When I started this book, the word 'Assassination' in the title referred to the homicide of a powerful military and political individual whose elimination could alter the course of world history.
The word 'Preparations' included the choice of an assassin, the plans for the actual deed, those involved in the planning and those who desired that it take place and succeed.
The word 'Consequences' included an elaborate scheme to silence the assassin, and to cover up those involved in his elimination. The cover-up would initiate a domino sequence with repercussions that continue up to the present time.
However, the title could also be applied to the assassinations that were carried out - by the millions - in the Nazi Holocaust. The preparations were clearly documented in the detailed archives of 'Kristallnacht' and those of the 'Wannsee Conference'.
The consequences included the Nuremberg Trials, in which the evidence against the assassins, and those guilty of aiding and abetting the crime, was taken from the very Nazi archives of which they were so proud.
Then came those who aligned themselves with the Holocaust Denial, and the neoNazi resurgence was alive and well across the world.
Finally, when even such mass slaughter of defenceless noncombatants could be denied, defended or even ignored, the world was ready for a new wave of terrorism on a massive scale.
Such documented horrors required an antidote, and this has been provided in the book by the personal stories of a retired surgeon and his wife. These are stories of determination and happiness in facing the varied challenges of daily life.
-Simon Marinker

You, the surgical patient, are part of a team that includes your family physician, anesthetist, surgeon and members of the surgical nursing staff. Each member of that team has an obligation to make your recovery from major surgery, if and when an operation proves to be necessary, as safe as possible.
The first responsibility is yours and the other members of your surgical team will do their part. That is what this book is all about. In addition, safe and effective new alternatives to major surgery are discussed, as are modern technological approaches, both for diagnoses and for treatment.
Medical terms are explained in the text as far as possible and a glossary of these terms has also been added to the end of the book. In addition there is an index for cross-reference.
This book will not make you a surgical specialist, but it will make you more knowledgeable about what to expect as a patient

You have been booked for surgery and have discussed your forthcoming operation and its risks with your physician and your surgeon.
How much did you really understand?
How much do you remember clearly?
Are you satisfied that you know all the risks and those that apply especially to you?
Do you really believe that a verbal discussion is the only reliable way of getting and retaining the information which you consider important in helping you decide?
Do you understand what is meant by the legal term "Informed Consent" and how it is interpreted?
This simple reference book should answer most of your questions and is written in understandable language. It is based on the author's knowledge and a 50-year experience in the broad aspects of diagnostic and operative surgery.
It is also based on standard reference literature for surgeons on the subject of those complications which may occur during or following the commoner surgical operations.
Technical terms have been translated into non-technical language as far as possible and the reader should find the explanations quite straightforward. Even so, any final questions should still be addressed to your physician and your surgeon.