Cataract surgery has been the procedure which has almost defined the profession of ophthalmology for millennia. Patients have understood that cataract surgery could transform their lives, in an almost miraculous way. Much of the history of this surgery has been handed down to us, and, on occasion, we have inherited some myths along with the facts. In this two-volume monograph, we sought to uncover the reality behind the myths. This book is entitled A New History of Cataract Surgery because it is based on original research from primary sources. It is the work of 44 co-authors, from North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It contains new translations from Latin, Greek, Sanskrit, Chinese, Arabic, Persian, French, Dutch, and German. It contains photographs from private collections. We sought to tell stories you might have heard a little about, from antiquity onward, in a new way. Many of the chapters in this book covering the 20th century were written by ophthalmologists who lived through the revolutionary changes in their field, and were prime movers in making these advances.