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Each of these two volumes on the interactions between analyst and analysand warrants individual consideration because each is so distinctly
different from the other. Volume I contains abstracts of over five hundred articles; Volume II reviews the abstracts critically and ends with a "synthesis" of Langs's ideas about the interactions in psychoanalytic treatment.
The selection of articles is the result of a "systematic search of the psychoanalytic journals and major relevant books" in quest of both antecedent concepts and other original ideas which might expand one's thinking about psychotherapeutic situations. The abstracts are arranged chronologically and alphabetically according to author. The book contains an "author index" listing the titles of the abstracted articles for each of the authors represented. Therefore, in addition to being offered a chronological account of the ideas and concepts, the reader has an opportunity to see what any one writer has had to say over a period of time. The two-column format of Volume I is attractive and it is relatively easy to locate a particular abstract either by author or by year of publication. A highly condensed summary of each abstract appears in italics between the reference date and the longer narrative abstract. The type size is generous and easy to read, although the books are much too heavy and bulky for comfort.
Factors to be considered in any compilation of abstracts include the accuracy and inclusiveness of each abstract, the clarity of the abstracts, the effect of the abstractor's selections, and, finally, whether the resulting compilation will serve a specific purpose. Langs has succeeded admirably in his effort "to reflect faithfully the basic spirit of each piece." He has summarized his material accurately and comprehensively. The length of the abstracts varies considerably, and only selected portions of some of the articles are used. His abstracts are uniformly understandable, and he has avoided t