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This revised 4th edition deserves to be mentioned, although the 3rd edition from 1984 was thoroughly and positively reviewed in this journal (1985:8: 66-68). The review ended with the “hope that in the coming years, we will see this book in many new and still more improved editions”. Now, 10 years later, that hope is fulfilled.
The 1st edition of the book in 1974 was an annotated bibliography, which simultaneously aimed at being a “coherent, clear, easily accessible and up-to-date representation” of psychoanalytic developmental psychology. However, with every new edition, the book has become less and less an annotated bibliography, although this basic concept still characterizes the present 4th edition.
After the death of Karin Mangs, Barbro Martell has made considerable extensions and thorough revisions of the text, i.a., in the light of modern infant research. The result is an expansion by more than 100 pages, corresponding to almost 40% compared with the previous edition.
The book ends with three completely new chapters. Agneta Sandell's chapter on “The adolescent development according to Laufer's theories” is a model of a clear, well-written and coherent summary. In the chapter “Theory and concept” Barbro Martell scrutinizes and discusses selected psychoanalytic concepts and terms. This chapter is particularly interesting, because the author discloses her personal views, e.g., concerning the concept of drives. Reading this chapter implies some qualifications.
The last chapter of the book, “Schools and personal data” has been written by Ulla Arnell. It appears to be a draft for a more comprehensive work on the history of ideas, which seems promising.
Among the more than 400 references, the reviewer regrets that the following is missing: Phyllis and Robert Tyson: “Psychoanalytic Theories of Development. An Integration”, as the books of Barbro Martell and the Tysons are indeed complementary to each other.