The first edition of this book established itself as the most widely used, concise guide to the most frequently used procedures in clinical microbiology laboratories. Because the book describes methods in the order in which they would be encountered in the laboratory, it is the perfect bench companion both for the novice in clinical microbiology and the experienced microbiologist who needs to confirm a detail. The book encapsulates the practical experience of a group of experienced clinical microbiologists and scientists imparting valuable tips and solutions to both the methodology and interpretation of clinical microbiology results. Now this book has been extensively up-dated, it represents a state-of-the-art training aid for the diagnostic microbiology laboratory. The first edition proved to be particularly invaluable to microbiologists preparing for higher professional examinations such as membership of the Royal College of Pathologists and the American Board of Medical Microbiolog