Old age psychiatry—at least in the UK—has developed into a multidisciplinary specialty. The authors have recognised this and targeted their handbook beyond a purely medical to a broader readership. This has resulted in some degree of simplification and the first chapter on assessment is very basic, being pitched at student level. Basic textbooks can be concise and impart information in a straightforward and didactic way with little need to bother about doubt or the grey areas of knowledge. This book is no exception and has a clear and clean presentation. In …