The ability to communicate well is crucial for a doctor's effectiveness in clinical work. In the patient's perception of the doctor, also, good interpersonal communication is regarded as the hallmark of excellence. Learning to communicate, however, can present medical students with a difficult challenge. This book aims to provide a practical introduction to the skills of talking with and listening to patients. Jargon and mystique have been avoided. As well as analyzing the interchange of information, it focuses attention on the affective dimensions of the medical interview - the feelings of the patient, and of the doctor. The factors which can inhibit or facilitate communication are discussed in some detail, only when they are understood can skill be developed. The contributed chapters broaden the scope of the book to include communication with particular categories of patients - the child, the adolescent, the aged, the dying. Communication with patients from other cultures is also reviewed. In this new edition, chapters have been added on talking to relatives, talking about pregnancy and reproduction, and making decisions.