Letters

To the Editor:

I wish to express my sincere sympathy to George Hogenson, Ph.D., who recently reviewed my book What Constitutes the Patient in Psychotherapy (Psychoanalytic Books, 5, 146-148), for his confused state of mind. I hope your readers will see the review of the same book recently published in the American Journal of Psychoanalysis (53, 372-373). The reviewer was Dr. Douglas Ingram, editor of that journal and a Fellow of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis.

Richard D. Chessick, M.D., Ph.D. Evanston, Illinois

George B. Hogenson replies:

It is regrettable that Dr. Richard Chessick saw fit to respond to my review of his book by recourse to an ad hominem remark that has nothing to do with the points raised in my review. I believe, however, that such comments are their own best refutation, and do not warrant further reply.

Regarding Dr. Douglas Ingram's review: Although brief, Dr. Ingram's review provides a succinct and useful précis of the problems posed for the contemporary therapist by the theoretical developments broadly referred to as postmodern. As I remarked in my review, these are very important problems, and one looks forward to substantive contributions to their elucidation. Dr. Ingram goes on to express his admiration for Dr. Chessick's contribution. On this latter point we clarly disagree, by no means an unheard of state of affairs in scholarship and book reviews. Dr. Ingram's review, however, does nothing to alter my opinion of Dr. Chessick's book.