The Cheese and Onion Will Change Your Life

'Read widely' is one of the most often-repeated hints for people who want to 'be more creative' and advance their careers.

Now I read a lot – no worries there. But the 'widely' bit trips me up. I tend to assume that 'widely' means psychology, business and politics instead of novels. But actually that means I read a lot of stuff that falls pretty much in my personal goldfish bowl.

Fortunately, when I'm not reading I watch some telly. And at the moment I'm hooked on House – so hooked in fact that I decided that I wanted to read something about clinical medicine. This in turn brought back to mind a conversation with a very charming junior doctor who, when I asked her, told me that doctors do indeed have a 'cheat' book that they consult all the time. It's called the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine or, in the trade, the 'Cheese and Onion' in homage to early editions' green and yellow covers.

So I bought it. And, contrary to what you might think, it is the most amazing, bonkers, insightful, useful, out-there book I have read in years.

On page three, it talks about what ideals are:

"Like stars they're hard to reach but helpful for finding your way in the dark."

Then it teaches you how to interview and leave space for people to talk:

"If you interrogate a robin, it will fly away. But tree-like stillness may bring him to your hand."

Then it gives you a three-day programme to help you genuinely empathise with people who are dying.

All of the above happens before page seven – although I have to admit the type is pretty small.

Along the way it mentions Sod's Law and provides a cross reference to page 436 where (after a quote from Damon Runyon) it explains, by way of epidemiology, why even 50:50 odds aren't all that they seem.

As you can tell, I am – after only a few hours exposure – slightly in awe of this zen-master style Haynes Manual of human frailty and interaction. But frankly, you could tear the latter 95% of this book's pages out, re-title it "How to be much, much less of an arse" and it would still be a bargain at £19.99.

Buy it. You will not be disappointed

James