Writing a book is not only about positioning words on a page: it requires time, effort and space to think through ideas, capture experiences and navigate the many territories that surround the subject matter. The writing experience is not devoid of difficulties, which often demand additional time, energy, creativity and collaboration. To the writer the journey could appear arduous and lonely, not really knowing when or possibly how it will end. It is in these particular situations that the writer’s support network plays an important role. For me personally, my support provided me the opportunity to create the space and time to plan and develop the content and chapters for this text.
My co-author, Jane, enabled me to consider multiple lenses and acknowledge the many layers and sublayers that make anatomy and physiology exciting to learn and teach. To my wife Emma, who constantly challenged my beliefs and encouraged me to seek out debate, develop arguments and reconfigure what it is I truly believe: I thank you dearly. To my wonderful children Benjamin and Oliver: thank you for giving me the time to write, the freedom to think, the inspiration to create, and your love to envelop my passion for the learning and teaching of anatomy and physiology. I hope this book will inspire you to fulfil your dreams and life’s ambitions. To my brother Michael, thank you for teaching me to appreciate the lessons that life teaches you. To my academic community, scholars, practitioners, professional organisations, teachers and students: thank you for providing a framework for me to deconstruct theory, apply knowledge and experience, and create a text that demonstrates the process for learning and teaching. To Jon and his team at Lotus Publishing, thank you for your invaluable assistance in bringing our text to life.
The creation of this text allowed me to value the scholarship of teaching and learning, and work towards not only improving practices but, more importantly, transforming them. The value of this text lies in the ability for communities of practice and learning to disseminate the messages and practices within the chapters.
I hope you enjoy the learning and knowledge transfer and use the text to encourage others to do the same. Finally I dedicate this book to the memory of my late parents, Josephine and Charles Abrahamson.
Earle Abrahamson
I dedicate this book in memory of my parents, John and Elizabeth Davies, who showed me that a strong work ethic, good-humoured persistence and perseverance gets the job done.
I am a self-confessed ‘studyoholic’; my love for anatomy and physiology is only matched by my passion for learning. I was fortunate to have an inspirational teacher who spent endless hours teaching us how to learn Latin, rather than just throwing a new language at a bunch of twelve-year-olds. So, Mr Melville, you have probably no idea the impact you made on my future, and for that, I thank you.
I learned my passion in physiology and pathology as a teenager, working in the pathology departments at St Thomas’ Hospital, London, and to the staff there I give grateful thanks that you sowed the seed of information and gave it a nurturing environment that allowed it to grow and blossom into the secure knowledge I possess today.
My support network of husband, son and colleagues has given me the encouragement to write, technical wizardry in mending my laptop and a sounding board for ideas, so to Mark and David Langston, Gina Lilley and Taz Faruqi: I couldn’t wish for better family and friends.
My co-author, Earle, saw something in me I didn’t recognise for myself, until he coerced me into writing with him; thank you Earle for your vision, ideas and trust.
And finally, it is with gratitude that I consider the impact that all my students and learners at The Amatsu Training School have made on me, and how by humbly teaching, I learn.
Jane Langston