Review of Le choc de l'informatique: Les répercussions psychosociales et le r?le des attitudes.

Reviews the book, ILe choc de l'informatique: Les répercussions psychosociales et le r?le des attitudes by Serge Guimond and Guy Bégin (1987). This monograph is concise and easy to read. The reader knows immediately that technological questions will be explored, as well as the psychological and human questions being attached to the new use of information technology. Three fields are covered, each one the subject of a chapter: 1) computers in the educational circle; 2) computers and work; and 3) computers in the house. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Cognition.

Reviews the book, Cognition by John G. Benjafield, et al. (2010). Cognition (4th ed.) provides a comprehensive introduction to cognitive psychology for undergraduate students and others who require an overview of the area. New in the fourth edition is a chapter on cognitive neuroscience. The reviewer only has one criticism of Benjafield et al.: Citations for published works in every chapter that also appeared in the third edition stop around 2007 or earlier (when the third edition was published). Cognition is a book that will appeal to those looking for a high-level, scholarly survey of cognitive psychology. It is this aspect of Cognition that sets it apart from most other textbooks that cover cognitive psychology. Yet, despite its scholarly approach, it remains an engaging text that makes the reader want to keep reading more: a delicate balance, but one that Benjafield et al. manage with aplomb. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Depression.

Reviews the book, Depression edited by Paul H. Hoch and Joseph Zubin (see record 2006-09526-000). Perhaps the main value of this book is that it brings together a wide assortment of material related to depressions and allied conditions. It consists of 16 independent papers originally presented at the 1952 meeting of the American Psychopathological Society (APS). Represented in the symposium are theories and findings from the fields of clinical psychiatry, psychodynamics, anthropology, endocrinology, biochemistry, biometrics, and hospital administration. Attention is given to depressive reactions in children, the aged, cancer patients, and soldiers exposed to isolated Arctic conditions. Most of the articles are reviews of previously published work. Much still remains to be learned about depressions but in focusing attention on and in providing a wide-range view of the problem the APS has performed a useful service. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Therapist.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 23(4) of Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training (see record 2007-12251-001). There was a comment in this book review that requires clarification. The reviewers stated, "The code of ethics of the American Psychological Association explicitly disallows only 'unwanted' therapist-patient sexual contact" (p. 487). However, the reviewers failed to take note of Principle 6(a) which reads, "Sexual intimacies with clients are unethical" (p. 29). The two phrases "physical contacts of a sexual nature" (from Principle 7) and "sexual intimacies" (from Principle 6) suggest a difference in behavior, which may be misleading and confusing to a reader of the code. The reviewers may have pointed out an ambiguity in the code which should be corrected by the APA Ethics committee.] Reviews the book, Therapist by Ellen Plasil (1985). The problem of therapist-patient sex has always plagued the mental health professions. In recent years the issue has been the topic of increasing numbers of mental health field panels, seminars and papers, producing innumerable calls for professional, and sometimes legal, sanctions against offenders. Author Ellen Plasil's revelations of sexual involvement with her therapist will shock few, since periodic stories about such behavior seem to come out in the popular press with increasing regularity. The value of Ms. Plasil's autobiographical tale, however, is that it educates the reader as to how the process of mystification works to mold that relationship; that is, the reader learns from her incredibly detailed accounting of her thoughts how patients can be persuaded to become unquestioning "true believers." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Cybernetics.

Reviews the book, Cybernetics by C. R. Evans and A. D. J. Robertson (eds.). This book is a collection of papers on cybernetics. Included in the sixteen papers are one by A. M. Turing and one by Warren S. McCulloch, persons who have been quite influential in the development of cybernetics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychoneuroimmunology.

Reviews the book, Psychoneuroimmunology edited by R. Ader (1981). In this important book, the editor has attempted for the first time to present to the reader a comprehensive picture of the state of knowledge in this area. In this he has succeeded admirably. Ader has brought together virtually all of the major contributors in experimental psychoneuroimmunology. The authors collectively manage to cover all aspects of this multifaceted problem, in most cases in a critical manner. It is to be hoped and expected that this important book which represents a milestone in this field, will open up the area to new investigators from the different disciplines. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Lacan.

Reviews the book, Lacan by Malcolm Bowie (see record 1991-97907-000). What is on offer here is one outcome of a conversation in which Lacan's texts--whatever their difficulties, obscurities, and seductive attractions--have been obliged to make their sense in and to a larger field of psychoanalytic concerns. Bowie divides Lacan's career into five main phases, to each of which he devotes a chapter. Bowie's is a strong and frequently persuasive partitioning of Lacan's development. The interplay between Bowie's style and his interrogation of Lacan's style is central and productive throughout the book. Those who have been wrestling with Lacan for some time will find there is room for reservations about Bowie's Lacan, and some of those reservations will be of possibly considerable consequence in the end. There will also be reservations provoked into explicitness by--and so also indebted to--Bowie's own argumentative clarity and force. And for those who are not already at grips with Lacan, for those who want an introduction to Lacan that is at once straightforward and fully serious, at once skeptical and generous, it is hard to imagine any other work that would serve as well. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Creativity.

Reviews the book, Creativity by P. E. Vernon (Ed.) (see record 1973-07006-000). Vernon provides a palatable and inexpensive way into the literature on creativity. While he defends his selection of 27 articles as arbitrary but conventional, there is in fact a healthy respect for the early contributors and for the significant British literature. In the six sections of this book, Vernon provides an altogether refreshing little collection of key materials. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Anxiety.

Reviews the book, Anxiety by S. Rachman (see record 1998-07057-000). Several strong summaries of research and clinical work in anxiety have been produced. Stanley Rachman's Anxiety takes a surprisingly strong place among this literature. Rachman's summary of theory, research, and practice related to anxiety is a prize. He has managed a succinct presentation of the major problems and issues, recounted what is known, and challenged the reader with the unsolved riddles. The book includes chapters on the nature of anxiety, influences on anxiety, and theoretical views of anxiety, highlighting the importance of conditioning and neoconditioning theory, before turning to separate chapters on each of panic, agoraphobia, obsessions and compulsions, social anxiety, and generalized anxiety disorder. One of the strengths of Rachman's contribution is the overview chapters, concerned with the concept of anxiety and competing theoretical views of its nature. Even though the book is saddled with frequent, distracting typos, even some that distort the meaning, it is an excellent book that can stand as a resource in many undergraduate and graduate courses, and also can take a place on the shelves of practising clinicians and specialists in other areas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Madhouse and The Lobotomist.

Reviews the books, Madhouse: A Tragic Tale of Megalomania and Modern Medicine by Andrew Scull (see record 2005-06776-000); and The Lobotomist: A Maverick Medical Genius and His Tragic Quest to Rid the World of Mental Illness by Jack El-Hai (see record 2005-02343-000). In both books, the history of experimental clinical psychiatry is laid bare with devastating accounts of the efforts to conquer mental illness by any means necessary. Both books are fascinating reading and may illuminate our current context in which the biological avenues for treating mental disorders continue to traffic in hopes of a one-size-fits-all cure, while psychoanalysis ambivalently struggles with how to conduct rigorous research to demonstrate the efficacy of our treatment. Andrew Scull's book Madhouse offers a well-documented historical account of a bizarre episode in American psychiatric history. The centerpiece of Scull's investigative work is Henry Cotton, MD, the superintendent of the Trenton State Hospital in Trenton, New Jersey, from 1907-1930. Once Cotton arrived at Trenton, he was appalled by the conditions he found and instituted reforms such as eliminating the culture of violence by attendants, removing over 700 pieces of restraining equipment from the hospital, and introducing occupational therapy. Jack El-Hai gives us the next segment of psychiatric surgery in his book The Lobotomist, a biography of the neurologist, turned surgical outlaw, Walter Freeman, MD. Walter Freeman was a neurologist fascinated with science and experimentation. Settling into work at St. Elizabeth's hospital in Washington, DC, in 1924, Freeman eventually joined the faculty of George Washington University where he remained until 1954. At that time neurosyphilis was the scourge of mental hospitals producing thousands of victims who were totally disabled by the neurological sequellae of tertiary illness. Thus lobotomy became an efficient outpatient procedure that could be applied to a larger patient population. Both of these books are important reading. Of all the great medical advances of the last century, surely the one that stands out as perhaps the greatest is the Nuremberg Code of 1947, which requires a competent patient giving informed consent to treatment and to research efforts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Peaceful measures: Canada's way out of the 'war on drugs'.

Reviews the book, Peaceful measures: Canada's way out of the 'war on drugs' by Bruce Alexander (1990). The tone of this book is conciliatory and constructive. After showing that the War on Drugs is a real war (Chapter 1) that has failed (Chapter 2), Alexander uses half of the book (Chapters 3-8) to do what, he does best--show that the underlying justifications, which might make even a futile drug war seem necessary, are invalid. In Chapter 9, Alexander finally gets around to describing his alternative Peaceful Measures, which, in the light of the data contained in the previous eight chapters, strike the reader as the soul of sweet reason. The last chapter (Why the War on Drugs continues and how it can end) is the only chapter in the book that is not based on fact and, perhaps for that reason, is the most interesting. Alexander speculates that the War on drugs persists because drugs have come to symbolize deep psychological needs, conflicts, and fears for much of society. There is much to recommend this book. The author's arguments against the present system for dealing with addicts and traffickers are compelling and the "peaceful measures" that he recommends as Canada's way out of the war on drugs are thoughtful and well supported by data, but the main recommendation of the book derives from the writing itself which is surprisingly natural and impassioned for the work of an academic. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Meeting Movies.

Reviews the book, Meeting Movies by Norman N. Holland (see record 2006-11509-000). Meeting Movies is a very personal book in which Holland discusses eight films that have been personally meaningful to him. These films are Casablanca, Vertigo, The Seventh Seal, Freud, Persona, Children of Paradise, Shakespeare in Love, and 8 1/2. Holland describes what he was doing with his life when he saw each of these films, and he discusses how each film affected his life and his career. Some of the movies were seen relatively recently, and some were first viewed over half a century ago. In reading the book, it becomes apparent that Holland loves films. Whenever text is in Roman type, Holland is operating in his reader-response critic mode, and the discussion reads much like any other film criticism. However, the most interesting parts of the book occur when Holland is in free association mode, writing about whatever thoughts the movie being discussed brings to mind. These instances are set off from the regular text by use of italicized text. In summary, Meeting Movies is a good read. Holland is well versed in psychology and especially psychoanalytic approaches, and his criticism of these eight films is consistently interesting. His willingness to self-disclose makes this book all the more fascinating. The book will be rewarding for anyone genuinely interested in the interface of psychology and film. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Cognitive Assessment.

Reviews the book, Cognitive Assessment by Thomas V. Merluzzi, Carol R. Glass, and Myles Genest (Eds.) (1981). Cognitive Assessment is a well-edited volume in which the authors are obviously familiar with each others' contributions. Nonetheless, there is some redundancy (perhaps unavoidable) and a few glaring inconsistencies in the quality of chapters (definitely avoidable). However, I came away from this book with a mixed sense of promise and caution. The cognitive-assessment approach is both encouraging yet limited. It is premature at this time to needlessly restrict assessment efforts to cognitive factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of College psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, College psychotherapy edited by Paul A. Grayson and Kate Cauley (see record 1989-97599-000). According to the reviewer, this was an enjoyable and informative book, easily read with helpful suggestions for working with the college population. It is devoid of the pretentious theorizing or condescending didacticism found in many "how-to" books in psychology. Doctors Grayson and Cauley are primarily interested in addressing the needs of those who practice counseling or psychotherapy with college students. Their treatment approach is described as "discriminating eclecticism." They point out that the college population is too heterogeneous to fit a standard treatment orientation. IThis book is highly recommended to all who work with college population, not just those who are in university settings. This is also an excellent sourcebook for graduate students who want to fortify their therapeutic skills and those who supervise these students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Intentional Changes.

Reviews the book, Intentional Changes by Allen Tough (1982). In this book, Allen Tough intends to reach an academic and professional audience with a plea for recognition of the importance of self-initiated changes. To support his "power to the person" message, Tough presents a large body of data from 150 intensive interviews in England, Canada, and the United States. Another 180 interviews contributed to the development of a formal interview schedule and of ideas. He identifies four major themes that emerge from his data--themes that underlie his arguments for greater personal freedom and for the provision of non-intrusive help to facilitate the use of that freedom. The reviewer found the book to be an interesting and worthwhile book to read, although the data presented are too flawed to be persuasive. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Physiological Psychology.

Reviews the book, Physiological Psychology by Peter M. Milner (see record 1971-03512-000). Milner points out that studies in the field of Physiological Psychology generate at the rate of over 1,000 per year and that for both student and teacher critical evaluation of the literature is increasingly difficult. Accordingly Milner presents a text which, while up to date in content areas, stresses a theory based evaluation approach to the galloping research enterprise. The text begins with elementary matter on physiology and anatomy on the assumption that psychologists are not well grounded in these subjects. Milner has prepared a well organized, well written text. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Pediatric Neuropsychology.

In this volume, Hynd and Willis offer a straightforward introduction to pediatric neurology with neuropsychological and psychological implications discussed for the pediatric patient with neurologic disorders. This text is unique in that chapters are organized with common elements that establish a relatively consistent structure for each chapter. Psychologists and neuropsychologists with a nonmedical background are introduced to language and nosology. From the pedagogical view, this is an important accomplishment, because psychologist and physicians have long struggled to communicate. Another important quality of this volume, which aids neuropsychologists in developing a medical perspective of childhood neurologic disorders, is a balanced discussion of the structural versus functional points of view. Moreover, although functional systems are conceptualized as an interaction between cognition and overt behavior, emphasis is placed on understanding the behavioral impact of CNS structural development. In addition, relationships between behavioral deficits are considered. A chapter by chapter summary is included in the full text of this book review. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The Notebooks.

Reviews the books Fritz Heider: The notebooks, Vol. 1: Methods, principles and philosophy of science, Fritz Heider: The notebooks, Vol. 2: Perception, Fritz Heider: The notebooks, Vol. 3: Motivation, Fritz Heider: The notebooks, Vol. 4: Balance theory, Fritz Heider: The notebooks, Vol. 5: Attributional and interpersonal evaluation, and Fritz Heider: The notebooks, Vol. 6: Units and coinciding units by Fritz Heider and edited by Marijana Benesh-Weiner (see records 1987-98853-000, 1988-97988-000, 1988-98304-000, 1989-97096-000, 1989-97097-000, and 1990-97341-000). The Notebooks are a six-volume reproduction of Heider's working social psychology, from the early 1950s through to the early 1980s. Their publication allows us, for the first time, an intimate and complete examination of a method of social psychology that has proven so fruitful and upon which rests so much of the experimental enterprise of the past decades. Heider's method is thoughtful, rather than active. The Notebooks would probably be of greatest interest and use to practising experimental social psychologists, since many mainstream topics derive from Heider's Psychology of Interpersonal Relations, which was an earlier, more highly edited, release of his notebook research. Graduate students will find The Notebooks a treasure house of topics, ideas, and inspiration. Theoreticians will find Heider one of their own. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)