9^th Edition

By John Guillebaud

ISBN 978-0-8153-9349-8

Published CRC Press in July 2019

£38.99

https://www.crcpress.com/Contraception-Today-Ninth-Edition/Guillebaud/p/book/9780815393498

Any book on contraception written by this author is well worth looking at. He is a well-known and long-standing author on this topic and I have known him in the past to write with clarity, authority and brevity. So, it was great interest that I looked at this new edition authored by this highly respected authority and I was not disappointed.

Don’t be deceived by the thinness of the book, including the index it comes under 200 pages but this is an advantage. It means without too much difficulty this book can be read from cover to cover and I am sure that the reader will have an enhanced knowledge of the subject matter. It covers the topic in a relaxed manner which makes it easier to read, it is practical but provides good coverage. This would be an ideal book for GP registrar new to the topic or a more experienced GP or family planning health care professional who wants to painlessly review the topic. I liked the liberal use of text boxes which helps to focus the reader’s interest and concentration.

He covers topics with practical solutions and clearly is aware of problems that present in real clinical practice. I wish I had this book to help in situations that I have previously encountered and had to shout for help. Of course, there are situations where you have to shout for help but it would worth to delve into this book first. From that perspective, despite it’s relative slimness, it would make a pretty practical reference book for a practicing clinician seeing patients. I think it represents good value for money but within the purchase price I would have liked to have seen it come bundled with online access via an app making it ideal for a smartphone or tablet use. It is a small, but I feel a justifiable criticism

The clear and relaxed style of language makes this book a pleasure to read and the editorial style is consistent which is no great surprise when the book is authored by one person who is an experienced writer. I liked the short section at the end which is an appendix in the way when licenced products are used in an unlicensed manner and this is helpfully followed by a glossary.

Occasionally we have contraceptive conundrums and chapter 9 (Titled special considerations) covers some of the common ones. In fact, during review of this book, I twice came across an older woman wanting information about contraception and it’s safety and within Chapter 9 Page 177, this important topic is covered.

This slim volume packs a surprisingly amount of information within its covers and although the price might seem steep for the size of the book, it covers it’s subject matter very well. It can be read relatively easily in its entirety or can be dipped into and used as a reference book. It is very versatile and a good read.

Dr Harry Brown

September 2019