When my coworkers and I first took up the task of writing a textbook of ophthalmology that was aimed at medical students but would also be suitable for interns and ophthalmology residents, we did not know exactly what wewere getting ourselves into.

The next four yearswere devoted to intensive study of this subject.We did not merely intend to design a book according to the maxims “understand it in medical school,” “learn it for the examination,” and “use it during your internship.”

Our broader goal was to give students a textbook that would kindle their interest and indeed their enthusiasm for a “small” specialty like ophthalmology and thatwould sustain this enthusiasm all the way through a successful examination.

In an age in which teaching is undergoing evaluation, we felt this was particularly important. In pursuing this admittedly ambitious goal, we were able to draw upon many years of teaching experience.

Basic Ophthalmology is designed to help the user obtain an appropriate ocular history and learn the examination techniques for a complete eye evaluation.

From the history and clinical findings the reader should be able to diagnose and manage or refer common ocular disorders. The history of this textbook began in 1975 with the publication by the American Academy of Ophthalmology of a study guide in outline form for medical students.

The book’s developers identified seven common problem areas in ophthalmology and developed study objectives. Each subsequent edition was changed based on suggestions from users.

The fifth edition, which was developed by the joint committee of the Amer­ican Academy of Ophthalmology and the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology, abandoned the outline form for chapters with expository text.

The sixth edition, published in 1993, was one of the American Academy of Ophthalmology's most popular clinical education products...