Book excerpt: Designed for daily use by professionals responsible for caring for patients with renal disease, this long-awaited primer provides a simplified, up-to-date review of peritoneal dialysis. Dealing concisely with all aspects of PD, it is written in such a style that even beginners with elementary knowledge of the subject could benefit from its use, and thus it is the perfect text for trainees or new and junior staff members. It is also an ideal text for nurses, a virtual how-to guide on PD. A book like this one, crafted specifically as a bench text and a learning tool, is hard to find. Emphasis is placed on the plentiful illustrations and tables that immediately clarify and expand upon the text. The illustrations, many in full color, are deftly drawn by one of the foremost medical artists in the world, Bernard Tardieu. Few texts can boast such a cast of distinguished authors. Ramesh Khanna, Karl Nolph, and Dimitrios Oreopoulos are among the most respected practitioners of dialysis.