There are books to suit different purposes. For example, one may read a book for pleasure, use another for a particular reference and another still as an academic text. Then there is a book such as this one that fulfils all of these criteria.

This book covers a number of adverse syndromes associated with drugs used in psychiatry, including relatively common scenarios such as extrapyramidal side-effects and extending to less well-understood phenomena such as diabetes mellitus and neuroleptic malignant syndrome. All the chapters follow the same format including sections on clinical features of the syndrome, differential diagnosis, management, risk factors and prevention, with a summary at the end.

There are few surprises in the recommendations, which on the whole appear to be in line with current practice guidelines, although less so with practice. One of the great strengths of the book is that it can be used as a guide to aid clinical practice rather than solely as an academic text.

This book is a welcome addition to a slowly growing collection of practical guides on drugs used in psychiatry. It is a stimulating read and will appeal to academics and clinicians alike. I recommend it to psychiatrists, pharmacists, general practitioners, nurses and any other healthcare professionals involved with or interested in drug treatment in psychiatry.