Book excerpt: The art of good communication is an essential skill that every healthcare professional must master in this increasingly demanding and challenging healthcare climate. From medical, nursing and allied health students to experienced doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals, the authors of The Bedside Communication Handbook - with more than 20 years of teaching "Clinical Communication" - present common and challenging communication scenarios and share important principles and useful phrases which can be used to help busy healthcare professionals communicate better with patients and their relatives. This is probably the only such book set in an Asian context. It will contain practical tips and model statements that would help to guide the readers in improving their communication skills and preventing a communication faux pas.