THE TRUTH ABOUT HERPES, THIRD EDITION. Sacks, Stephen L. Vancouver, Gordon Soules, 1988. 216pp. paper, $14.95, ISBN 0-919574-58-0. CIP Grades 12 and up Reviewed by Ruth Bainbridge Volume 17 Number 1 1989 January Herpes. What is it? Do I have it? If not, how do I avoid getting it? If I have it, how do I refrain from infecting others? The answers to these and other questions are provided in the new, updated edition of The Truth about Herpes by Dr. Stephen Sacks. Sacks is the founder and director of the Herpes Clinic at UBC as well as an associate professor of medicine. A specialist in infectious diseases, he is an international expert on genital herpes and he has done much to educate the world about this disease. The Truth about Herpes covers the topic of herpes comprehensively, dealing with such aspects as herpes simplex; genital herpes-the symptoms, diagnosis, transmission and therapy; herpes and its connection with cancer; and other related topics. The purpose of the book is to remind health care professionals as well as the general public that herpes is everyone's problem. The format is primarily that of question and answer arranged under chapter headings. There is an expanded table of contents as well as an index to facilitate fact-finding. Technical concepts are explained in relatively simple terms, resulting in a book that is both readable and useful to health care personnel as a teaching tool. Photographs, both in colour and in black and white, along with diagrams, are interspersed throughout the text. Most people during their lifetime will have come in direct contact with one of the five currently known types of herpes that affect humans. Reading this book is a painless way to become educated about this endemic disease. For those who wish to delve into the topic in more detail, a list of suggested reading is also included. Recommended for all adults with a minimum grade 10 reading level. Ruth Bainbridge, Humber Community College, Rexdale, Ont.