Expectant readers may at first feel misled by the title of this text. It is not the Holy Grail for those seeking to apply evidence-based medicine to psychological treatments. However, perhaps it aims to be the next best thing — a map towards the Holy Grail.

The multi-author text is directed primarily at providers, managers and service coordinators of psychological therapies within the National Health Service (NHS). It is intended to provide essential background to the reasoning, methodology and implications of the evidence-based health care movement in relation to this field. However, as much of the information contained is generic, it would be of potential interest to an even broader readership.

The book is divided into three sections: the first covers the background, philosophy and infrastructure of evidence-based medicine within the NHS; the second provides an introduction to the research methodology that generates the evidence base, and includes reference to both qualitative and quantitative techniques; and the final section describes moves to synthesise and disseminate research results and apply them in practice. Each section is well referenced, not only to academic literature, but also to practical examples and sources of further information.

The editors acknowledge a degree of overlap between chapters, although this is appropriate and allows the book to be used effectively for reference purposes. The introductory chapter provides a useful summary to the contents of the remainder, and there is extensive cross-referencing.

Unfortunately, as with many texts that attempt to provide a comprehensive guide to contemporary thought in a rapidly evolving world, this one was probably out of date before it was published. A notable omission is the lack of reference to the National Service Framework for Mental Health (Department of Health, 1999).

Critics will realise that the book has been principally written by strong proponents of the ‘evidence-based’ movement. However, individual authors have provided well-balanced arguments allowing readers to make their own decisions about the relative merits of academic evidence and professional judgement in the clinical setting.

Since it is no longer possible to bury one's head in the sand at the mention of evidence-based medicine this book might be a sensible acquisition for those involved with psychological therapies who are trying to make sense of this part of ‘the new NHS’ for the first time.