The Glaucoma Book

Putting together a comprehensive, multiauthored text is a daunting task. However, the benefts may justify the effort. Such is the case with regards to the present Glaucoma Book. It is not likely that many ophthalmologists (or others) will decide, at the end of a busy day, to pour themselves a cocktail, and settle into a comfortable chair with this large tome in hand, with the intent of reading it from start to fnish. A pity. It would make several enjoyable and proftable days of good reading. The text starts with comments by an individual who is strongly grounded in the fundam- tals of being a good physician. Ivan Goldberg has used his brilliance, his wide international experiences and knowledge, and his commitment to assuring that physicians know their craft, to provide a penetrating perspective on ophthalmology today and tomorrow. The Glaucoma Book ends with commentaries by the editors, John Samples, a true physician/scientist, and Paul Schacknow, an experienced community-based clinician. Samples' essay "What Really Causes Glaucoma?" nicely describes the leading theories underlying the cell biology of gl- coma. In "What Do We Know Now, What Do We Need to Know About Glaucoma?," Schacknow offers an essay on some of the controversial ideas raised within the book and speculates on future research.