Neuroanalysis: Bridging the gap between neuroscience, psychoanalysis and psychiatry

Avi Peled, London, Routledge, 2008, 150 pp., £20.99 (paperback), £55 (hardback)

The anxious brain: The neurobiological basis of anxiety disorders and how to effectively treat them

Margaret Wehrenberg and Stephen Prinz, London, W.W. Norton and Co., 274 pp, £22.99 (hardback)

I have become increasingly interested in the subject of brain development and functioning over the past 8 years. This interest stems from my own continuing development, from my observations of my adolescent children in their transitional developments, from my work as a clinician with individuals with personality disorder and with emerging personality disorder, and from my work as a psychotherapist in attempting to understand more fully how treatment can be most effective. During this time I have read extensively, including books and articles written by Cozolino (2006), Winston (2003), Greenfield (2000), Blakemore, and Frith (2005), Folensbee (2007), Doidge (2008), Shore (1994), Fonagy (2006), Le Doux (2002), and Kandel (2006). The relevant works of all of these individuals will appear readily when ‘Googled’. Indeed ‘Googling’ brain development will lead you to all sorts of interesting sites. A particularly good one on child development is from a group in America called ‘Zero to 3’. You Tube has many helpful presentations from the above authors and others about their work on the brain.

I was therefore very pleased to see that the book by Peled on Neuroanalysis was available for reviewing in December's Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. Julian Stern, Book Review Editor, kindly sent me the second book on The Anxious Brain when I contacted him with a request to review this book. Initially I imagined this second book might prove to be more medical in its orientation, and perhaps less interesting.

I have spent the last 2 months reading, re-reading, reading around and thinking about the contents of both of these books. My expectations were not met. Overall I found the short book on neuroanalysis to be a difficult