BOOK REVIEWS 947 questions and space for written answers. Clearly, those interested in palliative care and who enjoy such an approach will respond enthusiastically to the appearance of the first unit in a new series. I was not clear, however, as to the target audience. Reference is made to the whole team but this guide seems to be focused more narrowly on medical needs. The Open Learning Guide comes in two partsone about pain management and the other 'five whole patient case studies'. The main

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... ext is written by two doctors; the case studies compiled by five others. The authors' decision to abandon the WHO three-step analgesic ladder and to minimize the place of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs casts doubt on the general applicability of this learning aid. The whole series is the combined creation of a hospice medical director, director of studies, nurse tutor and an expert in open learning. Each of the five planned guides will, presumably, cost £33. A sixth, about the management of lymphoedema, is also promised before the end of 1994. Further guides are planned for bimonthly publication thereafter and will include two for relatives, three on teaching methods, two on more advanced pain and symptom management, and one on hospice management. Clearly innovative and based on considerable expertise and enthusiasm, only time will tell whether they will gain a permanent niche in the educational market. Any book that brings radiology to the attention of the student is to be welcomed as formal exposure to the subject in most medical schools is limited. This book is one ofa series that covers the subject from student level to the consultant radiologist. The physical basis of X-rays, ultrasound, CT and MRI are well described in the first chapter. Subsequent chapters consider the various systems of the body and the book finishes with a section on interventional radiology. Most sections start with a list of possible radiological investigations followed by a description of various diseases. The need for a systematic approach when viewing a radiograph is emphasized in the chest section and this helps to avoid guessing at a diagnosis rather than analysing the signs. The text generally covers most topics well, although the relative importance of some of the older investigations is rather over-emphasized. For instance most radiologists would normally perform CT of the chest to identify nodes rather than a barium swallow.