This book must be regarded as a magnum opus. Its chapters are those that would be expected in any large textbook of colon and rectal disease but at the end of the work several chapters which are not normally included are considered. In the first part a general organisation of outpatient proctology is dealt with, followed by anatomy and physiology and then clinical method including history and examination (the latter with excellent illustrations). There follow chapters on histopathology, endoscopy, radiology and anorectal physiology which are all up to date and well referenced. The second part deals with anal and colorectal diseases, the third with dermatological, paediatric, urological, gynecological and psychiatric problems, and the last with varied topics such as pharmacology, surgical outpatient techniques, documentation (including photography) and the history of coloproctology. The book is very well illustrated with coloured plates and clear diagrams. Summary tables enclosed in boxes on a blue blackground clarify the text; each chapter has a bibliography of variable length and the whole is thorough and up to date. It is an eclectic work and therefore has a breadth which gives both authority and commonsense.