**Medicine and Books** 1. **Life in the Balance: Emergency Medicine and the Quest for Survival** by Mickey S Eisenberg (Oxford University Press, £19.99, 304 pp, ISBN 0 19 510179 0) - The book explores the history of emergency medicine, focusing on the evolution of resuscitation techniques and the changing attitudes towards death. It highlights the challenges and controversies surrounding cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and its effectiveness in saving lives. - **Review by Tim Ashworth**: The reviewer, a retired pathologist, finds the book well-constructed and absorbing, covering topics such as economic costs, clinical versus biological death, and the safety of using non-medically trained staff. The book is praised for its extensive bibliography, chronological table, glossary, and index, as well as its lively anecdotes. 2. **The Audit Society: Rituals of Verification** by Michael Power (Oxford University Press, £19.99, 183 pp, ISBN 0 19 8289472) - This book fills a gap in the literature by critically examining the purpose, context, and process of auditing. It is dense and challenging to read, but valuable for managers and physicians interested in understanding the role of audit in their organizations. - **Review by Lois Quam**: The reviewer recommends the book for those who want to critically appraise the role of audit. It offers tools to avoid excessive focus on process and emphasizes the importance of using audit as a tool for better performance without hindering innovation. 3. **Selection**: - **Medical Futility** (Cambridge University Press, £15.95, ISBN 0 521 56877 3) explores the conflict between patients' autonomy and professionals' decision-making at the end of life. - **Tools of the Trade and Rules of the Road: A Surgical Guide** (Lippincott-Raven, £27, ISBN 0 7855 51393 3) provides practical guidance for surgeons, covering elective surgery and etiquette. - **Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in Primary Care: A Practical Guide** (Jessica Kingsley, £14.45, ISBN 0 85802 410 4) demonstrates how cognitive behavioral therapy can be used by healthcare workers for common problems. - **Neurology** (Oxford University Press, £14.95, ISBN 0 19 202797 5) illustrates the integration of science and art in neurology, focusing on common neurological issues. - **Mind Body Medicine: A Clinician's Guide to Psychoneuroimmunology** (Churchill Livingstone, £25,**Medicine and Books** 1. **Life in the Balance: Emergency Medicine and the Quest for Survival** by Mickey S Eisenberg (Oxford University Press, £19.99, 304 pp, ISBN 0 19 510179 0) - The book explores the history of emergency medicine, focusing on the evolution of resuscitation techniques and the changing attitudes towards death. It highlights the challenges and controversies surrounding cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and its effectiveness in saving lives. - **Review by Tim Ashworth**: The reviewer, a retired pathologist, finds the book well-constructed and absorbing, covering topics such as economic costs, clinical versus biological death, and the safety of using non-medically trained staff. The book is praised for its extensive bibliography, chronological table, glossary, and index, as well as its lively anecdotes. 2. **The Audit Society: Rituals of Verification** by Michael Power (Oxford University Press, £19.99, 183 pp, ISBN 0 19 8289472) - This book fills a gap in the literature by critically examining the purpose, context, and process of auditing. It is dense and challenging to read, but valuable for managers and physicians interested in understanding the role of audit in their organizations. - **Review by Lois Quam**: The reviewer recommends the book for those who want to critically appraise the role of audit. It offers tools to avoid excessive focus on process and emphasizes the importance of using audit as a tool for better performance without hindering innovation. 3. **Selection**: - **Medical Futility** (Cambridge University Press, £15.95, ISBN 0 521 56877 3) explores the conflict between patients' autonomy and professionals' decision-making at the end of life. - **Tools of the Trade and Rules of the Road: A Surgical Guide** (Lippincott-Raven, £27, ISBN 0 7855 51393 3) provides practical guidance for surgeons, covering elective surgery and etiquette. - **Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in Primary Care: A Practical Guide** (Jessica Kingsley, £14.45, ISBN 0 85802 410 4) demonstrates how cognitive behavioral therapy can be used by healthcare workers for common problems. - **Neurology** (Oxford University Press, £14.95, ISBN 0 19 202797 5) illustrates the integration of science and art in neurology, focusing on common neurological issues. - **Mind Body Medicine: A Clinician's Guide to Psychoneuroimmunology** (Churchill Livingstone, £25,