Book Review

As thousands of midwives, mentors and lecturers return to university after the holidays, two readers review a book relevant for all in midwifery education, from first day to finals.

If only the authors had been kind enough to write ‘How to Survive your Book Review: A Toolkit for First Time Journalists’. While I wait for that publication, any hopeful student nurses or midwives should try this book instead. Some of the most demanding aspects of the course, both academic and practice-based, are addressed in the pages. From clinical competencies to communication skills and continuous assessments, if you have wondered or worried about it, you will find it here.

Colloquialisms, direct address and rhetorical questions—all to be avoided in academic essays, as the authors are quick to point out—make up the main body of the text.

Due to these stylistic choices, there is a warm, friendly, but authoritative tone that emanates from the pages. From the written activities to the overviews and top tips, I found the book incredibly digestible; as a dyslexic student, it was clear that the authors had taken into account the visual presentation of the text as much as the content.