Review of Handbook of cognitive–behavioral therapies, third edition.

Reviews the book, Handbook of cognitive–behavioral therapies, third edition edited by Keith S. Dobson (see record 2010-10108-000). Dobson’s revision of this classic volume provides a solid resource for psychologists and students of psychology. Many of us find that we become highly focused on our specific clinical work, teaching, and research, and it is easy to feel out of touch with the broader developments in the field. It is very helpful to pick up a resource such as this one to remind ourselves of the bigger picture in this important and influential treatment approach. Dobson has chosen authors for each topic who are key figures in the development of the approaches covered in their chapters. This choice of authors shows in the quality of the presentations and the familiarity with the key issues in each area. The book is divided into four parts: foundations, assessment, the therapies, and application to specific populations. This edited volume will be very useful in graduate courses on cognitive–behavioral therapies (CBTs) and in settings where clinical students are supervised. Practitioners and students with an interest in CBT will find it very helpful as a guide to the broad range of approaches and issues in CBT. In each area, the book provides up-to-date overviews of the research that guides our practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychology: Pythagoras to present.

Reviews the book, Psychology: Pythagoras to present by John C. Malone (see record 2009-06783-000). This book has a very ambitious agenda, announced in its title: to trace the history of psychology from Pythagoras to the present. The book is thus a good introduction to the standard history of psychology for those new to the discipline. Overall, the book provides an interesting overview of the standard history of psychology, with many nuances not found in basic history of psychology textbooks. It must be said, however, that the specialist will find that the book lacks fine-grained detail in some chapters. Although some key debates in the history of science are discussed in the opening chapter, the author could have draw more extensively on that literature. Despite this complaint, one of the strengths of the book is that Malone makes a serious effort to dispel misconceptions about founding figures in psychology. The strength of this book is clearly as a history written for young scholars entering the discipline today. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The transformation of psychology: Influences of 19th-century philosophy, technology, and natural science.

Reviews the book, The transformation of psychology: Influences of 19th-century philosophy, technology, and natural science edited by Christopher D. Green, Marlene Shore, and Thomas Teo (see record 2001-01476-000). In the following review, I have found it convenient to divide the 11 chapters of this volume into three groups, one devoted to the philosophy of psychological science, one devoted to theoretical and biological psychology, and one devoted to applied psychology. The first of these groups contains chapters by Andrew S. Winston on Ernst Mach, by Charles W. Tolman on G. W. F. Hegel, and by Thomas Teo on Karl Marx and Wilhelm Dilthey. The second grouping of chapters is concerned with theoretical/biological psychology and includes five contributions. The final group of chapters concerns applied psychology. What I liked most about this book was the genuinely innovative character of every chapter; there is no "old hat" stuff anywhere. The editors and contributors are to be congratulated on a fine and timely work of scholarship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of emotion regulation.

Reviews the book, Handbook of emotion regulation edited by James J. Gross (see record 2007-01392-000). The purpose of this edited volume is to bring the reader and the scientific community up-to-date on the burgeoning field of emotion and particularly how it is regulated. The book comprises 30 chapters divided amongst seven traditional sections within psychology: foundations, biological bases, cognitive foundations, developmental approaches, personality process and individual differences, social approaches, and clinical outcomes. Gross very nicely captures the range of topics and issues surrounding the topic of emotion and emotion regulation in this edited volume. Gross is to be congratulated for taking on the task of editing such a timely and important volume for the field. Given the scope of the volume, it should have wide appeal to researchers as well as graduate and advanced undergraduate students in the areas of personality and social psychology, human development, child clinical psychology, psychiatry, and cognitive and affective neuroscience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of A history of alcoholism.

Reviews the book, A history of alcoholism by Jean-Charles Sournia (1990). This book was first published in French in 1986, and this English translation was published in 1990. The book consists of 12 chapters divided into 3 parts. The first 3 chapters cover a period of 19 centuries, ending at approximately 1850. Included in these 3 chapters are materials pertaining to alcohol use and drunkenness in antiquity and drinking throughout Europe and in the United States during the 1700s and into the mid-1800s. The second part of the book, composed of 5 chapters, covers the following 100 years. It includes chapters on the Swedish physician Magnus Huss, the evolution of drinking patterns in several European countries (with a particular focus on France), alcohol and medicine, and the development and activities of temperance societies. The third and final part includes 4 chapters and covers the years since 1950, a period that has witnessed many advances in research on alcohol effects, risk markers, treatment, and prevention. The strongest section of the book is the first part, which provides an overview on the history of alcoholism. This section also provides a variety of interesting notions about alcohol use from the Ancient Greek world, in which wine played an important role. The book starts out strong and provides an interesting and readable perspective on the history of drunkenness and alcoholism. The last third of the book loses steam, direction, and focus, though. However, for the reader interested in a historical overview, the first two thirds of this volume are enjoyable and recommended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Relative deprivation and social comparison: The Ontario Symposium, Volume 4.

Reviews the book, Relative deprivation and social comparison: The Ontario Symposium, Volume 4 edited by James M. Olson, C. Peter Herman, and Mark P. Zanna (1986). This volume addresses two very important and interrelated topics in social psychology through a collection of relatively independent papers. Following an introductory chapter, the authors of chapters 2 through 5 discuss various theoretical approaches to the determinants of resentment engendered by relative deprivation and recent research designed to address this theorizing. Then, chapters 6 through 8 discuss recent work on social comparison processes. Finally, chapters 9 through 12 use the concepts of relative deprivation and social comparison to suggest ways to understand four important social issues: minority-majority relations, dissatisfaction in organizational settings, social protest, and tolerance of injustice. All in all, the reviewer highly recommends this book to anyone wishing to update themselves on current research trends in this area. Two of the three sections are excellent and third is of uneven rather than poor quality. Further, the regrettable focus on egotistical rather than fraternal relative deprivation in the social psychology literature is not as prevalent in this book as the reviewer feared it might be. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Critical psychology: An introduction.

Reviews the book, Critical psychology: An introduction edited by Dennis Fox and Isaac Prilleltensky (see record 1997-08663-000). The subtitle of this book implies that it is written for readers unfamiliar with critical approaches to psychology, but it should attract the attention of the already-critical professional as well as the beginner. The student making a first acquaintance with critical psychology will find this book to be a valuable primer, one that synthesizes a large amount of information while avoiding much of the jargon that often weighs down critical methodologies. The book consists of 19 chapters, organized into four sections. Section one, "Critical Overview," gives a general overview of critical methodologies. Section two, "Critical Arenas," is a collection of critiques of established fields in psychology. A third section on "Critical Theories" suggests experimental and novel ways to study psychology, such as hermeneutics, discourse analysis, and feminist research. In the final section, "Critical Reflections," one can perhaps best see the editors' commitment to keeping critical psychology an open system. The editors' decision to end the volume with a reflexive, critical examination of itself, rather than a simple summary, is a large part of what holds this book together. Even if one admires the editors' ability to unite so many different perspectives under the common banner of critical psychology, they have not done so in a manner that treats all psychologies equally. Yet, despite this minor blemish, the book remains a solid piece of work, one that is often inspiring. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of psychopathy.

Reviews the book, Handbook of psychopathy edited by Christopher J. Patrick (2007). This book aims to address these new developments. The book includes 31 chapters from leading researchers in the field. Chapters are organised into six sections, although the final one consists solely of a summary commentary by Patrick. Overall, this book provides a comprehensive review of the divergent research areas that have surfaced in the decades following the advent of the PCL-R and, as such, it promises to be an important reference for years to come. Some chapters are well suited for graduate courses in psychology (e.g., those reviewing theoretical perspectives and applied topics), criminology (e.g., Farrington's chapter), psychiatry (e.g., Minzenberg and Siever's chapter), and neuroscience (i.e., those reviewing neurobiological findings), and some will undoubtedly serve as important starting points for future research (e.g., chapters on etiological mechanisms), both in terms of delineating potentially fruitful lines of enquiry and important methodological limitations to overcome. However, this text is primarily of academic interest, with chapters mainly authored by researchers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Compte rendu dLa construction du réel chez le psychologue: épistémologie et méthodes en sciences humaines.

Reviews the book, La construction du réel chez le psychologue: épistémologie et méthodes en sciences humaines by Christiane Gillieron (1985). This work of 280 pages is an introductory text including information on epistemology and concepts of the scientific method in psychology and social sciences in general. Its framework of reference is explicitly the genetic epistemology of Piaget, which is found in all its aspects of the strong use of examples resulting from psychology and intelligence and it has a tendency to elaborate on the cognitive aspects of the scientific method. The work is divided in nine chapters gathered in three parts. The three chapters of the first part carry on the postulates and principles of the scientific method. The second part of four chapters examines the technical aspects of research. The last part contains a chapter on the psychology of the experimental situation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Helping: Origins and development of the major psychotherapies.

Reviews the book, Helping: Origins and Development of the Major Psychotherapies by David R. Cole (1982). This is an unusual introductory text on two counts. It is different from most other introductions to counselling and therapy both in the breadth of the perspective it takes on the helping profession and in the depth with which it reviews the theoretical underpinnings of the humanistic view that it offers. In terms of its breadth, it provides an excellent introduction to human behaviour and the helping process in the first chapter and in the next three chapters provides the reader with an overview of the three major helping disciplines: psychiatry, psychology, and social work. In terms of depth, the author does a good job of presenting an introductory discussion of issues underlying a number of the theories reviewed. Although the book is subtitled Origins and Development of the Major Psychotherapies, it does not cover all major theories in the field but rather has a distinctive humanistic flavour. This perspective strongly colours the way in which the material is presented and leads to what many would regard as a slightly unbalanced presentation of the disciplines. In general, the book presents a very good summary of the six theories it covers under experiential and cognitive headings, paying attention to the subtleties of the approaches as well as the generalities. The book would be most useful in any introductory course on helping. It would be useful too in any course in education or any management training course in which an understanding of human relations or "personnel" concerns is required. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychotherapy tradecraft: The technique and style of doing therapy.

Reviews the book, Psychotherapy tradecraft: The technique and style of doing therapy by Theodore H. Blau (see record 1988-97142-000). This book begins with an introduction by Blau which defines the concept of "tradecraft" and is followed by eleven chapters divided into three sections. The first section is made up of four chapters concerned with becoming a psychotherapist. The second section of the book includes six chapters about actually conducting therapy. The third section of the book consists of one chapter about the stress of psychotherapy practice and includes a very helpful list of the signs of stress and burnout as well as specific suggestions designed to prevent or reduce stress. The book is certainly well written and well organized. The copies of various office forms, psychotherapy vignettes used to explain various treatment techniques, and specific examples of therapist responses, all provide helpful information for novice therapists. It is very likely that the book is most appropriate for graduate students and inexperienced practitioners. It will probably be of greatest interest to those professionals entering private practice or, who as teachers and supervisors, want to train others to do so. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Social Psychology: An Applied Approach.

Reviews the book, Social Psychology: An Applied Approach by Ronald J. Fisher (1982). In what is probably the first of a new generation of social psychology textbooks, Ronald Fisher has attempted a very ambitious intergration of basic, theoretical and applied social psychology. My overall feeling about the book is very positive, since there is much to recommend in it. Some of the chapters, such as those dealing with social issues and social change, program development and evaluation, and organizational development, are outstanding. They are scholarly, well written and contain information that traditional social psychologists should be aware of but rarely teach. Indeed, these chapters are so comprehensive, that they could serve as good introductions to these topics for graduate students. In addition, while not being a truly "Canadian" textbook, there are considerably more Canadian examples and anecdotes contained in this book than can be found in any of the other current textbooks. My hope as an instructor of an advanced undergraduate course in applied social psychology is that if there is a second edition of this text that the author might amend it by broadening the coverage of current topics in applied social psychology while retaining those chapters that are unique to the book. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The big picture in imagery research.

Reviews the book, Theories of image formation by David Marks (1986). This book contains 10 chapters spanning a wide range of views concerning the nature, function, and proper way to investigate mental imagery. It presents a striking variety of views and approaches. Some of the chapters are very good; the remaining chapters pale in comparison. Overall, the book provides what we might imagine as the big picture behind research on image formation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of social psychology.

Reviews the book "Handbook of social psychology" (Volumes I and II), edited by G. Lindzey (see record 1955-03817-000). This book is a major attempt to present, summarized in handbook fashion, what is known theoretically, methodologically, and substantively in the area of social psychology. The various chapters include contributions by psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, and statisticians. Most of the chapters are written carefully and thoughtfully. It is a good and worth-while book to have in print. Many students and research workers will have occasion to refer to it. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of A new psychology of men.

Reviews the book, A new psychology of men edited by Ronald F. Levant and William S. Pollack (see record 1995-97524-000). The intent of this book is to "'describe how men's prescribed roles are neither biological nor social givens but rather psychological and social constructions.'" The Theory section includes four chapters primarily focused on social constructivism and psychoanalytic (or perhaps more accurately object-relations theory) views on masculinity. The second section, Research, provides three chapters by researchers of what seem to be disparate orientations. The third section, Applications, is appropriately more practical and speaks to clinicians. The fourth and final section, The Varieties of Masculinity, samples in three chapters issues of ethnic minority males, homosexual and bisexual males, and a final chapter (by the editors) looking to the future and summarizing conclusions from the preceding chapters. The reviewer finds several flaws in this book including interventions that are not applicable and an imbalance in the authors' orientations. However, the reviewer believes that researchers may find the volume helpful in generating hypotheses and new research directions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Social Learning and Clinical Psychology.

Reviews the book "Social learning and clinical psychology," by Julian B. Rotter (see record 2005-06617-000). The stated purpose of this book is to arrive at a systematic theory from which may be drawn specific principles for actual clinical practice, and to illustrate some of the more important applications of the theory to the practice. The first three chapters represent for the most part a clear and incisive introduction to the major purpose of the book, chapters which can be read with profit by all clinical psychologists. The next four chapters, which represent the bulk of the book, contain the aims and concepts of Rotter's social learning position as well as the ways in which it differs from other approaches. Rotter's discussion and evaluation of psychoanalytic theory is amazingly superficial and, to the unwary graduate student, misleading. First, it represents one of the few attempts to formulate and apply a learning theory to clinical phenomena and problems-the more such courageous attempts we have, the better will we be able to evaluate the adequacy of such theories. Second, Rotter's formulations have generated a relatively large number of studies at The Ohio State University-a tribute not only to Rotter's effectiveness as a teacher but a reflection of the fruitfulness of the formulations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The psychology of reading.

Reviews the book, The psychology of reading by Insup Taylor and M. Martin Taylor (1983). This book is organized in three parts. The first, on writing systems, is an extremely comprehensive review of a number of Oriental writing systems in addition to the English system. The second part presents the basic experimental literature and outlines the authors' theory (the bilateral cooperative model). In the third section, on learning to read, there are chapters on early reading, reading instruction and reading disabilities. My overall impression is that the book makes a positive contribution to the literature on reading. An enormous amount of literature is reviewed, making the book valuable from that standpoint alone. Many readers won't agree with all of the authors' conclusions regarding this literature; however, they do make for interesting reading. In addition, I welcome the attempt the authors have made to tie together research on reading and research on brain functioning. Work of this sort can only benefit researchers in both areas. All and all, while the book is probably not a good selection for an undergraduate text, its breadth should make it appealing to a wide selection of individuals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)