Well I've actually narrowed it down to Sternberg or Weidner but needed the Rosai to rhyme...
In order to decide where best to spend my money, I read a chapter of each of these 4 textbooks to compare, though I am limited by not having the latest edition of each in the residents' library here. I'm still conflicted and wanted to hear some other opinions especially since there are 2 new editions out this summer.
Sternberg 5th ed 2009 $335
Rosai 9th ed 2004 $372
Silverberg 4th ed 2005 $374
Weidner 2nd ed 2009 $367
Rosai 9th ed: Reads well, formatting and organization are good, fewer pictures than the other options (deal breaker), pictures are good quality, microscopic descriptions are shorter than I'd like.
Silverberg 4th ed: Important information is presented in tables and not mentioned in the text body at all (deal breaker), text font is small, organization is good, some typos, more pictures than Rosai but no gross images, pictures are good quality, nice microscopic descriptions, other residents like this due to having cytology included.
Sternberg 3rd ed: Readability is lower than Rosai, sections on individual topics seem longer than either Rosai or Silverberg (main drawback if I ever want to get through a book), more topics are covered than in other books, nice summary of treatment options, sometimes too much detail about clinical stuff (drawback), good formatting and organization, heavy use of acronyms, pictures are good quality and I love that they are grouped by disease so you see the gross and microscopic on the same page, more pictures included on histologic variants than in other texts, good gross descriptions. This evaluation was limited by using an old edition. I wonder if newer editions are as long-winded. Is there access to additional pictures on an accompanying CD or website? I know the 5th ed will have an online text but it doesn't sound like any new photos there.
Weidner 1st ed: Reads well, formatting and organization are good, some typos, fewer pictures in the textbook but there is a CD with more pictures, the printed pictures are of poor quality compared to the other books (main drawback), microscopic descriptions do a good job of highlighting those features that will help you narrow down your differential, immunohistochemistry is presented in terms of the differential and made more sense than other books. I would hope the new edition improved on the images but does anyone know? I don't want to buy it if it still has yellow backgrounds and low resolution on the photomicrographs.
In order to decide where best to spend my money, I read a chapter of each of these 4 textbooks to compare, though I am limited by not having the latest edition of each in the residents' library here. I'm still conflicted and wanted to hear some other opinions especially since there are 2 new editions out this summer.
Sternberg 5th ed 2009 $335
Rosai 9th ed 2004 $372
Silverberg 4th ed 2005 $374
Weidner 2nd ed 2009 $367
Rosai 9th ed: Reads well, formatting and organization are good, fewer pictures than the other options (deal breaker), pictures are good quality, microscopic descriptions are shorter than I'd like.
Silverberg 4th ed: Important information is presented in tables and not mentioned in the text body at all (deal breaker), text font is small, organization is good, some typos, more pictures than Rosai but no gross images, pictures are good quality, nice microscopic descriptions, other residents like this due to having cytology included.
Sternberg 3rd ed: Readability is lower than Rosai, sections on individual topics seem longer than either Rosai or Silverberg (main drawback if I ever want to get through a book), more topics are covered than in other books, nice summary of treatment options, sometimes too much detail about clinical stuff (drawback), good formatting and organization, heavy use of acronyms, pictures are good quality and I love that they are grouped by disease so you see the gross and microscopic on the same page, more pictures included on histologic variants than in other texts, good gross descriptions. This evaluation was limited by using an old edition. I wonder if newer editions are as long-winded. Is there access to additional pictures on an accompanying CD or website? I know the 5th ed will have an online text but it doesn't sound like any new photos there.
Weidner 1st ed: Reads well, formatting and organization are good, some typos, fewer pictures in the textbook but there is a CD with more pictures, the printed pictures are of poor quality compared to the other books (main drawback), microscopic descriptions do a good job of highlighting those features that will help you narrow down your differential, immunohistochemistry is presented in terms of the differential and made more sense than other books. I would hope the new edition improved on the images but does anyone know? I don't want to buy it if it still has yellow backgrounds and low resolution on the photomicrographs.
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