Prior to embarking for Europe for a medical conference in 1999, I was handed a book by one of my surgical residents entitled, “A Traveler’s Guide to the History of Biology and Medicine” (1986) by Dr. Eric T. (Ted) Pengelley. As I had already planned on touring some historical sites during my trip, I packed the guide and on the flight read the section on Italy, my intended destination. Intrigued by what I read, I visited three of the featured sites in the guide and found their descriptions to be highly accurate and informative. I felt that I had gained much from incorporating these sites into my trip and that the guide’s information greatly enhanced the experience of the actual visit.

Eager to learn more, I finished Pengelley’s guide upon my return to the United States. However, on subsequent trips both here and abroad, I found that some of the information in the guide was dated or changed. I researched to see if another edition of the guide was available, and my search led me directly to the author himself. I contacted Dr. Pengelley directly and was quite pleased when he graciously accepted my call.