Book excerpt: Clinical Scenarios in Surgery: Decision Making and Operative Technique presents 125 cases in all areas of general surgery: GI, breast, hepatobiliary, colorectal, cardiothoracic, endocrine, vascular, trauma, pediatric, critical care, and transplant. Each full-color case begins with a patient presentation and proceeds through differential diagnosis, diagnosis and treatment, surgical procedures, postoperative management, and a case conclusion. Each case includes key technical steps, potential pitfalls, take-home points, and suggested readings. The patient stories in these clinical scenarios provide context to faciliate learning the principles of safe surgical care. This book will be particularly useful for senior surgical residents and recent graduates as they prepare for the American Board of Surgery oral examination.