I purchased this book for my wife and me (we are both medical students who are planning on entering surgical residency next year), and we both enjoyed it immensely! Very well-written, and a pleasure to read.Speaking as a "lay-person" who would never want to be referred to as such - please do not be deterred by reviews that describe this as a superficial/lay-person's text - it is not a comprehensive account of the minutia of surgical history, nor is it a surgical reference book, and I am confident that Richard Hollingham never intended it to be either. It is, however, a well-composed, engaging narrative of several key moments in the history of surgical practice. This book was recommended to me by one of the core surgical faculty at my home institution - he wanted to spark my curiosity, and he succeeded. I will certainly continue to read other surgical history books - dryer, deeper, longer books - but I will never discount the value of this book. This is the book that made me excited to learn about the history of surgery, and I am grateful to the surgeon who recommended it to me!