NURSE EDUCATION TODAY 75

qualitative or less positivistic methods. A chapter by Nicholson discusses the place of female clinical psychologists in the organisation of this area of health care. The impression of an overwhelmingly female occupational group managed by a small number of males is uncomfortably familiar. The lack of career progression is likewise recognisable. Examples of the statutory body’s patriarchal attitudes are fortunately not yet identifiable in nursing. Perhaps the main value of this book lies in the warning that it carries for other largely female occupations?

ROSEMARY MANDER MSc PhD RGN SCM MTD

The Change Germaine Greer Penguin New Books 1992 472pp ISBN: o-14-012669-4 f6.99

Germaine Greer in her usual provocative and original style, attempts to debunk the myth of menopause as a negative experience, and presents it as a rite of passage, the time when a woman can take stock of her life and prepare for the next stage, when she can look forward to acquire serenity and power in a new role.

Greer claims that middle aged women (why women? why not just middle age?) suffer from ‘ageism’, that is negative attitudes to aging, accompanied by an expec- tation of loss of looks, an undefined role and a time full of misery and grief. This is made worse by the medicalisation of what is in most instances a very normal transitional period. Doctors are always very eager to prescribe HRT and other drugs, and woman are innocent enough to let themselves be guinea pigs and to be grateful for the privilege!

Greer argues that the climacteric liberates women and that they should be left to negotiate the change with independence and dignity, because ‘as long as they like themselves, they will not be an oppressed minority’.

AMALIA P. GALLEGO RGN RNT MA (Education) MSc (Sociology)

Writing for Health Professionals Philip Burnard Chapman & Hall 1992 171pp illus ISBN: o-412-47440-9 f12.95

This book professes to offer advice on all aspects of the writing process and, indeed, this cannot be denied. The author covers an amazing range, from advice on the basics of writing; the writing of essays, theses, articles and books; the environment in which to write;

the equipment to buy and databases to keep; to conclude with appendices that address the use (or not) of cliches, commonly misspelt words, non-sexist lan- guage and which gives an example of a book contract. As a result it is difficult to know who this book is really designed for. Students in the health professions and experienced health professionals, be they authors, teachers or researchers, have necessarily very differ- ent needs and would use such a book selectively. In some respects the book could be seen as reflecting the author’s idiosyncratic career to become an experi- enced (and prolific) writer. That being so, it should appeal more to the aspiring but inexperienced writer than to the established author. On the whole the advice is excellent and easy to assimilate. I would perhaps take issue with the advice to ‘write as you talk (~8). Such advice should not be taken too literally.

TONKS N. FAWCETT BSc(Hons) RGN NSc RNT

Health Visiting: Towards Community Health Nursing Karen Luker &Jean Orr Blackwell Scientific Publications 1992 262pp illus ISBN: 0-632-03324-X f12.99

This is a welcome revision of the first edition which has a much improved layout and the addition of a chapter which addresses the role of information technology and community health reforms to health visiting practice. However, the pace of legislative and policy change will unfortunately date the text since the repercussions of the Tomlinson Report and the Health of the Nation document will inevitably impinge upon health visiting. A rather irritating aspect of this book is the poor referencing, a shortcoming which was present in the first edition. For example, the outline of six nursing theories (pp 130-l 3 1) does not refer to the original papers which set out the dimensions of the theories. A book such as this should enable readers to engage in follow-up reading!

A text which attempts to encapsulate health visiting within 200 or so pages is an ambitious project. However, it is a pity that while the contents make clear and useful reading, the practice base of health visiting is somehow mislaid. This in part may be a reflection of the authors who are no longer involved in the hurly- burly of health visiting practice - practicing health visitors are regularly confronted by homelessness, single parenthood and poverty as key issues in their practice. However, this edition is a great improvement upon the first and should prove a useful text for those entering community health care practice.

ALISON WHILE BSc MSc PhD RGN RHV Cert Ed