Don’t know your “Deontology” from your “Consequentialism”? Well, don’t panic. Making sense of medical ethics by the late Alan Johnson and his son Paul will clear that up for you. And much else besides.

This pocket-sized book, described as “a hands-on guide”, is written by two clinicians: surgeons, as it happens. It seems to be aimed, fairly, at the beginner.

The book is divided into three parts. The first six, introductory, chapters are especially rewarding as they provide a clear summary of general principles and a pithy dispelling of some ethical myths and misunderstandings. It is also here that you will find an excellent explanation of deontology, consequentialism (teleology), virtue …