The traditional "Pathophysiology" book is written for the medical student. Nursing and allied health students (usually at the sophomore level) have simply had to make-do with cumbersome (1500 to 1600 page) books, that assume considerably more science background than the typical allied health student has acquired. The Nowak book is not only briefer (at 700 pages) but is organized in a manner that brings the principles of pathophysiology to the forefront. The authors focus on the relatively few patterns of disease, rather than asking students to memorize extensive catalogs of specific diseases. This conceptual approach is more suited to the allied health student than the disease centered approach featured in the major competitors.