A large cross-section of the world s great and good in colorectal surgery have been enticed, inveigled, I suspect at times brow-beaten, to produce this tour de force. The editors, themselves famous for their own extensive contributions in this area, must be congratulated for their ?ne achievements. Every card-carrying specialist needs a reference book of this sort. My own are well worn by many years reference, for when confronted by big problems, big issues, senior clinicians must be able to lay their hands on a well-thumbed old favourite: not a small, where are we now sort of book, or an...