Book excerpt: This book provides an updated and comprehensive overview of cough, while opening new perspectives for their treatment and management. It enables readers to not only discover new physiologic features and mechanisms but also to gain an in-depth understanding of the diagnostic workup of cough, still one of the most frequent and challenging symptoms in daily medical practice. The book also provides insights into cough’s features and pathogenesis, as well as into pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments. The most frequent causes of chronic cough (asthma, postnasal drip, gastroesophageal reflux and chronic hypersensitivity syndrome) and different types of pediatric cough are also explored. Coughing is a common symptom, occurring in many clinical settings, and as such the book appeals a broad readership, including pulmonologists specialized in cough, general practitioners, internists, pediatricians and otorhinolaryngologists.