True to its title, The Changing World of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Scherl & Dubinsky, 2009) focuses on the book title's subtitle: Impact of Generation, Gender, and Global Trends. Editors Scherl and Dubinsky and their contributing authors have provided a much-needed primer on issues that clinicians face regularly in their patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This includes age-related differences, gender differences, and epidemiologic trends.

As stated in the Foreword, the book focuses on the patient life cycle as it relates to IBD. This unique approach mirrors the cyclical nature of IBD. Taking an approach that combines an evidence-based approach (read- clinical trial data) with clinical expertise, the book is unique in medicine and healthcare.

The book is organized into the following five sections: (1) introduction to the life cycle of IBD, (2) IBD and the pediatric patient, (3) IBD and the young adult, (4) IBD in the elderly, and (5) special considerations in the management of the IBD life cycle. Individual chapters are short and to the point, with a wealth of references. The tables are clear; figures and pictures are few.

In short, this book should be required reading for any nurse working with IBD patients. While not a text book that covers all information about the management of the person with IBD, it is a useful guide for clinicians of all types, focusing on some important but neglected topics.