Mental Health Books

There are a lot of really good, creative ideas in this book. The one thing I wish was added was just a quick statement at the begining of each activity that identifies what age group and what general problem the activity is most appropriate for. Such information allows me to decide, right away, whether to invest the time in reading further about the activity if I think it would be relavent to a particular child I am working with.

This is an invaluable book, especially for people who are just starting out and want a few techniques up their sleeve for sessions. It could also be good for therapists who have been around for a while but want to shake things up a bit. Great interventions by many respected practitioners in play therapy. Worth the money!

This book is a wonderful tool to use in developing groups for children and adolescents. Some of the activities are therapeutic in and of themselves, and others are useful for generating discussion on a number of topics. Innovative and easy to follow, I highly reccomend this book.

I have ordered the book, and although it will take while to come, I have recieved exerpts of activities from this book and I find it EXTREMLY helpful! The other volumes of this book are just as helpful. There are plenty of ideas and some work well with all different populations and ages.

This is one of those books I wish I could give to people. I have so much in common with the other reviews I'll just say - I agree... it does need to be printed again. I couldn't put this book down. I read it in two days and I will read it again.
It gave me such insight into my barriers with other people and why I felt the way I do, and do the things I do (and I didn't recognize). We can pass our dysfunctional traits on - and I have.
If your parents were divorced when you were between 4 and 14, or if you were moved away from your dad during that time to another state - You absoultely MUST read this book. If you can't buy it - some libraries still have copies. This book will definately get you started on having healthier relationships.

I am not sure if you can still get this book new any more - I first read it back in 1991 and have kept it on my book shelf. I use it to help other people going through personal and family issues. As a part-time minister I find that this book has lots of good and wise advice. It is still great informaton even 15 years after it was written.

This book has saved many relationships becasue it gives some deeper understanding to the root casues of actons, thinking and the attitudes that were created and established when their parents divorced. No longer can we hide the fact that divorce does not hurt the children - it always does damage - the question isn't if it hurts them - but how much and for how long!

I recomend this book for all adult children of divorce - and I think couples getting ready to ax their relationships should take a harder look at their children's lives and what they are about to do to them.

I recommend this book for all those who have experienced the divorce of their parents or are comtemplating divorce from their current spouse. Our response to accepting the truth about ourselves and our families and taking corrective changes in our behaviour can impact our ability to overcome the emotional disappointment of divorce.

I read this book during a time of major upheaval in my relationship with my wife. Near divorce I read this book and realized how my parents' divorce adversely affected me. In ways that we today think are normal we sabotage our relationships and carry on the legacy of our parents' failed relationships. Unless we identify what happened to them by asking historical questions about our parents' life before, during, and after marriage, where they came from, what secrets lay in their family closets, we are going to repeat them. After all, it is what we recognize as "normal". Well, divorce is not normal. Fundamental problems that existed in our parents' relationship and our current relationship follow identical patterns. Recognizing them and understanding their effects on our current relationship skills (which were not modeled in a healthy manor) helps us define, change, and proceed with new and healthier attitudes about being married. Especially when children are involved, we should make every humanly possible effort to save the relationship. As spouses, we are both different and similar. We found each other for reasons we weren't cognizant of. We were looking to fill our unmet needs. In today's world where divorce is so accepted, fragmented and drastically unhealthy behaviors are being taught by parents who divorce. It is always easier to divorce than to heal a relationship. They take work, but they are worth it. This is not to say that those who are abused in any way should stay with an abuser. But as human beings we can change.

I called Gloria Hochman and pleaded with her to reprint the book. She said they were thinking about it. And I am very, very grateful to her and Dr. Beal for helping me save my self and my marriage. I think that this should be required reading when an adult child of divorce is about to get married or if he or she is contemplating divorce.

Don't let the mistakes of our parents ruin our relationships and perpetuate the cycle. Stop the cycle. Heal from the losses of divorce, absence of a parent, depression of the custodial parent, and unhealthy self nurturing children have to endure during and after the process. Co-dependency can develop and rear its head in unhealthy relationships we choose because it feels "safe", "normal", what we are "used" to.

By the way, the changes I have made in my life have been so monumental and healthy, that my wife and I are pursuing a healthy, caring, supportive, accepting, honest, (many more superlatives) relationship now more than ever. And the lack of respect I once held towards my parents has healed and I have been able to carry on relationships with them that have been healthy, without emotional blackmail, emotional incest, or blaming. Dr. Andrew J. Boshardy

Lot's of valuable information. Written in a conversational style that is easy to read. Helpful insights and practical advice. A real resource to help you understand the life you are living.

When I got my first grey hairs I started feeling so many different things about life and the process of aging. This book explained the different feelings I was having. It was a great relief to realize my feelings were so common. The words are easy to understand. The stories about others who have their own issues as they age are good ones to learn from. I recommend this book for any one feeling a bit perplexed about the aging process.

Together with Richard Leider's books (particularly, Life Skills, The Power of Purpose & The Inventurers) & Richard Bolles' Parachute book, this book has been most pivotal in helping me to navigate my mid-life transition during the early 90's.

It has been beautifully crafted with warmth, passion, clarity & mastery of content. It provides a refreshingly optimistic perspective on mid-life transition & self-renewal. Best of all, it is solidly backed by several decades of research & consulting work at the Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara, California.

I remember vividly when I first encountered this book in the early 90's, it was actually the back page of the book which attracted my attention: "Designing a rich adult life for a world in transition." followed by a quotation: "The Adult Years will help you to think about your life - & to stay vital all your life."

At that point in time, I was pondering about what I wanted to do with the second half of my life. I was 43 years old & a corporate rat then. I was working in quiet desperation.

Frankly, I was looking damned good...but actually going nowhere!

So, I started a frantic search for all kinds of seminars, workshops, books, magazines & resources to fuel my mind. I was very glad to bump into this book by chance. I particularly liked what the author has said in the book: "...adulthood is a cyclical experience that can be a ripening of our strengths rather than dull repetition or a dizzling merry-go-round....it is possible in a culture that glamourises youth more than it values maturity, to design a coherent, mature life that is resilient enough not only to survive but to be visionary & regenerating...by unleashing our own personal forces of self renewal, we can bring forth ideas & leadership for social renewal."

The author has masterfully protrayed the cycles of self-renewal through the various chapters of the book, as follows:

Part I: The Emerging Adult
1 The Adult Dilemma
2 Finding Possibilities in Cyclical Lives

Part II: The Cycle of Change - Life Structures & Transitions
3 The Patterns of Change
4 From Dreaming to Restructuring
5 from Disengaging to Cocooning
6 From Self renewal to New Beginnings

Part III: The Life Cycle
7 Meaning & Mission Across the Life Cycle
8 The Twenties & Thirties
9 The Forties & Fifties
10 The Sixties & seventies
11 Getting from Here to There: Six Principles of Life Cycle Change

Part IV: Adults & Global Change
12 Valueing the Global Context
13 The Self Renewing Adult, the Self Renewing Society

Over the many years since my first encounter with the book, I have often gone back to read some of the passages to seek further insights about empowerment throughout my adult years.

Every busy profesional would benefit from this marvellous book when coming of age. It is intelligently crafted & extremely helpful in providing a sensible framework for understanding - & appreciating - adult transitions & personal change.

In concluding this review, I enthusiastically recommend this book to all who are interested in the quality of life & peak performance in life's remaining years!

This is the best conceputalizaton of the second half of life that I have ever read.It puts theory into practice and teaches that one can stay young and continually evolving with the proper attitute, learning and social environments tempered with an active healthy life style. The concept of retirement is no longer valid in the 21st century. We must think of
'protirement'now that can live to be centegenarians.
We must entrepreneur our futures and proactively build
on the new or retooled skills of the previous years. Our tasks become:redefining values,renewing our life's purpose, continually training to stay ahead in the ever-changing world and transition gracefully with our wisdom into new and exciting terrain. Along with the challenge of growth and change,
we bring the wisdom of the years.

Coaches will help us with change and transition, for they are not
simply 'change agents', but 'change masters' trained to accompany up on our journey,to help guide our vision of the
life we long for before we say 'adieu'.

Any psychiatrist has treated patients who thought their minds and wills were being controlled from the outside, perhaps from mysterious rays or hidden machines. This cannot sound so strange now as it must have a couple of centuries ago. We may not be used to mind control of that type, but we live in a world powered by invisible rays and hidden machines. When James Tilly Matthews entered the famous hospital for the insane, London's Bedlam in 1797, his complaints must have sounded bizarre indeed. He told his doctor that he, and many of the powerful in England and France, were being manipulated by a mysterious gang who were using invisible gases and rays from an unimaginably complex machine called an air loom, and that his thoughts were being altered and controlled and his body was being painfully punished. Matthews's bizarre story is the subject of a surprising and novel-like history, _The Air Loom Gang: The Strange and True Story of James Tilly Matthews and his Visionary Madness_ (Four Walls Eight Windows) by Mike Jay. What is especially peculiar is that although Matthew's ideas were clearly delusional, his complaints stemmed from real persecutions he was made to undergo. As the old joke says, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you.

Matthews was a wholesale tea dealer who wound up shuttling between Britain and revolutionary France with a peace proposal. It is not surprising that Matthews had little effect; but it is surprising that at the time of the Terror, all he had to endure on the French side was a spell in a French Revolutionary prison. In 1796, after his return to England, he entered the public viewing area of the House of Commons, and yelled "Treason!" into the hall. This got him into Bedlam, and he was to be incarcerated for the rest of his life. His rooms were unheated, he would have straw to sleep on, and for some years he would be chained to his bed. It is quite possible that pummeled first by peculiarities of world events and then by the cruelties of incarceration as a lunatic that he began weaving contemporary ideas about pneumatics, electricity, and Mesmer's animal magnetism into a widespread delusional explanation of just how he got persecuted into such a position. We know about his delusions in detail because in charge of him was the apothecary John Haslam, and Matthews was Haslam's star patient. Jay shows that the delusions can possibly be seen as Matthews's response to persecution, with Haslam as co-creator.

This is a tangled tale, expertly told. There are parts of it that are deeply mysterious, and for which there is no documentation, only speculation; how Matthews came to be running secret diplomacy, and who was paying him to do so, and what he really was doing, can only be guessed at. The gripping story of Matthews coming to delusional terms with his predicament is actually moving, and his eventual (if posthumous) triumph over Haslam is convincing. Best of all Jay has gone a long way in successfully trying to explain the politics, science, and history of the time. His picture of treatment of the insane in the crumbling Bedlam, at the cusp of instituting sympathetic "moral" treatments of Philippe Pinel, is unforgettable. There may not have been a real air loom, but that doesn't keep it from meaning something; and Matthews may have been an incarcerated schizophrenic, but that doesn't keep him from being a bit of a hero.

Mind control goes back thousands of years actually, and was practiced by the early Chinese, Sumerians, Egyptians, and even Mayans by a variety of different methods. Even African / Caribbean "voodoo" is a type of negative mind control that has been shown to have dramatic effects from great distances. In more modern times (such as the late 1800s to the 1920s) a variety of physical "medical" devices were built and used on people, animals, and crops for tremendous BENEFIT. The science that grew from these experiments was called "Radionics", and the radionic devices were often called "black boxes" (in the UK at least). Modern day radionic devices are about the size of a laptop computer, but I firmly believe that the device explained in this book was a very early radionic device that used essoteric (occult) knowledge to broadcast certain frequencies or radiations that could target specific individuals and influence them physically and emotionally, assuming that you had a "witness" from them (such as hair, fingernail clipping, blood spot, or even a photograph). Obviously, such devices could be used for tremendous good or evil, but the government / military has a proven track record for the latter unfortunately.

Nowadays, we wouldn't use the term "radionic attack", but the term EMR / microwave bombardment and torture is certainly on the rise and evidence suggests that upto 2,000,000 Americans have been targeted in one form or another. This type of torture / harrassment is very high tech now, and beyond most people's conceptualization. A lot of "magic" can be created from satelites and underground installations and affect people's thoughts, emotions, and bodies. This phenomenon is well understood in Russia for example, and a popular form of torture for political dissidents or whistleblowers, and there is even a large group of victims in Moscow who are known as the "Moscow Zombies", which is appropriate because it is nothing more than electro-magnetic voodoo afterall. In fact, there was a recent march / demonstration by these Moscow Zombies and their family members (at least those who understand that it has nothing to do with "mental illness") who carried signs that read, "Stop the microwave / EMR / plasma torture", "End Mind Control". True story, but we never saw that on the news naturally.

James Tilly Matthews simply didn't have the vernacular or understand the occult science to better "name" his torture, but his detailed explanations of his symptoms and why he was being targetted are EXACTLY what modern peoples complain of and explain to those who will listen with an open mind. Matthews also discussed how many other people of influence were being targetted, which has HUGE IMPLICATIONS in today's political / economic realm. And Bedlam was also the precursor to Guantanamo in many ways as it was a place to keep people who knew some secrets. "Mental illness" was and largely still is a bogus misdirection. The more things change, the more they stay the same it would appear...

James Tilly Matthews lived in London in the late 1700s and was a respected Welsh tea merchant who intended to preserve the peace of an increasingly dangerous city out of control in its conflicts with Paris. Arrested and sent to a mental hospital for his accusation of a lord, Matthews became convinced his mind was being controlled by a secret machine called an 'air loom' hidden in a London basement and run by a gang of revolutionaries: Air Loom Gang sets out to pinpoint the political foundations of his 'madness' in an intriguing true 'whodunnit' mystery

The Air-Loom Gang by Mike Jay is a book about the most incredible events. It is about one James Tilly Matthews who was declared insane for his beliefs about treason at the highest levels of the British Government during the French Revolutionary/Napoleonic period. As it turns out, Matthews was actually right to some extent and as a former spy, was in a good position to be able to determine if there really was treasonous activities in the British government at the time. Matthews's case became a cause clebre and he was eventually released from the insane asylum and eventually started an architecture magazine and even submitted plans for an insane asylum.

This is an excellent book dealing with a most fascinating episode in British history.

To attribute alcoholism to narcissistic regression is both commonplace and controversial. But there a less convoluted clinical "handle": Pathological narcissism is an addiction to narcissistic supply, the narcissist's drug of choice. It is, therefore, not surprising that other addictive and reckless behaviors - workaholism, alcoholism, drug abuse, pathological gambling, compulsory shopping, or reckless driving - piggyback on this primary dependence.

The narcissist - like other types of addicts - derives pleasure from these exploits. But they also sustain and enhance his grandiose fantasies as "unique", "superior", "entitled", and "chosen". They place him above the laws and pressures of the mundane and away from the humiliating and sobering demands of reality. They render him the center of attention - but also place him in "splendid isolation" from the madding and inferior crowd.

Such compulsory and wild pursuits provide a psychological exoskeleton. They are a substitute to quotidian existence. They afford the narcissist with an agenda, with timetables, goals, and faux achievements. The narcissist's addictive behaviors take his mind off his inherent limitations, inevitable failures, painful and much-feared rejections, and the grandiosity gap - the abyss between the image he projects (the False Self) and the injurious truth. They relieve his anxiety and resolve the tension between his unrealistic expectations and inflated self-image - and his incommensurate achievements, position, status, recognition, intelligence, wealth, and physique.

Thus, there is no point in treating the dependence and recklessness of the narcissist without first treating the underlying personality disorder. The narcissist's addictions serve deeply ingrained emotional needs. They intermesh seamlessly with the pathological structure of his disorganized personality, with his character faults, and primitive defense mechanisms.

Hence the importance of this book: it unflinchingly exposes the roots of alcoholism and attributes it to an identity disturbance, paranoia, sadomasochism and obsessive- compulsive disorders. The author's rich experience is evident in each and every page. A documentary treasure trove - if not a theoretical masterpiece. Sam Vaknin, author of "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited".

Good news, bad news, first the bad news. Forrest: 1) subscribes to a now questioned if not discredited Freudian theory of infantile narcissim; 2) has very low standards of proof; apparently supposing that repeated repetition amounts to proof, when sometimes it isn't even adequate description; 3) has an editor who is asleep at the switch when it comes to reducing florid redundancy; and 4) still has an essentially pathological view of homosexuality and bisexuality, preventing him from discerning homophobia as a form of paranoia (the term 'homophobia' doesn't occur in discussions of 'deviant' sexuality). The good news is that he has a substantial wealth of experience, including quite a lot of military experience at which he obviously worked hard and for which he presumably wasn't paid much. He gives a convincing account of a combination of orality, narcissism, and anger/rage that lying at the foundation of alcoholism, and issues of identity, paranoia, sadomasochism and obsessive- compulsiveness as common superstructures. (I would have put the obsessive-compulsive issue closer to the foundation; but I don't have his experience.) It would be a mistake to discount Forrest's wealth of experience simply on the basis of his dogmatically Freudian outlook. Much of the substance of the work will survive translation into other frames of reference--as is the case with most good Freudian writing. I learned a lot from it and found it fascinating reading.-- Jonathan Ketchum, PhD (Philosophy)

I am not a mental health professional but a recovering alcoholic, and have been searching for some understanding into who I am for a long time now. This text describes me almost too accurately. It opened my eyes up to some of the deeper emotional and psychological problems that I have suffered with for my entire life. The things I gleaned here are painful revelations, but nevertheless necessary disclosures for my mental stability. Essentially this book gave me the language to articulate and understand my existence, and by doing this it has given me a sense of freedom and relief.

At age fifty-two, I am absolutely in awe of this book which hit me like a sledge hammer; it is holographic in its presentation, and speaks to me very deeply, personally, and professionally.

Each chapter is a multi-faceted reflection of the whole, and it pretty much sums up my personal experiences in growing up in a constantly relocating military family within a global environment during the post-World War II and Cold War period. If I had to write a personal byline on this text I would catagorize it in this generational fashion: Paint Your Wagon; The Unforgiven; and, Apocalypse Now; i.e., The American Experience of Conquest!

This text made me realize that my own life-long personal quest as the young captain, the trained assassin sent upriver on a covert mission to terminate the colonel, was really a personal paradox to be reconsidered: the young questing captain, in my personal interpretation of a time paradox, was realistically and symbolically the son of the colonel he was seaching out to terminate. The captain was the son that the remote, alienated, and estranged colonel-father, who had become distraught by the deeper woundings of a continuing warfare and conquest, wanted his son to know and understand him personally at the rivers end! This text allowed me to do this personally.

In conclusion, it is necessary for one to understand that "The Destructive Narcissitic Pattern" (described by Nina W. Brown) of the generational circumstance, the handing down, does not reguire drinking at this level. One can be quite numbed by The Great Depression, World War II, and Vietnam and, by one's sense and mission of self-importance through...Narcissitic Need and Entitlement Deprivation.

My Mother has terminal Cancer and my Father is taking care of her at home. This book has been been a great guide and reference for her care. My Mother does not have Alzheimers but my Father and our family are encountering all the care issues that a family must address when caring for a terminally ill family member at home.

This book has seemingly all the information that you need to be a successful caregiver for a loved one with Alzheimer's. It is written in a very direct style. It addresses very specific solutions to the problems that occur as the various stages of the disease progress. I took care of my mother before I read this book and I could have used the advice here. I would not have had to reinvent the wheel, so to speak. The book acknowledges, but does not dwell on the emotional difficulties a caregiver faces, but since it offers concrete solutions to all kinds of problems, using it as a reference can make the care giving experience that much easier. Keep this one on the shelf, you'll refer to it often.

It has a lot of useful information and wonderful perspective in dealing with a loved one with Alzheimer's. I can already see application and things we can do better for my mother-in-law who lives with us. I just hope we can have half the compassion and patience that Frank shows in his book!

Magnificent work! It is bound to be helpful to anyone who has a family member or close friend with dementia. There is a multitude of practical points. Anyone will be struck by the author's compassion and dedication to his wife. It is also good that the author admits how the process is so trying.

Having practiced as a psychotherapist for over 15 years, this is the book I have referred over and over to help family members of those with Alzheimers. It's a wonderful book. Easy to read. Full of practical tools and tremendously supportive for the caregiver. Worth every cent.

As the Director of Social Work at a Retirement and Skilled Nursing Facility, this is one of the books that I loan out to families. I have had nothing but positive feedback from the families who have borrowed the book, and they have invariably told me that they found it easy to read, highly informative, and very helpful for them overall.In fact, I am visiting Amazon.com right now to order 2 more copies of the book at the residents' family members' request! -- Victoria T.Carey, MSW, LICSW

Because a relative of mine has AD, I spent some time at a large local bookstore (BN) looking for the right book. This is the one I picked. I think very highly of it.

My mother died of Alzheimer's in January of 2006. This book hepled my father, myself (the only child)and my wife through the whole process. It is realistic and tells one what to expect and how to handle each stage of this terminal illness. I highly recommend this book to the caretaker and his/her family to help them understand and deal with the realities of Alzheimer's.

I enjoyed this book because it relates what kind of anger I went through growing up and I have learned to control it in a positive way and the book for sure was a good source!

I found this book helpful, and enjoyable to read, so much so that I read the whole thing is one sitting! The premise of this book is that the way to "express your anger and still be kind" is to work-out your anger on your own before communicating it to others. this way when you talk to others, they don't get blasted with the full force and intensity of your anger. We've all heard the advice "count to ten when you're angry." This book goes far beyond that and tells you what you REALLY need to know. Not only did Dr. Puff convince me that being passive aggressive or making rude comments ultimately hurts ME more than anyone else, but he also offered the hands-on "here's what to do" advice that I was looking for. I actually tried some of the suggestions, and was able to work through and let go of a long-standing grudge. I enjoyed reading the personal stories, especially the one about Bob in the section People Who Don't Feel Angry, But Have Issues From the Past. I love that quote: "Quick forgiveness is often false forgiveness, and false forgiveness can be detrimental to the health (both mental and physical) of the one who practices it. In that sense, false forgiveness can be worse than no forgiveness." I am an artist myself, so I found it refreshing to see some creative alternatives included with the more classic kick-boxing or punching bag methods. I highly recommend this book. It's good stuff and fast reading.

Dr. Puff's book addresses the issues in life that keep us from reaching our full potential. ANGER WORK presents a straight forward message along the lines of Victor Frankl's MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING. In Dr. Puff's book, he clearly explains the relationship between what has happened in our past and its connection to the present. His recommendations for managing the stress in our lives revolve around activities that promote healing and health. Dr. Puff's focus on breaking the cycle of abusive behavior towards ourselves and others is particularly helpful for those who struggle with feelings of guilt and shame. The information presented gives simple, yet effective recommendations in dealing with the situations that make us angry. I highly recommend Dr. Puff's book for its practical approach.

The book, "Anger Work: How To Express Your Anger and Still Be Kind," is about anger management, but at the book's core, the message is about healing. If you have unresolved emotional issues, the methods described in "Anger Work" can be of great help. To learn more, visit www.angerwork.com/about.html

Pain should not, and cannot, be separated from anger, anxiety and depression. This is the message of an excellent monograph by Dr Fernandez. The book is comprehensive (800 references to the primary literature) and argues succinctly that emotions are an integral contributor to the concept of pain. Aside from an excellent review of the literature and an excellent treatise, the book offers methods of clinical treatment and assessment.

This book is timely and deserves a place in every University Library and on the shelves of clinical psychologists that deal on a daily basis with people suffering pain.

Highly recommended

This is an excellent book not only for medical and psychological professionals involved in the treatment of pain and associated mood disorders, but also for members of the public who wish to keep informed about the latest state of the art research into pain and emotions.

The book is comprehensive in scope, and goes considerably beyond anything that has previously been written on the subject, with over 800 references to previously published work in the area.

A range of clinical treatments are discussed including hypnosis, biofeedback, cognitive reappraisal, cognitive behavior therapy, systematic desensitization therapy, muscle relaxation, and so on.

The significant role of anger in pain is highlighted, as well as its treatment via cognitive behavioral affective therapy (CBAT).

This book also elucidates the dynamic interrelationships between pain and emotions such anxiety, depression and anger. In doing so, the book examines both physiological as well as psychological variables.

Furthermore, the author's discussion of the diathesis-stress theory of pain and disease is very illuminating.

This is the first book to comprehensively address the important role of affect in pain, and Dr Fernandez has clearly established himself as a leading pain researcher and clinician. This book is a must for all those interested in knowing more about the complex interrelationships between pain and emotions.

I've been waiting for this release! Fantastic! It's not for the simple-minded but it sure does elevate your understanding of how these three emotional disorders interact with pain. The answers in this book are based on hard evidence and expert opinion. The information will be appreciated by health professionals, but it's not off limits to anyone who wants scientific backing for claims made about pain, anxiety, depression, and anger.

I have read books on pain and suffering but this one is especially refreshing. Dr. Fernandez points out why anxiety, depression, and anger cannot be ignored any longer when trying to figure out a person's pain and medical illness. He goes through great depths to explain exactly how emotions can interact with physical problems -- and it's not just about simple cause and effect but much more. Importantly, he provides options for the treatment and assessment of these problems, and I feel confident about these because they are backed up with scientific evidence. It is reassuring to know that the conclusions in the book are supported up by extensive research in the field.

I graduated from high school and in my IB Psychology class we used this book. It is the best psychology book out there. It's easy to use for advances and beginning psychology students. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

As the Californian listed before me on this page, I have used this text as part of a College course (IB/AP) while in my Senior year of High School. The writing style makes reading quite fast, but Glassman ensures the reader a true grasp of both the overriding essence and various nuances of each perspective. An excellent resource!

William E. Glassman's textbook "Approaches to Psychology" (3rd edition) is an invaluable book for anyone hoping to learn about psychology. I am a year 11 IB student currently studying Psychology and I have found that although this textbook tends to lack when it comes to pictures and diagrams, the content is not only detailed but direct. Other textbooks devoted to Psychology have been more difficult to read, as the majority of information is provided in a roundabout manner.

One of the outstanding aspects of this book is the layout. The IB student is expected to be competent at explaining the historical and cultural aspects, methodologies, theorists etc. for each of the perspectives. This book makes this much easier to accomplish and studying is much more productive!

I highly recommend Glassman's book to anyone with a genuine interest in Psychology.

I'm in high school but enrolled in a college level Psychology course. So far, we've used about 5 different text books and I think this has been the best. It's easy to understand, brief, and to the point. This book has a overview of the five perspectives, which is vital to understanding psychology. I would recommend it to anyone who needs to know the basics but not too terribly much detail. It's been a real help preparing for the IB and AP exams I'm taking this spring!