This is a multi-author text, edited by Drs Nayak and Kazi, with a foreword by Drs Blom and Hilger. In the words of the editors, this book aims to provide a ‘comprehensive coverage of this aspect of cancer management and to provide a practical approach to managing the rehabilitative needs of a laryngectomee’. The book is written in an easily understood, engaging style and the chapters are concise and to the point. Overall, the text is well set out, with an easily readable typeface.

The book consists of 124 pages divided into 13 chapters, which follow a reasonably logical sequence. The initial chapters give an historical background and a general overview of the various modalities used to restore speech after laryngectomy. This is followed by chapters detailing surgical techniques for primary and secondary tracheoesophageal puncture, with useful discussion on possible difficulties that may be encountered. A brief chapter is devoted to surgical voice restoration after pharyngectomy, which leads nicely onto the topic of assessment and patient selection for optimal results. The subsequent chapter deals with selection of the right voice prosthesis, and complications arising from surgical interventions for speech rehabilitation and from voice prostheses themselves. Separate chapters discuss quality of life issues, swallowing and pulmonary rehabilitation after total laryngectomy. There is also a chapter dedicated to the role of the laryngectomee club in enhancing rehabilitation. The concluding chapter deals with the more recently launched speech valves, indicated in special circumstances. Trainees will find quite useful the chapter discussing the various prostheses (with their merits and demerits), and factors requiring consideration in order to select the right voice prosthesis for a particular patient.

I was a little disappointed that most of the results discussed were based on the authors' own, single institution experience, rather than on a comprehensive literature review. The text is supplemented by illustrations and clinical pictures; however, some of the illustrations and artwork fail to clarify the point adequately.

In my opinion, this book has achieved its objectives and will be of great use to trainees in particular. All aspects of rehabilitation after total laryngectomy are covered in adequate detail. The size and layout of the book is just right to convey clinically useful information. Junior doctors, at their wits end when called to manage a patient with a dislodged speech valve, will undoubtedly find the presence of this book reassuring, as will the surgical trainee bewildered by the large range of speech valves used by the speech therapists. There is a distinctly Indian flavour to the book, but this does not diminish its utility for other parts of the world. The size and scope of the book is perfect for anyone interested in the rehabilitation of patients after total laryngectomy. The price, at US$128, does appear to be steep for individual trainees; however, in my opinion, this book would be a very useful addition to the departmental library of any unit involved in the care of laryngectomees. The book's concise yet comprehensive and up-to-date coverage should easily place it as one of the best sources on the topic, for all clinicians involved in the care of patients undergoing total laryngectomy.