Tim Usherwood
Buckingham: Open University Press, 1999; £14.99
ISBN 0 335 19998 4

This book brings together many of the theories and views about the general practice consultation into one short volume. In today's era of evidence based medicine it describes the studies and research findings behind the ideas.

These are basically concepts that would be found in preclinical lecture notes on behavioural sciences if they were not lost or not taken in the first place. It is useful in reminding you of those that you knew but had forgotten, but its role in describing those you missed is less clear, because of the brevity of the descriptions. The extensive references, however, many of which are review articles, will aid in this. I found the chapters on psychodynamics and the theory of transactional analysis particularly useful. The basic ideas are clearly described and carry useful illustrations, such as using transactional analysis to interpret pharmaceutical advertising.

If you want to impress your general practice tutor with your extensive, if superficial, knowledge of the theories about the consultation then this book is for you. Its use, in practice, in helping you to look at consultations and improve your own style is more debatable. Read it if you are very interested in the academic side of general practice, but then you will probably know it all anyway. Preclinical students may find it useful, as it is probably much more clinically orientated than their recommended texts. Probably one for readings in the library, but as the royalties are donated to Amnesty International consider buying your own copy.