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Human stress and cognition: An information processing approach
Brhw.
Rc,\. & rkurap~.
Vol. t9. pp. 97 to 100
Pcrgamon PrcsrLtd 1981.Prinled in GreatBriwn
BOOK
REVIEWS
WILLIAMG. FANN. ISMETKARACAN, ALEX D. POKORNYand RUBERTL. WILLIAMS(Editors): Fh~~~ome~o~o~yund Trearmenr of Anxiery. Spectrum, New York (1979). ix + 406 pp. f21.00. If a camel is a horse designed by a committee it is to be expected that the publication of the scientific symposium is a similar truncated travesty of literature. Many volumes that represent the papers given at such symposia are simply not worth publishing. Occasionally there are exceptions, and one is when the subject of the symposium is a wide-ranging one which develops hybrid vigour from the meeting of multidisciplinary minds. The contributors to this book on anxiety had the opportunity to make such a success of their writings but do not quite achieve it. To extend the mammalian metaphor they produce something like the original drawings of the camleopard but it is not quite a giraffe. There are good chapters on the concepts and assessment of anxiety by Mefferd and Zung, on animaf models by McKinney and Moran. on analytical approaches by Gilliland and Bruch, and on pharmacological and physiolo~~l aspects by Fink. Redmond, Rickels, Greenbatt and Shader. but behavioural approaches to anxiety receive scant attention, only a single chapter on the subject written by Professor Woipe. What is lacking is any semblance of a common thread or even a common language for describing anxiety. The editors comment with some pride that each author “has found it necessary to rearticulate a definition of anxiety in the context of the work presented”. illustrating “the remarkable breadth and inexhaustible interest of the subject”. But when anxiety is variously described as “a paralysing state of emotional anguish”, “a normal state”. “a defence mechanism “, “a reaction of the ego to danger”, and “an unpleasurable affect” it is difficult lo reconcile the views expressed by different authors. The book is a fair reflection of the general muddled state 01 research into anxiety and is worth reading. but it should be regarded as a documentary rather than a guide. PETERTYRER
HAMILTON and D. M. WARBURTON (Editors): Humor? Stress und Coyrtitiorr: An In/brmurio~~ Procewirtg Approach. John Wiley. Chichester (1979). 502 pp. f19.50.
V.
This is an interesting and possibly im~rtant book. written by a number of authors all of whom are experts in their respective fields. it has four major parts. dealing with basic mechanisms and processes. coping processes and life event changes. cognition and stress in the working environment, and stress vulnerability in psychopathology. The bringing together of information processing approaches and research on stress is a relatively novel undertaking. and the book will certainly be or value to anyone seriously interested tn these areas. While the individual chapters are usually excellent summaries of work done in the respective areas. the overall integration is perhaps less successful; there seem to be large numbers of interesting ideas floating about, but without being formally integrated in any convincing manner. Perhaps it is too early to attempt anything of the kind. Sometimes contributors are a little uncritical in their acceptance of data and theories which are at best of doubtful value. but nevertheless on the whole the book will be of interest to students and behaviour therapists who have leaning towards the integration of cognitive processes with their treatment methods. H. J.
P. HILL. R. MURRAY and A. THORLEY(Editors): Essentials ofPostgraduate and Grune & Stratton. New York (1979). xviii + 802 pp. f21.50.
EYSENC-K
Psychiatry. Academic Press. London.
The authors of this interesting new book were, at the time of writing, ali members of the staff of the Institute of Psychiatry or the Bethlem Royal and Maudsiey Hospitals. As such it is-rather surprisingly-the firs&textbook of general psychiatry to have originated in that institution. It is also a little unexpected that it is written. not by the establishment. but by members of the staff who were all near the beginning of their academic careers when they, began the venture. And venture it was. for the reader is bound to have high expectations of a work which ortgmates in such a distinguished academic centre. It is good to see. therefore, that for the most part. the book lives up to these expectations. Of course, with 22 contributors it is inevitable that there should be some unevenness of quality. but there are enough good things to make the enterprise well worthwhile. The book is addressed primarily to the postgraduate psychiatrist who is assumed to be familiar with the basic facts of psychiatry and to know how to examine a patient. The subject matter is divided into four parts: general principles such as phenomenology and the concept of disease; clinical disorders from child psychiatry to dementia: psychiatry in special settings. for example, general practice and prisons; and principles of treatment. The best sections are generally those which deal with subjects for which the Maudsley has an established reputation: phenomenology. the pyschoses. child psychiatry. subnormality and physical treatment. On the other hand. readers of this journal might perhaps be expected to turn first to chapters such as those on 91
Rc,\. & rkurap~.
Vol. t9. pp. 97 to 100
Pcrgamon PrcsrLtd 1981.Prinled in GreatBriwn
BOOK
REVIEWS
WILLIAMG. FANN. ISMETKARACAN, ALEX D. POKORNYand RUBERTL. WILLIAMS(Editors): Fh~~~ome~o~o~yund Trearmenr of Anxiery. Spectrum, New York (1979). ix + 406 pp. f21.00. If a camel is a horse designed by a committee it is to be expected that the publication of the scientific symposium is a similar truncated travesty of literature. Many volumes that represent the papers given at such symposia are simply not worth publishing. Occasionally there are exceptions, and one is when the subject of the symposium is a wide-ranging one which develops hybrid vigour from the meeting of multidisciplinary minds. The contributors to this book on anxiety had the opportunity to make such a success of their writings but do not quite achieve it. To extend the mammalian metaphor they produce something like the original drawings of the camleopard but it is not quite a giraffe. There are good chapters on the concepts and assessment of anxiety by Mefferd and Zung, on animaf models by McKinney and Moran. on analytical approaches by Gilliland and Bruch, and on pharmacological and physiolo~~l aspects by Fink. Redmond, Rickels, Greenbatt and Shader. but behavioural approaches to anxiety receive scant attention, only a single chapter on the subject written by Professor Woipe. What is lacking is any semblance of a common thread or even a common language for describing anxiety. The editors comment with some pride that each author “has found it necessary to rearticulate a definition of anxiety in the context of the work presented”. illustrating “the remarkable breadth and inexhaustible interest of the subject”. But when anxiety is variously described as “a paralysing state of emotional anguish”, “a normal state”. “a defence mechanism “, “a reaction of the ego to danger”, and “an unpleasurable affect” it is difficult lo reconcile the views expressed by different authors. The book is a fair reflection of the general muddled state 01 research into anxiety and is worth reading. but it should be regarded as a documentary rather than a guide. PETERTYRER
HAMILTON and D. M. WARBURTON (Editors): Humor? Stress und Coyrtitiorr: An In/brmurio~~ Procewirtg Approach. John Wiley. Chichester (1979). 502 pp. f19.50.
V.
This is an interesting and possibly im~rtant book. written by a number of authors all of whom are experts in their respective fields. it has four major parts. dealing with basic mechanisms and processes. coping processes and life event changes. cognition and stress in the working environment, and stress vulnerability in psychopathology. The bringing together of information processing approaches and research on stress is a relatively novel undertaking. and the book will certainly be or value to anyone seriously interested tn these areas. While the individual chapters are usually excellent summaries of work done in the respective areas. the overall integration is perhaps less successful; there seem to be large numbers of interesting ideas floating about, but without being formally integrated in any convincing manner. Perhaps it is too early to attempt anything of the kind. Sometimes contributors are a little uncritical in their acceptance of data and theories which are at best of doubtful value. but nevertheless on the whole the book will be of interest to students and behaviour therapists who have leaning towards the integration of cognitive processes with their treatment methods. H. J.
P. HILL. R. MURRAY and A. THORLEY(Editors): Essentials ofPostgraduate and Grune & Stratton. New York (1979). xviii + 802 pp. f21.50.
EYSENC-K
Psychiatry. Academic Press. London.
The authors of this interesting new book were, at the time of writing, ali members of the staff of the Institute of Psychiatry or the Bethlem Royal and Maudsiey Hospitals. As such it is-rather surprisingly-the firs&textbook of general psychiatry to have originated in that institution. It is also a little unexpected that it is written. not by the establishment. but by members of the staff who were all near the beginning of their academic careers when they, began the venture. And venture it was. for the reader is bound to have high expectations of a work which ortgmates in such a distinguished academic centre. It is good to see. therefore, that for the most part. the book lives up to these expectations. Of course, with 22 contributors it is inevitable that there should be some unevenness of quality. but there are enough good things to make the enterprise well worthwhile. The book is addressed primarily to the postgraduate psychiatrist who is assumed to be familiar with the basic facts of psychiatry and to know how to examine a patient. The subject matter is divided into four parts: general principles such as phenomenology and the concept of disease; clinical disorders from child psychiatry to dementia: psychiatry in special settings. for example, general practice and prisons; and principles of treatment. The best sections are generally those which deal with subjects for which the Maudsley has an established reputation: phenomenology. the pyschoses. child psychiatry. subnormality and physical treatment. On the other hand. readers of this journal might perhaps be expected to turn first to chapters such as those on 91