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troke Survivor: A Personal Guide to Recov-ry, Andy McCann, Jessica Kingsley Publishers,006, 256 pages, £12.99, ISBN-13: 978-1-4310-10-0

In this book, Andy McCann provides a per-onal account of his experiences as a ‘strokeurvivor’ from the onset of his stroke to theresent day. He relates the challenges he has facedhroughout his recovery, and presents his ownroactive, holistic approach to stroke manage-ent. The book is subdivided into three sections.art I is written in a reflective, autobiographicaltyle and provides a fascinating insight into theeelings and emotions experienced by the author,any of which will undoubtedly be shared by

eaders who have experienced a stroke them-elves. Part II focuses on factual informationelating to stroke, such as the neuro-anatomy ofhe brain and its relation to presenting signs andymptoms. The author acknowledges that thisection is not intended to be a source of med-cal reference, but is aimed at those membersf the public wanting to enhance their under-tanding of stroke. Part III outlines a range ofossible treatment options, both conventional andomplementary in nature, and provides advice onnancial issues.

The book is written in an informative yetnjoyable manner, being both humorous andoignant in parts. Although aimed primarilyt stroke sufferers, their families and theirarers, the book will also appeal to a wideange of professional staff involved in the man-gement of stroke patients, particularly thosetaff who advocate ‘true’ patient-centred carehich utilises a holistic approach to management

hat stretches beyond traditional hospital-basedherapies.

Strong points include the two appendices andhe glossary of medical terminology. Appendixcontains reports of personal experiences fromther stroke survivors, and Appendix II providesseful contact details. On a negative point, onlylimited number of references are provided anduch of the factual information is unsubstanti-

ted.This book would be a useful addition to any

troke unit or general rehabilitation department.aving read the book themselves, therapists may

hoose to recommend it to patients, and their fam-lies, who are struggling to come to terms withheir disabilities, as it may inspire them to adoptmore positive, proactive approach to managing

heir own recovery.

Christine FramesDirectorate of Physiotherapy,

Mary Seacole Building,University of Salford,

Salford M6 6PU,UK

E-mail address: c.frames@salford.ac.uk

oi:10.1016/j.physio.2007.05.002

Book reviews

Managing and Leading in the Allied HealthProfessions, R. Jones, F. Jenkins (Eds.), Rad-cliffe Publishing, 2006, 275 pages, £27.95, ISBN1-8577-5706-8

This book is the first in a series of essen-tial guides for allied health professionals (AHPs).The series has been written to encourage andsupport AHPs to enhance and develop their man-agerial and leadership skills.

The book has 14 chapters covering the histor-ical context of the development of the NationalHealth Service (NHS), overviews of managementand leadership, and both the underlying theoryand practical tools for management. Each chap-ter was written by an expert in the field. Thediffering styles mean that it is easier to use thisbook as a reference on individual but related sub-jects, e.g. research and strategic thinking, ratherthan a book to be read as a whole. ‘What isa professional?’ is an interesting chapter thatdebates issues around autonomy and account-ability. There are three chapters analysing alliedhealth profession structures, including the expe-rience of re-organisation of services in Australia.These chapters are written in an academic styleand would be helpful for managers undertakingacademic study, but may not be overly usefulfor the busy manager facing re-organisation oftheir service. As structures are constantly chang-ing, further emphasis on delivery of outcomes,regardless of structures, could have added to thedebate.

An assessment tool for evaluating alliedhealth profession management structures isdescribed. This would be valuable for AHPsinvolved in service evaluation who need to con-sider the evidence-based assessment of services.In the chapter entitled ‘An overview of man-agement’, there is a helpful list showing thedifference between effectiveness and efficiency.There is a brief mention of the separation ofprofessional and managerial accountability, akey issue for many managers, which wouldhave benefited from greater depth. Chapter 3,‘The development of a profession’, provides aninteresting discussion that is summarised suc-cinctly in a table. Unfortunately, there are twospelling mistakes in this chapter, one in the maintitle.

In Chapter 7, ‘Leadership in the alliedhealth professions’, the authors introduce man-agement and leadership theories and describe theNHS leadership qualities framework. There is athought-provoking summary of key leadershipqualities at the end of the chapter. There is anexcellent chapter summarising many of the legalissues, including health and safety, that face man-agers and staff. It is easily understood and a goodsource of information. A clear discussion of pro-fessional regulation and clinical governance isincluded, describing the background and respon-

sibilities of an AHP manager.

It is noteworthy that the book includes a chap-ter on research relevant to management. Thisprovides an excellent overview of many aspects

59

of undertaking research in a clinical setting, andincludes aspects of research ethics and gover-nance. A chapter on strategic thinking in healthcare provides practical tools and methods to sup-port those involved in strategic planning. The finalchapter, ‘Cultural issues and management’, looksat the impact of culture in terms of equality anddiversity, with a strong emphasis on listening tothe service user. Overall, this book is a usefulreference source for those involved in the man-agement of allied health professions and otherrelated disciplines.

Angela C. KarckSheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust,

Directorate of Surgery,Western Bank,

Sheffield S10 2 TH, UKE-mail address: angela.karck@sch.nhs.uk

doi:10.1016/j.physio.2007.05.003

Special Tests for Orthopedic Examination, 3rded. Jeff G. Konon, Denise L. Wiksten, JeromeA. Isear Jr., Holly Brader, Slack Inc., 2006, 374pages, £22.95, ISBN 1-5564-2741-7

The aim of this book is to provide apocket-sized reference manual for tests com-monly used in orthopaedic examinations. TheAmerican authors describe how to perform andinterpret many of the common orthopaedic teststhat are used in practice, rather than criticallyappraise each test for validity, reliability or sen-sitivity. They do, however, provide an updatedlist of references for each test, which gives thereader a starting point if they require furtherinformation.

However, some tests have no referencesto published research. In this latest edition,several new tests are included in a chapterentitled ‘Contemporary tests’, and a few testsfrom previous editions have been omitted. Therationale for inclusion is not entirely clearand appears to be based on the authors’ pre-ferences.

Nevertheless, most of the tests described arealso found in other orthopaedic textbooks, and arein current use in clinical practice. As in previouseditions, the book is divided into sections relat-ing to a specific joint or spinal area, which makesit easy to find a particular test. Each measure isdescribed separately under useful headings thatexplain how to perform and interpret the test. Thephotographic illustrations of how each test is per-formed are very useful, and have been improvedfrom previous editions by the addition of arrowsto denote patient or therapist direction of move-ment. The layout of the tests could be improvedby setting the text and relevant illustrations on the

same or facing pages, which would facilitate usein a busy clinic.

The A5 size and weight of the book makeit too large for most pockets, but it is small

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nough to be carried around for quick reference.

he spiral binding makes page turning easiernd it has an extended back page to protect theages.

The authors should be congratulated on pro-ucing an excellent, reasonably priced, reference

A

Book reviews

book that would be useful to have in any clinic

that uses orthopaedic examinations.

Elizabeth MasonCarol Doyle

Primary Care Musculoskeletal Research

vailable online at www.sciencedirect.com

Centre, Keele University,Keele, UK

E-mail address: e.mason@cphc.keele.ac.uk(E. Mason)

doi:10.1016/j.physio.2007.06.003