2006-08-03 The most cost-effective purchase ever!

The Doctor's Guide explains the principles of critical appraisal and evidence-based medicine so well that after reading it I had to pinch myself, so hard it was to believe that everything had been covered without me breaking into a sweat! The authors have cleverly combined the simplicity of an introductory guide with the authoritativeness of a bigger text. The things this book does really well are: Firstly, the language used didn't assume I have a PhD in statistics. Secondly, the order in which everything is described is so logical I think other authors will be kicking themselves for not having thought of it first. Thirdly, there are lots of case scenarios, diagrams and exercises which are universally excellent. I've read books such as 'How to read a paper' and 'Evidence-based medicine' that have taken several pages to describe what this book conveys in one scenario or diagram. This is a book that will benefit every person who reads clinical papers or is involved in prioritising or funding clinical interventions. It may be a cliché but if you buy this book, you will not be disappointed.