Hypnosis, amnesia, and immobility are three major therapeutic endpoints of general anesthesia. In one to two cases out of a thousand, hypnosis and amnesia are not achieved – often leaving a patient immobile but capable of experiencing and remembering intraoperative events. Awareness during general anesthesia is one of the most dreaded complications of surgery and is feared by patients and clinicians alike. Despite many advances in the field, there are also a number of unresolved questions that persist. Some of the difficulties in the detection and prevention of awareness during anesthesia relate to the underlying complexities of the neuroscientific basis of consciousness. Consciousness, Awareness, and Anesthesia is a multidisciplinary approach to both the scientific problem of consciousness and the clinical problem of awareness during general anesthesia. An international cadre of authors with expertise in anesthesiology, neurobiology, and philosophy provides a cutting-edge perspective. No other book on the subject has drawn from such a breadth of scholarship.

'… the book is understandable and enjoyable to read, with concise chapters and clear subchapters. The layout is clear and elegant … comprehensive and comprehensible … It provides a fascinating insight into this relatively poorly understood aspect of our day-to-day practice, and we recommend it to all practising anaesthetists.'

Source: British Journal of Anaesthesia

'The chapters of the book are arranged to present a great deal of information in a compact and engaging style, with cited references clearly presented. A brief summary is provided at the end of each chapter to highlight and help readers review the major content. The book should be appealing to neuroscientists, anesthesiologists, psychologists, and philosophers, providing an excellent read for anyone who is interested in the mechanism, prevention, and effects of intra-operative awareness.'

Source: The American Society of Anesthesiologists