This well-written book provides a concise overview of the essentials of anesthesia with a quick yet adequate review of its history, and would suitably serve an educational purpose for medical students and residents.
A unique feature that distinguishes this book from mere reference textbooks is the provision of clear take-home messages for every topic within each section. These elements feed into the easiness of reading the book, along with the assimilation of suggested protocols. Moreover, I personally enjoyed and appreciated the inclusion of clinical cases at the end of the book that range from simple to complex, and allow the reader to comprehend the technical concept in the setting of the operating room, hence contextualizing presented guidelines and practices.
The authors have succeeded in bringing science to private practice, and also provide residents with a wonderful tool that will serve them well during their training as they care for their patients pre-, intra- and postoperatively. Each chapter is targeted, addressing relevant points to keep in mind, including clear and well-presented diagrams, algorithms, and schemes, backed by day-to-day live examples of patient care.
An interesting feature of this book is that it provides data on the safety of delivering anesthesia. The only drawback is that it does not explain in detail full mechanisms or etiologies behind guidelines, but that may be because it is meant to be as brief and accurate as possible.
I strongly recommend this book as a valuable addition to the library of anyone who practices anesthesia. Because I personally obtained a copy and enjoyed reading it, I keep it on me as a practical and quick reference at work.
, Wayne State University, Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, Michigan. rkaddou@med.wayne.edu
