A Handbook of Child Psychoanalysis: Gerald H. J. Pearson, Editor. New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1968. 384 pp.

This book represents the concerted attempts of seven child analysts to produce a comprehensive guide for the practice of child analysis. In the authors' words, it has been 'written for the practicing analyst, the student and, in fact, anyone who is interested in the psychoanalysis of children and adolescents'. The contributors have approached this formidable task with a dedication and forthrightness which is both impressive and commendable. Their suggestions and conclusions, theoretical and technical, have been arrived at through thoughtful group discussions so that the result is a genuinely collaborative one. Throughout, and despite some redundancy, one is struck by a steadfast fidelity to standards of clarity. For all these reasons the book commands one's interest and inspires one's respect.

Scarcely any facet of child analysis is left untouched as the authors cover such topics as the playroom equipment, the initial approach to the case, the first interviews, indications for analysis, the role and handling of parents, special problems of technique, patterns of resistance, transference, and termination. In addition, two detailed analyses are described, one of a latency child and one of an adolescent. In these descriptions, the interplay between analyst and patient is highlighted to give the reader a graphic picture of the manifestations of defenses, the nature of interpretations, and the unfolding of the analytic process.