In 2005 he named a list of the five best books on cosmetic surgery for the Wall Street Journal.
One title on the list:
"On the Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin (John Murray, 1859).Read about the other four books on Imber's list.
No, I have never read it cover to cover. Still, this book is always worth going back to. It inspires with its thoroughness and open-minded vision and with the way it helps us to understand the world. (And no, I do not want to get into the heated discussions about evolution swirling around us nearly 150 years later.) For the plastic surgeon, there is a simple lesson here, about cosmetic surgery and the survival of the fittest. The juxtaposition is not as far-fetched as it might seem. Two equally qualified people seek a position. The more attractive person usually prevails. Vital individuals at the top of their skills are perceived as ineffective because of signs of aging. Survival of the fittest on a micro-scale looms everywhere. Cosmetic surgery answers some of these needs. It is not the be-all and end-all, but in its proper place, and applied with common sense, it can enhance our lives.
--Marshal Zeringue