It was a pleasure to review this book. There is nothing quite like it in the literature. It is a very comprehensive text, being made up of contributions from the leading experts in the field. I am sure that all those working in centres dealing with heart failure and transplantation in children will want to have a copy, and it is also likely to be useful not only to trainees in paediatric cardiology, but also those training in associated medical specialities. It is a useful book to dip into for reference, but equally it is small enough for readers to go through the whole text from cover to cover.

Like all leading medical textbooks, it is necessarily written by multiple authors. Because of this, the quality of the writing does vary. No chapters are poorly written, but some stand out as excellent. Indeed, I think that some of the chapters are so good that the book is worthy of its purchase price just to read these excellent reviews. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on cardiomyopathy and myocarditis, and also the chapter on treatment of neoplastic-related cardiotoxicities. Again, like many leading text books, the authorship is heavily biased towards the United States of America, with as far as I can calculate, only two out of 42 contributors coming from outside the United States. And one of those was from Canada! If the Editors are contemplating a second edition, then they should consider exploring the wider context of heart failure in children, for example looking at geographical trends, and a chapter on specific problems in developing countries would have been useful. Although these are alluded to in some of the other chapters, they are not addressed in great detail. The problems of heart failure are clearly different in India, Africa, China, and South Asia. Children are still dying from diphtheria-induced cardiomyopathy, and Chaga's disease is still rife in Southern America. I was surprised that these topics were not addressed.

If the Editors are not contemplating a second edition, then they should be!! If, and when, it appears, it would be helpful if it presented a more international flavour. It would also be helpful to have a pharmacological appendix, with specific doses of the various inhibitors of angiotensin converting enzyme and receptor blockers, their half lives, schedules for their introduction, monitoring of their use, and increases in dosage. While the text is up to date, there was nothing on the current enthusiasm for use of stem cells in adults with heart failure. This topic would also have been a useful addition. My criticisms, however, are not major. My overall impression of this book was that it has been well thought out, and nicely edited. Some of the chapters are truly excellent. I have little hesitation in recommending this text, and I am delighted to be able to keep my copy of the book!