Book excerpt: The Basic Bookshelf for Eyecare Professionals is a series that provides fundamental and advanced material with a clinical approach to clinicians and students. A special effort was made to include information needed for the certification exams in ophthalmic and optometric assisting, as well as for surgical assistants, opticians, plus low vision, and contact lens examiners. Written especially for auxiliary personnel, this text not only includes sections on cataract and glaucoma but also contains common patient questions and misconceptions. The cataract chapters cover types, causes, symptoms, and detection of cataracts. Cataract surgery is also discussed, including traditional surgery as well as combination procedures. The glaucoma chapters give details on the physiology of intraocular pressure, such as aqueous formation and drainage. There are individual chapters on open angle glaucoma, angle closure glaucoma, secondary glaucoma, and congenital glaucoma. Each chapter gives causes, details for patient work-ups, detection, and diagnosis, and treatment modalities.