From the Preface: "This text is born of the authors' career-long interest in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In preparing a text that would be of interest to primary care physicians and rheumatologists alike, we have decided to focus on the exciting developments that have given rise to the edict "diagnose early and treat aggressively." Hence, this text is not only an overview of RA, but where applicable, it will focus on "early" RA, early diagnosis, rules for referral, treatment advances, unmet needs, and an overview of how to initiate an early-arthritis effort of clinic in your practice."