pt. I. The efficient interview -- 1. Basic interviewing technique -- 2. Listening -- 3. Building rapport : empathy, the universal tool -- 4. Understanding nonverbal communication -- 5. The primacy of symptoms -- 6. The data base -- 7. Culture and language -- pt. II. The efficient interview : dealing with patient emotions -- 8. Sadness and fear -- 9. Anger -- 10. Ambivalence -- pt. III. Explaining -- 11. Patient education -- 12. Giving bad news -- 13. Comforting the grieving family : survivors of a patient death -- 14. Shared decision-making and informed consent -- pt. IV. The clinical attitude -- 15. Patience -- 16. Curiosity -- 17. "OK" and "wow" : the short words -- 18. Self-awareness : what are you thinking now? -- 19. Hope -- pt. V. Dealing with a difficult relationship -- 20. Those dreaded phrases -- 21. Acknowledging difficult relationships and interactions -- 22. Understanding the meaning of illness -- 23. Addressing disagreements about diagnosis or therapy -- 24. Trust and distrust -- 25. Establishing boundaries -- 26. Avoiding seduction -- 27. Asking for help -- 28. Clinician-to-clinician communication : talking to colleagues -- 29. Doctors firing patients -- patients firing doctors -- pt. VI. Illness and loss -- 30. Chronic pain and suffering -- 31. Somatization -- 32. The transition from disease-based care to palliative care -- 33. End-of-life discussions : advance care plans and DNR orders -- 34. Being with a dying patient -- 35. Talking with families of seriously ill patients -- pt. VII. Who's in charge here? behavioral health risks -- 36. Assessing risk behaviors -- 37. Nonadherence -- 38. Violence -- 39. Alcohol use -- 40. Sex -- pt. VIII. Puzzling problems -- 41. The list-maker -- 42. The patient's companion -- 43. Confusion : communicating with the cognitively impaired patient -- 44. The patient bearing literature -- 45. Distant medicine -- 46. When your patient is a doctor -- 47. Disclosing unexpected outcomes and errors -- 48. Coaching communication skills -- App. Selected readings for the entire text.