Abstract
The first edition of this book was released in 1999 and has been updated five years later. This second edition claims to supply the most current, critical knowledge on the real risks that endocrine disruptors pose to the population. This book includes detailed examples of the breadth with which xenobiotics can impact the endocrine system. The book is written for a general scientific audience with little or no pathological perspective on the topic of endocrine disruption. For the veterinary pathologist with an interest in this topic, a wealth of information is presented on a variety of issues regarding endocrine disruption. This second edition is organized and presented in virtually an identical format as the first edition with almost all of the same authors. The first section of this book generally describes effects and mechanisms of xenoestrogens on the female reproductive system including updates on both traditional and newly discovered modes of endocrine disruption. The second section presents the case of endocrine disruption on male reproduction including male fertility and sexual dysfunction, environmental androgens and antiandrogens, prostatic disease and updates on metals. The sections of the book do not stay strictly within the divisions of female or male reproductive effects; rather, the organization may have been easier to follow under the general modes of action (e.g. estrogen, androgen) rather than apparent effect. Each individual chapter is fairly easy to read, although the overall flow and perspective of the book seems to shift between basic academic research and applied clinical research. There are very few illustrations and tables, with only a couple of chapters including comprehensive figures on a particular topic. Overall, the references are generally only marginally current, but appear to be adequate to address the recent changes in the field since the first edition of this book. The index serves perhaps as one of the more useful organizational features of this book considering the variety of issues encompassing endocrine disruption, as this index appears to include most of the desired key words in this field. The various chapters are written by experts in their fields, and as such, accurate and current information within a historical context is presented quite appropriately. One of the few criticisms is the absence of appropriate space dedicated to the current concerns about environmental thyroid disruptors in the context of reproduction. In addition, there is limited information presented on how endocrine disruption has impacted regulatory risk assessment. Despite the widespread interest in endocrine disruption in the lay public, scientific community, and the regulatory arena, there are relatively few books that adequately cover the scientific breadth of this field to the extent done in this book. In general, this text is a valuable and current resource that puts together virtually all the disparate mechanisms and examples of potential endocrine disruption in a single book.