Keeping up to date with advances in comprehensive ophthalmology and in the ophthalmic sub-specialties is extremely difficult because of the accelerating rapidity with which new information and technology become available and the diminishing time and opportunity for practitioners and trainees to read and learn. The first edition of Albert and Jakobiec s Principles and Practice (1994) was conceived with the idea of utilizing an electronic, updated version in which the chapters were revised by the chapter authors on an annual or semi-annual basis, but the technology was not sufficiently advanced to achieve this goal. Subsequent editions (2000 and 2008) were organized by Saunders and the last published by Elsevier (of which Springer has obtained the complete rights to move forward with the 4th edition).