This book, the third edition in 37 years under the same senior author, is a successful and comprehensive view through surgeons' eyes of pancreatic diseases—inflammatory and malignant, exocrine and endocrine, established and new. The view has been broadened in this edition by the inclusion of European and Asian editors and authors.
In an effort of this magnitude, it is most difficult to maintain consistency in style and presentation across the chapters, particularly in the quality of illustrations and tables. This book is notable for a clear, consistent visual quality, with hundreds of excellent line drawings apparently done by a single artist. A separate section of color plates is well referenced in the text as to where these photographs apply. The editors succeed in making each chapter flow with the preceding one despite the large number of authors, many from non–English speaking countries. Few typographical or editorial errors are discoverable. Although this book is directed to the clinician, the chapters on molecular biology and serum protein markers are comprehensive and easily read. Newer methods of pancreatic diagnosis are covered by invasive radiologists and endoscopists, with crisp illustrations and technical descriptions.