Modern microsurgical techniques have opened up a new horizon for the otoneurosurgeon. This volume is a very important contribu tion to the student who is learning these surgical approaches. Surgical otoneurology has now passed the infancy stage, but is still an adolescent. As more otologists and neurosurgeons become skilled in this type of surgery, new and better approaches will evolve. Certainly there needs to be much better management of the carotid artery as it passes through the temporal bone. Better techniques to preserve the IX, X, and XI nerves in the jugular bulb area should be developed, and more delicate procedures for management of lesions inside the cochlea and vestibular labyrinth should be developed. As our diagnostic techniques have improved, particularly through imaging, surgical techniques to match the improved diagnostic techniques will emerge. For future otoneurologists who are pre pared, many problems involving the temporal bone that are now considered untreatable will be successfully managed for very grateful patients. The purpose of this text is to familiarize the otoneurosur geon with the anatomy of the temporal bone, skull base, infratem poral fossa, and cerebellopontine angle. This anatomy will be taught by demonstrating surgical procedures. This atlas which is an example of cooperation between the schools of Los Angeles and Verona will permit the reader to rehearse otoneurosurgical procedures in the laboratory, and, when the techniques have been mastered, apply the various approaches in the treatment of inner ear and skull base lesions. William F. House MD.

William F. House D.D.S., M.D. is called "the Father of Neurotology"-the treatment of inner ear disorders. In this fascinating memoir, he describes his struggles to introduce new ideas to ear surgery and how medical professionals were always slow to accept his "radical" approaches. He tells of dental school, time as a dental officer in the U.S. Navy and his medical training, including time at Los Angeles County Hospital. Seven chapters each describe a problem in the treatment of ear disease and hearing loss and how he went about finding solutions. These chapters give insight into the thought processes of this giant in his field; including his use of the operating microscope for ear surgery, development of surgical approaches to remove tumors on the hearing nerve without killing the patient, and a surgical treatment for Meniere's disease that enabled one of his patients, the astronaut Alan Shepard, to fly to the moon. Perhaps his greatest achievement was the first cochlear implant, allowing so many to leave their silent worlds. Dr. House gives readers an inside look at his development of this revolutionary device and the significant opposition he faced in trying to make it a clinical reality. The controversy, struggles and ultimate success of this work is a story of commitment and dedication. He also tells of his experiences with the entertainment industry, the legal system, his world travels, and more. Finally, we hear from many of the doctors he helped to train and grateful cochlear implant patients, among others. An Appendix discusses in technical detail Dr. House's theory about how cochlear implants work.