MRI: The Basics, Third Edition. Ray H. Hashemi, William G. Bradley, Jr., Christopher J. Lisanti (Editors). Wolters Kluwer Health, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 2010, 400 pages, 591 illustrations, $64.95.

What this third edition of MRI: The Basics written by Drs. Hashemi, Bradley, and Lisanti shows is that even the basics of MR are complex. This 400-page soft cover book does a fine job of not making the subject matter too complex (limited mathematical formulas) nor too simple (if it were too simple, there would be no foundation for a reasonably in depth understanding of MR and its current and evolving techniques). Despite this purported emphasis on “the basics”, the essentials of even more advanced techniques (DWI, tractography, MRS) are here. The strengths of this book are many; it is generously sprinkled with diagrams and representative images; key points are listed near the end of each chapter (but you still have to read the chapter itself); questions (8 to 10) end each chapter, with the answers at the end of the book. If you really want a stimulus to read the book, try first answering the questions on K space. Flagellating yourself in that manner will provide incentive to read the appropriate material (you probably won’t remember the details for long, but at least you know where to go to quickly refresh yourself).

There are two major sections of the book (1) Basic Concepts, (2) Fast Scanning. Also included are a lot of suggested readings, but who is going to do that after reading this book?  There is enough here to digest, ponder, appreciate, and try to remember. The authors attempt a scare tactic by taking  you back to high school trigonometry in their first chapter “Introductory Math” — warning: don’t try question without reading this chapter. (I kept asking myself — do I really have to review Euler’s equation, sinc functions and imagery numbers? “No” was the firm inner answer).

Then enters the world we recognize, like RF pulses, T1 and T2, tissue contrast, common pulse sequences, (then a quick skipping of Fournier Transform — know it is necessary, just like that chapter on math, but I am sure the authors will forgive me), image construction and spatial encoding, pulse sequences, FOV, artifacts, among other topics.

The fast scanning section hits areas which really have to be understood (so do the first 18 chapters) because these encompass most all of the topics under which advances are being made: EPI, parallel imaging, and high performance gradients, for example. In this 140-page section, explanations of MRA, MRS, diffusion, cardiac MR are present. Of course, more than these 4 subjects are included, but these will command most attention. Since MRA is all so widely employed (as opposed to MRS) this chapter deserves special scrutiny. As with all other chapters the book is valuable because of the inclusion of many diagrams — the abundance of such makes the material understandable.

This is an important publication and is recommended in the highest terms. I learned a lot from it (unfortunately, I am going to do a periodic review of the material to make sure it sticks). This should be a source book for all residents, fellows and, as a matter of fact, for all those who deal with MR on a daily basis.