I offered to review this book hoping to gain some helpful and insightful tips for an assignment that I have been working on. The title implies that the book will give practical tips and strategies for helping to deliver service developments and change; however, I did not find this to be the case.
I feel that this book is aimed at individuals that are engrossed in literature reviews or working towards academic papers more than clinicians working with patients on a daily basis. The emphasis of the book is focused on the social impact of hearing loss and is written as an evaluation of the literature that is currently available. It is written from an Australian perspective and is peppered with snippets of the author’s contributions to the topics which are relevant and current. Some of the other references throughout the book appear to be older but relevant nonetheless.
I feel that the text was very wordy and repetitive at times, but the main points were well made and supported by evidence. I do feel that the evidence was nothing new or innovative and that the principles included in the book are ones that most clinicians within the UK are aware of.
The book is small and well-presented. The cover is simplistic but effective and the text inside is well printed and easy to read. The book is only 144 pages long and took me just a couple of days to read cover to cover. The six chapters are concise, well-structured and supported with appropriate diagrams and tables where the text requires. The graphics are easy to follow and look to fit well within the body of the book.
Overall; a good, quick read. I feel that the book helpfully consolidates lots of information and research into one place and would be a good resource for a more academic stance than the one with which I have approached the book. The book is expensive for what little information I learnt, but it might be more value for money for someone with different expectations of the publication.
