This latest addition to the Endocrine Surgical library is a gem to be savored at leisure. It is a comprehensive review and is on the cutting edge of current knowledge regarding surgical endocrinology. The fact that the three outstanding editors of Endocrine Surgery are from widely separated geographic continents (Europe, Asia and America) clearly establishes the flavor for this international contribution. The surgical arena and the endocrine surgical subspe- alty, in particular, is truly international in scope, as it should be, and today represents a unique close knit family. This is a healthy phenomenon for it allows rapid and constant exchange of information and ideas by dedicated surgeons, endocrinologists, pathologists, radiologists, and researchers who personally know and respect each other, and who share a clear cut common goal - to simply do what is best for each and every patient afflicted with an endocrine disorder. The astute reader of this encompassing collectionofcontributions will notice a ''changing of the guard'' phenomenon as well. Although there are well-known players in this endocrine surgical orchestra, there are, pleasingly, a number of less well-known (albeit for a short time only) contributors. This is very good indeed and is something that pleases me - a member of the old guard, immensely. The success of surgical education, and as a consequence, of patient care, is that each successive generation should be better and wiser than the prec- ing one. If this is not so, the previous generation has dismally failed.
About the Author:

Johnathan G H Hubbard, MD, FRCS, Consultant Endocrine Surgeon & Clinical Lead Endocrine Surgery, Guys & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. He is a member of numerous societies, such as International Association Endocrine Surgeons, International Society of Surgery, European Society of Endocrine Surgeons, British Association of Endocrine Surgeons (No 204246), Francophone Association of Endocrine Surgery, Fellow Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland, Fellow Royal Society of Medicine, BMA (No 7372188)

William B. Inabnet, III, MD, Co-Director, New York Thyroid Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY; Chief, Endocrine Surgery Section, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. Fellow American College of Surgeons, Association for Academic Surgery, American Society of General Surgeons, French Surgical Association, American Association of Tissue Banks, American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, American Thyroid Association, Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons, Association Francophone de Chirurgie Endocrinienne, Am Society for Bariatric Surgery, International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity, International Association of Endocrine Surgeons, International Society of Surgery, Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, New York Surgical Society, Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, European Society of Endocrine Surgeons. He's Editorial Board member of the Thyroid journal and guest editor of Surgery, SOAR, World J Surg, Surg Endoscopy, Annals of Surgery journals.

Chung-Yau Lo, FRCS, FACS, Chief, Division of Endocrine Surgery, Clinical Professor & Honorary Consultant, Department of Surgery, University of Hong Kong Medical Centre, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong and Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong. He is on the editorial board of Editorial Board, Asian Journal of Surgery (1 February, 2002 to present), Chinese Journal of Medicine (Jan 2006), on the International Advisory Board of Chinese Journal of Endocrine Surgery (From 2002), and Associate Editor of Asian Journal of Surgery (since 2005)