Pocket-sized books giving a comprehensive overview of the investigation and management of patients with congenitally malformed hearts are rare. Those supported by an excellent multimedia CD-ROM are rarer still. All those wishing to acquire a brief but authoritative review of the essence of congenital heart disease, therefore, should thank Ringo Cheung for producing this superb little tome. As Andrew Redington states in his foreword, the monograph is a testimony to his mastering of our discipline, and even the expert reading the book will be forced to agree that the material presented is of the highest calibre.

Ringo has adopted an intriguing approach to the topic, which is well suited to the trainee beginning his or her studies. He starts with enumerating five important concepts, and expands this in his second section by establishing a problem-based diagnostic approach. In the third section, he summarises the principles of management, dealing separately with the medical, interventional, and surgical possibilities. The next two sections are devoted to acyanotic and cyanotic lesions, whilst the sixth section is concerned with genetics. The final section is devoted to various aspects of counselling, and concludes with suggestions as to how the congenitally malformed heart can be described using words that are understandable to the layman, including a brief lexicon. The volume is provided with an excellent index, and as indicated, is supported by an innovative CD-ROM. In other words, a real bargain. It can be strongly recommended.