The second edition of the Manual of Botulinum Toxin Therapy is a highly readable book replete with excellent illustrations. The editors have put together 33 highly readable chapters with contributions from 54 experts spanning 5 continents. This book maintains the balance between its dual roles: a handy reference to busy clinicians and an authoritative text.
The first chapter by Frank J. Erbguth is replete with interesting anecdotes like the one on the use of botulinum toxin for political assassinations and contains a gripping portrayal of the outbreaks of “sausage poisoning” in German villages. The second chapter by Daniel Turong and Mark Hallett is an account of the development of the botulinum toxin as a clinical tool. It maps out the huge labyrinth of clinical research that began with Alan Scott’s quest for a chemical that can weaken the extraocular muscles.