The small size and relaxed narrative style almost persuade the reader that they are enjoying an interesting novel, and, unlike bulkier tomes, it lends itself to reading on the move or at home. However, far from light reading, the content provides indepth, well constructed descriptions of theories and concepts. These are supported by practical examples, using widely-known studies and common conditions, which even someone at the beginning of their epidemiology education could easily connect with with... In this respect. the book is useful to the graduate student and encourages an appreciation of the public health considerations common to many diseases and conditions. The narrative style is used to great advantage in some chapters, to discuss causation, measures of disease occurrence and epidemiology in clinical settings, as well as in the new chapters in this edition which describe the pioneers of epidemiology and infectious disease epidemiology. Public Health Today, June 2013