Description

As a reference book, Kiernan’s “Histological and Histochemical Methods (3rd Edition)” is an excellent text that would be a valuable addition to the bookcase of any Histology laboratory.

In particular, he provides a scientific explanation for many reactions that may otherwise be taken for granted – and a degree of detail that sets the book apart from others in the same field (the chapters on fixation and dye chemistry are especially worth reading). The information is given in a clear, easy to follow manner and each topic covered in a remarkably comprehensive fashion, although the layout is not sufficiently user-friendly for the book to be used as an “at the bench” recipe book. There is also a lack of photomicrographs and few drawings or diagrams – the quality of which is variable – so the book could not be described as aesthetically pleasing.

There are also some curious omissions from the book – as there have been in earlier editions – particularly methods for exogenous and endogenous pigments and some micro-organisms. These omissions mean that Kiernan is more suitable as an addition to a Histology laboratory’s library rather than a starting point – but if, for example, you want to know how diaminobenzidine works (and you should!) then Kiernan is a book you should not be without.