Diabetes—at your fingertips. By Professor Peter Sonksen, Dr Charles Fox and Sue Judd. 5th Edition. Class Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1 85959 087 X. Paperback, 352 pages

Abstract

Diabetes—at your fingertips. By Peter Sonksen, Charles Fox and Sue Judd. 5th Edition. Class Publishing, 2003. ISBN: 1 85959 087 X. Paperback, 352 pages. Price: £14.99. Devoid of medical jargon, it is a comprehensive reference guide suitable for people with diabetes, their families and health professionals. It deals with practical day to day problems, giving concise factual up-to-date information on all aspects of living with diabetes and its management, and represents excellent value for money. Emphasis on education is central and takes the reader through a journey visiting all the varied problems that can be encountered. Whilst recognising that this is basically a reference guide (as discussed in the section on how to use the book), the large amount of text faced by the reader could be better presented with the help of more illustration. I feel that pages like the diet sheet would have more impact if presented in a format similiar to the ‘feet facts’ section. In today's world the section on non-medical treatments and the chapter on monitoring could have been expanded. Some of the graphs and tables, such as those relating to insulin adjustment and insulin regimens, were confusing and complicated. Nevertheless, the section on insulin available is short and succinct and I think the glossary will prove very useful. The colour plate section would benefit from being spaced throughout the book and covers too limited a range of products. As stated previously, I feel the text would benefit from more illustration throughout. However, overall this book is a clear, concise and comprehensive practical guide and a recommended resource for health care workers—from student nurses to general practitioners. The book gives people with diabetes the information they need to manage their diabetes confidently.