Book excerpt: The new, comprehensive second edition covers all aspects of surgery of the ear and skull base, keeping readers up to date as they improve their surgical skills in this growing field. This edition includes more skull base surgery approaches, new information on implantable hearing devices and rehabilitation of the lower cranial nerves, and more. Throughout the book, numerous changes have been made to reflect contemporary procedures, and outmoded techniques have been deleted. Each chapter is authored by a recognized expert, and hundreds of detailed illustrations have been drawn by a single artist.