Kelley’s Textbook of Rheumatology: Expert Consult Premium Edition – Enhanced Online Features and Print, 2-Volume Set, 9e

Book Preface

Rheumatology continues to evolve and inspire as a discipline that occupies the forefront of molecular medicine and novel targeted therapies. The previous edition of the Textbook built on a proud heritage of excellence but was distinguished by change: new editors, more color, new online access, and many other features. Matching the extraordinary pace of change in our field, this new edition continues a grand tradition by accelerating our commitment to excellence in the face of the changing world of publishing. The most obvious examples are the editors for this edition.

Three distinguished and longtime colleagues, “The Three Amigos” who were the heart and soul of the Textbook for a generation, have stepped down: Shaun Ruddy, John Sergent, and Ted Harris. Ted passed away recently but left a legacy that will endure (see dedication to the 9th edition). Finding new editors of such high caliber was daunting, but fortunately we met the challenge when we convinced Jim O’Dell and Sherine Gabriel to join our intrepid crew. They brought incredible new strength and expertise, especially in clinical medicine, clinical trials, outcomes research, and epidemiology.

The 9th edition includes a multitude of new authors and chapters. Improved graphics and more easily accessible online content are also features of this edition. The print edition now limits the number of references because we preferred to use allotted pages for scientific content rather than long lists of articles. The complete citations are, however, still available online.

The initial preparative stages of the book occurred, like the last edition, in Costa Rica, where we slaved away for days on the Table of Contents and in selecting an outstanding group of authors. We admit that some fun and entertainment occurred as well, organized and supervised by Linda Lyons Firestein, MD. We also thank the Elsevier staff who braved the rigors of tropical paradise with us, Pam Hetherington and Janice Gaillard. But mostly we want to thank the authors who put in countless hours writing chapters and putting up with our constant haranguing out of love for our discipline, readers, and students.

We hope that you enjoy the Textbook as much as we enjoyed preparing it. The journey has been a formidable and gratifying collegial effort. Because our “Textbook of Rheumatology Costa Rica” Headquarters was sold in 2011, we are searching the globe for alternative sites when it is time to prepare the 10th edition. Although we do not yet know how the next edition will evolve, one certainty is that it will continue the tradition of excellence.

The Editors