Book excerpt: This concise book meets the market need for an accessible and up-to-date guide on understanding and managing cardiac anesthesia patients. It reflects the continual evolution of the very complex field of cardiac anesthesia. Organized into 10 sections, beginning chapters comprehensively examine the foundational concepts of cardiovascular function. The book then functions as a practical guide for clinical settings, including patient evaluation, operating room and anesthetic management, and postoperative care. Each chapter is authored by experienced cardiac anesthesiologists and many are supplemented by high quality, images, videos and tables. Written for the student, trainee, and junior cardiac anesthesiologist, Cardiac Anesthesia: The Basics of Evaluation and Management covers the core concepts needed to treat the cardiac surgery patient and to the skillset needed to succeed in this field.