Those analysts who maintain an attitude of neutrality on towards the subject of prenatal psychology are unlikely to be enthusiastic about reading Ridgway's book. Its title, implying as it does an assumed acceptance of the concept of a prenatal psychological life which can be traumatised, and that such a trauma can be recognised and even healed, is almost guaranteed to evoke hostility in that potential group of readers. Furthermore, such a reaction might conceivably lead to a hardening of attitude among those uninterested analysts who already find themselves in the comfortable and secure position of believing (probably correctly) that their viewpoint represents the opinion of the majority of analysts.

Having now read the book, and indeed myself made a personal written contribution to this area of psychology, I can say that Ridgway's chosen title fails to do justice to either the scope or the quality of his work. The book is written in a style