As a medical student, literature searching was always something I loathed. While necessary and clearly important, I found it to be frustrating, time-consuming, and a sometimes fruitless exercise. This is a view which has only been strengthened upon entering postgraduate research. It is with this in mind that I regret this book was not available in the University library when I recently attempted to write a short review on Dengue virus.

The book presents the reader with a complete account of Dengue fever in a generally well-organized and informative, yet highly accessible manner. Whilst I found the history and evolution of the virus particularly interesting, the way the authors actively encouraged the reader to provide a fresh perspective on the topic was especially enjoyable. From the very first chapter one feels, or at least I did, as though they are directly contributing to research in this area from simply reading the book.

At times the arrangement of the book is a little curious, with certain topics repeated and the placement of others in the text somewhat counter-intuitive. This is only a minor observation however, with movement backwards and forwards through the book relatively infrequent.

Most importantly, this is a thorough and up-to-date account of dengue history, progression and current research. In addition to being an accessible source for those new to the field, this book will surely be a valuable point of reference for those who are fully immersed in it.