I'm an oldie, and thought that my MD viva back in 1994 was a bit like agony, but I'm truly grateful that I'll never have to sit through the exquisitely calibrated torture of the SJT. It replaces, and not a moment too soon, the shockingly self-serving personal statement questions that I marked for a year before I gave up in disgust.Although this book will be used by people anxious about the SJT (and I think the nervousness is justified), it's a really thoughtful exposition of problems similar to ones we have all faced in that hinterland of communications, behaviour and attitude. Naturally, the textbook responses are idealised - challenging a difficult consultant's behaviour, for example, whatever the GMC exhorts trainees (and other consultants) to do, and despite the fact that fortunately they have in truth little influence over career progression, is forever going to be a knotty problem - but at least the answers provide a balanced framework for thinking about it. These sometimes agonisingly difficult decisions will be thrown into further sharp focus when the Francis report on the disaster at mid-Staffs reports early next year, so this test's birthday is at a sadly appropriate moment.I worked through a few questions with a group of 3rd year medical students, who were fascinated by the greyness, and genuinely stimulated into thinking about all manner of interesting areas, not always strictly related to the topic in hand. Needless to say, I did very badly indeed, with most of my answers way off the model responses, and I would probably have been admitted with an ACS if I had had to sit through dozens of these riddles and answer one every 2 minutes or so. The hazard, though, is that candidates will train to the test - quite understandably - and the concept of having to make instantaneous graded judgements about grey areas of human behaviour strikes me as being an unwarranted stress: most of these situations genuinely require overnight reflection. Partly because of nifty books like this, the life expectancy of the SJT is probably only a few years: what will they think of next?This is a well-produced volume, without even considering the speed with which it was put together, and the young authors show themselves to be good writers, rigorous thinkers and occasionally entertainingly idiosyncratic. Like all books written in advance of the introduction of an exam, it may not get it right first time, but the detailed justification and reasoning given for every response mean that it may well transcend the contingencies of the looming paper, and I will certainly use it in my general medical teaching as a stimulating entrée to medical discussions. It has been meticulously edited, and as a relatively painless way to get to grips with GMC guidance for the qualified doctor it is a very stimulating read. For the poor candidates, however, there will be little time for such gentle reflection.