The simple reason for creating this book was my impression that the law is having an increasing impact on the practice of medicine. There is hardly a physician I know who has not been deeply troubled by legal problems professionally, economically, and most important of all, psychologically. The past decade has seen medical practice premiums steadily rising. Multimillion dollar verdicts have not been unusual. Having disregarded these vital issues for many years, physicians have suddenly become very aware of litigation-related problems. Having been interested for a long time in the logic ofthe law and the romance of legal research, I thought it would be useful to create a book that would result in the blending of great minds in law and medicine. It has been my long­ standing observation and belief that the approach of professors of medicine, and that of learned members of the bar and bench, when put together, produce unique results. Putting these views together has been the real challenge in editing this book.