This book together with the Handbook for Clinical Medicine is absolutely essential for survival on the wards. If you havn't got a clue what's wrong with the patient, what the consultant is talking about or what you are meant to do next- these books help you out. They are compact enough to stick in your pocket, but have enough information crammed in to tell you everything that you could be expected to know about any condition. As I said this is a must for any med. student or junior doc. The proof really is that these aren't some new fancy books that have to be put to the test now, everyone I've spoken to seems to have been using them for years- Good Luck! (reviewer)