John David Cramer, M.D.(Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine)

With an emphasis on teaching basic history and physical examination skills relevant to the head and neck, this book provides a cursory discussion of the major areas of otolaryngology. This update of a 2002 book includes new sections on thyroid disease and nasal endoscopy.

The author seeks to describe the essential clinical skills for approaching head and neck pathology. He succeeds in providing an accessible book that accomplishes this worthy objective.

Junior medical students or residents in other specialties may find this a helpful primer to acquire competence in the basic head and neck exam.

The excellent range of pathology, displayed in full color images supplemented with occasional illustrations, is a strength of the book. It also is succinct enough to be read in an afternoon. Its main weakness stems from the minimal discussion of pathophysiology and treatment paradigms, but this also ensures its applicability across a range of clinical settings.

This book fills the niche for clinical skills books for medical students and physicians with an interest in otolaryngology. Overall, it is an excellent resource to teach the basic head and neck exam. It is similar in scope to Primary Care Otolaryngology, 2nd edition, Wax (American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 2004), but it differs in its attention to teaching clinical skills. The attention to basic skills gives this book a broad international appeal that would be useful in any practice setting.