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Yet Another Symposium
Reviews (Edited by A . R. Brownlie) Y E T A S O T H E K SYMPOSIUM
The Mentally Abnormal Offender : A Ciba Foundation Symposium (J.and A . Churchill Ltd., London ; 1968 ; 260 pp., 601-) This boo:< reports the proceedings of a Ciba Eoundation international symposium held in London in 1967. Psychiatrists, psychologists, sociologists and penologists all participated in this interdisciplinary conference on the problems of the Mentally Abnormal Offender. The range of contributions is correspondinglj, wide and an attempt has been made to group the papers under three main headings. These are : Antisocial behaviour and its treatment and care ; Social Problems ; and Legal Problems. However, even within this general framework there is little continuity of theme. In all there are fourteen papers presented here together with the ensuing discussions. Perhaps of most interest are the foreign contributions. Sturrup presents a very realistic assessment of the problems involved in estimating the dangerousness of a particular individual. This still seems to be almost entirely based on clinical intuition. Christiansen adopts an interesting approach to the assessment of tolerance in the community by using twin studies, and perhaps more directly relevant, Kempe gives an account of the aftercare services available for mentally abnormal offenders in the Netherlands. Many of the British papers have appeared in other forms elsewhere. I t seems to be increasingly the practice to publish the proceedings of conferences in book form. The convening of such a symposium as this is useful to those attending providing as it does an opportunity for confrontation and discussion amongst the various disciplines which are involved with this particular offender group. The benefit gained by publishing the proceedings is less certain. Material that may make an excellent lecture often appears fragmentary when presented as a written paper. Again one must expect that a great deal of the material presented will have been published elsewhere. Within the limitations imposed by its format this is quite an interesting book, more useful perhaps for reference than general reading. G. Tennant W H E K E LAW AND S C I E N C E MEET
Law and the Social Role of Science Harry W. Jones, Ed. (New York, Rockefeller U n i v . Press, 1966 ; 236 pp., index ; $6.00) The ten papers comprised in this volume deal with the various implications of the fact that science in its social role is not an island entire unto itself. The help which science can give in the life of the modern community has to be thought out, planned and understood. The instrument of implementing political and social decisions as to the use of science in community affairs is the law, and for this reason, if for no other, the interaction of science and law must be studied. The chapter of this book most relevant to the theme of this Journal is the last, dealing as it does with the literature of the science-law confrontation. In this the subject of forensic science, with its specific legal applications of scientific techniques and methods, is stressed though not elaborated. There is a valuable bibliography supplying details of many papers, mostly published in America, on such topics as narcotics, food purity, air pollution, privacy, 210
The Mentally Abnormal Offender : A Ciba Foundation Symposium (J.and A . Churchill Ltd., London ; 1968 ; 260 pp., 601-) This boo:< reports the proceedings of a Ciba Eoundation international symposium held in London in 1967. Psychiatrists, psychologists, sociologists and penologists all participated in this interdisciplinary conference on the problems of the Mentally Abnormal Offender. The range of contributions is correspondinglj, wide and an attempt has been made to group the papers under three main headings. These are : Antisocial behaviour and its treatment and care ; Social Problems ; and Legal Problems. However, even within this general framework there is little continuity of theme. In all there are fourteen papers presented here together with the ensuing discussions. Perhaps of most interest are the foreign contributions. Sturrup presents a very realistic assessment of the problems involved in estimating the dangerousness of a particular individual. This still seems to be almost entirely based on clinical intuition. Christiansen adopts an interesting approach to the assessment of tolerance in the community by using twin studies, and perhaps more directly relevant, Kempe gives an account of the aftercare services available for mentally abnormal offenders in the Netherlands. Many of the British papers have appeared in other forms elsewhere. I t seems to be increasingly the practice to publish the proceedings of conferences in book form. The convening of such a symposium as this is useful to those attending providing as it does an opportunity for confrontation and discussion amongst the various disciplines which are involved with this particular offender group. The benefit gained by publishing the proceedings is less certain. Material that may make an excellent lecture often appears fragmentary when presented as a written paper. Again one must expect that a great deal of the material presented will have been published elsewhere. Within the limitations imposed by its format this is quite an interesting book, more useful perhaps for reference than general reading. G. Tennant W H E K E LAW AND S C I E N C E MEET
Law and the Social Role of Science Harry W. Jones, Ed. (New York, Rockefeller U n i v . Press, 1966 ; 236 pp., index ; $6.00) The ten papers comprised in this volume deal with the various implications of the fact that science in its social role is not an island entire unto itself. The help which science can give in the life of the modern community has to be thought out, planned and understood. The instrument of implementing political and social decisions as to the use of science in community affairs is the law, and for this reason, if for no other, the interaction of science and law must be studied. The chapter of this book most relevant to the theme of this Journal is the last, dealing as it does with the literature of the science-law confrontation. In this the subject of forensic science, with its specific legal applications of scientific techniques and methods, is stressed though not elaborated. There is a valuable bibliography supplying details of many papers, mostly published in America, on such topics as narcotics, food purity, air pollution, privacy, 210