A manual designed to give health workers the insight and skills needed to help individuals and communities learn how to improve their own health. Recognizing the importance of individual behaviour as a determinant of health, the book aims to equip its readers with a range of educational and communication skills that respect the human and social side of health and disease, incorporate the principles of self-help and self-reliance, and can be adapted to local needs and resources. Practical explanations and advice are complemented by numerous examples, case histories, stories, exercises, checklists and illustrations that encourage readers to understand principles in terms of real situations. Readers are given advice on ways to establish good relationships, avoid prejudice, communicate clearly, and promote partnership with people in achieving their goals. A chapter on planning describes methods for collecting information, deciding on priorities, setting objectives, taking action, and evaluating results. Subsequent chapters concentrate on the counselling of individuals and families, health education of formal and informal groups, and techniques and approaches for working with the community as a whole. Details range from six simple rules for effective counselling, through advice on the best seating arrangements for meetings and discussions, to case studies illustrating why certain projects succeeded or failed. The concluding chapter presents tips and advice for using local resources and the media to communicate health messages.