This is a remarkable little book. A brief review of contributors will whet the appetite: a quick read of the first chapter by Drs Shelton and Goldberg will soon confirm your decision to buy. This initial chapter is an engaging review of the key writings of the leaders of surgical thought over the centuries and provides a rare insight into how we have arrived where we are today. The book continues with the rich but often all too brief reviews of the many components of the colorectal cancer scene. This is the most important of all of the human cancers as we already know enough to …