Book Review

Abstract

The Cowboy's Companion is amazing. Written by the premier arthroscopic shoulder surgeon and pioneer in his field, Dr. Stephen Burkhart, and his Fellows, this guide book complements Burkhart's View of the Shoulder. A Cowboy's Guide to Advanced Shoulder Arthroscopy. (Disclosure: Dr. Burkhart is a friend and mentor, and we have worked closely as committee and board members of AANA, and ISAKOS, and as consultants for Arthrex).Both books are complete multimedia how-to guides, with practical tips and pearls, clear explanations of operative shoulder arthroscopy principles, step-by-step instructions for multiple procedures, thousands of full color arthroscopic and clinical photographs, and hours of digital video on 2 DVDs, and demonstrations of the procedures described in the text.“The Cowboy's Credo” is that “there's the easy way and there's the cowboy way. The cowboy does the right thing even if it's difficult. And arthroscopic shoulder repair can be difficult. The books are dedicated to making them easier.”A Cowboy's Guide to Advanced Shoulder Arthroscopy is reputed to be one of the best selling arthroscopic textbooks of all time, and according to Burkhart, “in the past 5 years, the techniques of arthroscopic shoulder surgery have expanded exponentially.” Thus, the “new book… is not a second edition of the first book. Instead, it is a companion book that builds on the principles of the first book and concentrates on the new theories and techniques that have developed since the first book was written.” At least 90% of the material is new.The book is fun to read. Yippee. The homespun wisdom of the quiet cowboy from San Antonio, Texas, includes a shoulder round-up of essentials including rotator cuff, instability, other assorted topics, and discussion of future developments “around the campfire.” There is the shoulder rodeo of rotator cuff, instability, and other assorted cases. Then there are historical vignettes. Burkhart reminds us of the importance of humor as a teaching tool, and to quote Dr. Burkhart yet again, “don't build the gate till you've built the corral. Construction on the ranch always proceeds in a logical and stepwise sequence. A sound basic structure must be completed before the enhancements make any sense. That's just about as true for shoulder surgery as it is for horse corrals.”The iPad app is most advanced. The Cowboy's Companion is recommended highly. The Cowboy's Companion is amazing. Written by the premier arthroscopic shoulder surgeon and pioneer in his field, Dr. Stephen Burkhart, and his Fellows, this guide book complements Burkhart's View of the Shoulder. A Cowboy's Guide to Advanced Shoulder Arthroscopy. (Disclosure: Dr. Burkhart is a friend and mentor, and we have worked closely as committee and board members of AANA, and ISAKOS, and as consultants for Arthrex). Both books are complete multimedia how-to guides, with practical tips and pearls, clear explanations of operative shoulder arthroscopy principles, step-by-step instructions for multiple procedures, thousands of full color arthroscopic and clinical photographs, and hours of digital video on 2 DVDs, and demonstrations of the procedures described in the text. “The Cowboy's Credo” is that “there's the easy way and there's the cowboy way. The cowboy does the right thing even if it's difficult. And arthroscopic shoulder repair can be difficult. The books are dedicated to making them easier.” A Cowboy's Guide to Advanced Shoulder Arthroscopy is reputed to be one of the best selling arthroscopic textbooks of all time, and according to Burkhart, “in the past 5 years, the techniques of arthroscopic shoulder surgery have expanded exponentially.” Thus, the “new book… is not a second edition of the first book. Instead, it is a companion book that builds on the principles of the first book and concentrates on the new theories and techniques that have developed since the first book was written.” At least 90% of the material is new. The book is fun to read. Yippee. The homespun wisdom of the quiet cowboy from San Antonio, Texas, includes a shoulder round-up of essentials including rotator cuff, instability, other assorted topics, and discussion of future developments “around the campfire.” There is the shoulder rodeo of rotator cuff, instability, and other assorted cases. Then there are historical vignettes. Burkhart reminds us of the importance of humor as a teaching tool, and to quote Dr. Burkhart yet again, “don't build the gate till you've built the corral. Construction on the ranch always proceeds in a logical and stepwise sequence. A sound basic structure must be completed before the enhancements make any sense. That's just about as true for shoulder surgery as it is for horse corrals.” The iPad app is most advanced. The Cowboy's Companion is recommended highly.