Review of Feeling pain and being in pain, 2nd edition.

Reviews the book, Feeling pain and being in pain, 2nd edition by Nikola Grahek (see record 2007-00636-000). This remarkable little book was originally published in Germany in 2001 and saved from obscurity by Daniel Dennett, who ensured its republication after the author's untimely death. It claims to provide no new theory and no new data on pain but instead walks the reader through a number of phenomena that eventually lead one to see pain in a new light. What makes this book such a gem is the refusal of its author to stray from what is known or can be known. No far-fetched notions of the relationship between pain and psychology, frequently encountered in the psychological pain literature, intrude on his prudent figuring; nor is there a promise of what is just around the corner, claims of what further research is needed, and so on. Grahek sticks to the clinical and neurophysiological data, for they are already sufficiently rich to allow him to characterise those very different features of the pain experience: feeling pain versus being in pain. (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)     

Dual scaling: An alternative approach to categorical data.

Reviews the book, Analysis of Categorical Data: Dual Scaling and its Applications by S. Nishisato (1980). The reviewer provides a detailed analysis of the ideas explored by the author in this book about dual scaling, or optimal scaling as it is sometimes known. The reviewer believes that the text is an important resource in statistics and psychometrics, and that it undoubtedly will continue to be the standard work on this branch of the new "attribute statistics". For anyone serious about categorical data analysis, the reviewer strongly recommends this book. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Distribution-Free Statistical Tests.

Reviews the book, Distribution-Free Statistical Tests by James V. Bradley (1968). This book provides a comprehensive analysis of non-parametric and distribution-free tests. It includes thirteen chapters with fourteen tables added in the Appendix. This reviewer is in general agreement with the author that the classical tests all often misused and not as "robust" as some distribution-free tests. However, the reviewer cannot agree that the derivations and rationale are all that simple for the distribution-free tests. One merely has to read this book to demonstrate this fact. Perhaps the major disadvantage in using this book is its inadequacy of proper introduction to probability theory and hypothesis testing. The advantages, however, perhaps exceed the disadvantages. The comprehensiveness and structure of the book is admirable. The procedure followed in discussing each test is excellent. Altogether this book can be considered an essential reference for anyone engaged in using or teaching distribution-free tests. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The clinical documentation sourcebook: A comprehensive collection of mental health practice forms, handouts, and records.

Reviews the book, The clinical documentation sourcebook: A comprehensive collection of mental health practice forms, handouts, and records by Donald E. Wiger (see record 1997-08921-000). According to the reviewer, the author of this book accomplishes six challenging tasks. He 1) provides the essential forms for operating a sound clinical practice; 2) incorporates the key data elements in the forms with a rationale describing use and purpose; 3) keeps the manual user friendly without flooding the reader with a lot of unnecessary text; 4) includes both blank forms and a computer disk for ease in modifying forms; 5) provides forms that lend themselves for ease in data collection for research and practice profiling and; 6) offers the book and software at a very reasonable price. Dr. Wiger makes a cogent case that his forms and clinical documentation will satisfy the demands of managed-care organizations. The reviewer highlights some areas of the book where improvement is possible. He then concludes that this book gives a private-practice clinician or a behavioral-health group/agency the tools to operate a practice ethically, legally, and in line with accreditation standards and third-party payer requirements. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Know your reader: the scientific approach to readability.

Reviews the book Know your reader: The scientific approach to readability, by George R. Klare and Byron Buck (see record 1955-00831-000). This book is an important contribution to the growing literature on problems of communication. The three-word title shifts attention from the writer to the reader. And the five-word subtitle tells the communicator that this book will force him to consider the arts of rhetoric and composition and to plunge into the domain of the science of readability. The general objective of the book is to provide writers with information that will help them to communicate more effectively. The reviewer feels that the serious student of communication, whether he be a writer or a psychologist, will welcome this book because it brings together the facts and principles contained in the comprehensive 193-item bibliography. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Clinical neuropsychology of intervention.

Reviews the book, Clinical neuropsycbology of intervention by Barbara Uzzell and Yigal Gross. Doctors Uzzell and Gross have performed a great service for the field of Neuropsychology by editing the volume which they entitle Clinical Neuropsychology of Intervention. They have succeeded in making the book a depiction of the state of the art of neuropsychological rehabilitation in 1986. The contributions, of uniformly high quality, are by individuals who are experienced in service delivery to the brain injured. The contributions reflect both an underlying concern with psychological theory and with principles of neuropsychology and reflect an effort by each author to analyze and codify his/her own experience so as to present it systematically to the reader. These efforts are all successful—some to such a degree that those chapters constitute superb, self-contained treatments of their topics. Surely, this coherence of approach and the high quality of the result have to reflect the skillful editing by Doctors Uzzell and Gross. The reviewer recommends this book as obligatory reading for anyone involved in the evaluation or treatment of brain damaged patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of A disturbance in the field: Essays in transference-countertransference engagement.

Reviews the book, A disturbance in the field: Essays in transference-countertransference engagement by Steven Cooper (see record 2010-09125-000). At the beginning of this book, Cooper states that he is interested in finding the common ground, clinically, between the relational approach and other schools such as the Kleinian, Freudian, Kohutian, and others. In the introduction, Cooper states he will be examining the moments of transition, change, and newness that occur in psychoanalytic treatment. He alerts us that although he is very interested in countertransference as a clinical tool and the analyst’s imagination as helpful in the therapeutic work, he warns us to not see these elements in any heroic or idealistic manner. Cooper promises to explore the areas of unconscious conflict, fantasy, and the interpersonal process and believes both patient and analyst try to hold these dimensions in mind and communicate with each other throughout the clinical process. Overall, the reviewer enjoyed reading the book but was disappointed in that Cooper’s outline of what the reader can expect does not unfold. What is offered in this book is interesting, and at times illuminating, but overall runs somewhat flat. There were numerous places where Cooper could have taken his discussion points and tried to build a new fusion of relational, Freudian, Kleinian, and Kohutian approaches but he did not. The reviewer found it interesting that his case material seems to be a standard yet very skilled and natural combination of such views, but he does not elaborate on any theoretical matters or examine his case material as being predominantly a combination of such views. Therefore, the reviewer thinks there are many helpful and insightful points made in this book, but he was never really moved in any particular manner by the text. When reading his case material closely, the reviewer was struck by it being solid analytic work that seemed mostly of a Freudian and object relational mode, but again not anything unique or anything showing a new method of consolidating different theoretical approaches, which is what we were promised early on. The reviewer's overall reaction to this new book is that he is very appreciative of many individual chapters, and many sections of certain chapters, but they never all came together as a whole or jelled as a unifying theme that felt new and transformative. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Hypnotism: an objective study in suggestibility.

Reviews the book, Hypnotism: an objective study in suggestibility, by A. M. Weitzenhofer (see record 1954-05565-000). It has been said that there is a resurgence of interest in hypnosis with a periodicity of about 30 years. This book among many others is partly the result of the present climb toward the crest of the wave. After reviewing the experimental literature Weitzenhofer surveys critically the theories of hypnosis. He rejects all of these theories either in whole or part because of inadequacies and then formulates one of his own. To the reviewer none of these theories, including that of the author, is very enlightening. They all lack predictive power, which in the reviewer's opinion is one of the principal functions of a scientific theory. The reviewer believes, though, that this book will be profitable reading for all who have even the slightest scientific interest in hypnosis, and for others it may generate interest if they can but find time to study it. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Narcissism and intimacy: Love and marriage in an age of confusion.

Reviews the book, Narcissism and intimacy: Love and marriage in an age of confusion by Marion F. Solomon (see record 1988-98781-000). This book presents a rather unique blend of theoretical explorations and clinical case material which provides the reader with an extremely valuable look at issues facing the survival of marital relationships in our present culture. Beginning with a sociological perspective of how our culture has come to value autonomy and self-fulfillment, the author then identifies a series of "narcissistic myths" and goes on to explore how these myths impact on realistic perspectives of marriage and intimate relationships. The reviewer believes that this book has a wealth of readable theoretical material along with clinical case examples which bring the theoretical perspectives alive and translate them into tools for effective treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Learning process in psychoanalytic supervision: Complexities and challenges.

Reviews the book, Learning process in psychoanalytic supervision: Complexities and challenges by Paul A. DeWald (see record 1987-97784-000). This book is a wonderful contribution to the field of supervision. It is the only book available that presents the actual supervision sessions of one ongoing supervisee with one long-term psychoanalytic patient as they were transcribed. DeWald also offers a review of the supervisory literature, his view of the supervisory process, his supervisory reports, and a chapter from the supervisee discussing her experience. The book is refreshing in that the supervisor does not present himself as perfect, and he does acknowledge mistakes he made in the comments after each set of process notes. There are some criticisms of the book to be made. First, the reviewer was not able to determine the frequency of the patient's sessions or the supervisory sessions. Second, the author's framework is classically Freudian. While this is not a problem, it is important that the reader be aware of the point of view. Third, the author seems ambivalent about the role of the patient's ethnicity and culture in her neurotic stance. These comments aside, Learning process in psychoanalytic supervision is an excellent book, and certainly one any supervisor would want to read. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Taking charge: How families can climb out of the chaos of addiction.

Reviews the book, Taking charge: How families can climb out of the chaos of addiction by Stephen E. Schlesinger and Lawrence K. Hornberg (1998). In this guidebook the authors present their multimodel approach, which is designed especially for family members of an addict. The authors encourage the reader throughout the book not to feel ashamed to look for professional help. The reviewer can recommend this book as an excellent resource for professional work, either for individual therapy or as an introductory reading for groups. The reviewer appreciates very much the themes of this book--to help family members become more aware of their own needs, to repair the damage caused by addiction, and to reunite them for a more satisfying and happier life. This change in the family interaction holds great promise for the addict who wants to recover. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of A theory of psychological scaling.

Reviews the book, "A theory of psychological scaling," by C. H. Coombs (see record 1953-03879-001). The reviewer notes that this book is packed from cover to cover with non-superfluous material. It is to the author's credit that he has said so much in so short a space; nevertheless, persons lacking expertness in scaling theory will not digest the contents properly. On the other hand, scaling theorists will accept this tidbit as a juicy morsel and will soon be looking for more. The author openly states that the presented theory is not in final form. By implication, it is his hope that this publication will initiate interest resulting in a wider range of development for the theory in both its abstract and real aspects. To this end, the monograph represents a good start. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Factor analysis as multivariate procedure: A review of multivariate analysis and psychological theory.

Reviews the book, Factor Analysis as Multivariate Procedure: A Review of Multivariate Analysis and Psychological Theory edited by Joseph R. Royce (1973). This publication represents a series of papers, along with competent discussions, presented at the Third Banff Conference on Theoretical Psychology. The conference included, appropriately enough, contributions by members of the Society of Multivariate Experimental Psychology. It is fair to say that the contributions accurately reflect the general status of the field as of the end of 1971, when the conference was held. While the book is organized into two major parts, one dealing with "methodological, pre-theoretical and meta-theoretical issues" with the other aiming "toward a comprehensive, multivariate psychological theory", this organization will not communicate most effectively to the reader of this review. Instead, it seems to the reviewer that the papers can be most easily understood as falling into the categories of methodological contributions, presentations of general approaches to personality, and research and theory dealing with specific research areas. In the context of a large group of exciting papers, how can one single out individual papers for special praise, the reviewer believes that what is particularly praiseworthy will depend upon the eye of the beholder, his orientation to theory, and his relative interest in specific research areas. The empiricism/speculation ratio is quite high in most of the papers, and is consequently recommended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Breaking free of managed care: A step-by-step guide to regaining control of your practice.

Reviews the book, Breaking free of managed care: A step-by-step guide to regaining control of your practice by Dana C. Ackley (see record 1997-97500-000). This book provides a practitioner's blueprint for moving from dependent (on managed care) to independent practice. It is organized around three major themes: 1) dealing with managed care; 2) the business of managed care-free therapy; and 3) the array of psychotherapists' services. The reviewer points out that the author tends to overlook some problem areas in psychotherapy. In addition, he takes some of his own skills as a doctoral-level clinical psychologist for granted and fails to appeal to practitioners with minimal training or expertise. However, overall, the reviewer believes that this is a highly enjoyable and practically useful book which provides some guidance to practitioners wanting to "break free from managed care." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The first session in brief therapy.

Reviews the book, The first session in brief therapy edited by Simon H. Budman, Michael F. Hoyt, and Steven Friedman (see record 1992-98543-000). This book provides an overview of the models of brief psychotherapeutic intervention. A major focus is how brief therapists structure and manage their initial contact with the patient. The editors intend this volume to be a casebook in which the reader can learn what therapists actually do in their clinical practice and offers the reader opportunities to further develop and sharpen his/her thinking regarding brief therapy. According to the reviewer, this book provides a fine survey of the current diversity of approaches to brief therapy. Taken as a whole, the book stimulates considerable thought on the most efficacious use of time in psychotherapy and will appeal to a wide audience including graduate students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychobiographic approach to psychotherapy: A study of the power structure of psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, Psychobiographic approach to psychotherapy: A study of the power structure of psychotherapy by Herzel Yerushalmi (see record 1998-07924-000). The author of this book critically examines history, philosophy, theory, and current practice of mainstream psychotherapy, with an eye toward exposing a power differential that he thinks disaffirms and can even revictimize those who seek help. Yerushalmi's psychobiographic approach is based on the premise that the client is the only one in possession of unique knowledge of the individual reality. The reviewer states that readers of this book who seek to learn specific techniques to apply to psychotherapy are likely to be disappointed. In addition, the material is often abstract and philosophical and its intended audience is clearly the practicing clinician. He recommends this book for therapists who seek to improve their effectiveness as helpers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychoanalytic treatment: An intersubjective approach.

Reviews the book, Psychoanalytic treatment: An intersubjective approach by Robert D. Stolorow, Bernard Brandchaft, and George E. Atwood (see record 1987-98240-000). This is an extremely interesting and well-argued book that, with its carefully chosen clinical cases, appears to demonstrate the value of the intersubjective approach and the integrative power of Kohut's ideas. However, in doing so it raises some fundamental issues in the study and understanding of psychoanalysis both as a theory and as a therapy, and it is these that the reviewer wants to examine in this review. These issues concern the relation of hermeneutics, science, and the scientific method to the practice, theory, and understanding of psychoanalysis. The reviewer argues that Stolorow and colleagues fail to present a hermeneutic case because psychoanalytic therapy goes beyond such confines, and they certainly make no scientific case for their claims. Their books falls uneasily between science and hermeneutics. Nevertheless, if we apply hermeneutic criteria to their case studies as they would wish, the reviewer thinks it is fair to say that they tell a convincing story and one that suggests that the intersubjective approach is, indeed, a useful one meriting considerable further study. What is needed is something that is truly difficult, to develop a scientific approach to a subjective world. If this could be done, then real progress could be made in the development of psychoanalytic ideas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)