Can health be improved? Can the quality of health care be delivered more effectively? Can doctors and other health professionals be better at their job and deliver higher quality of care? The answer to these three questions is yes, and this book develops ways in which, using existing knowledge the potential for health can be achieved. Because Kenneth Calman was England's chief medical officer, he has a unique experience of topics related to the practice of public health. These are the best part of the book. Particularly interesting are his ideas on communicating health related risks to the public and the chapter on the health of the nation strategy ("from health for all to health by all"). I also like his suggestion that a major aspect of medicine is to constantly redefine disease and health. He is convincing when he promotes the importance of medical humanities.