This book is the proceedings of an antimicrobial symposium in November 1991 in Philadelphia. It focuses on methods and issues of in vitro testing in 17 chapters authored by laboratory scientists and representatives from industry. The purpose is to review antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods and issues important to clinical microbiologists in the 1990s. Because of increasing antimicrobial resistance and the changing health care climate, these topics are extremely important. Although not all viewpoints are represented equally, the range of issues covered is comprehensive. This book is best suited for clinical microbiologists and industry representatives, but government regulators, educators, and infectious disease clinicians also will benefit from its contents. Chapters are authored by recognized authorities. The illustrations represent data offered in oral presentations as projected slides. Each chapter is referenced, some voluminously and others offering only suggested readings. Especially useful topics are historical perspectives of antimicrobial testing, discussions of testing methods and interpretive problems, when and what to test, nontraditional approaches to quality control, and controversial issues resulting from health care changes of the 1990s. This is an excellent review and discussion of in vitro antimicrobial testing methods and controversial issues. Original data and data from the literature are used. Although it is slightly outdated, the proceedings occurred in 1991, and some chapters are sparsely referenced, it is an important resource for clinical microbiologists, university medical libraries, and those in industries related to antimicrobials andantimicrobial testing.