Five best reference books for a home library

Donald Altschiller, a librarian at Boston University, named a five best list of "reference books [that] are essential for a home library" for the Wall Street Journal.

One title on the list:

Merck Manual of Medical Information
Merck, 2003 (second ed.)

For more than a century, the drug-maker Merck & Co. has published a standard textbook for physicians known as the Merck Manual, but in 1997 the publisher issued its first home edition -- to the delight and edification of many families. Written and edited mostly by physicians and other health-care experts, this expanded and revised second edition includes 25 sections, lucidly written and handsomely illustrated, covering diseases and disorders, symptoms, common medical tests, and many other health topics. "A person whose nose bleeds, hurts, and is swollen after a blunt injury may have a broken nose," reads a typically practical entry. "Applying ice packs every 2 hours for 15 minutes at a time and sleeping with the head elevated help limit pain and swelling; however, medical attention is needed."

Read about all five books on Altschiller's list.

--Marshal Zeringue