Public Health Practice in Australia offers a thorough introduction to the Australian public health system and its practices.

It highlights common threads that underlie seemingly disparate activities, ideas and entities that comprise the organised effort' of public health practice. The emphasis is on securing and maintaining the conditions in society that enable people to live healthy and fulfilling lives.

The authors examine the impact of social, economic, environmental and political factors on the health of individuals, communities and populations. Taking an applied, multidisciplinary approach, they outline the strategies and tools that public health practitioners use to improve health outcomes:

> identifying infrastructure needs in the workforce, public and private sector organisations, and in regulation

> gathering, analysing and using health data

> applying interventions in health policy, provision of health services and health promotion

Public Health Practice in Australia draws on current international and Australian research and it is extensively illustrated with case studies and data. It not only examines the past and present but considers our common future by looking at the tools we have to understand long-term trends, alternative scenarios and dynamics shaping futures. It is a valuable resource for students and professionals across the health sciences including public health, medicine, environmental health, health promotion, health information management and health administration.

Vivian Lin is Professor of Public Health at La Trobe University and chair of the Australian Network of Academic Public Health Institutions (ANAPHI). She has held senior positions in a range of health organisations, and is co-author of Health Planning (2001) and co-editor of Evidence-based Health Policy (2003). James Smith is an independent public health planning consultant and facilitator working in Melbourne. He has particular interests in local environmental health policy and is the Editor of Environmental Health, the Journal of the Australian Institute of Health. Sally Fawkes is Research Fellow in the Department of Public Health Practice at La Trobe University. She has extensive experience in health promotion policy and practice and is completing her PhD on the topic of health futures and long-term planning.