Book excerpt: In recent years the field of regional anesthesia, in particular peripheral and neuraxial nerve blocks, has seen an unprecedented renaissance following the introduction of ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia. This comprehensive, richly illustrated book discusses traditional techniques as well as ultrasound-guided methods for nerve blocks and includes detailed yet easy-to-follow descriptions of regional anesthesia procedures. The description of each block is broken down into the following sections: definition; anatomy; indications; contraindications; technique; drug choice and dosage; side effects; potential complications and how to avoid them; and medico-legal documentation. A checklist record for each technique and a wealth of detailed anatomical drawings and illustrations offer additional value. Regional Nerve Blocks in Anesthesia and Pain Medicine provides essential guidelines for the application of regional anesthesia in clinical practice and is intended for anesthesiologists and all specialties engaged in the field of pain therapy such as pain specialists, surgeons, orthopedists, neurosurgeons, neurologists, general practitioners, and nurse anesthetists.