When reviewing a textbook, it is useful to read the preface and determine the author's purpose and goals. In his preface to Procedures in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery , Dr Vistnes expresses his desire to permit the reader figurative access to the operating rooms of noted plastic surgical experts. We are promised the opportunity to look over the shoulder of an authority while he or she performs a particular operation. As a result, we will learn at least one successful individual approach to a specific problem. The book is quite successful in achieving its intended goal. An examination of the list of authors discloses several new and many familiar names. The newer authors frequently provide a refreshing approach to standard plastic surgical problems. An attempt was made to assign established authors to topics different from their recognized areas of expertise. However, these established individuals rarely stray far from their areas of