This inspirational guide provides an innovative framework for understanding the consultation. It is concise, easy-to-read and highly accessible, presenting a simple and easily remembered nonlinear diagram which facilitates the understanding of this richly complex process. Inspired by the work of Balint, it beautifully reflects the narrative of the consultation in its tone, with examples and anecdotes illustrating key concepts. It is highly effective as a primary teaching aid for undergraduate medical students, as a refresher for those in practice, an aide memoire to good consulting, a template for case analysis and reflection, and a diagnostic aid when consultations have gone wrong. The approach is recommended for all GP trainees, nurse practitioners and pharmacists where it has proven to be an immense help at all levels of experience and skill. ‘Peter’s thoughtful model will hopefully enable future practitioners of medicine to argue against any retrograde move towards paternalism and authoritarianism. His book carefully explains why the consultation needs to be re- established as the central endeavour of us all, the means towards achieving shared understanding, placing patients in charge of their own destiny and enabling doctors to have fulfilling and lasting careers.’ Jonathan Silverman in his Foreword