| The Omentum – Application to Brain and Spinal Cord Harry S Goldsmith Published by: Forefront Publishing Group, Connecticut: 223 pp. ISBN 0-9674933-0-7 $59.69 The Omentum is a multi author book edited by Dr H Goldsmith, whose enthusiasm and pioneering research in the early 1970s has led many surgeons to consider him to be the 'Father of Modern Omentum Research'. Dr Goldsmith is indeed the main author of four out of 17 chapters and a co-author of one other chapter. The book offers indepth information on the experimental work with the Omentum in general and promotes the use of the Omentum in various neurological conditions. The potential beneficial effects of omental transposition for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease, malignant brain tumours, cerebral ischaemia, cerebral palsy, moyamoya disease, viral encephalitis, lumbo sacral adhesive arachnoiditis and spinal cord injuries are highlighted. The hypotheses on how omental transposition might be beneficial for each of these conditions and the possible mechanisms involved in clinical improvement are thoroughly discussed. The authors present their personal experiences in patient selection and clinical outcome. Whilst this clinical experience is valuable, it is limited by and large to the group of authors in this book. The chapters on omental transposition to the injured spinal cord cover mainly experimental aspects and one case report of improvement. The Omentum is a well written book which fulfils the intentions of its authors. It is easy to read and the illustrations are of excellent quality. The inevitable expected repetitions in a book of this nature neither seem to make it less interesting to read nor detract from its value. In my opinion the Omentum is a valuable book to Neurologists, Neurosurgeons and Spinal Cord Injury Specialists. It is of particular value to interested Clinicians who, based on the research findings presented in this book, would wish to conduct clinical research to investigate further the value of Omental transcription in the various CNS conditions described. I would also recommend this reasonably priced book to libraries in academic neurological institutions.
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