Janet A Brown. (Pp 800; $125 for NAHQ members, $140 for non-members, yearly updates available for additional fee). California: Managed Care Consultants, 2000. (Also available through the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ), P O Box 3781, Oakbrook, Illinois 60522, USA.)Quality in Health Care 2001;10:128

Revised yearly since 1986, this is an 800 page loose leaf handbook in a ring binder and is used by some readers to prepare for the International Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) examination of the Healthcare Quality Certification Board which is associated with the National Association for Health Quality (NAHQ).

Imagine a classmate of yours known for taking meticulous notes for all her classes and homework. Imagine that she kept such notes for the equivalent of a master's degree in health care quality and she kept reading and updating these notes for 15 years. This may give you an idea of what Janet Brown has written. The result is a book too heavy to hold in your hands for long. There are lots of definitions, lists, and bullet points …