This small volume admirably meets the needs of the psychoanalyst and psychiatrist seeking a concise scientific evaluation of the 'psychotropic' drugs from the standpoints of biochemistry, neuropharmacology, and epidemiological psychiatry. The authors, affiliated with the Institute of Psychiatry, University of London, have done a monumental job in gathering together the world literature on the subject: they cite 1,287 references, and provide an excellent index.

It is difficult to select what is most interesting in a work so readable and instructive. For example, the clinician will enjoy the systematic delineation of the known and unknown of the chief tranquilizer, anti-depressant, and psychotomimetic drugs. But