"Medical editors, however much they may disagree on scientific, social, or economic problems, will agree on one point: papers submitted for publication are, with few exceptions, badly written. The need for better medical writing is a perennial complaint: but what to do about it? One remedy is a book designed for self-study. Almost every year, publishers will bring out one or more volumes of this type, often helpful if used earnestly and critically. ... A second resource for improvement is the workshop or short course in writing. ..."