This very important book should be on the reading list for every medical student, house officer, and physician. It is in essence a lesson book that explains the great importance of timeliness, the skill of being a focused listener, the absolute necessity of truthfulness, the gift of caring, the need for conveying interest and compassion, and of presenting one's self to both patient and family as a knowledgeable and highly competent doctor of medicine.

This very important book should remain on the list of reference books to be read and then reread periodically throughout a physician's professional lifetime. The information contained therein must be considered essential for one's successful practice as a Doctor of Medicine. Pearls of wisdom critically necessary for successful communication with any person, on any subject are found on virtually every page of this book. The benefits that come to patient, family members, and to physicians and allied medical staff through the understanding and use of the communication skills outlined in this book can help bring success to the patient's medical treatment, and also avoidance of many of the pitfalls that lead to problems with professional liability.