Surveying the whole field of medicine, Taylor Prewitt, a retired cardiologist, shows himself to be an entertaining guide as he brings us a commentary collection of some sixty books written by or about doctors, patients, and others who help in time of need--such as Florence Nightingale, whose name is almost synonymous with nursing, and Thomas Lynch, a Michigan undertaker who is a poet. This collection illustrates the same variety that doctors encounter at their offices, the same variety that any of us encounter in walking down a crowded street. There are several examples of the history of...

The Way They Lived Then reviews all forty-seven of Anthony Trollope's novels, a little known trove of leisurely examinations of the world of nineteenth century England. Writing with the casual authority of one who has enjoyed reading these works for some forty years, Taylor Prewitt has given us a new look at this energetic writer. Trollope's novels are a hidden treasure; they provide a sly and a wry look at the world of the Victorians.