By Peter Dervan, Professor of Pathology, University College Dublin Medical School, Dublin, Ireland, and Michele Harrison, Lecturer, Department of Pathology, University College Dublin Medical School, Dublin, Ireland Mind Mapping, invented by Tony Buzan, results in increased confidence, saves precious studying time and gives the student a sense of achievement. Conventional textbooks present information in such a way that the key words are not always obvious to the student. Research shows that the key words are important in learning as they create and reinforce learning pathways. The key words in this book are presented in the context of pathways which connect to form maps of each topic. The information on each topic is thus connected to provide a framework for revision and learning. Studies show that revision of key words creates and strengthens words associations and helps the brain to process further information on the topic faster. Psychologists call this effect the 'semantic prime'. The Mind Maps provide an overview of the subjects and are designed to 'prime' the brain to remember the information.