Review of Suicide in Canada.

Reviews the book, Suicide in Canada, edited by Antoon A. Leenaars, Susanne Wenckstern, Isaac Sakinofsky, Ronald J. Dyck, Michael J. Kral, and Roger C. Bland (1998). This book is a major volume dedicated to an acute public health phenomenon in Canada. The book is divided into nine sections. Although there is overlap among the sections, they retain distinctions that warrant their separation. The sections (history; epidemiology and the Canadian scene; theory and research; first nations and Inuit; family, community, and government approaches; youth suicide, schools, and communities; distress centers; survivors; the right to die) are laid out in a logical order. The volume is appealing for its use of chapters that vary from being very formal and research focused, to those that are highly experiential and voiced in the first person. Taken as a whole, this book on suicide in Canada has much to commend it. Although one might argue that any given book might better focus on either a more scholarly, research orientation, or a more experiential, qualitative viewpoint, this reviewer did not find the mixture of approaches in this work disquieting. Given the timeliness and enduring importance of the topic, it can be said that Suicide in Canada will be the book on the topic for the foreseeable future. Indeed, given the scope and depth of the book, it is a landmark edition for future Canadian suicidologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Multiculturalism in Canada: Social and educational perspectives.

Reviews the book, Multiculturalism in Canada: Social and educational perspectives edited by Ronald J. Samuda, John W. Berry, and Michel Laferriere (1984). The editors have managed to put together an impressive collection of contributors and contributions. Their stated aim is "to cover the entire spectrum of potential factors related to multiculturalism" and they "feel sure that this volume will meet the needs of teacher educators...inservice training...and teacher training in the foundations of multicultural education" (p. vii). The volume is divided into five parts. Part one contains chapters under the rubric of Policies of Multiculturalism. Part two contains five chapters under the rubric of Attitudes toward Multiculturalism. Part three contains six chapters under the rubric of Language in a Multicultural Society. Part four contains eight chapters under the rubric of Adaptation to a Multicultural Society. Part five contains six chapters under the rubric of Assessment and Counselling in Multicultural Society. In sum, this volume contains many fine individual chapters. Students and professors can pick through them and find the ones best suited for their unique purposes. When taken as a whole, however, the volume represents an ethos which is probably irreconcilable with a genuine multiculturalism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Memory, war and trauma.

Reviews the book, Memory, war and trauma by Nigel C. Hunt (see record 2010-17048-000). Hunt’s book presents a very different perspective on how memory, war, and trauma interface, drawing upon a variety of sources not frequently accessed by psychologists. He promotes an interdisciplinary approach to studying memory and war; however, rather than drawing upon the usual fields, such as biology or sociology, Dr. Hunt suggests that a careful examination of history and literature are also integral to developing a complete understanding of memory and war. This book is not designed for individuals unfamiliar with the field of trauma and war. Memory, war and trauma highlights the limitations of current empirical approaches to studying war trauma and presents a narrative methodology that he argues will better capture the unique individual experience of trauma. Hunt rightly demonstrates weaknesses of current methods, and suggests that the narrative method may be the solution to some of the problems with current methods. Though his argument is likely that the narrative method should supplement rather than replace current experimental method, one is left feeling that he believes current methods are wholly inadequate and his method is better. Despite this central weakness, this book will be a benefit to psychologists who study and treat individuals touched by war because it will encourage them to think beyond traditional approaches to research and treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Blaming the brain: The truth about drugs and mental health.

Review of book: Elliot S. Valenstein (Au.) Blaming the brain: The truth about drugs and mental health. New York: Free Press, 1998, 292 pp.. Reviewed by Louis S. Berger. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Implicit measures of attitudes.

Reviews the book, Implicit measures of attitudes edited by Bernd Wittenbrink and Norbert Schwarz (see record 2007-01388-000). The editors have produced a very timely volume. The stated goals of Wittenbrink and Schwarz's book are to educate the reader about the value of implicit measures of attitudes, as well as to provide a handbook of sorts for the neophyte wanting to learn how to use the variety of implicit attitude measures available. In addition, the editors want to provide a critical assessment of the state of implicit attitude measurement in terms of the very definition of an implicit measure, as well as the general reliability and validity of these measures. Finally, the editors want to provide directions for future research in the area of implicit attitude measurement. As such, Wittenbrink and Schwarz hope that this text will be a resource book for both new graduate students and established researchers in the field. In general, I believe the editors have accomplished their goals. After the editors' introductory chapter, which gives an overview of the development of implicit attitude measurement as well as an overview of the rest of the volume, the book is broken down into two sections: "Procedures and Their Implementation" and "Critical Perspectives". Overall, I believe this is a very well written book, and that even readers familiar with implicit attitude measurement will learn a great deal. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The psychology of health and health care: A Canadian perspective.

Reviews the book, The psychology of health and health care: A Canadian perspective by Gary Poole, Deborah Hunt Matheson, and David N. Cox (2001). This book is a timely introductory text that aims to situate the rapidly expanding field of health psychology within the geographic, socio-demographic, and empirical landscape of Canada. This textbook would be appropriate for beginning and intermediate undergraduate students across a range of disciplines, including psychology, public health, and nursing. As such, it has a number of features to commend it. It is written in a clear and concise style, with explanatory tracks guiding the reader step by step through each new concept. In keeping with health psychology's applied focus, web sites for important resources are provided and sample case studies are integrated with key concepts throughout each chapter. Finally, the up-to-date coverage of Canadian health statistics and research publications is a delight for those of us who have been struggling to find texts that reflect the unique ways in which we view, structure, fund, administer, and research health psychology and health care in this country. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Aging in Canada: Social perspectives (2nd ed.).

Reviews the book, Aging in Canada: Social perspectives (2nd ed.) by Victor W. Marshall (1987). Victor Marshall's second edition of Aging in Canada: Social perspectives is a worthy successor to the first edition (1980). The new edition includes 30 chapters on topics in Canadian social gerontology. Of the 38 different authors 24 are new. All chapters were written specifically for this volume. The chapters are longer and more substantial than in the earlier volume; at 613 pages this volume is twice as long as the earlier one but has only four more chapters. Both the inclusion of an index and the placement of references at the end of each chapter are welcome improvements. The chapters are grouped under the following headings: Thinking Systematically About Aging; The Diverse Meanings of Age and Aging; Aging Workers and the Labour Force; Aging, Leisure, and Retirement; Family Structure and Social Relationships; Health and Well-Being in Relation to Age; Health Care; and Political, Economic, and Social Implications of Population Aging. The book is directed at and suitable for those interested in social science, health science, or public policy issues at a wide range of levels from second-year undergraduate to graduate to professionals working in applied or academic contexts. Despite omissions and a few weak chapters the book is informative, thoughtful, and often provocative. It affirms that there is, indeed, a Canadian social gerontology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychoanalytic approaches to addiction.

Reviews the book, Psychoanalytic approaches to addiction edited by Angela Smaldino (see record 1991-98128-000). Contrary to what one might read into its title, the book is only partially about alcohol and other drugs AOD addiction. Three of its seven chapters address other types of addiction: destructive relationships, love, and food. The implication is that similarities among the various addictions will serve to illustrate a common unconscious motivation of "the addictive personality" revealed by psychoanalysis. Nowhere in the book, however, is this explicitly stated. The chapters are as the beads of an unlinked chain. They are as a series of associations in a patient's stream of consciousness, each one rich in detail, captivating, and insightful, but as yet without the analyst's interpretation as to how they are linked. The daunting task of that interpretation is left to the reader. This book is a valiant effort to move the psychoanalytic field in the direction of accommodating to the needs of an important patient population. It is not a primer to be taken as a directive, but a useful tool that the more sophisticated reader may employ as an impetus to stimulate further thinking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Women and the chip: Case studies of the effect of informatics on employment in Canada.

Reviews the book, Women and The Chip: Case Studies of the Effect of Informatics on Employment in Canada by Heather Menzies (1981). Women and the Chip looks at the effects that the new technology of informatics (the marriage of computers and telecommunications) is having and will continue to have on the structure of the labour force-particularly women. The changing employment patterns and practices related to this new technology will change many jobs and eliminate many others as office work becomes as automated as car assembly was in years past. To help the reader develop an appreciation of the scope of this change four major case studies are presented: a large corporate head office, a major insurance company, chartered banks, and supermarkets (all industries with a heavy concentration of women employees). The book is well written, well organized, thorough and informative "Blueprint for the future". The book should be read by everyone out of general interest, but especially for psychologists involved with vocational planning and decision making. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Mental health law in Canada.

Reviews the book, Mental health law in Canada by Harvey Savage and Carla McKague (1987). Mental health professionals who come into contact with the law in the course of their work generally have an interest in the well-being of the client. However, they often feel dismayed and confused because of their lack of understanding of mental law and the legal system in general. Until recently, mental health professionals in Canada could not turn to a single volume which would help explain mental health law, including their clients' rights. However, Harvey Savage and Carla McKague's book, Mental health law in Canada, will help alleviate some of the concern and confusion Canadian mental health professionals have come to know. Although some authors have written about Canadian mental health law in specific contexts (e.g., criminal responsibility or fitness to stand trial), Savage and McKague's contribution is the only available comprehensive source directed to the law affecting psychiatric patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Drugs and behavior: An introduction to behavioral pharmacology.

Reviews the book, Drugs and behavior: An introduction to behavioral pharmacology by William A. McKim (1986). This book effectively describes in 14 chapters the diverse aspects of behavioural pharmacology. The structure of the chapters ensures that a continuity of basic principles in behavioural pharmacology will emerge, and the reader will be able to understand the behavioural consequences of drugs with respect to their physiology and pharmacology in each chapter. This book covers the material well, and in my opinion its greatest strength is its readability. The author produced a book that will not only give undergraduate and graduate students a solid foundation in behavioural pharmacology, but will also provide an enjoyable reading experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Working it out: Using exercise in psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, Working it out: Using exercise in psychotherapy by Kate F. Hays (see record 1999-02984-000). In this book, Hays presents a thoughtful, albeit at times controversial, advocacy for integration of physical exercise into the practice of psychotherapy in an explicit way. Although many mental health practitioners recognize the healing value of physical exercise and even encourage their patients to pursue physical activity, as part of their treatment, Dr. Hays takes this approach to an entirely different level. She argues persuasively that physical exercise, promoted by the therapist in the context of a cognitive-behavioral treatment model, represents for many who seek the services of a psychotherapist a treatment of first choice. She supports her views on this matter by skillfully weaving throughout the book a comprehensive and scholarly review of relevant clinical empirical literature, along with case studies from her own clinical practice. The case studies are a particularly appealing part of this book because they clearly and instructively give the reader an impression of what transpires between Dr. Hays and her clients or patients. One senses that above all she is a warm, empathic, and sensitive clinician who skillfully applies a blend of cognitive-behavioral interventions, enhanced by individually tailored regimens of physical exercise. As stated in the introduction, the author intends …to inspire mental health professionals to bring to their work a clearer understanding of, interest in, and enthusiasm for exercise in the process of recovery from mental and emotional problems. Dr. Hays identifies practicing psychotherapists as the primary intended audience for her book, but it seems more likely to appeal to students in training for this craft. The more seasoned veterans among us are less likely to be inspired by Dr. Hays's enthusiasm for jogging with our patients, and her proposals for doing this certainly raises many serious concerns and potentially hazardous issues regarding the nature of the relationship between therapist and client. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Child sexual abuse: Critical perspectives on prevention, intervention, and treatment.

Reviews the book, Child sexual abuse: Critical perspectives on prevention, intervention, and treatment edited by Christopher R. Bagley and Ray J. Thomlison (1991). This book is a compilation of a series of literature reviews originally commissioned by Health and Welfare Canada in 1987 and completed in 1988. The individual papers included in this edited version represent a cross section of Canadian academicians, clinicians, and case workers who are integrally involved in the policies and practices regarding child sexual abuse in Canada. The work provides a comprehensive perspective on prevention at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. The list of authors is impressive in terms of their expertise and experience. At a time when numerous books on child sexual abuse are appearing on the market, it is nice to see a book that has some unusual aspects. Aside from its distinctly Canadian perspective, the book addresses several important, yet frequently ignored, topics. The book provides an up-to-date review of several core issues: conceptualization of the problem, prevention strategies, impact of sexual abuse, investigative interviewing, treatment outcome studies, and treatment issues for child molesters. The more unique topics include a review of the strategies used to evaluate prevention programs, prevalence rates among a number of special populations, the role of medical practitioners in preventing and intervening in child sexual abuse, and sexual abuse and exploitation among disabled individuals. Overall, I can recommend this book for clinicians and researchers in Canada and elsewhere who are interested in child sexual abuse. This compilation of literature reviews highlights the leading role that Canadian social service agencies have taken in developing programs for sexually abused children and their families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Normalizing the ideal: Psychology, schooling, and the family in postwar Canada.

Reviews the book, Normalizing the ideal: Psychology, schooling, and the family in postwar Canada by Mona Gleason (1999). The history of psychology in Canada has not received the attention it deserves. This book is a bold attempt to sketch the development of the discipline and its influence on child-rearing practices and education in post-war Canada. Unfortunately, the author appears to have been guided by a theoretical perspective that can best be characterized as an uninspiring blend of Michel Foucault, Christopher Lasch, and reductionist 1970s feminist scholarship. Gleason's portrayal of the development of psychology, is inadequate on several counts. First, throughout the book, psychology is presented as a monolithic discipline characterized by complete consensus, theoretical unity, and a single-minded purpose of influencing society. Second, Gleason claims that psychologists forced their definitions of normalcy upon an unsuspecting and innocent population by intruding into previously private realms and extending the tentacles of its expertise in building up a professional tyranny. Third, Gleason frequently criticizes psychology for reinforcing and reproducing the social status quo and presenting the ideal family in terms of white, middleclass, heterosexual, and patriarchal ideals. Fourth, she seems to condemn psychologists for inflicting their ideas on an unsuspecting population because they were driven by ulterior motives such as self-aggrandizement and an attempt to increase their own professional power. Gleason's is the first book to provide an overview of the influence of psychology on Canadian society after World War II. Her analysis would have gained from investigating and highlighting the different and at times mutually exclusive ideas, motives, and theories of Canadian psychologists instead of assuming their uniformity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Working it out: Using exercise in psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, Working it out: Using exercise in psychotherapy by Kate F. Hays (1999). In this well-organized book, Kate Hays presents exercise as a important component of a multi-modal approach to therapy. The overall content is differentiated into four major sections, in the first of which Hays establishes the value of exercise. The second section moves from theory to the use of exercise as a therapeutic tool. Outlined in the third section are the "Psychological Benefits of Exercise with Specific Populations," overviewing many common clinical populations and specific exercise-based treatment recommendations. The fourth section, "Caveats and Boundaries," is just that, an important collection of chapters that did not find a place elsewhere in the book. This book contributes to a practical and applied view of the synergistic interaction of mind and body. Its essential message adds to the base of literature having the potential to influence private and public programs promoting health and well-being. This book ought to be well received by students and professionals such as educators, clinicians and counsellors of varied disciplines, physicians, physiotherapists, and social workers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Shifting the paradigm in community mental health: Towards empowerment and community.

Reviews the book, Shifting the paradigm in community mental health: Towards empowerment and community by Geoffrey Nelson, John Lord, and Joanna Ochocka (2001). This book, as it combines theory, practice, and research (a case study) about the processes of empowerment and integration of consumers of mental health care in a Canadian setting, delineates strategies and approaches that can be factors in fulfilling this important aim. Shifting the Paradigm in Community Mental Health is a welcome contribution to the literature on the implementation of consumer empowerment and involvement in mental health treatment and care. The authors offer an approach enabling the reader to see the dimensions for empowerment and community integration termed the empowerment-community integration paradigm. The book will be useful for a wide audience, including consumers, professionals, stakeholders, researchers, and policy makers, and should be in the libraries of all institutions, formal and informal, that deliver mental health care. The overall clarity of the writing and all the approaches will be very much appreciated by all those who work or receive services in mental health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of What shall we teach the young about drinking?; Drugs and the brain; and Employee Assistance: Policies and Programs.

Reviews the pamphlets, What shall we teach the young about drinking? by Robert D. Russell (1986); Drugs and the brain by John Brick (1987); and Employee assistance: policies and programs by Gail S. Milgram and Barbara S. McCrady (1986). Each of these pamphlets appears to be addressed to the general reader who wants to know something about the topic addressed but does not need to know much more. Russell provides an excellent historical context for considering what to teach our youth about drinking. Brick's pamphlet is general, containing basic information on how drugs of any kind (not just those likely to be abused) are introduced into the human body, distributed, and eliminated, and what they generally do in the brain. The pamphlet by Milgram and McCrady on employee assistance programs (EAP) should have ready use as an educational and informational tool for any company or similar organization needing to develop or be informed of the operation of EAP's. All three pamphlets are well written and organized by authors with excellent credentials. They are also handsomely printed, some with excellent graphics or tables. It could be that any of these pamphlets might be useful as a teaching tool in a course or unit of a course at the university level for graduates or undergraduates in professional programs. They would not provide the depth needed for students who will specialize, but they could be adjunctive material for those who need familiarity with one of these topics but not in-depth knowledge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Educational psychology: Reflection for action (Canadian edition).

Reviews the book, Educational psychology: Reflection for action (Canadian edition) (2008). Targeted toward aspiring teachers, this book provides an overview of the content knowledge germane to school-age education in Canada and attempts to foster the types of procedural skills and dispositions necessary to gather and evaluate evidence about one’s own classroom practises and about the diverse array of Canadian students in those classrooms. The book is well written, in language that is clear and accessible to preservice teachers at the undergraduate level. For a more advanced audience, the book also provides an excellent model of how to integrate goals of content, procedural, and disposition acquisition. To these ends, each chapter includes pedagogical features that help readers activate and connect their prior knowledge, skills, and attitudes with those of more expert teachers operating in real classrooms (e.g., samples of classroom life to ground understanding in experience, models of expert analyses following knowledge acquisition, well-timed invitations to engage in reflection during learning). Particular attention is paid to the ecologically valid activity of reasoning about what students know on the basis of what they say and do. In addition to lists of key concepts, end-of-chapter exercises, and a glossary, a number of supplements and additional resources for instructors and students also are mentioned. A parallel e-version of the text, complete with interactive features, is available online at no extra cost. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of clinical psychopharmacology for therapists.

Reviews the book, Handbook of clinical psychopharmacology for therapists by J. Preston, J. H. O'Neal, and M. C. Talaga (1994). This text is an extremely well-written, carefully organized, and practical volume that is entirely suitable for its stated purpose. The authors comment in their Introduction that their book is "intended primarily for mental health professionals and those in graduate training in psychology, social work, and counseling (p. 3)." The Handbook is organized around the DSM-IV and the attendant conception of mental disorders as having either an explicit or implicit biological basis. The authors do a sound job of specifying typical treatment regimens among the psychotropics, and they also cover the many marginal clinical circumstances which justify moving away from conventional treatment plans. The text is especially strong in addressing some augmentation strategies for treatment refractory mood disorders, the newer or "atypical" anti-psychotics, and utilization of the very flexible and utilitarian Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRI's), such as fluoxetine (Prozac). This volume is especially recommended to two groups of users. The first are graduate-level instructors who are seeking a broad-based, informative, and practical text to introduce students to the burgeoning field of psychopharmacology. The second group of utilizers should be practicing clinicians, who need either to review or to update basic concepts in psychopharmacology as they interface with patients on a daily basis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)