In the series preface by the late David Marsden and Art Asbury, the editors state that the purpose of the Blue Books of Practical Neurology was the same as its predecessor, the Modern Trends in Neurology series: to present current topics for clinical neurologists so that they can update management of their own patients. Certainly, the area of neuromuscular disease is one in which many advances in knowledge have changed patient management dramatically in the last decade. The editors of this volume, Schapira and Griggs, are well qualified to give us up-to-the-minute information regarding the diagnosis and management of muscle disorders. Although the task is a large one for such a small volume, they largely fulfill the promise made in the original preface.