370 BOOK REVIEWS

The literature review appears thorough and comprehensive. Indeed. its thoroughness almost obscures Professor Ley’s practical messages, including the use of the rather grandiosely entitled ‘Health Beliefs Model’. This refers to an obvious and important point: that good doctors (and psychologists) have to discover their patients’ knowledge and beliefs about their condition and the treatment. For example, there are obvious consequences for treatment if a patient thinks that the bodtlv symptoms of anxiety are dangerous to one‘s health.

Unfortunately, this book tends to overvalue the contribution of empirical evidence at the expense of common sense. The author‘s introduction rightly points out the contribution of empirical studies but there is a danger of presenting the bare bones of the results without attempting to add the flesh. For someone neyly approaching clinical work, the book tells him to speak slowly. use short words and be aware of the patient’s health behets. I wish the problems of communicating with patients were solved that easily.

The book, therefore, is very good in providing a literature review but a little short on providing practical advice. Each chapter has a useful summary but the main practical section begins on page Ii8 and ends 2 pages later. and it is here that the author mixes the empirical work with some sensible suggestions, One of the pieces of advice to be found there is ‘Listen to patient’. I would say that this is essential, but ‘listening’ is not found in the index and I can not remember reading any empirical study of its value.

GLYN LEWIS

H. KELLERMAN and A. BURRY: Psychopathology and differential diagnosis-a primer. Columbia University Press, New York (1988). 270 pp. S69.00.

This purports to be the first of two volumes dealing with psychopathology. this one dealing with the history, the second one dealing with the DSM-III. Short chapters in this book deal with Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the 18th and 19th Centuries. Thereafter all is Freud and his followers: it seems almost incredible that in this day and age, when Freudian approaches have been given up by most psvchologists and psychiatrists, the emphasis of such a book should be exclusively on out-dated theories and methods proved ineffective. The book may be of some interest to followers of the psychoanalytic tradition; for anyone interested in modern developments and their early anticipation, it will not be of much use.

H.J. EYSENCK

J. R. XtELOY: T/w ps.trhoparhic mind. Aronson, Northvale. N.J. (1988). viii T 474 pp

This book is on the psychodynamics of psychopathy and is in four parts. Part I. ‘Origins’. comprises three chapters and explores the history of the dynamic understanding of psychopathy and its psychobiological foundations. Part II, ‘Structure and Dynamics‘. deals in two chapters with affective experiences and defensive reactions, conscious and unconscious. of the psychopath. Part III. ‘Violence, Psychosis, and Related States’, discusses two different types of aggression among psychopaths, ‘affective’ and ‘predatory’. Part IV, ‘Treatment’, consists of one chapter and highlights the resistance of psychopaths to treatment interventions, Anecdotal case histories are given to illustrate specific points throughout the book.

The author argues that the book will be helpful to clinicians because “it goes beyond description of behavior into the structure and functioning of the psychopathic mind”.

This is certainly a thought provoking book, which provides the reader uith speculative insight into the ‘mind’ of the psychopath. As a clinician and a scientist. I found the book in parts interesting and informative. but on the whole it does not provide the readers, at least not the behaviourally oriented ones, with much practical or scientific guidance.

G. H. G~~DJON~.WN

J. DOCGLAS: Brhariour problems in young children. Tavistock/Routledge. London (1989). x + 218 pp. f9.95.

This book aims to cover the entire range of emotional and behavioural problems in young children for the benefit of primary health care professionals. The author-incorporates recent research findings into her guide to assessment and management of behavioural problems, and provides succinct and interesting chapters which would probably also be of interest to parents of children with behavioural difficulties.

The book contains 10 chapters. the first of which focuses on causes of behaviour problems. Chapter 2 is a rather too brief summary on how to assess various problems. Chapter 3 deals uith ‘positive parenting‘ and goal setting. This is followed by chapters dealing with the main behavioural problems presented by children: aggressive and disruptive behaviour. eating and feeding difficulties. toilet training. bedtime and sleep problems. emotional problems and, finally, the overactive and hyperactive child. All of these chapters are clearly written and well sprinkled with brief and interesting case studies. Unfortunately, the chapters on aggression, toilet training and emotional problems do not specifically cover assessment of these important problems.

This book provides a useful blend of research and clinical findings, and could be used as an initial manual for primary health care professionals. It would also be a useful reference for these professionals, providing as it does a valuable practical guide to the treatment of many behavioural problems shown by young children.

MICHELLE NEW