremity at least for help in under­standing and treating related joint andsoft-tissue disorders. I hoped also to beable to recommend the book to phy­sicians seeking information on reha­bilitation. Although I feel competentto judge the content of only the upperextremity chapters, I expect that thelimitations in these chapters are pres­ent in the others. The author has triedto address a broad field in too muchdetail, and thereby has made seriouserrors of omission. He gives insuffi­cient importance to the growing fieldof hand and upper extremity rehabil­itation, and has thus neglected a sig­nificant body of literature. Therefore,in spite of the author's evident exper­tise in the medical aspects of this field,and in spite of my agreement with hispragmatic and patient-oriented ap­proach to rehabilitation, I am unableto recommend this book to either phy­sicians or therapists.

Karen M. Stewart, MS, OTR

you will be sent free copies of booksto review.

If you can write a perceptive andthought-provoking book review, youcan help others in our professionchoose which of the many new pub­lications to purchase, and in so doing,you will influence the direction of fur­ther writing in the field .

Karen Stewart, MS, OTR