error Books

This is another fine book by Argyris. I think this, in addition to "Strategic Organizational Change" by Beitler, is very helpful. (Beitler has an outstanding chapter on how to evaluate consultants.)

I recommend everything that Chris Argyris writes. This is no exception. This book has insight about management advice that reminds me of the work of Alfred Kieser at the University of Mannheim (Germany). I highly recommend the work of both Argyris and Kieser.

Dr. Michael Beitler
Author of "Strategic Organizational Change"

The author presents tools to examine advices from executives, change consultants, academics, etc., and offers four basic tests for the actionability of advice. The good advice should specify the detailed, concrete behaviors required to achieve the intended consequences; it must be crafted in the form of designs that contain causal statements; people must have, or be able to be taught, the concepts and skills required to implement those causal statements; and the context in which it is to be implemented does not prevent its implementation.

Argyris' theory of good advice, being highly practical and actionable, is based on the author's theoretical framework of "Model-II", exposed in his book "Organizational Learning II", co-authored with Donald Schoen.

The book does also contain a brilliant section about effective strategic choices, written by Roger Martin in very friendly tone. A high-quality strategic choice, according to Martin, possesses four key attributes: it is genuine; it is sound; it is actionable; and it is compelling. The section uncovers these principles in details.

The book shows the difference between external and internal employee commitment to the advices and helps to create and foster internal commitment.

You can test the actionability of the advices given in this book using these advices themselves.

I would recommend "Organizational Learning II: Theory, Method and Practice" prior to reading this book. I would also recommend "Leading the Revolution" by Gary Hamel in addition to these books.

Since you have an idea what this book is about from the other reviewers, I'll stick to my opinion of it rather than rehash what others have written.

It helped me a lot to know a bit of Argyris' other works (see his articles in Harvard Business Review for the quickest review), and also, to have read the works he critiques. While he always has such superb insights, including asking all the right questions that expose gaps in the business guru's works, because of the writing style (what it leaves out and what jumps it makes), it requires a bit of background if you're not familiar with his main points.

In any case, anyone who fancies him/herself a business consultant, or anyone who gives advice in any context, professionally or even to partners/kids/neighbors, should check out what Argyris has to say. You may find that you're not having the effect you believe you are. And that effect is like waking up from sleepwalking down the middle of a dark but busy road at night, without a flashlight.

Chris Argyris says that management advice - the content of countless seminars by management consultants and human resource professionals - rests upon a discrepancy. The goal of a more democratic workplace with empowered, internally-driven workers contradicts the actual actions executives take to produce this result. Argyris contends that much leadership, decision-making, corporate change and management advice lacks critical thinking. He urges executives to seek specific, testable, actionable advice. Role-playing and numerous examples show how advice givers may fail to understand the nature of the problems they're addressing. This book is valuable in helping managers identify flawed advice and understand why so many management initiatives fail. However, the author's own recommendations suffer from the same lack of testability. It just may not be possible to test for the effects of specific advice in complex situations. Still, this is an important book because it urges executives to think critically about the guidance they are given. We at getAbstract recommend this book to managers and to those who advise them.

Terrific thriller. Piling surprises on top of twists, Slosberg is always several steps ahead of the reader as his engrossing plot unfolds over a sixty-year timeline. The historic background has the ring of truth and the characters make every hour with the book time well spent.

I really loved this book and read it in a weekend. A page turner that I could not put down. I wish it had been longer.
I am now looking forward to Slosberg's next book!

The Hitler Error is a real page turner- clever, intriquing and plausible- fast paced with lots of twists and turns.

Do yourself a favor, buy this book before your next trip; you'll be glad you did.

The Hitler Error is a meticulously researched, densely plotted, sure-to-please page turner. Slosberg's fast-paced writing style makes this thriller a pleasure to read.

It's better than the Da Vinci Code, and I can't wait for the movie.

If you love reading about Nazis, stolen gems, secret hiding places, multiple murders, plot twists and turns, all taking place in the present, you will love Slosberg's new thriller. You won't want to put it down and the end will blow you away. Highly recommended reading and look for a movie down the road.

My mom is a patient of Dr. Blau. He treats her for her rheumatoid arthritis, and is a wonderful diagnostician and doctor. A year ago, he mentioned his book to her, but she was not interested in reading it, because she had never been in the hospital. Five months later, she was hospitalized with a heart attack. While recuperating, she asked me to purchase this book so she could read it. She did read it, and three months later, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She is in the same hospital as Dr. Blau was, and as she now recuperates, she leaves his book on her bedside table. My mom has become a lot more savvy thanks to her rheumatologist. As her daughter, I have embraced my role as health care advocate with increased vigilance. So thank you, Dr. Blau, for a fine book that may help to save lives, or at the very least,to prevent needless pain and suffering!

While this book addresses some very serious dangers that we probably all ought to be aware of, and know how to avoid, it also stresses some very rare problems, which may result in over-paranoia for some readers.

I think it's vital to know what the actual risks are that we might need to face, but I think creating a "dangerous environment" is not at all helpful, and perhaps this author, in his attempts to help, has done a bit too much of that in this book.

For instance, he writes that adverse drug reactions result in 140,000 deaths per year. Pretty intense. He discusses ways to prevent this from happening to oneself or one's loved ones. Very good information.

The five pages he devotes to infant abductions, however, is a bit extreme, I think. In From 1983 to 1996, 89 infant abductions occurred in hospitals. Which, of course, is way too many, but I think that the prioritizing of the issues in this book leaves something to be desired.

After reading just a little of it, I began thinking that hospitals were horribly dangerous places to be, and I had to really look at the facts presented in order to see that the presentation of the facts was more horrifying than they needed to be.

I really like the advices for how to protect oneself in a hospital, but I think it could have been presented better.

As a long term patient of Dr. Blau's it has become apparent that he gained a depth and insight into what it means to be a patient thru his pre and post hospital experience. Insightful, and spoken from a heartfelt and practical perspective.

Despite this sensationalist title, Blau and Shimberg have written an excellent resource for anyone contemplating surgery or a hospital stay of any duration. Most enlightening (and frightening) was the chapter dedicated to infection control issues - it's amazing how often overworked hospital staff ignore basic hygiene and universal precautions in an effort to get all their work done. The authors give examples of lots of good questions to ask (and direct you to the risk management department of the hospital - not the public relations office). The book also breaks down the hospital bureaucracy so I came away with an excellent understanding of how all the parts of this large "machine" interact with one another. Blau and Shimberg have devoted a good amount of space to the issues of patient rights and insurance concerns which will probably affect anyone having to deal with the paperwork aftermath of a hospital stay. Peppered with anecdotes (some funny, some scary), this book is an excellent resource and should be recommended reading for anyone evaluating such a facility.

...Sheldon Blau's introduction confirms your worst fears - firstly, that things can and do go wrong, and secondly, that it is reasonably easy to fix it - if you know what is wrong. I read this book after having to fight medical personal for four days to take notice when we said there was something seriously wrong with our son, who was bleeding internally. When we finally got to hospital, I had a fair idea what was wrong with him, and tried to negotiate a way to sort it out. But there was one big difference between me and Sheldon Blau. I was just a mother. In the end, I was proven right, but not before a whole raft of "situations" became majors, with me having to step in twice, saying over my dead body. The things that really struck me about Sheldon Blau's comments was that he could not address the one thing he did not feel, which was intimidation, and resultant fear of authority, because as a doctor he had "authority". The major hurdle for parents was not one he had to face. As parents, when you believe you are right, and doctors are wrong, the first thing that hits you is fear. And sure enough, the first question you will be asked, when you question authority, is "What medical school did you go to?". Then the tactics start, to attempt to have you removed from the hospital, and subtle things to make your "life" while you try to protect your child hell. Intimidation in a big scale. None of these things Sheldon Blau experienced, because it was not done to him. They wouldn't dare. I rated the book five, because on the mechanical things that you need to do, this book is the best I've read. But what happens when you switch on a tape-recorder in hospital? It might be tolerated (barely) if you are a medical person - but as a parent it is interpreted as a threat, and instantly, the way you are treated and viewed changes. In some cases, management then becomes "aggressive".

So when I titled my review "This is just the beginning" , I meant that I would like Elain Shimberg and Sheldon Blau to follow up by writing a book about coping strategies for parents to survive all the things which are never done to medical patients. It is so desperately needed.

Another issue unresolved is that most people who do fight, are educated and articulate. We were. We won - and we probably saved our son's life by preventing dangerous treatment he didn't need, and stopping them giving a drug intravenously when it should have been given orally. But I couldn't help thinking as I looked around the ward at all the other mothers who had no assertiveness, no knowledge, no realisation that the medical library was just 200 yards down the corridor - that for their children, if anything went wrong and their child died, the standard answer would be "we did our best" when in fact far from being heroes, the medical people had silently buried their mistakes.

This book is fantastic for educated assertive people - and possibly useful for others. There is still a crying need however, to address the plight of the average Ewen Mee who hasn't a clue how to fight, because they deserve a lot better than they are dished up with at the moment.

'Mastering Perl' is another gem in the line of O'Reilly Perl books that hav continued to set the standard for over a decade now. From the original Perl references that simply discussed the language from the basics of variable declaration to the most complicated ways you can use Perl, O'Reilly has continued to add more and more and more. Many new revisions and editions to the original Perl books were made, 'Learning Perl' was released and now 'Mastering Perl'. Is this too many books, is this simply a cash cow from O'Reilly? Yes and NO. Obviously publishers are here to try and make money, but this isn't a book that was just released for the sake of releasing it. I feel that 'Mastering Perl' is a fine addition to this line of books and well worth picking up for all serious Perl programmers. I feel that any book which builds on your programming skills and you can get something new from is worth the time and effort to read and learn from. This book is a welcome edition and I still feel that the Perl line of books (O'Reilly's original bread and butter) is the best the company has and it's a solid effort. If you want to go beyond the basics and sponge out even more goodies from this great language, pick this 300+ page book up today, kick back and become the best Perl developer that you can!!

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The journey to mastering Perl requires at least three (3) steps :)
One optional route would be to read:
1) Learning Perl
2) Intermediate Perl... and finally
3) Mastering Perl

brian d foy mentions in his introduction and appendix A that the path to mastery involves learning from many people... and to learn from brian is an advantage. Appendix A is a list of Further Reading and by following up on many of these compounds the effect of the book. You get the bang for your buck.

Chapter 3 on Secure Programming Techniques is helpful because it places the topic front and center. This topic should find its way downstream into Learning Perl to encourage secure programming as early as possible.

I found immediate value in the chapters on benchmarking, profiling (especially DBI profiling) and logging. The chapters on Cleaning Up Perl (chapter 7: perltidy and de-obfuscation) and Configuring Perl (chapter 11: dealing with switches) are a great recap of material critical for "creating professional programs with Perl".

PS - My personal route to mastering Perl had a required stop at "Programming the Perl DBI".

MASTERING PERL is third in O'Reilly's series of Perl tutorials and is a top pick for collections strong in computer programming in general and Perl in particular. This is more than a collection of shortcuts and 'tricks': it covers the basics of using advanced expressions, avoiding common programming problems, fixing code without editing the original source, and more, and offers Perl users the tools for getting the most out of the software - and troubleshooting when it doesn't work right. An excellent survey and a top pick for any Perl reference collection.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book is not essential, if you already have several years of experience with Perl, if you know who are Damian Conway, Randal Schwartz and Abigail, and if you know the meaning of weird words like CPAN, Perl Monks and "zero-width positive look-ahead assertion".

If you don't know what these things are, then with a little motivation you can find everything about them using Google without the need for this book. If this would be any other book about programming, i'd give it no more than 3 stars.

However, brian d foy's first-person writing style is very readable and enjoyable, which awards this book an extra star, and does make this book a good buy for people who learned the basics from Learning Perl or Programming Perl. Furthermore, as great and relevant as The Camel Book is, its last edition was published in 2000, and it is already a little dated, in terms of both the technology and the culture of Perl, so Mastering Perl is a pretty good way to get up-to-date.

To sum up - while this book is not as essential as Programming Perl, Perl Cookbook or Perl Best Practices, it is certainly up to the high standards set by those O'Reilly titles.

This should not be called "Mastering Perl" but rather, "A Bunch Of Perl Stuff We Didn't Know What To Do With So We Put Them In This Book." You will find some interesting things but this book will not help you Master Perl. If you are looking for mastery try "Perl Best Practices",
"Advanced Perl" (1st and 2nd Ed) and "Higher Order Perl."

This book has interesting pieces that you will learn from but it is mis-titled.

While not exactly the most serious philisophical work available, this book is entertaining and enlightening. A good choice for someone just being introduced to philosophy or for a more experienced reader looking to have some fun after a few works by Cont or the like.

This book bounces continuously between my fourteen
year old's room and mine as we vie for the privilege
of reading it.

It turned his brain from mush to that of a sharp edged
thinker and our discussions provide the glue for our
intellectual bonding.

Read it.

While I read plenty of philosophy before reading this book, I don't think I was ever properly introduced to philosophy until I read this book.

Although I read the whole thing cover to cover, I think one of the best features of this book is that you can pick it up and turn to any page whenever you need to do some thinking.

In my experience, this is the best introduction of philosophical thinking that I have read. I also agree with another reviewer who says this should be required reading for teenagers. The problems and paradoxes presented in this book definately inspire one to think "freely", outside the bounds of your usual patterns.

Also, it's a lot of fun.

When my dad handed me this book when i was in grade 8, i read the whole book in three days. It was such a good book i couldn't stop. I read it again, and again. In fact, I've read the book almost 20 times and i've never gotten tyred of it. The different topics and ways this author expresses them is purely a work of art. Bravo. Anyone who likes philosophy or is thinking of getting in to it must buy this book. Trust me, it WILL change your life!

As my title suggests, this book does indeed rock.
Everyone should read it, preferably between the ages of 14 and 18. I don't think too young of a reader would fully be able to grasp it depth, and while certainly a great read for an adult, some "older" people may be too stuck in their ways to really entertain some of the ideas presented in the book. It helps you understand and identify bad reasoning, and opens your mind to incredibly interesting notions that may have never occurred to you before. I am currently reading the book for the second time and am a little over halfway through, and am still enjoying it very much. It's like an activity book for philosophy and you can pick it up any time, turn to any page, and find an enjoyable exercise in thought.

For those who are interested in the study of humen error and confiability based on a cognitive approach, this is a basic reading! For those longing for a more comprehensive approach, it is only the first step. But it's worthwhile.

This book is a very complete and well done review of the history and mechanisms of human error. I can't think of a better reference book. It takes some work to extract the knowledge from the rather concentrated material, but it is well worth it. I generally like an easier, novel-type read, but there are plenty of other books on human factors that provide that. This one shines in the very systematic and complete treatment of the subject. And the bibliography is excellent, because it facilitates the easy branching out into all of his sources. Speaking of people mentioned, I knew I would like it when he spoke highly of Donald Norman. He also mentions Perrow's 'Normal Accidents', which is an excellent book. Also the quote from Ernst Mach can lead into a fascinating side trail of discovery on that man. But mainly his dedication of the book to Jens Rasmussen sent me off on a trail of his work, which is quite prolific. I think this is academia at its best - building on the work of predecessors to help further development of tools and understanding on how to solve practical, real world problems.

This is a seminal work for anyone working in hazardous industries. I work in the aviation industry and I found this book to be so enlightening and useful. Whilst industry should always strive towards ensuring that errors do not occur in the first place, it will never be possible to eradicate them totally. Therefore all organisations should aim to `manage' errors. Professor Reason refers to the two components of error management namely error containment and error reduction.

To prevent errors from occurring, it is necessary to predict where they are most likely to occur and then to put in place preventative measures. Incident reporting schemes do this for the industry as a whole. Within an organisation, data on errors, incidents and accidents should be captured with a Safety Management System (SMS), which should provide mechanisms for identifying potential weak spots and error-prone activities or situations. Output from this should guide local training, company procedures, the introduction of new defences, or the modification of existing defences.

According to Reason, error management includes measure to reduce the error susceptibility of particular tasks or task elements; determine, assess and then remove error-producing factors within the workplace; identify organisational issues that generate error-producing factors within the individual, the team, the task or the workplace; improve error detection; increase the error tolerance of the workplace or system; make latent conditions more visible to those who operate and manage the system; improve the organisation's intrinsic resistance to human fallibility.

It is important that organisations balance profit and costs, and try to ensure that the defences which are put in place are the most cost-effective in terms of trapping errors and preventing catastrophic outcomes.

Reason teaches that error management seeks to prevent errors from occurring and eliminate or mitigate the bad effects of errors. One of the things likely to be most effective in preventing error is to make sure that people follow procedures. This can be effected by ensuring that the procedures are correct and usable, that the means of presentation of the information is user friendly and appropriate to the task and context, that employees are encouraged to follow procedures and not to cut corners.

This is a well written book that is a must read for anyone working in hazardous industries where safety is number one priority.

This book is a must have resource for the serious failure analyst. I am responsible for root cause analysis of events at a nuclear power station and we have this as required reading for our root cause analysts.

Furthermore, my experience with other companies who specialize in failure analysis and nuclear industry oversight agencies indicates that the information presented in this book is widely used and respected. More than that - the information helps you to prevent events and solve recurring problems because you get to the latent organizational and human roots.

My copy has gotten dog-eared and has all kinds of notes in the margins. It's absolutely indespensible as a resource for any organization where a strong safety culture (for your employees and your customers) is a necessary part of your business.

An excellent treatise on the subject of human error, written with a cognitive psychology approach. The treatment of the subject matter is more theoretical and less practice-oriented. The book begins with clear definitions, classifications and explanations on the different types of errors, quickly runs through the relevant literature and scientific studies and expands on the typology using Rasmussen's classification as a base. The author then goes on to describe his well-known Swiss Cheese model and provides an excellent overview of accident causation from a system-thinking perspective. He ends with a note on the methodological assessment of error risks which is perhaps more relevant to safety practitioners. The entire book is written in clear simple language that is easily understood, fascinating and intellectually stimulating, even to non-psychologists.

In my very large personal library, this one will always retain a very special place. It is one of the only books I have ever encountered which is guaranteed to reduce me to helpless laughter every time I open it!

What else can I do when I see the label for "'Cow' Brand Beauty Soap" or "Fruit Festa" or "Nipless" or...?!

A fascinating insight into the intricacies of cross-cultural confusion; also a great series of laughs!

This is not a very substantial book, but it makes a good souvenir for anyone who has been to Japan and wants to show people some of the really bizarre product names you will run into.

I laughed out loud at least 20 times reading this book... bring on the Yodel Water and the Dew-Dew candy! True, the book is a bit thin: is it worth 50 cents per laugh? Not sure. A fun gift for Japanophiles, anyhow.

This book is hilarious. As someone who's been to Japan many times, I've tried and ogled at many of these products myself. How would you like to use a tissue named "My Wet"? Or use an armpit ray to tan your pale armpits? It's all in Japanese Jive. A wacky and wonderful coffee table book for you and your easily-amused guests.

Me and a friend of mine could barely contain ourselves in the store as we read this book. I was literally in tears by the time I got to the ending. I bought 10 copies immediately to keep one and give the rest as gifts. Judging by their reactions when asked about it, they did not have the same experience I did. I wasn't aware they were so humorless, sorry...my mistake. I rate this book 5 stars! Buy it for yourself, if you don't take things so seriously. Don't buy it as a gift. That is what I learned from experience.

This book is a great read and a handy reference. A good book always reveals new dimensions in the second and third reading. Such is the case in That or Which, and Why.
Evan Jenkins clearly illustrates for us how words are the tools of the precise thinker. At the same time he humorously guides us past the pitfalls of 'paralysis by analysis' created by legalistic grammarians.
This book is both enjoyable and instructional. I recommend to amateur and professional alike.

I was very impressed with Evan Jenkin's ability to make things I have always wrestled with so easy to understand. His writing is so clear and has a light touch that makes it enjoyable to read. His book is a welcome addition for writers at all levels.

evan jenkins confronts all the quandries everyone faces putting words on paper or monitor -- more than versus over, fewer versus lesser, myself versus I -- and provides answers that are reasoned, witty, and most helpful. one of the charms of his book is a readiness to entertain the latest developments in the language and deal with them in judicious fashion. it's not often that you find a book that's both instructive and fun to read.

If you are a regular reader of the Columbia Journalism Review, "Language Corner" by Evan Jenkins (or just an occasional reader, for that matter), you will immediately recognize the Jenkins' style when you peruse his book, That or Which, and Why: A Usage Guide for Thoughtful Writers and Editors. At all times the teacher, Mr. Jenkins instructs his readers in the use of proper English grammar and correct syntax. His guidance is gentle, clear, sometimes chiding and always humorous. Comments and examples are presented in a manner that ensures that the lessons will be remembered and the reader entertained. Read just a few entries from this very useful and enjoyable book and you will be hooked on writing it right!

"Rules we must have," says Evan Jenkins. With that premise in mind, this little book offers reminders about correct English usage, usage and grammar some readers struggled mightily to learn long ago. It advocates flexibility as well. That or Which, and Why meets every expectation, and is a success according to its stated purpose -- to put forth "preferred ways to use words... and phrases, good choices about practices." As such, it is both a delight to read and a sound guide. Mr. Jenkins presents his material well and his examples of usage (correct and otherwise) are well crafted, so as to be memorable.

Those of use who are saddened by the decline in even caring about correct usage take heart when its cause is championed. Here, the criticism of incorrect usage is, mainly, gracious, and moves the reader right on to the correct usage, thus offering a positive, indeed encouraging, approach. One is charmed by the wit and, yes, the occasional feeling that Mr. Jenkins is talking to himself as well as to all of us. A treat for both audiences!

Too much time spent on background of the players and their attempts to legitimize their theories. Were they just trying to make the book impressive by making it longer? I think there is enough current information out there to provide a much more interesting and informative read.

A wonderful book for members of the legal community as well as those who are intrigued and at times appalled by the criminal justice system. By using real cases, the author immediately engages the reader in a search to provide answers to the question of how well-intentioned and confident eyewitneses can be so wrong. Building on extensive historical research and documentation the author provides a fascinating look into how different disciplines (law and psychology) can work at cross purposes to achieve a common goal.

I would make it "assigned reading".

Combining humor, history and the upheaval from DNA-proved wrongful convictions, Doyle stunningly recounts the long, bumpy process of fine-tuning justice in the American criminal system. While focused on the history and frailties of eye witness identification, this book is for anyone evenly remotely connected to ... or interested in ... the criminal justice system: psychologists, lawyers, law enforcement, pre & post conviction professionals, judges, criminologists, forensic specialists and, especially, university personnel and students of these fields. Laugh aloud when you read about Mr. Potato Head. Cringe with Jennifer Thompson as she realizes that her honest but mistaken testimony sent an innocent man to jail. Worry whether Texas executed an innocent man, a man whose last words were "they are murdering me..." This is great reading. Doyle unveils his subject with care, drawing on his uncanny ability to observe and participate simultaneously. As Doyle acknowledges in his final remarks, the science of justice does not stand still. But Doyle has made a massive contribution to describing the process, and capturing one of those rare moments when the science lurches forward. You will enjoy this book.

Doyle's story might be the "body armor" for eye witness identification. Science has produced highly effective and reasonably accessible materials to keep you safer on the street. Yet it does no good when you leave it in the trunk of your cruiser. Science has done the same for eye witness identification yet many have yet to unpack it from its box.

Read Doyle's story and decide for yourself if you are being fair to your eye witness identifications or if you are just doing it "the way it's always been done around here."

If you found new ammunition for your duty pistol that improved the accuracy of every round fired by at least 50%, would you continue to carry the same old duty ammo?

When life-saving resources are at your disposal, don't leave them in the trunk.

I am interning as an Investigator for the Washington, DC Public Defender Service and thought I'd read this book to understand why some believe eyewitness testimony to be imperfect. So far, from 4 weeks on the job, the questions that the author puts forward in True Witness are dead-on. Even well-intentioned people make mistakes, and human memory is no camera. This book is full of examples that illustrate the author's main arguments, and it provides a nice balance of these true-life stories and a delving into the questions that the examples raise about the American legal system. I genuinely enjoyed the read, and learned a lot.

Dr. Haber tackles the ADHD misdiagnosis crisis dead-on. Parents, it is extremely important that you understand all the facts about ADHD before writing your child off as suffering from it. ADHD includes many symptoms which are indicative of other psychological disorders that should be addressed IMMEDIATELY during childhood development.
This especially hit home for me when I read it. I was misdiagnosed with ADD as a child and prescribed ritalin and then adderall for many, many years. Over time, my behavior became erratic and even borderline sociopathological. Turns out I just had very mild depression, and the amphetamines in my bloodstream were making it worse. The counselor who screened me for elementary school said I had ADD because I was acting out during the interview. (I remember this interview, and I remember refusing to comply with her commands because I thought they were stupid.) So parents, let me serve as a living example as to why you should read this book, if for no other reason than to ensure you don't mess your kid up with the mind-numbing drugs the schools want your kids to be on.

I have read ADHD: The Great Misdiagnosis and feel it is a VERY Informative book for Parents beginning the diagnostic process of having their child evaluated for ADHD, and even for parents of children who have already been diagnosed. I suspect this book will be one of the best books on the market soon! After reading this, I have become a much more informed parent and a better advocate for my child.

It is UNBELIEVEABLE how little parents, teachers, and physicians know about the ADHD disorder. I believe many problems related to ADHD happen because the public is not educated enough about ADHD, and because of this, we seem to have a big outbreak of ADHD today. Many problems with ADHD center around the fact that there are also MANY descrepancies in how children are being tested, and even who thinks these children are ADHD. Many physicians aren't trained to look at other symptoms that mimick ADHD, and end up often misdiagnosing our children, or prescribing medications that they didn't need in the first place. Teachers are not professionals in diagnosing these types of problems either!

I know of many instances where parents have taken school information to a General Pediatrician, and walked out in 15 minutes with a prescription for Ritalin, without their child ever being appropriately tested. THIS IS SO MISFORTUNATE!!!

Dr. Haber has included some very important material in this book about ADHD - What it is, and What it isn't, how the many different medications and treatments work - or don't work, and most importantly WHY OUR CHILDREN ARE BEING OVERDIAGNOSED AND LABELED ADHD. Knowing what symptoms look like ADHD but aren't is SO important.

I am glad to have found a source of information like this.

Mother of 8 year old child diagnosed with ADHD Combined (Inattentive and Hyperactive)

This book is in its third printing. If your used books are from the first printing there are additional facts in the next two not presened in the first one.

I wish every doctor in America who treats children could read this book. Dr. Haber battles conventional wisdom and comes out on top. The over-prescribing of drugs and faulty diagnosis of ADHD has turned into a national epidemic. "The Great Misdiagnosis" makes an urgent call for rationality.

Controversial and thought provoking, Dr. Haber has challenged my long-held beliefs on ADHD and forced me re-examine the conventional wisdom. A very important book.