R. Alagappan’s Manual of Practical Medicine – Fifth Edition, published by Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers, is a comprehensive book for any physician or physician-in-training. It consists of the basic principles of clinical examination along with detailed history taking, and has a separate section on infectious diseases. The authentic information on clinical methods will help physicians not only in arriving at provisional diagnosis, but also in planning relevant investigations to confirm their analysis. It is illustrated with a large number of figures and tables.