Andrew Gough, University of Manchester

This ‘primer’ book is a good introduction into neurology. Through the teaching of a couple key tools – ‘the lines of longitude and latitude in the neuro-system’ and the ‘rule of 4’ for the brainstem – the author aims to demystify neurology and hone the reader’s diagnostic skills. Whether or not you like these tools (I found the first idea quite confusing), the book nonetheless serves as a good reference for history and examination skills. The other chapters cover various neurological problems. Key learning points are identified and there is a clear clinical overlap. A DVD accompanies the textbook and is a useful aid to learning clinical examination skills (it also demonstrates abnormal signs). The main uses of this textbook are 1) learning clinical history and examination skills in neurology; 2) a guide to approaching a neurology problem – which it does this well and shows you how to do it methodologically; and 3) a reference. It’s too bulky and frankly not concise enough for revision (as a med student) or for a handbook.

Posted 3rd Nov 2011

George Collins, University College London

Medicine should be enjoyed, however to enjoy a topic it must first be understood, which requires one to learn it first. However, as we all know some topics are easier to learn than others, and for me, Neurology has always been one of those “other” topics that ends up being crammed into my mind in a hurried panic the day before my exams. During that panic, as I flick through a neurology textbook I see all the same pictures (slices of brainstem, diagrams of dermatomes, the brachial plexus, etc.) and read the same old words (where do I start…) that I’ve seen (and not learnt) hundreds of times before. Well, if you can relate to what I’ve said, then Clinical Neurology by Peter Gates will solve your problems. The book is not a short, concise book for revision purposes, of which there are already many. Instead, Clinical Neurology is a very well thought out story of Neurology that is very different from other textbooks. Peter Gates has clearly carefully considered how best to get his passion for Neurology across to Medical students. The emphasis is not on long, academic words and multiple pictures of brainstem slices, but is on teaching students the understanding of neurological pathways in a clinical context; how to take a patient’s symptoms to work out the location of the pathology. It is a fantastic book that has given me fresh eyes with which to appreciate neurology and all its wonders, and I would highly recommend it to any Medical student who needs to understand Neurology.

Posted 5th Aug 2011