The Handbook of Family Medicine third edition is an essential guide for general practitioners working in a southern African context. It focuses on the circumstances affecting family medicine within developing countries, the various skills needed on a day-to-day basis, and the best approach to patient care from a holistic perspective. It is the only African text of this nature that deals with the unique difficulties that family medicine doctors have to manage, particularly in under-resourced areas. The real-life case studies provide insight into what medical students will encounter in practice.

Contributors are from a number of medical schools and it is this collaboration and contribution of all family medicine specialists which provides a broad area of expertise. The handbook is endorsed by the Family Medicine Education Consortium (FaMEC) and the South African Academy of Family Physicians.

The handbook is aimed at undergraduate medical students, but will also be useful to fam ily medicine interns, community service doctors, general practitioners, medical officers, nurses, allied health care workers, and registrars during postgraduate training in family medicine.

The Handbook is also sold separately as an electronic publication for quick reference.