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The authors state the purpose of the book as follows: 'This monograph is not a compendium nor does it purport to be a complete treatise on "shock therapy". It has been designed to meet the need for a brief, practical review of a subject which is of more than passing interest.' The authors have achieved their purpose admirably, presenting in a simplified, well-written and interesting manner the three principal methods of shock therapy: insulinproduced hypoglycemia, metrazol convulsions, and electric shock convulsions. They describe the technique and procedure of each method, the reactions of the patient during the treatment, the complications that are encountered, and their evaluation of the results.
The authors repeatedly emphasize the importance of the psychosomatic way of thinking and the urgent need to maintain a psychotherapeutic attitude throughout the treatment. They believe that an important factor in the degree of success attained with this method is the ability of the therapist to utilize the increased accessibility in the psychotic patient following the shock treatments. Their tendency is toward a greater understanding of the patient and away from the painful and frightening aspects of the method. The