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Welcome to MHN's unique book review site Metapsychology. We feature in-depth reviews of a wide range of books written by our reviewers from many backgrounds and perspectives. We update our front page frequently and add more than forty new reviews each month. Our editor is Christian Perring, PhD. To contact him, use the form available here.
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Newly released in paperback:
Why Is It Always About You? Saving Yourself from the Narcissists in Your Life
by Sandy Hotchkiss
Please Don't Kill the Freshman: A Memoir
by Zoe Trope
One Pill Makes You Smaller: A Novel
by Lisa Dierbeck
Natural Beauty: Farber Nudes
by Robert Farber
Better Than Well: American Medicine Meets the American Dream
by Carl Elliott
Furnishing the Mind: Concepts and Their Perceptual Basis
by Jesse Prinz
Orgasms: How to Have Them, Give Them, and Keep Them Coming
by Lou Paget
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Feb 5th 2005 : Our Most Recent Reviews
See all this month's new reviews!
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| Walking a Literary Labyrinth A Spirituality of Reading By Nancy M. Malone Review by Tony O'Brien, M. Phil. on Tue, Feb 1st 2005. | |
 | If you love reading, you'll love this book. Nancy Malone, a Roman Catholic nun in the Ursuline order, has written an account of how our identities are shaped by the books we read, and of how reading serves the spiritual need for reflection, wonder, and communion. Walking a Literary Labyrinth is part biography, part memoir, part essay, as Malone explores her own reading and spiritual life, and her personal crises, including spiritual doubt, tuberculosis, and addiction to alcohol. Malone likens reading to prayer and meditation. Anyone with experience of either will recognize the experi |
| Psychiatric Slavery By Thomas Szasz Review by Kevin T. Keith on Tue, Feb 1st 2005. | |
| Thomas Szasz has been the scourge of psychiatry for decades. His criticisms are now well-known: that psychiatry is an unscientific profession which enforces social conformity for the aggrandizement of the psychicatric professionals and the political/social structure that privileges them. Motivated by libertarian politics, Szasz insists that psychiatry must not lend itself to the state as a tool of coercion or punishment; he opposes psychiatric evaluations of criminal defendants and the involuntary detention of psychiatric patients for either the protection of society or their own good. |  |
| The Mummy at the Dining Room Table Eminent Therapists Reveal Their Most Unusual Cases By Jeffrey Kottler and Jon Carlson Review by Patricia Ferguson, Psy.D. on Tue, Feb 1st 2005. | |
 | As indicated in the title, this book is the presentation of clinical examples 32 therapists found illustrative and interesting to the point of uniqueness. Although many of the examples are unique, I think in some cases the titles are more unique than the examples. But the book is still worth reading, very much so, since it includes therapists who are all renowned for their theories. As a writer and editor myself, I think this book does a fine job of following the adage given to writers: "Show, don't tell." The book is written following interviews by Kottler and Carlson with |
| Varieties of Meaning The 2002 Jean Nicod Lectures By Ruth Garrett Millikan Review by Nick Trakakis on Tue, Feb 1st 2005. | |
| This is the sixth installment in MIT's series of Jean Nicod Lectures, a series that is based on the lectures delivered annually in Paris by a leading philosopher of mind or philosophically oriented cognitive scientist, with past participants including Jerry Fodor, Donald Davidson, John Searle, and Daniel Dennett. Millikan's lectures were presented in 2002 and address the problem: "What are the varieties of meaning? And what do they have in common, so as to be treated together under one cover?" (ix). Millikan's answer, briefly put, is that there are various forms of meaning |  |
| The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability For All of Us Who Live with Disabilities, Chronic Pain and Illness By Miriam Kaufman, Cory Silverberg, and Fran Odette Review by David Wolf, M.A. on Tue, Feb 1st 2005. | |
 | Something about the initial plunge into this subject (and this text) is disquieting, even distasteful. The authors wisely deal with this phenomenon early: society as a whole doesn't want to acknowledge, much less grant, the active sexuality of disabled people. So, Chapter One is "Myths about Disability and Sexuality" and Myth #1, you guessed right, is "People living with disabilities and chronic illnesses are not sexual." And the other myths are closely related to this theme--disabled people can't have "real" sex, are not desirable, are pathetic choices |
| Thinking and Seeing Visual Metacognition in Adults and Children By Daniel T. Levin (Editor) Review by Maura Pilotti, Ph.D. on Tue, Feb 1st 2005. | |
| What advances scientific knowledge? One of the answers to this important question is embedded in Thinking and Seeing: Visual Metacognition in adults and children, which is a heterogeneous collection of essays on how children and adults understand visual processing and its products. In this book, progress in scientific knowledge is illustrated by the work of researchers with diverse areas of expertise who come together to address an issue, ponder its many facets, and propose possible avenues of empirical and theoretical exploration. The result is nothing less than compelling. The b |  |
| Family First Your Step-By-Step Plan for Creating a Phenomenal Family By Phillip C. McGraw Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Tue, Feb 1st 2005. | |
| From the opening paragraphs of Phil McGraw's new audiobook Family First, he seems to identify with a conservative agenda. He says that the most important institution in life is the family, and he sides with families against the modern media with their destructive messages and influences. He occasionally refers to his religious beliefs, talks about families being blessed, and assumes that the prototype of the family is a mother, father, and children. He makes little reference to children who are raised by their grandmothers, aunts, or other extended family, let alone non-traditional | |
| Descartes' Cogito Saved from the Great Shipwreck By Husain Sarkar Review by Kamuran Godelek, Ph.D. on Tue, Feb 1st 2005. | |
| Famously, Descartes holds that the occurrence of thought guarantees the existence of a thinker. As illustrated early in the second Meditation, the purported insight has it that though the existence of my body is subject to doubt, the existence of me -- qua thinker -- looks to withstand even the most hyperbolic of doubts. The very attempt to doubt one's own existence is an occurrence of thought; in turn, the occurrence of thought requires a thinker. Descartes regards the cogito as the "first and most certain of all to occur to anyone who philosophizes in an orderly way" (Prin |  |
| Feeding Your Child The Brazelton Way By T. Berry Brazleton and Joshua Sparrow Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Tue, Feb 1st 2005. | |
 | There must be hundreds of books on looking after babies and infants, and probably many of them address feeding. Most people never actually read all the parenting books they have, and so it is helpful to have books that are easy to read. Brazleton and Sparrow's Feeding contains plenty of clear advice and information of parents of young children. It is divided into 3 chapters, the first on the importance of feeding, the second on how to go about normal feeding, and the third on how to deal with feeding problems. It is a short book with about 170 pages, and it is simple to browse th |
| The Act of Thinking By Derek Melser Review by Max Hocutt, Ph.D. on Tue, Feb 1st 2005. | |
| Although The Act of Thinking is a rewrite of a Ph.D. thesis, for Massey University of New Zealand, it is no academic cliché but the work of a mature, sophisticated and profound thinker who may just have written the most original and important book in philosophy of mind to have appeared in over a decade. The title of Melser's book encapsulates its thesis, which is that thinking is not a process, either biological or mental, but an action, which we have to learn from others how to perform. The text of the book consists of an extended attempt to explain what this means and why the a |  |
| David Sedaris Live at Carnegie Hall By David Sedaris Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Tue, Feb 1st 2005. | |
 | This live performance was recorded in October, 2002. David Sedaris reads his work to an adoring audience and he does a great job. Three of the stories are also on his recent book Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim (reviewed in Metapsychology December 2004) and the other pieces are much shorter: one introduction of a conversation between Ira Glass and Terry Gross, two short articles from Esquire Magazine, and a question and answer session with the audience. What Sedaris does so well is show the eccentricities and foibles of his family and his relationship with his boyfriend, m |
The Female Nude in Photography from 1850 to the Present Day by Philip Braham Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Dec 11th 2003 [2] |
by Andrew Einhorn Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Dec 11th 2003 [3] |
Girly Porno Comic Collection: Book One by Colleen Coover Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Apr 7th 2003 [1] |
The Role of Touch in Moral Agency by Linda Holler Review by Brent Dean Robbins, Ph.D. on Aug 25th 2003 [4] |
by Fabio Cabral Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Apr 14th 2001 [6] |
by Walter Dean Myers Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Oct 22nd 2002 [20] |
Young and Depressed in America by Elizabeth Wurtzel Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on May 13th 2002 [5] |
Winning the Fight Without Drugs by A. B. Curtiss Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Oct 21st 2001 [11] |
What Doctors Won't Tell You About Today's Most Controversial Drug by Peter R. Breggin, M.D. & Ginger Ross Breggin Review by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on Feb 9th 1997 [7] |
by Alex Flinn Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Mar 6th 2002 [8] |
A Natural Seven-Step Dietary Plan to Control Your Cravings and Lose Weight, Recognize How Foods Affect the Way You Feel, and Stabilize the Level of Sugar in Your Blood by Kathleen DesMaisons, PhD Review by Margo McPhillips on Feb 13th 2000 [16] |
Farber Nudes by Robert Farber Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Mar 26th 2002 [39] |
Read by the author by William Golding Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Oct 23rd 2003 [36] |
by Eolake Stobblehouse Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Oct 25th 2004 [31] |
A Memoir of Compulsion by Amy S. Wilensky Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Mar 14th 2001 [10] |
The Women's Prescription for Depression and Anxiety by Valerie Davis Raskin, M.D. Review by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on Feb 25th 2001 [9] |
A Memoir of Moods and Madness by Kay Redfield Jamison Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Nov 3rd 1999 [12] |
Scenes from the Life of an Obsessive-Compulsive by Emily Colas Review by LG on Feb 12th 1999 [24] |
by Susanna Kaysen Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Dec 1st 1999 [32] |
Writers on Depression by Nell Casey (editor) Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Jul 1st 2001 [15] |
by Stephen M. Stahl Review by Caroline Mondoux, R.N., BGB on Aug 7th 2001 [14] |
by Richard O'Connor Review by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on Feb 25th 2001 [18] |
by Demitri and Janice Papolos Review by CAP on Jul 8th 1997 [13] |
What Therapy Doesn't Teach You and Medication Can't Give You by Richard O'Connor Review by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on Feb 4th 1999 [17] |
Overcoming Your Obsessions and Compulsions by Lee Baer Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Oct 13th 2002 [23] |
by Malcolm McGrath Review by Su Terry on Aug 12th 2002 [19] |
Voluntary Death in Western Culture by Georges Minois Review by Kathryn Walker on Feb 3rd 2001 [33] |
by Virginia Euwer Wolff Review by Liz Bass on Apr 28th 2002 [21] |
Helping Her Children Transcend the Intense, Unpredictable, and Volatile Relationship by Christine Ann Lawson Review by Heather C. Liston on Oct 16th 2001 [30] |
A Life by Miriam Toews Review by Marion Torchia on Dec 9th 2002 [26] |
The Autobiography of a Sixteen-Year-Old by Anna J. Michener Review by Molly Mitchell on Feb 1st 2000 [22] |
Saving Yourself from the Narcissists in Your Life by Sandy Hotchkiss Review by David M. Wolf, M.A. on Jul 2nd 2003 [35] |
Drugs and Electroconvulsive Therapy: The Truth and the Better Alternatives by Peter R. Breggin, M.D. Review by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on Mar 12th 1997 [25] |
Understanding the Borderline Personality by Jerold J. Kriesman and Hal Straus Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Nov 1st 1999 [28] |
by Adam Rapp Review by Su Terry on Dec 16th 2002 [29] |
Volume III by Alan Malachowski (Editor) Review by Richard Matthews, Ph.D. on Apr 9th 2003 [43] |
Taking Your Life Back When Someone You Care About Has Borderline Personality Disorder by Paul Mason, M.S., C.P.C. and Randi Kreger Review by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on Apr 12th 1998 [37] |
Hunting for Origins of Mania and Depression by Samuel H. Barondes Review by Daniel R. Wilson, MD, PhD on Oct 23rd 2001 [38] |
New Work 1996-2000 by Jock Sturges Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Jun 1st 2001 [41] |
by Catherine Atkins Review by Su Terry on Apr 7th 2003 [34] |
by Jack Gantos Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Apr 26th 2002 [40] |
What We Know and What You Can Do About It by J. Raymond DePaulo Jr., M.D. and Leslie Alan Horvitz Review by Diana Pederson on Dec 28th 2002 [27] |
by David Burns Review by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on Apr 7th 1997 [47] |
by Xavier Amador Review by Lisa Perkins on Jun 2nd 2002 [48] |
by Jack Gantos Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on May 7th 2002 [51] |
What You Need to Know About Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Luvox, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Serzone, Vestra, Celexa, St. John's Wort and Others by William S. Appleton Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Jul 1st 2001 [42] |
How People Regulate Mood with Food and Exercise by Robert E. Thayer Review by Liz Bass on Jul 3rd 2002 [57] |
The Diary of an Anonymous Teenager by Beatrice Sparks Review by Su Terry on Nov 5th 2002 [52] |
A Memoir by Caroline Kettlewell Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Sep 1st 2000 [45] |
A Chronicle of My Life With Borderline Personality Disorder by Jane Wanklin Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Aug 19th 1998 [44] |
Understanding Suicide by Kay Redfield Jamison Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Oct 1st 1999 [65] |
An Atlas of Depression by Andrew Solomon Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Aug 1st 2001 [53] |
Protecting Your Teen Daughter from Controlling, Abusive Dating Relationships by Jill Murray Review by Patricia Ferguson, Ph.D. on Apr 7th 2003 [62] |
Depression, Disconnection, and the Meanings of Illness by David Karp Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Jul 19th 1998 [49] |
by John G. Gunderson and Glen O. Gabbard (Editors) Review by Shara L. Kronmal M.D. Ph.D. on Jan 18th 2001 [46] |
by Zindel Segal, Mark Williams and John Teasdale Review by Peter B. Raabe Ph.D. on May 9th 2002 [54] |
My Trials and Triumphs with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder by Marc Summers with Eric Hollander Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on May 21st 2000 [58] |
A Novel by Bett Williams Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Feb 14th 2001 [59] |
A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia by Marya Hornbacher Review by Molly Mitchell, MA, Psy.D. on Sep 1st 1999 [60] |
An inside look at borderline personality disorder by Richard A. Moskovitz Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Apr 1st 1998 [56] |
A Practitioner's Guide by Carl B. Gacono (editor) Review by Susan Dwyer, Ph.D. on Jul 12th 2002 [66] |
by Lauren Slater Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Apr 16th 2000 [63] |
The Inner Anti-Semitism of Philosophy and German Jewish Responses by Michael Mack Review by Wendy C. Hamblet, Ph.D. on Dec 8th 2004 [50] |
Solutions from the World's Great Health Traditions and Practitioners by James Strohecker and Nancy Shaw Strohecker (editors) Review by Diane Rockenstein on Mar 14th 2000 [61] |
How I Fought Depression and Won. . .and How You Can, Too by Cait Irwin Review by Lyz Rudolf on Apr 17th 2000 [64] |
by Hagop S. Akiskal and Giovanni B. Cassano Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Jun 21st 1998 [55] |
A Life Beneath the Surface by Martha Manning Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Jul 1st 2000 [67] |
The Anatomy of Depression by Lewis Wolpert Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Feb 23rd 2000 [74] |
A Diary of My Former Self by Lori Gottlieb Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on May 23rd 2002 [70] |
What Your Doctor Won't Tell You About Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, and Luvox by Peter R. Breggin Review by Duncan Double on Dec 8th 2001 [0] |
Women and Borderline Personality Disorder by Dana Becker Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Jan 1st 1998 [0] |
On Melancholy by Jacques Hassoun Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Oct 1st 1998 [69] |
by Dylan Evans, Pierre Cruse (Editors) Review by Manuel Bremer on Jan 6th 2005 [0] |
Getting over Your Fear of Being Engulfed by People or Situations by Aphrodite Matsakis Review by Margo McPhillips on Jul 1st 2002 [72] |
A Journey Through Depression by Tracy Thompson Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Oct 23rd 1999 [68] |