Book excerpt: This book contains a foreword by Maurice Conlon, Associate Director, Appraisal and Revalidation Lead, NHS Clinical Governance Support Team. This is an invaluable, detailed guide offering practical resources for medical professionals in the challenging role of appraiser. It assists with confidence, professionalism and competency and contains a comprehensive, up-to-date summary of the 'state of play' for appraising doctors. It also includes sample forms, contracts for guidance and links to web resources. "The Appraiser's Handbook" provides vital information for all those involved in continuing professional development in primary and secondary care. Appraisal leads and managers in primary and secondary care trusts will find it of great interest, as will clinical tutors, GP tutors and deanery educational teams. "This book aims to support appraisers in developing their skills in order to ensure that the doctor whom they appraise, gains the maximum possible benefit from the time spent in, and preparing for, the appraisal. The appraiser will find appraisees who enthusiastically embrace appraisal and those who doubt its use and place in their professional development. Different approaches may be needed to support and understand different individuals." - Nick Lyons, Susanne Caesar and Abayomi McEwen. "This book, written by a trio steeped in appraisal, is a valuable resource for appraisers. It will help doctors learning to be appraisers, and experienced appraisers. It will also help those organising appraisal, to remind them of the aims of the process. Teachers of appraisal will be able to use it to supplement and support their curricula. I believe revalidation, when it arrives, will be the single biggest step towards improvement taken by the profession, since the introduction of the medical register. I also believe this depends upon the inclusion of appraisal within the revalidation package. Putting high-quality, developmental appraisal 'in the water' for the medical profession will bring about a whole-profession shift in terms of lifelong professional development. This book will support that aim." - Maurice Conlon, in the Foreword.