You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
The authors of this highly commendable book have said very little that is new, but what they have said is exceedingly readable and to the point. While no attempt is made to cover the whole field of psychiatry, the result is more than an abridged compilation of the commoner types of mental disorders. Their aim has been to formulate a not too lengthy but adequate and readable presentation of the main facts of psychiatry, primarily compiled for the needs of the general practitioner, but also for the nurse, social worker, personnel of hospitals and intelligent laymen seeking a working knowledge of personality functioning and its disorders. To the psychiatrist and neurologist, the book gives a refreshing review in an easy flowing style that arouses and maintains interest to the end. Many pertinent case examples are used to illustrate various types of illness. The medical student, intern in psychiatry, and other interested persons will be grateful for a well-chosen bibliography appended to each chapter.
Normal personality functioning is considered first. Throughout this chapter, and indeed the whole book, it is easy to spot the basic influence of the Meyerian 'school' of psychobiology. In this connection the 'integration concept' of Adolf Meyer and his emphasis upon a 'pluralistic monism' in the light of a critical testing of the facts, longitudinally as well as in cross-section, make for a dependable and useful perspective.