As the 4 editors and 34 other contributors repeatedly document, we are all threatened by Karoshi: the Japanese term for death from overwork (as described in the chapters on Working Life in Japan). It's really not so much overwork but "job strain" that seems to be doing us in. Throughout the 300-plus pages, this message comes through loud and clear. To the author's credit, every aspect of the role of job strain in causing cardiovascular disease is covered, including both theoretical and practical solutions to the problem.

This subject deserves more attention. The book is a well-referenced , up-to-date portrayal of the field. However, it's more like viewing a painting by Kandinsky than a Monet. The coverage is chaotic, repetitive, and disorganized. But it's unlikely that anything important in the relationshop between job strain and cardiovascular disease/hypertension is not covered. Some really heavy editing would have helped. Even better, if the 4 editors, singly or together had done all of the writing, the book would serve more as a textbook and guide to the outsider who is just learning about the subject than a hard to follow and rather rambling presentation of everything that is known for those who are knowledgeable about this field.