Book excerpt: This book is designed for anyone involved in surgical education. While it is intended as a core reference for surgeons who want to develop their surgical education knowledge and practice, it also a valuable resource for anyone undertaking a higher degree in health professions education. Divided into five parts, it starts with chapters on foundational knowledge, exploring the past before documenting the current state of surgical education and highlighting various educational leadership and governance topics. The second part examines a range of theories that inform surgical education – cognitive, behavioural and social, while the third part offers practical guidance on elements of surgical education – curriculum design, selection, feedback, assessment, evaluation, simulation and managing trainee underperformance. It also includes chapters on supporting the development of psychomotor skills, operative skills in theatre, professionalism, teamwork and patient safety. The next part shifts the focus to research in surgical education, introducing readers to all phases of conducting education research based on qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods paradigms. The final part looks to the future of surgical education and of surgical educators. Assembling these topics in one volume makes this book invaluable to anyone involved in surgical education.