This is the definitive guide to the fourteen core clinical specialties that you will face during medical school and Foundation Programme rotations, and the must-have companion to the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine. Although there are several good pocket-sized medical references, I have not seen one that has the detail and easy format for quick reference as this one does. It includes thoughtful tools and an invitation for feedback from the authors. What I find most appealing is the unique emphasis on the human aspects of practicing medicine that is evident throughout, which is blended well with the more frequently taught technical, knowledge-based information. The authors succeed in their goal of emphasizing connection and compassion as a means to delivering more effective patient care as well as supporting and enhancing the physician's reason for choosing this career. If you are looking for a quick reference medical book, you will not be disappointed. The focus on the perspective of compassionate humans caring for people in need is a particularly useful bonus.