Book Review: The 101 Most Unusual Diseases and Disorders

There is developing public interest in strange and rare medical conditions, as evidenced by the popularity of television programs such as Discovery Life’s Mystery Diagnosis and Animal Planet’s Monsters Inside Me. Of reference works about rare conditions, many focus on specialized topics or are intended for health practitioners. Here, the author, Evelyn B. Kelly, writes in her introduction: “this book is intended for a lay audience who does not necessarily want or need to know all of the medical minutiae related to a particular condition” (xiv). Consequently, The 101 Most Unusual Diseases and Disorders may be an appropriate addition for some non-medical libraries.