More for the scientifically curious than the afflicted: detailed descriptions of the various forms herpes infections can take. Balfour, director of clinical microbiology at the U. of Minnesota, and co-author Heussner describe five illnesses attributable to herpes viruses: herpes simplex virus type I (typically, that causing cold sores); herpes simplex virus type 2 (the culprit in genital herpes infections); varicella-zoster virus (responsible for chicken pox and shingles); Epstein-Barr virus (mononucleosis); and cytomegalovirus (a serious illness affecting a variety of organ systems, most often seen in the immunosuppressed, such as transplant or AIDS patients). The authors provide detailed case histories (illustrating both successes and failures of treatment); but they offer little in the way of practical self-help for sufferers. Their basic suggestions are to learn about one's particular disease, and take steps to remain in good general health. This is all couched in dense but comprehensible scientific terminology, with occasional bits of color (""the virus survives like seeds of fire in a bed of coals. Sometimes these viral seeds burst into flame as the burning rash of shingles!""). There's much more here than anyone suffering from a single herpes disease would want or need to know--but it's a satisfying primer, nonetheless, for knowledge-seekers.