This condensed version of the classic textbook, Surgery: Scientific Principles and Practice, Second Edition, provides students and surgeons with an easily accessible compendium of essential information. It is the ideal guide for students in six-to-eight-week surgical rotations and an excellent resource for surgical residents and surgeons needing a concise and portable reference. The first part of the book, Scientific Principles, presents clinically relevant scientific information, and includes chapters on cytokines, human gene therapy, and the immunobiology of organ transplants. The second part, Surgical Practice, consists of 20 sections devoted to specific organ systems, plus a section on pediatric surgery. Each section provides the information the surgeon needs on anatomy and physiology and describes surgical procedures for specific diseases.

"In the preface to this impressive and well-produced book, the editors state that their aim is not to describe a new surgical specialty, since most surgeons will soon need to be "geriatric surgeons," but to assemble a comprehensive account that will allow "all providers of healthcare to the elderly to understand the issues involved in choosing surgery as a treatment option for their patients." This is a useful book that deserves to do well. I hope that the editors and their publisher will have the stamina to make this the first of several editions, as it is clear that updated information about surgery in the elderly will be required to keep pace with this important field." NEJM Book Review