The Oxford Concise English Dictionary defines a handbook as ‘a book giving information such as facts on a particular subject’. The authors of The handbook of neuroendovascular surgery go to some lengths to make the point that this text is just that—a handbook, a quick reference guide and intended for the labcoat pockets of the newly minted attending, fellow or other practitioner. This is prudent, because it sets an appropriate level of expectation for the book's content.

The book is edited by neurosurgeons, and the foreword by Dr Robert Rosenwasser, the Chairman of Neurological Surgery at Jefferson Medical Center, is unabashedly directed at a neurosurgical audience. However, radiologists and neurologists practicing neurological intervention should not be discouraged from reading further, as the viewpoints espoused within the text are balanced ones. A total of 28 contributors (from various training backgrounds) are credited for their work in over 21 chapters and two appendices. Appendix A is a summary of the tables contained in other portions of the book, with vascular anatomy plates and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, while appendix B contains high quality illustrations. In the style of other recent publications from the Thieme stable, additional online content is available at http://www.mediacenter.thieme.com through use of an access code provided under a scratch panel on the book's first page. The online content consists of electronic versions of appendix B in the book, with stated application for patient education and Powerpoint presentations. The contribution of this section to the education of the average reader is small, and should not influence purchase of the text.

The book is organized logically into three sections, progressing from basic concepts through advanced techniques. The first section, ‘Introduction’, focuses on fundamentals of cranial and spinal vascular anatomy, coagulation and anesthesia for endovascular cases. The information presented …