This title addresses the most important aspect of anaesthetic training - learning in the operating suite. The information is clearly presented and can be easily incorporated into the practice of clinical anaesthesia. The practical guidance provided, from organising the department, assessing competence, teaching practical procedures or organising simulator sessions, is based on many years of experience. There are chapters devoted to the issues of portfolio-based training and the use of mentoring and appraisal. The place, and effective use, of medical simulation, either low fidelity systems in local hospitals or the high fidelity centres in major educational units, is clarifed by an international team of experts.