J. Vuyk, F. Engbers & S. Groen-Mulder, edsKluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 2000. 285 pp. £88.00. This book is a summary of the last two EuroSIVA meetings in Barcelona and Amsterdam in 1998 and 1999 and is authored by the contributors and chairmen of those meetings. It is divided into four sections entitled: (i) modelling of anaesthetic action: the effect site; (ii) the peri-operative use of hypnotic agents; (iii) state of the art on neuromuscular blockade and (iv) opioids for peri-operative pain relief. Within the four sections, there is a mixture of information relating to both clinical anaesthesia and intensive care, and basic science and pharmacology. Although ‘intravenous anaesthesia’ has often been a term relating to the administration of intravenous hypnotic and analgesic agents to maintain anaesthesia, the book has a wider context including neuromuscular blocking drugs, intensive care and postoperative analgesia. The depth of information within the chapters also varies and as a result it is not clear who the target audience is. Within the preface, the editors hope that the book will be of educational value for all involved in the science and clinical application of anaesthesia. However, such a wide audience may not be reached. For those with a specific interest in intravenous anaesthesia, many will have attended meetings where the topics have been discussed previously and much of the content of the book will already be familiar. For the clinical anaesthetist without a special interest, the scientific basis of some of the chapters may prove daunting and of little practical application. Although the science provides an excellent background, there is little help in ‘how to do it’ which is covered by the society's workshops and are not included in the book. The exception to this is the excellent chapter from Frank Engbers, which discusses the equipment for total intravenous anaesthesia and describes some of the specific practical pitfalls that exist in trying to deliver safe and reliable intravenous anaesthesia. As a summary of two meetings, with at least five chapters within each section, there is inevitably a degree of repetition. This is especially noticeable in the chapters on anaesthetic action and hypnotic agents where the duplication of information on effect site and modelling is considerable. A greater degree of editorial input would have made the chapters more concise and the book easier to read. It is also unfortunate that there is a varied use of English in some chapters; this requires certain sections to be read several times to confirm the intended meaning and does not make the book easy to read. Several of the chapters also use figures that appear to have been imported from a verbal presentation where significant additional explanation may have been given. Having been placed into the printed media, the lack of this additional explanation does not always make the figures clear. However, there are also some interesting areas that have been included. The chapter on genetic models relating to anaesthetic action may not be a commonly discussed topic and is not of direct clinical interest at the present time, but may help provide future insight into the mode of action of anaesthetic agents. The use of target-controlled infusions for postoperative analgesia is clearly experimental but the use of such concepts may further improve the analgesia provided for patients in future years. Overall, for a book that aims to be of educational value, it is disappointing that greater clarity has not been provided within the volume for the novice who at times will be confused by the content. For the enthusiast, much of the content will be familiar; however, the extensive reference lists in some chapters will prove a very profitable source of reading material.