Review of Finishing well: Aging and reparation in the intergenerational family.

Reviews the book, Finishing well: Aging and reparation in the intergenerational family by Terry D. Hargrave and William T. Anderson (see record 1992-98532-000). The purpose of this book is to help older people and their families complete life in a more satisfactory way through contextual family therapy. The essence of the contextual approach is to resolve family relationships by building trust and commitment in the family through redressing the imbalance of entitlements and obligations within the family. In this review, the dynamics of family relationships are described and the stages of family therapy as detailed in the book are summarized. In the book, the authors focus on the importance of forgiveness and describe the technique by which they promote forgiveness between family members. According to the reviewer, the book is well written because the therapeutic techniques are clearly illustrated with examples from therapy cases. This book can be enthusiastically recommended to all therapists engaged in therapy with older people, and to those doing family therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Family Stories and the Life Course: Across Time and Generations.

In this review of "Family Stories and the Life Course: Across Time and Generations" (see record 2004-13618-000), the reviewer states that many psychologists will want to read this book from cover to cover because it is excellent. It will create excitement for developmental psychologists who are open to extending their perspectives on individual functioning to include more of a focus on whole family systems. It will also challenge family psychologists to deepen their understanding of how the functioning of each family member at different stages of the life span is related to interactions and meaning-making in the group. Clinical psychologists will glean new ideas about the accounts of family life they hear from their clients and the transformative power of having family members jointly engage in reconstructing problematic family stories. The range of topics and the overall quality of the research and theorizing are truly impressive. This book draws together in one volume conceptual development and recent research findings about family narratives. The reader will gain an understanding of how family stories and story telling are related to acquisition of language, regulation of affect, attachment processes and socialization of children, development of identity in adolescents, cognitive functioning in older persons, and interactions between children, parents, and grandparents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Strategic management of technostress in an information society.

Reviews the book, Strategic Management of technostress in an information society edited by Amarjit S. Sethi, Denis H. J. Caro, and Randall S. Schuler (1987). According to the editors, the contents of this book would not only provide managers with a "set of useful and practical strategies for managing technostress by organizations and their members" (p.xi), but would also serve as a reference for other stress coping (sic) scholars and practitioners, as well as a textbook for students in university management and executive development programs. A second attraction of this book was that its editors had played an unusually active role in writing it, thereby presumably avoiding the uneveness and lack of integration that plagues edited books. The reviewer does not have hands-on experience in developing organizational strategies for handling technological innovation and consequently am not as confident in criticizing the chapters devoted to this topic. But in reading these chapters the reviewer began to question whether their authors had any more experience than than the reviewer did. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Researching disturbed family systems: State of the art.

Reviews the book, Family interaction and psychopathology: Theories, methods, and findings edited by T. Jacob (see record 1987-97733-000). Prior to this work, the literature on family interaction and psychopathology was scattered across many disciplines, making it difficult for scholars to take full advantage of the progress and pitfalls in family interaction research. This volume goes a long way toward remedying that situation. As the title suggests, the book is subdivided into three major sections: (a) Conceptual Foundations, (b) Methodological Issues and Strategies, and (c) Family Research on Specific Psychopathologies. Each of these sections can stand on its own as a comprehensive and current contribution to its respective area of concern. The book as a whole provides many guidelines and insights for study preparation and, consequently, may become a major resource for the prospective researcher. The reviewer strongly recommends this book to family psychologists to serve as a handbook on family psychopathology. Researchers informed by the theories, methods, and findings presented in Jacob's book, and who take advantage of powerful research techniques, will clearly be at an advantage in making significant contributions to this field in the years to come. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Families of handicapped persons: Research, programs, and policy issues.

Reviews the book, Families of handicapped persons: Research, programs, and policy issues by James J. Gallagher and Peter M. Vietze (1986). This edited volume consists of a collection of papers presented at the Conference on Families with Mentally Retarded Children sponsored by the Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in cooperation with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The purpose of the conference was to stimulate leaders in the field to both review current trends and project future research directions regarding issues relevant to families having members with mental retardation. The main text of the book is composed of sixteen chapters covering a variety of topics, such as the development of typologies for classifying families, adaptation to stress, the impact of the family life cycle on family adaptation, the role of the father in the family, sibling relationships, mentally retarded parents, behavioral parent training, and social policy issues. A major strength of the book is that a number of the authors advocated four perspectives that reflect a positive shift in philosophical approaches to the study of families having a child with mental retardation. The present reviewer found Wickler's chapter applying Hill's ABCX Stress Model to the study of family adaptation to be the most useful presentation among those advocating a systems/transactional approach to research on families having a disabled member. Unlike Wickler, other chapters focusing on family systems/stress issues tended to present vague connections between popular theoretical approaches (e.g., family systems theories, stress theories, Samaroff s transactional model) and the needs of families having a member with mental retardation (although Farren, Metzger, & Sparling is an exception here). In summary, this book presents some interesting ideas regarding areas that should be investigated by further research. Selected chapters within the book are very well conceptualized and clearly written. Although the remaining chapters present interesting ideas, they tend to be repetitive and somewhat vague with respect to specific research suggestions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Fathers who fail: Shame and psychopathology in the family system.

Reviews the book, Fathers who fail: Shame and psychopathology in the family system by Melvin R. Lansky (see record 1992-98607-000). This book is composed of a collection of the author's essays which attempt to understand "the psychiatrically impaired father in a truly dynamic way." Drawing on contemporary psychoanalysis, family systems theory, and the sociology of conflict, Lansky sketches a richly textured portrait of fathers who fail. The reviewer believes that Lansky's probing discussion of narcissistic equilibrium in the family system enables him to chart the likely history of the more intimidating modes of distancing involving impulsive actions of impaired fathers. After summarizing the information presented in each chapter, the reviewer then concludes that the book largely succeeds in its task because it provides a deeper, more integrated clinical understanding of fathers who fail. It is highly recommended for selective reading for therapists and researchers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Family-of-origin therapy: An intergenerational approach.

Reviews the book, Family-of-origin therapy: An intergenerational approach by James L. Framo (see record 1992-97188-000). This book is a summation of the author's intergenerational approach to psychotherapy which has evolved in his 35 years of clinical practice. For his theoretical base he draws on Fairbairn's object relations theory, combined with Dicks' application of this theory to marital relationships. Framo further integrates this approach with the basic precepts of Bowen's multigenerational theory, particularly Bowen's emphasis on bypassing transferential issues by encouraging patients to connect with members of their family-of-origin. The innovative and unique aspect of Framo's psychotherapeutic approach is his use of one or two family-of-origin sessions. In the course of psychotherapy with adult clients, whether seen individually, as a couple, or in a couples group, he encourages them to bring in the members of their family-of-origin for two, two-hour sessions. The purpose is for the patient to develop the capacity and the courage to talk directly to all familial significant others about unresolved issues between them, rather than spending months or years talking to their therapist about these issues, or in analyzing the patient's transferential projections onto the therapist. Framo's thesis is that the family-of-origin consultation can have great power in producing positive change and flexibility in the individual and in the marital and family systems. He states that the intergenerational encounter can "create an opportunity for forgiveness for alleged wrongs, for mutual misunderstandings, compromise, acceptance and resolution." In this book the author clearly delineates his conceptual basis as well as providing explicit guidelines regarding the conduct of the family-of-origin sessions. The book is an important addition to the proliferating family therapy literature and a significant step toward integrating object relations and family systems theories and practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Ethnicity and family therapy.

Reviews the book, Ethnicity and family therapy edited by Monica McGoldrick, Joe Giordano, and John Pearce (see record 1996-98534-000). This book addresses the subject of ethnicity and how it affects one's perceptions and lifestyle as a patient and a therapist. It offers therapists comprehensive tools and information to utilize when thinking about their own ethnicity and the backgrounds of their patients. The cultural histories and views of 19 different European groups and Latino, Asian, African, and Arab cultures are explored. In addition, population statistics are offered and cultural migration histories are explored. In sum, Ethnicity and Family Therapy explores how different cultures view and utilize psychotherapy. The reviewer found this book to be clearly written and well organized and recommends that therapists read this book and then keep it as a reference to explore ethnicity in a thorough manner. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Left and right tracks in reading.

Reviews the book, The Psychology of Reading by I. Taylor and M. M. Taylor (1983). The reviewer provides an overview of the authors' Bilateral Cooperative Model of Reading (BLC), which is an attempt to integrate the divergent perspectives of wholistic and analytic theory. The BLC model serves as a framework for the 16 chapters of the book. The reviewer commends the authors for their detailed discussion of orthographies, perceptual and cognitive processes in reading, higher-order language processing, and developmental dyslexia. While the reviewer warns that the authors need to clarify the relevance of data from studies not specifically concerned with hemispheric differences, he believes that the book is worth reading because it develops the perspectives on reading within the context of cognitive psychology--an important step in the construction of a comprehensive theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An analysis of addictions from a mindful/mindless perspective.

In contrast with a mindless analysis of addiction, which emphasizes negative behavioral consequences of addiction, a mindful analysis of addiction reveals that the positive benefits of addiction often may be unintentionally overlooked. The positive benefits may be one of the factors that make kicking the addiction so difficult; the addict who quits his or her addiction may have to relinquish those benefits. A mindful analysis may help the addict and therapist to devise treatments and behaviors that allow the addict to quit the addiction, but retain the positive benefits associated with the addiction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of A family like yours: Breaking the patterns of drug abuse.

Reviews the book, A family like yours: Breaking the patterns of drug abuse by James L. Sorensen and Guillermo Bernal (1987). A family like yours is a self-help guide aimed at families with a drug-abusing member. It attempts to fill a gap in the self-help literature on substance abuse and families. The problem readers may encounter is one of integrating without outside help the overwhelming amount of material presented. The chapters cover many basic concepts in family systems and life cycle theory without sufficient space devoted to particular concepts or points. Points are made with little elaboration, and the reader may not be able to integrate much of the material. However, for the family that is involved in treatment, the book may prove helpful in promoting insights into the functioning of the family and may serve as a valuable adjunct to treatment by provoking questions and insights that can move a family toward change. The authors' emphasis on providing the family support and optimism tempered by realistic limits may also serve to make this book a useful adjunct to treatment. This book serves as a valuable addition to the self-help literature on drug abuse in families and partially fills a gap currently existing in that marketplace. It covers a great deal of material that is not easily available to the lay reader at this time. This book is more likely to be insight provoking, practical, and motivating, however, to the drug abusing family that is in treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Dynamic and abnormal psychology.

Reviews the book, Dynamic and abnormal psychology by W. S. Taylor(see record 1955-01101-000). According to the reviewer, the standards set up for this book by the publishers include system, comprehensiveness, and readability. The first and second are readily conceded; the third calls for more scrutiny. The reviewer states that Professor Taylor offers this book explicitly as a text for courses in its field, for supplementary and reference use in related fields, and as a "survey for independent readers." These objectives are somewhat disparate, and a reviewer can only hope to be reasonably clear about the one for which he is from time to time trying to evaluate. According to the reviewer, for the "independent reader" let this counsel suffice. Do not try to read this book as you would a story, or even the work of an essayist. Take it in small doses. You can open it at random and within two minutes should find something rewarding--which ought to be justification for any book. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Principles of industrial psychology.

Reviews the book, Principles of Industrial Psychology (see record 1955-01700-000). Although "the book is designed as an introductory survey of the entire field of industrial psychology," the reviewer notes that the authors omit many topics. The book presents in substantial fashion those aspects of industrial psychology as the authors perceive it to be. The style of presentation is characterized by critically evaluating research studies reported in the literature and emphasizing the necessary statistical concepts and techniques related to selection of employees. The heavy statistical involvement may make this book a little too difficult for the typical undergraduate student who is not a psychology or statistics major. The reviewer concludes that Principles of Industrial Psychology is an interesting book for a sophisticated audience. It may be misunderstood by typical undergraduates and it may not be too appealing to the man in industry who wishes to apply some principles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Treatment Planning in Psychotherapy: Taking the Guesswork Out of Clinical Care.

Reviews the book by Woody et al (see record 2002-06426-000, which outlines a step-by-step simple method by which clinicians can plan and evaluate the course and outcome of therapy. The authors outline their rationale for their "Planning and Assessment in Clinical Care (PACC)" system. Differences in clinical practice between university and health care settings can be quite surprising and possibly overwhelming, especially for the new clinician. The book has a number of strong points that will likely aid not only the individual therapist interested in planning and evaluating the course and outcome of their therapy with clients and patients, but also should help to increase the research productivity of psychologists working in a variety of service settings. Benefits that clients and patients are likely to receive as a result of therapy that is complemented by thorough, yet simple, planning and evaluation strategy. The book is comprised of 7 easy-to-read chapters with a valuable appendix containing a number of well-validated assessment measures. The reviewer believes the book to be well-suited for graduate students as an introductory textbook for a course in psychotherapy planning and evaluation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Women in families: A framework for family therapy.

Reviews the book, Women in families: A framework for family therapy edited by Monica McGoldrick, Carol M. Anderson, and Froma Walsh (1989). The editors state that this book grew out of the need of women doing family therapy to network and to develop visible women mentors and role models not overshadowed by the men in their lives. This book does try to cover too much ground in a single edited volume; the first two sections, by themselves, focused new themes in the theory and practice of family therapy. However, this is a new contribution to the field, a book that tells us how to bring gender into teaching and practice, and which ideas should be included. This book is recommended for practicing family therapists and students in family therapy training programs. It should be required reading for any professional planning to do family therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)