I am honored to be asked to write a foreword to this comprehensive and fascinating book on skull base surgery (SBS) by Dr. Shahinian, who I consider among the pioneers in the field. I should start by writing a disclaimer. I first met Dr. Shahinian when he was a brilliant surgical resident at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 1986. Over the next several years, I had the pleasure of following his career through different training rotations in the United States and abroad. I remember well when he told me that skull base surgery was his career choice. I thought it was a high-risk career...