In this concise and practical monograph, we are reminded that in the beginning there is always a patient with a history, physical signs, and a mammogram. The importance of these as the foundation of practical planning is properly stressed and placed in broad perspective. This refreshing approach is reminiscent of Zachary Cope's slim monograph on 'The Acute Abdomen' which has remained a classic for almost seventy years and continues to guide grateful readers across the world. The breast has deserved a similar succinct primer for all family doctors and clinicians who examine the breasts of patients and who seek a broad framework for the observations. It now has one.