The fifth edition of Manipal Manual of Surgery, authored by Dr К Rajgopal Shenoy and Dr Anitha Shenoy (Nileshwar), has completely revamped the earlier edition, which in its own right, was a runaway success. The earlier edition had readership across the country referred to by medical undergraduate students and surgical residents. A good textbook should not merely be informative, but should motivate the student to study the speciality in depth. I can see glimpses of this trait in Dr Shenoy's book. The plethora of simple sketches and tables, clinical notes and photographs have the power of demystifying the speciality and captivating the reader. With the changes and improvements brought into this Edition, I am confident that the text will soon adorn the libraries of most medical schools in the world