If you think surgery is only about the drama of an operating theatre, then you should read this book. A delightful collection of anecdotal stories that will take the reader on a journey from boyhood aspiration through surgical training and on to consultant surgical practice that spanned the millennium. All is laid bare as the author describes his joy, anger, frustration, and sadness of life in the clinical environment and beyond. It embraces a period of transition when clinicians were transformed from self-regulating professionals into paid employees controlled by political diktats from Brussels and Westminster. It is an entertaining account of a period of momentous change and advances in the world of surgical healthcare. A penetratingly candid page turner that will make you laugh, cry and huff with indignation.