This book consists of papers delivered at a symposium of the Society of Medical Psychoanalysts in 1965 and a number of papers subsequently written for this volume. The contents encompass perspectives derived from disciplines besides psychoanalysis, such as anthropology, sociology, game theory, communication theory, and the law. Many of the psychological formulations and treatment methods are not psychoanalysis even by strenuous stretching of the definition. The end product is a potpourri of disparate essays of variable quality.

The volume, poorly edited, does not group most of the twenty-four chapters according to topic or theoretical position. Marked divergencies in viewpoint are not highlighted by discussions or editorial summaries, which would have been useful. Some authors present data on marriage customs in various cultures, comments on our society, and summary correlations of psychosexual development with marital behavior. These overviews are often diffuse, superficial, and simplistic. An exception is a comprehensive article