"This collection of biographies is almost an encyclopedia and can be read as an encyclopedia: from one entry to another or, for curious readers, from one discovery to another, particularly if they do not just follow the sequence of
the book, but use the index (not only of names, but also of places, journals, titles of works, or topics). These readers will surprise themselves at the pleasure of navigating this sort of book and discover (or rediscover) the excitement of avidly paging through it."
Alain Touwaide, PhD (The Huntington)
"So, should you buy this book? I would strongly suggest you do. Many of the biographies will be known to you but there is much to find out on reading a selection of the lives portrayed. This book would be of particular rele-vance for those embarking on their career in general practice or for those (like me) reaching the end of it."
David Cunningham, NHS, Glasgow
"This book is an excellent first effort to explore the talents of many general practitioners and their varied contributions to the medical profession and society. If it stimulates and promotes discussion and interest and readdresses the lack of information on notable GP's, it has been very worthwhile."
Dr. Nigel Masters, Gazette
"This book is an excellent way of introducing students to serious research in the history of medicine and getting their work published. It contains a great deal of information about the history of general practice and will be of particular value to those interested in its development from what was almost a cottage industry into an academic discipline headed by a Royal College. Some however may be put off from buying this reference book because of its price."
John MT Ford, British Society for the History of Medicine
"It’s a fascinating collection of biographies of influential people in General Practice and is a great reference – particularly about those GPs who shaped the formation of the College."
Royal College of General Practitioners
Reviewer: Alain Touwaide, PhD (Ronin Institute)
Description: As the title makes clear, this is a collection of biographies of general practitioners, more precisely, the biographies of British GPs from 1703/4 (that is, the time of the legal foundations of general practice in England) until 2017. These are GPs who have excelled in the profession, including a number of female GPs. All the biographies are the same length and include a portrait of the physician or, when this is not possible, a copy of an original work by the physician, and a short list of supplementary readings.
Purpose: As the author puts it, "Learning from history is crucial." The collection of biographies aims "to help students to develop critical and analytical skills, enhance writing skills and allow them to broaden their educational horizons."
Audience: This is a book for educational purposes. It is aimed primarily at students who can read it occasionally as a source of inspiration or even as a narrative of what the profession looks like and might lead to. This readership is not exclusive, however, as this collection of biographies will probably be of interest to practitioners in the profession as well as general readers interested in the daily life of a practitioner of medicine.
Features: The biographies are divided into four time periods, with two major divisions: pre-20th century (with 27 biographies) and 20th century, which, in turn, is subdivided into pre-1950, 1950-1967, and the last 50 years (that is, 1967-2017). Within these periods, biographies are in chronological order. All have the same length (three pages, including an illustration and a short list of further readings). The biographies are written by a variety of authors, mostly medical students, but also GPs, foundation doctors, and specialists. They offer a simple, straightforward, yet dynamic narrative, from birth to death, with a special emphasis on the contribution to medicine that led to the selection of the GP to be in this book.
Assessment: This collection of biographies is almost an encyclopedia and can be read as an encyclopedia: from one entry to another or, for curious readers, from one discovery to another, particularly if they do not just follow the sequence of the book, but use the index (not only of names, but also of places, journals, titles of works, or topics). These readers will surprise themselves at the pleasure of navigating this sort of book and discover (or rediscover) the excitement of avidly paging through it. The softcover might suffer from repeated readings, but any damage will not detract from the pleasure of reading.
