Medical Book Awards – winners announced
The Society of Authors and the Royal Society of Medicine are delighted to announce the winners of this year’s Medical Book Awards, which were presented by Alexander McCall Smith at a ceremony at the Royal Society of Medicine in London on Wednesday 29th October 2008. The nine prizes – with a total value of £7,900 – celebrate the very best medical writing from the preceding year. All are sponsored by the Royal Society of Medicine Press, except where noted. The prizes were announced as follows: The Richard Asher Prize (£1,200) Kindly sponsored by an anonymous donor, the Richard Asher Prize is open to first edition textbooks aimed at undergraduate students, by not more than three authors. Cost, readability, and accuracy of information for students are the most important considerations. The prize was awarded to Flesh and Bones of Medical Cell Biology by Robert I Norman and David Lodwick (published by Mosby). New Authored Book (£1,200) This prize is open to first edition books for undergraduates or postgraduates, including professional and reference books, and was awarded to Bacteriology of Humans: An Ecological Perspective by Michael Wilson (published by Wiley-Blackwell). In the same category, Bruce Tulloh and David Lee were commended for Foundations of Operative Surgery: An Introduction to Operative Techniques (published by Oxford University Press). New Edited Book – retailing at less than £75 (£900) This category is for first edition books for undergraduates or postgraduates, including professional and reference books. It was awarded to Textbook of Orthopaedics, Trauma and Rheumatology, edited by Raashid Luqmani, James Robb, Daniel Porter and John Keating (published by Mosby). The judges highly commended Medicine and Surgery: An Integrated Textbook, edited by Eric Lim, Yoon Kong Loke and Alastair Thompson (published by Churchill Livingstone). New Edited Book – retailing at £75 or over There were nine entries in this category, but no titles were deemed outstanding and no award was made. New Non-Clinical Medical Book (£600) This prize was shared this year. It is open to titles concerned with medical history, medical education, medical ethics, medical humanities, and other non-clinical aspects of healthcare. The joint winners were From General Practice to Primary Care: the industrialization of family medicine by Steve Iliffe, and Living and Dying with Dementia: Dialogues about Palliative Care by Neil Small, Katherine Froggatt and Murna Downs (both titles were published by Oxford University Press). New Edition of an Authored Book (£600) This category is for second or subsequent edition books for undergraduates or postgraduates, including professional and reference books. It was awarded to Colour Atlas of Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery (3rd edition) by A G Tyers and J R O Collin (published by Butterworth Heinemann). Pathology of the Placenta (3rd edition) by Harold Fox and Neil Sebire, published by Saunders, was highly commended. New Edition of an Edited Book (£600) For second or subsequent edition books for undergraduates or postgraduates, including professional and reference books, this prize was awarded to John Bancroft and Marilyn Gamble, whose Theory and Practice of Histological Techniques (6th edition) (published by Churchill Livingstone) beating 49 other titles. The Illustrated Textbook of Paediatrics (3rd edition) edited by Tom Lissauer and Graham Clayden, (published by Mosby) was highly commended. The Minty Prize (£1,200) Sponsored by the Medico-Legal Society, this is awarded annually to first or subsequent edition medico-legal books. It was awarded to Assisted Dying: Reflections on the Need for Law Reform by Sheila A M McLean (published by Routledge-Cavendish). The Medico-Legal Society (www.medico-legalsociety.org.uk) promotes medico-legal knowledge in all its aspects through regular meetings at which papers are read and discussed. It has provided education and information on medico-legal matters for more than a century. New Medical or Healthcare Book for the General Reader (£600) Sponsored by the RSM Department of Readership Services, this is for first edition medical or healthcare books that are aimed at informing patients, carers, or the general public. It was awarded to Overcoming Teenage Low Mood and Depression by Nicky Dummett and Chris Williams (published by Hodder Arnold). The judges commended Alice Willitts and Deborah Carter for Food Allergy and Your Child (published by Class Publishing). The Royal Society of Medicine Library Prize – Medical Book of the Year Chosen from the winners of each category, this year the £1,200 prize was awarded to Colour Atlas of Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery (3rd edition) by A G Tyers and J R O Collin. The judges said: ‘Originating as a ‘how I do it’ manual with concise text and high quality illustrations (which did, indeed, allow you to ‘do it’) this book has grown over a further two editions into a beautifully illustrated and clinically photographed surgical textbook, complete with precise (and still concise) text and DVD. Quite simply this book is a masterpiece of the rare art of surgical textbook writing.’ The prizes are judged by members of the Medical Writers Group of the Society of Authors. This year the judges were: Dr William Marshall (Chair), Dr Jeff Aronson, Professor Barbara Bain, Dr Simon Davies, Dr Michael Feher, Mr Colin Johnson, Dr Leon Kaufman, Mr David Mitchell, Dr Jason Payne-James, Dr Anne Stephenson, Professor Gareth Williams. Please contact Sarah Baxter for further information . See also Prizes for medical books

Medical Book Awards – winners announced

The Society of Authors and the Royal Society of Medicine are delighted to announce the winners of this year’s Medical Book Awards, which were presented by Alexander McCall Smith at a ceremony at the Royal Society of Medicine in London on Wednesday 29th October 2008.

The nine prizes – with a total value of £7,900 – celebrate the very best medical writing from the preceding year. All are sponsored by the Royal Society of Medicine Press, except where noted.

The prizes were announced as follows:

The Richard Asher Prize (£1,200)

Kindly sponsored by an anonymous donor, the Richard Asher Prize is open to first edition textbooks aimed at undergraduate students, by not more than three authors. Cost, readability, and accuracy of information for students are the most important considerations. The prize was awarded to Flesh and Bones of Medical Cell Biology by Robert I Norman and David Lodwick (published by Mosby).

New Authored Book (£1,200)

This prize is open to first edition books for undergraduates or postgraduates, including professional and reference books, and was awarded to Bacteriology of Humans: An Ecological Perspective by Michael Wilson (published by Wiley-Blackwell).

In the same category, Bruce Tulloh and David Lee were commended for Foundations of Operative Surgery: An Introduction to Operative Techniques (published by Oxford University Press).

New Edited Book – retailing at less than £75 (£900)

This category is for first edition books for undergraduates or postgraduates, including professional and reference books. It was awarded to Textbook of Orthopaedics, Trauma and Rheumatology, edited by Raashid Luqmani, James Robb, Daniel Porter and John Keating (published by Mosby).

The judges highly commended Medicine and Surgery: An Integrated Textbook, edited by Eric Lim, Yoon Kong Loke and Alastair Thompson (published by Churchill Livingstone).

New Edited Book – retailing at £75 or over

There were nine entries in this category, but no titles were deemed outstanding and no award was made.

New Non-Clinical Medical Book (£600)

This prize was shared this year. It is open to titles concerned with medical history, medical education, medical ethics, medical humanities, and other non-clinical aspects of healthcare.

The joint winners were From General Practice to Primary Care: the industrialization of family medicine by Steve Iliffe, and Living and Dying with Dementia: Dialogues about Palliative Care by Neil Small, Katherine Froggatt and Murna Downs (both titles were published by Oxford University Press).

New Edition of an Authored Book (£600)

This category is for second or subsequent edition books for undergraduates or postgraduates, including professional and reference books. It was awarded to Colour Atlas of Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery (3rd edition) by A G Tyers and J R O Collin (published by Butterworth Heinemann).

Pathology of the Placenta (3rd edition) by Harold Fox and Neil Sebire, published by Saunders, was highly commended.

New Edition of an Edited Book (£600)

For second or subsequent edition books for undergraduates or postgraduates, including professional and reference books, this prize was awarded to John Bancroft and Marilyn Gamble, whose Theory and Practice of Histological Techniques (6th edition) (published by Churchill Livingstone) beating 49 other titles.

The Illustrated Textbook of Paediatrics (3rd edition) edited by Tom Lissauer and Graham Clayden, (published by Mosby) was highly commended.

The Minty Prize (£1,200)

Sponsored by the Medico-Legal Society, this is awarded annually to first or subsequent edition medico-legal books. It was awarded to Assisted Dying: Reflections on the Need for Law Reform by Sheila A M McLean (published by Routledge-Cavendish).

The Medico-Legal Society (www.medico-legalsociety.org.uk) promotes medico-legal knowledge in all its aspects through regular meetings at which papers are read and discussed. It has provided education and information on medico-legal matters for more than a century.

New Medical or Healthcare Book for the General Reader (£600)

Sponsored by the RSM Department of Readership Services, this is for first edition medical or healthcare books that are aimed at informing patients, carers, or the general public.

It was awarded to Overcoming Teenage Low Mood and Depression by Nicky Dummett and Chris Williams (published by Hodder Arnold).

The judges commended Alice Willitts and Deborah Carter for Food Allergy and Your Child (published by Class Publishing).

The Royal Society of Medicine Library Prize – Medical Book of the Year

Chosen from the winners of each category, this year the £1,200 prize was awarded to Colour Atlas of Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery (3rd edition) by A G Tyers and J R O Collin.

The judges said:

‘Originating as a ‘how I do it’ manual with concise text and high quality illustrations (which did, indeed, allow you to ‘do it’) this book has grown over a further two editions into a beautifully illustrated and clinically photographed surgical textbook, complete with precise (and still concise) text and DVD. Quite simply this book is a masterpiece of the rare art of surgical textbook writing.’

The prizes are judged by members of the Medical Writers Group of the Society of Authors. This year the judges were: Dr William Marshall (Chair), Dr Jeff Aronson, Professor Barbara Bain, Dr Simon Davies, Dr Michael Feher, Mr Colin Johnson, Dr Leon Kaufman, Mr David Mitchell, Dr Jason Payne-James, Dr Anne Stephenson, Professor Gareth Williams.

Please contact Sarah Baxter for further information .