As a second-year medical student, I recall studying cardiology one evening when my brother Andrew asked me to look at a rash that developed on his trunk. I did not have a clue as to how to make any dermatologic diagnosis. So, after Andrew accused my father of wasting tuition money on my evidently inadequate education, I thought it proper to register for a dermatology elective in my fourth year. I reasoned that, regardless of whatever field I would ultimately choose, I would inevitably be confronted with some cutaneous dilemmas. It was with tremendous fortune that I subsequently trained at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, under the tutelage of Michael Fisher, MD, the former head of the illustrious division of dermatology. It was during my training that I befriended the attending physician, Dr. Herb Goodheart. Herb always provided special insights, wisdom, and compassion in the evaluation of even the most rudimentary dermatologic disorders. He is a stellar teacher and dermatologist, who has compiled his years of perspicacity into this guide to dermatology.

As we begin the twenty-first century, the landscape of American medicine and dermatology is changing at an accelerating pace. Even though we can now comprehend many skin disorders at a molecular level and have advanced our therapeutic realm to include laser technology and immunobiology, the cornerstone of all dermatologic endeavors will always be careful clinical observation. As venues of practice shift toward a greater proportion of primary dermatologic care being delivered by nondermatologists, resources for these providers must be accessible, comprehensible, and practical. Dr. Goodheart's guide to dermatology is divided into common disorders, the interrelationship between the skin and systemic diseases, basic and advanced dermatologic procedures, and a very useful appendix that provides patient handout material in both English and Spanish. Importantly, it combines features of an atlas with Herb's pithy perspectives, as though he is standing over your shoulder in the dermatology clinic. I am pleased to see that this fourth edition of Goodheart's has Dr. Mercedes E. Gonzalez contributing her considerable knowledge of pediatric dermatology and pediatrics. I am certain that such an addition will be an invaluable tool to help clinicians navigate through the various dermatologic disorders of all ages and will make it an invaluable resource for pediatricians as well as those in primary care.

Those who use this guide will come to appreciate many of the finer points and opinions that Drs. Goodheart and Gonzalez provide and even more so when becoming more facile with the discipline. Use this guide as a primer, an atlas, a consultant, and as a supplement to more in-depth dermatology texts and medical literature. Your dermatologic knowledge base will flourish, your appreciation of the field will blossom, and most importantly, your patients will benefit from your expertise.

Warren R.Heymann, MD
Head, Division of Dermatology
UMDNJ—Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine at Camden
Newark, New Jersey