Before my forced retirement from my dermatology practice in 1991, I spent much of my career treating and writing about psoriasis.  Perhaps the main catalyst for my interest was the establishment of the first Psoriasis Day Care Center in the nation at UCSF in 1973.  Following this event, my interest intensified and I became a recognized authority on the disease.  It seemed only fitting that I should write this book for patients and their families based on my years of observation and understanding.