This, the fourth edition of Schein's Common Sense Emergency Abdominal Surgery, builds on the reputation of the three previous editions. Already a worldwide benchmark, translated into half a dozen languages, this book guides surgical trainees logically through the minefields of assessment and management of acute surgical abdominal conditions. General surgery as a concept may have been overtaken in many parts of the world by the development of niche specialties, but the need for a cohort of generalists able to deal competently with common surgical emergencies has not gone away. If you recognise this need then this is the book for you! Tyro surgeons and experienced practitioners alike will benefit from the distilled wisdom contained in these pages. The direct, no nonsense, writing style, supported by entertaining cartoons, gives clear guidance while at the same time providing amusing insights into our collective surgical pschye. NOT a standard textbook. Buy it! You'll not regret it. Some new editors and authors enhance the new edition. Almost all chapters have been revised to take account of new concepts and modern developments. New chapters have been added and some completely rewritten often with a new emphasis on the importance of a laparoscopic approach.

Reviews of previous editions
"This is written with short punchy chapters making it a very difficult book to put down... ".
R.A.B. Wood, Journal of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

"Since Mondor's times in the forties of the last century there was no other book in surgery to be written so easy and witty ...".
Boris D. Savchuk, World Journal of Surgery

"By the end I was a total enthusiast... this is a text like no other I read... Unreservedly recommended to old and young and alike."
M. Winslet, Royal Free Hospital, London, Colorectal Disease

"The title describes this book perfectly. This is a no-nonsense approach to the sometimes very difficult situations in general surgery.... The authors describe their experiences in tough situations of patient care for residents and young attendings.... the historical quotes add a good amount of insight and interest. I have not come across another book like this.... Focused on the real situations that surgeons come across, the book answers the questions that are not addressed in the major textbooks."
Robert A. Hanfland, Doody's Review Service

"This book covers emergency abdominal surgery in a useful and interesting way. [It is] a small and handy book yet the coverage is wide. It would be of interest to any general surgeon and should certainly be read by surgical trainees. [It] allows mention of many things which would otherwise be excluded from a more rigidly structured work. I was also glad to be reminded of many things which I had known but forgotten. The writers clearly know what they are talking about."
David Evans, Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England

A sample of testimonials posted on amazon...

By Donald Dupuis, MD, Lahey Clinic
***** "A Must Have Book. I am about to end my chief year in general surgery residency -- my copy of the first edition shows the wear of half a dozen total read throughs and probably hundreds of referencings. Newest edition is equally good. For the last 3 years I have given this book to our interns if they finish their surgical internship. And I've paid for this myself -- if you know how little residents get paid you will know how important I think it is. If you are in surgical training DO NOT WAIT ANOTHER DAY BEFORE YOU BUY THIS BOOK. I do agree with another reviewer who thought a bit of cool surgical technique would have been good too. But, all in all, best, most useful little book on surgery ever. Nuff said."

By Chet A. Morrison, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Director of Surgical Critical Care, Michigan State University
**** "A very useful practical guide. This is a fine book in the tradition of 'guides to being on call' -- or maybe the 'guide to the perplexed'. I like the straightforward get to the point style, and the directness of the book makes this a useful book to have handy when confronted with some of the emergency surgery problems. I would only say it could have had a bit more on surgical technique, and one or two references would have been useful (instead there was almost a militant insistence on as few as possible). But I would recommend it for any resident who is on call, and I find it useful as a staff sugeon as well."

By K. M. Kemp
***** "Love it. I'm a big fan of this book, having just finished it a month ago. It's a good mix of the author's own experience as well as expert commentary when indicated. Compared to a textbook, it's much more engaging and easier to read. Also compared to a text, it seems much more practical in the advice it gives. As a brand new intern, I gleaned a lot from this book. Highly recommended for fellow trainees."

By Jendri
***** "A surgical must have. This is a very well written and very practical guide to emergency surgery. It covers virtually all aspects of emergency general surgery and does it in a very interesting way. I think this is one of the best books on the subject. For me it certainly is a must have. In the next edition, probably the only thing that I would like to add to this book would be the information about the military uniform worn by Dr Karl Schein on the photograph on one of the first pages. Dr Schein is wearing a uniform of the 1st Polish Army formed in Soviet Union in 1943. Altogether a great book."

By andreromeo
***** "A must. Dr. Moshe Schein has a very personal view about medicine and about the art of surgery, and that is why this book is really a must for clinicians and surgeons."

By Andy
***** "Simply perfect. The best choice in surgery for trainees! It makes the more difficult surgery areas very easy to understand. I recommend it to all surgeons."

By maxim
***** "Worth every penny. Invaluable as a guide to assist in the resolution of a broad range of abdominal problems. The book is well structured, running from opening chapters addressing pre-operative issues, and on through a pretty complete spectrum of gut complaints likely to arise in the real world, and how best to sort them out. It's not only useful, but very well written, and, for a text book, an absolute pleasure to read. Short bite size chapters combined with the occasional cartoon make this 3rd edition of Schein well worth the investment. Blend with Cope's Diagnosis of the Acute Abdomen for the ideal cocktail."

By J. D. Wassner
***** "Well-written, easy to read. Should be required reading for any General Surgery resident, & anyone who does acute-care & trauma."