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This vast, important book was substantive enough to capture the lion's share of my study time for 10 months, but writing an intelligent critique of it is like having to review efforts to bring peace to the Balkans—no one can doubt the urgency or the magnitude of the project; predicting success is another matter. Certainly the American Psychological Association is courageous and farsighted to have sponsored the book, and it is clear that the editors and contributors have been faithful to their assignments, some with more effect than others.
Rather than presume to summarize, I submit here a running commentary that pays special attention to the book's theoretical ambiance and includes a topographical map for concepts. As always, the aim is to help colleagues and fellow students without being tiresome. In the end, even a groundbreaking reference must answer to the implacable issues of timeliness, usefulness, and accuracy. The tour will come first; then a more personal epilogue.
The 28 chapters by 37 contributors are assembled in five sections: Fundamental Concepts and Assumptions; Personality Development and Organization, the longest of the group; Research Approaches to Cognitive Process; Psychopathology: Clinical and Experimental Research; and Research on Treatment Process and Outcome.
The hard-working editors furnish copious assistance in dealing with the massive text. Robert Holt's foreword, the preface, and the introductions to the five main sections are admirably laced with historical background, a feature impressive all by itself. For those unaware of how many distinguished minds have labored to