This textbook, edited by Holtz (WellStar School of Nursing, Kennesaw State U.), is intended to serve as an undergraduate-level text providing background and summary of representative topics concerning world health issues and policies. It opens with portraits of healthcare policy, methods, and delivery in select developed and developing countries and summaries of global perspectives on economics and health care, politics and public health policy, health research methods, and research ethics. It then addresses special healthcare issues, including infectious diseases, complementary and alternative medicine, chronic cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and respiratory and orthopedic chronic diseases, cancer and public health, violence and occupational healthcare, nutrition, mental health, and environmental health. It also addresses significant issues that affect individuals at different stages of the lifespan and a few examples of nursing and healthcare issues specific to the countries of Georgia, Panama, the Philippines, and Mexico. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Read Less