DSM Reviews

The book is great, and a "must have" for those who seek a better understanding of personality and its disorders.
The authors not only provide the reader with the know-how, but also an enthralling overview of the history of each personality disorder. By going back to some of the old case studies, the authors did allow me to notice how personality disorders have evolved in the centuries. However, I have also learned that many of the signs of each cluster of PPDD were already described in ancient history.
Apart these cultural connotations, the book is a very helpful hint for those working with patients suffering from obstinate
and "hard-to-treat" personality disorders.
Great book, worth each penny paid.

. . . is another man's path to riches, professional prestige, and social control.

If you want to know about the latest fads and superstitions in America's favorite quackery, then this is a great source. You'll miss out on a few things, such as how psychiatrists had epileptics imprisoned in "colonies" just a few decades ago. Epilepsy was, we were informed by Harvard psychiatrists, proof of pathological criminality. You will also not read about how homosexuals, after long being persecuted by psychiatrists (electroconvulsive therapy, insulin schock, lobotomy, etc.) were suddenly declared well, and about how people who dislike homosexuals then were afflicted with a "mental illness" called "homophobia." You won't learn how it is that psychiatrists "knew" that people contracted peptic ulcers because they could't handle stress until the bacteria was isolated that actually causes such ulcers. You won't learn this because psychiatrists don't like to get hemmed in by history, or science, or ethical considerations. The authors discretely ignore the fact that no autopsy has ever revealed a person to have had "schizophrenia" or that any disease revealed to have a genuine organic cause is removed from psychiatry and given to physicians, such as neurologists, who deal with real illnesses.

But do not fret. This book is directly in the psychiatric mainstream. It presents all the categories, classifications, modalities, complexes, and "treatments" just as if they were the product of actual science. It's as complex and convincing as an elaboration on astrology or phrenology. Like any good pseudoscientific tract, it is so splendidly dense and pretentious that it will not lack for credulous readers.

Yesterday's forgotten "cause" and "treatment" for "schizophrenia" is replaced by the hottest new thing. Every coercive treatment applied to involuntary subjects who don't accept that they are in any way "sick" is deftly rationalized. A century from now this will stand as one of the most fascinating compendia of quackery American has produced.

There are few books in psychology that are as comprehensive in scope and detail as Dr. Millon's book. The book provides a solid, integrative theory of personality and personality disorders that can be used not only in research, but also clinical practice by psychologists from any theoretical orientation. Because it is so comprehensive, the book is especially useful for students. The first section of the book (approximately 200 pgs.) is dedicated to laying down a foundation for the study of personality disorders -- the issues that it entails and a concise (yet, detailed) review of various personality theories. Dr. Millon then presents a rational, integrated theory of personality that is the foundation of his integrated biopsychosocial approach to personality. The rest of the book is dedicated to a detailed examination of the DSM-IV personality disorders. This single book can serve as a primary text for any advanced course in personality. Whether one aggrees with Dr. Millon's theory (and few can disagree with it completely once they understand it's comprehensive and integrated nature), this book is one that anybody who deals with the personality disorders MUST have on their bookshelf.

I found this book to provide excellent supplemental info to the "DSM-IV-TR" itself. Written case studies, though no substitute for living, breathing subjects, actually provide a good deal of help in learning to apply the diagnoses in the "DSM-IV-TR". Highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn how to properly apply these diagnoses or learn more about psychiatry in general. I found it actually kind of fun. Avery Z. Conner, author of "Fevers of the Mind".

Well, never thought I would recommend a book like this one, but there has never BEEN a book quite like it. Recall once seeing a renowned Rorschacer examine vignettes like this manual does, and it was great. We enjoyed it, and learned from it.

My recent books read include "Exploration & Empire" by Goetzmann, a history of topography, so you know I enoy plain stuff.

Many of the sympton analyses in this book surprised me, but after careful thought, realized they were beneficial.

Was especially interested in "borderline" type stuff and the OCD sections which showed how OCD can be on both axis I and II.

This book taught me once again that while we all have personality "traits" only the mentally have a DSM number assigned to our excesses.

Was especially inspired by parts about "organic" dysfunctions, so you know it was inspirational. Have a friend with OPD (310.10 explosice type) and became more sensitive to the difficulty adjusting when you are not maladaptive to begin with.

Love to complain, but can't find anything to fault this book. Buy it, read it and if you don't have a place for it in your library, pass it on.

The Case Book was an optional selection for a psychopathology course I am currently enrolled in. I am glad I spent the money to get it because to a novice like myself, the vignettes are very helpful in understanding the arcane world of DSM IV-TR diagnosis.

This book is truly a "learning companion." Concepts and terminology are illustrated by real-life clinical situations, which can be enormously helpful for clinician and student alike to see how the DSM IV-TR plays out in the real world.

The New England Journal of Medicine said that this book is "educational and fun to read," and I would have to agree on both counts.

As a case manager for people who have serious mental illnesses and co-occurring disorders, I like this smaller, handy guide to the cumbersome DSM-IV. It covers the basics without going into nitpicking detail. I use it instead of the regular DSM-IV. If I need the regular DSM-IV, then I borrow a co-worker's. But for me, this is much better reading, more concise, and, best of all, takes up less desk space!

Inquiry if this Quick Reference SDM-IV-TR is available sprial-bound.

Our nurses have used spiral-bound in the past & prefer this style. Can you get it for us.

Please reply. Didn't know where else to inquire re: this.

Thank you for your assistance.

If you liked the boxcar children, you will love DSM-IV.

Using DSM-IV criteria throughout, the authors manage to provide a succinct analysis of psychopathology, as seen from a transtheoretical perspective.

The research alone quoted throughout makes this book a valuable resource, but combined with an engaging writing style and top-notch structure, it promises to secure Barlow and Durand's position as authors-to-beat when it comes to the field of Abnormal Psychology.

Very thorough treatment of the subject from well rounded, expert authors. Text assumes no previous knowledge, and is quite lengthy because of its comprehensive nature. I have used it many times as a reference text after taking a course in which it was required.

Also this text is an example of a beautiful job of "book making". The text has many color plates -- and a high quality printing job.

I've had this book since it came out. I would swear by it. I've provided many people with great information regarding their mental illness/mental health diagnosis. A MUST FOR PROFESSIONALS!

I can hardly wait until the next edition comes out. This one may have a few addresses that are outdated, but for the most part, many are still current. EXCELLENT RESOURCE!!!

This is an essental reference book for those in the mental health field or with an interest in it. It is easy to read, comprehensive & well organized. It will save you thousands of hours of searching on your own by providing the sites at your fingertips. Keep this next to your PC.

Gabbard's Third Edition of Psychodynamic Psychiatry keeps an already classic psychodynamic analysis of the DSM IV up to date with the lastest revisions of the DSM IV. It is what we have come to expect from Gabbard and more. Listening to and hearing our patients remains as necessary now, and even more necessary now, precisely because of the chemical interventions which are now available.

As a third year resident in psychiatry, the utilization of dynamic therapy in the treatment of my patients was daunting. To fully understanding them, would I need to read all of the works of Freud and Jung (and numerous other masters in the field). Dr. Gabbard succintly puts all of the current theories of dynamic therapy into one crisp, easy to read text. The only unfortunate thing about this book is that a third edition is arriving in stores soon.

This book gave the reader a thorough understanding of the history, research approaches and theories all the way to disorders. It was easy to read, the objectives of each chapter are clear and understandable. I highly recommend anyone desiring to further their knowledge of the psychology realm to get this book.

As a student at Umass, and knowing the two authors, they have found a way to make learning Abnormal Psych interesting, and easy.

The best thing about this book is the huge number of cases of varying kinds that are showcased. The reader just does never get bored of it and the excitement, intrigue and interest in the subject itself its enhanced by a thousandfold.

The book moves along the lines of a number of cases given in no particular order. The reader has the ability to read the case and come up with his own dignosis and then finally comparing it with the discussion presented after. The no particular order of presentation is greatly helpful in that the reader does not know what to expect and has to think and formulate his own differential. Most of the cases are well presented and though not classic like those showcased in books, they have the spice of being real cases. In other words, these are the same features you will be seeing in your everyday practice or psychiatry clerkship. If you wanted a specific case to read about, the index in the back clearly highlights where to find it in more than one different classification.

The biggest letdown of this book is that it fails to point out patient management. It is understandable that this is more of a case presentation book, but knowing how to tailor therapy for each individulaized patients is a great plus. This, however, is not implemented greatly in this book. The authors would mention the use of antidepressants or neuroleptics, but not mention exactly which type or kind of those does the patient respond to. Brief therapeutics and a follow-up discussion is presented most of the time, but that still fails to point out how management of the patient has progressed.

All in all, this book is excellent for learning in a more clinical type setting. Required reading before this book is a well established Psychiatry textbook to identify the diseases in general and after that, you're set to go. This aids the reader to independently identify the problem accordingly and to form an well established differential and final diagnosis. All in all, I strongly recommend this book as an adjunct to a Psychiatry textbook, if not the DSM-IV per se.

I bought a copy of this in my abnormal psych class. I will probably use it again when I study for my boards. It's a great book of vignettes, followed by a discussion of the case. Great practice for making DSM diagnoses. Indices allow studying material by disorder type, or the book can be worked through from the beginning. The cases are randomly ordered.

This all begs the question of the validity of the DSM or the usefulness of labeling people, but if you have to work within that system, this book will help get you up to speed.

The casebook is an excellent companion to the DSM IV. The casebook provides real examples of the disorders presented in the DSM IV and splits them into child/adolescent and adult categories. In addition, each case is discussed in terms of DSM IV diagnosis. As a graduate student in clinical psychology I found this book essential in the study of the DSM IV and abnormal psychology.