Nutrition & Dietetics 2009; 66: 195–196
BOOK REVIEWS ndi_1366 195..••
Williams’ Basic Nutrition and Diet
Therapy. 13th Edition
Nix S. Mosby Elsevier, St Louis, Missouri, 2009, 535
pages, $99.00, ISBN 978-0-323-05199-6
Williams’ Basic Nutrition and Diet Therapy is an established text
written for the US market that provides an overview of the
fundamental concepts in nutrition. The book was first written
in 1958 by Sue Rodwell Williams and the 13th edition,
written by registered dietitian Staci Nix, is an updated version
of the 2005 edition. The preface describes the target audience
as nursing or health-related professionals, and diet aides or
technicians. There is a strong emphasis on the suitability of
the text for nursing students with 19 of the 45 reviewers
trained as registered nurses and associated with nursing
programs. However, the text could potentially be suitable for
teaching basic nutrition concepts to undergraduate nutrition
and dietetic students or those studying nutrition as part of
other allied health degrees, and members of the public who
wish to gain a greater insight into nutrition.
The book is set out in four sections that cover basic
principles of nutrition, lifecycle nutrition, community nutri-
tion and health care, and clinical nutrition. Part 1 covers the
macro- and micronutrients, digestion and metabolism,
energy and water balance. Nutrition through pregnancy and
lactation, infancy and childhood, and adolescence through
to adulthood are covered in Part 2. Part 3 focuses on cultural
and religious eating patterns, weight management and
physical fitness, food safety and nutrition labelling. Finally,
Part 4 covers the nutrition care process, and nutrition
therapy for gastrointestinal disease, heart disease, diabetes,
renal disease, surgery, cancer and AIDS.
Changes to the new edition include:
• More emphasis on disease prevention through nutrition
rather than the role of nutrition in the treatment of disease
• Increased focus on cultural diversity in relation to food
patterns and healthcare needs
• More emphasis on health promotion and the role of
nutrition
As with many introductory nutrition texts, this book is
written specifically for the US market and therefore has a
number of limitations for use by Australian dietitians and
educators. The units of measure used for energy are provided
as kilocalories, while weight and height are referred to in
pounds and feet. Although a conversion table is provided in
the appendices, converting to metric is a tedious activity for
the reader. The nutrient reference values are based on US
standards, and there is constant reference to the American
food supply, professional organisations and regulatory
bodies throughout the text. The chapter on food habits and
cultural patterns places a strong emphasis on North and
South American cuisine.
© 2009 The Authors
Journal compilation © 2009 Dietitians Association of Australia
DOI: 10.1111/j.1747-0080.2009.01366.
Although an extensive range of topics are covered in this
text, there is insufficient coverage for those wishing to
explore medical nutrition therapy, public health nutrition or
sports nutrition in any depth. The clinical nutrition section
(Part 4) is specifically written for nursing students and
appears slightly out of place within the context of the rest of
the text. The section on community nutrition and health care
is a mismatch of topics that could be expanded to compre-
hensively cover eating patterns and food use in society, and
the role of nutrition in chronic disease prevention.
The text is written in a conversational style, which may
appeal to some readers but may prove frustrating for indi-
viduals after a more scientific approach. Furthermore, the
text is minimally referenced throughout, although a list of
references and further readings are provided at the end of
each chapter. Each chapter has a section on clinical applica-
tions, critical thinking questions and basic level challenge
questions, which are useful additions for educators and stu-
dents. The text is well set out and the larger size is a welcome
addition. The book is particularly visually appealing with the
use of colour to highlight headings, key words, stand-alone
sections, photographs and figures. The inclusion of a com-
panion nutritional analysis software CD (‘Nutritrac’) is a
selling point of the book; however, this is based on American
food composition databases and standards of reference, and
would not be suitable for use in Australia.
It is unfortunate that there are currently few introductory
nutrition texts written from the Australian perspective that
offer similar resources and layout to this text. Despite the
obvious shortfalls, Williams’ Basic Nutrition and Diet Therapy
may be useful as an additional resource for educators, who
can provide directed readings for students.
Fiona Pelly, PhD, APD
Senior Lecturer Nutrition and Dietetics
University of the Sunshine Coast
Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
Essentials of Human Nutrition.
Third edition ndi_1367 195..••
Mann J and Truswell AS. Oxford University
Press, Oxford, 2007, 599 pages, $120.00, ISBN
9780199290970
This excellent textbook has been substantially revamped
from the second edition with the inclusion of a number of
different authors and many chapters completely revised.
This book is aimed towards students studying nutrition,
health and food science; health professionals, teachers and
food scientists; as well as an informed public. As such, it
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