Training in Paediatrics Edited by Mark Gardiner, Sarah Eisen, Catherine Murphy. . Published by OUP, Oxford, 2009, pp 496, £49.95 (paperback). ISBN: 978-0-19-922773-0

I was thrilled to commence my first book review. The opportunity to condemn the hard work of a faceless colleague with my carefully selected witty words of deprecation seemed irresistible. Sadly, this was not to be as I'm sorry to say Training in Paediatrics is really rather good.

Training in Paediatrics promotes itself as the ‘essential curriculum’ rather than a revision guide. This intention that reading and learning should be done for the purpose of clinical training and not just to pass exams is refreshing. Having said this, the book would inevitably …