Promotions - Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles 2017 -

This book by Carlson (Adler Univ.; emer., Governors State Univ.) and Englar-Carlson (California State Univ., Fullerton) is one of 23 books in the "Theories of Psychotherapy Series." The authors (who are father and son) are also editors of the entire series. Each book in the series offers a companion "DVD that demonstrates the theory applied in actual therapy with a real client." Alfred Adler and Sigmund Freud were colleagues who eventually went separate ways because of differences in their own development and approaches to treatment. Freud was primarily concerned with biological factors and psychosexual development, and Adler took a holistic approach, viewing people as goal-directed with a capacity to be creative and responsible for their own choices. The paired DVD (marketed separately) contains a 43-minute psychotherapy session conducted by Jon Carlson with a male client. An extensive analysis of the session follows, in which ten clips of the interview are replayed, with Carlson commenting on his approach. What is most significant about this material is that Adlerian psychotherapy stands at the forefront of innovative and effective psychotherapy practice with many of the components incorporated by major theories of today. As such, it is essential reading for practitioners and students of all persuasions.Summing Up: Essential. Lower-division undergraduates and above; faculty and professionals.

Very few books have struck this reviewer as both poetic and so very real at the same moment. May's A Fragile Life does exactly that. It is not scientific and it is not "new age." It is a deeply felt and touchingly presented view of how to be human--and live with that! If the reader can accept May's starting premise--that all human beings suffer--then the rest will be easy to digest. Does one want to choose to linger in that suffering or accept it as an unavoidable part of a life worth living? If one chooses the latter, May (Clemson Univ.) offers encouragement and guidance on how to do this--one day at time. Most (if not all) 12-step programs suggest living by this motto, but few authors have found a way to make this practice applicable to the lives of all. May makes this work. It is not about avoiding suffering or pretending bad things have not happened. May shows the reader how to accept that vulnerability and be strong in spite of it. This text is strongly recommended for all readers who happen to be human!Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.

The title of this absolutely essential new book is a bit misleading. Yes, it focuses on how to assess empathy, but it is so much more. Given how complex an emotion like empathy is, it is fitting that the authors, academic researchers who have studied empathy from a variety of perspectives, delve first into how to define empathy and differentiate it from other emotions, such as sympathy and compassion, with which it shares a family resemblance. They then construct a model of empathy out of its "building blocks" in evolution, the brain, and the features of social life, among humans and other primates, that constitute its ecological niche, as it were. After surveying, among other topics, why empathy is important and why real empathy is "so difficult to achieve," the authors offer a carefully considered review of measures of empathy before presenting their own "indexes" of empathy, social empathy, and interpersonal empathy, whose items they include (along with Spanish translations), and whose psychometric features they support with convincing data from an online survey. Even if one knows a great deal about empathy, the arguments in this book will be a revelation.Summing Up: Essential. All readers.

Knopp's Bread: A Memoir of Hunger is a compelling piece of nonfiction literature that chronicles the author's personal battle with the taboo, yet relatable, subject of disordered eating. Knopp (English, Univ. of Nebraska-Omaha) offers a unique form of storytelling as she combines evidence-based content with her own real-life experiences and makes her revelations easily digestible for readers. This work addresses societal pressures leading to disordered eating and asks readers to reflect on their own relationships with food and how they view themselves in terms of both mind and body. Disordered eating is often misunderstood, and conversations surrounding the topic are challenging to tackle; Knopp provides an informative, intriguing account of her experiences, lending a voice to those who experience similar circumstances and who frequently feel ignored. The title under review is an interesting complement to The Truth about Exercise Addiction (CH, Sep'15, 53-0286). This reviewer highly recommends Knopp's book.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.

In this wonderfully researched and elegantly argued contribution to the history of psychoanalytic thought, Herzog (history, City Univ. of New York) offers an account of Freudianism in the decades following World War II that will alter the direction of much historicism pertaining to the upheavals in ideology and activism for which, for example, the decade of the 1960s is renowned. Herzog shows the struggles over key dimensions of Freudian thought as they unfold internationally, against the background of social movements such as feminism, anti-colonialism, and gay rights, paying attention to the impact of Nazism, the intractability of homophobia, and Oedipal authority. Particularly noteworthy is a chapter on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as its diagnosis, etiology, and treatment were shaped and unshaped in the aftermath of the 20th-century's greatest trauma, the Holocaust. The book provides new angles on key figures in Freudian and anti-Freudian philosophy, including Karen Horney, Karl Menninger, Herbert Marcuse, Konrad Lorenz, Paul Parin, and coauthors Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari. There is no doubt that this book will prove indispensable for scholars of history, the history of ideas, and psychoanalysis.Summing Up: Essential. All readers.

The editors of this volume explore how couples in various sections of the world cope with stress and the role that cultural context plays in the stress and coping process. What makes this work distinct is the presentation of cultural diversity documentation, which appears in separate chapters written by a multitude of global scholars. The work is structured utilizing the systemic transactional model (STM), which was developed by coeditor Bodenmann (clinical psychology, Univ. of Zurich, Switzerland). The book includes a translation method for the STM for other languages, research studies conducted in different cultural contexts, methods of assessing dyadic coping, and therapy and prevention treatment options. Though the book conveys a sense that more research studies in this field are vital for further development, the work is invaluable, as it stands out as an essential resource for a wide array of mental health professionals and all students learning about couples and the way stress is handled.Summing Up: Essential. Lower-division undergraduates and above; faculty and professionals.

Diversity in Couple and Family Therapy, edited by Kelly (Rutgers Univ.), is a superb contribution to the literature in family therapy and cultural competence. Kelly commences the work with an excellent introduction outlining her goals; these important objectives are met. Aiding the reader's journey toward cultural competence, Kelly propels one to look at the self, or as in more intergenerational family systems theory, to have a "self-focus" in how diversity is viewed. Importantly, the editor evokes a desire in the reader to gain knowledge of diverse cultural groups and appreciate their richness. The book is quite comprehensive and contemporary in focus. The concept of structural oppression and its influences on cultural groups, families, and individuals is interwoven throughout the work. The chapter case studies, key points and terms, "Myths and Realities," and "Tools and Tips" elucidate topics and facilitate one's learning. The work gives therapists' knowledge and a focus on how to join with families and couples to understand their history, patterns, needs, and strengths, and foster their growth. This book is a superb resource for family therapists, educators in family systems theory and therapy, and health care professionals. Graduate- and doctoral-level students will find this book a welcome addition to their personal libraries.Summing Up: Essential. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals.

The editors of the fourth edition of this handbook have surpassed their outstanding third edition (CH, Mar'09, 46-4136) to produce a work that provides not only a snapshot of the state-of-the-art aspects of emotion science, but also a credible and revealing vision of the future of the field. Of course, the editors are leaders in their respective areas of study; in addition, they have a rich and comprehensive understanding of the field of emotion science as a whole, especially its expanding borders. In the eight years since the last edition was published, the field has grown enormously; the new edition reflects that growth and more. Most of the 50 chapters are new or have been revised (some extensively), and the contributors again include seasoned pros or younger scientists conducting cutting-edge research. Noteworthy in this regard is the inclusion of chapters that incorporate some of the new methodologies and approaches that are changing the ways in which individuals think about emotions, as well as the expansion of the final section of the book, "Specific Emotions." There is no other handbook of this quality and scope. This text is absolutely essential.Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates and above; faculty and professionals.

In the work's forward, Judge Bruce Peterson states, "Discernment Counseling is a short term process (one to five sessions) with the goal of greater clarity and confidence in the decision about a direction for the marriage, based on a deeper understanding of what has happened to the marriage and each partner's contributions to the problems." Doherty and Harris (both, Univ. of Minnesota) begin with the fact that most couples experiencing troubled relationships are "'mixed-agenda' couples," i.e., one person desires a divorce and the other wishes to remain married. In these instances, couple counseling becomes difficult since its focus is on problem solving and improving relationships. By making a clear distinction between couple counseling and discernment counseling, the task of the latter becomes the development of "greater clarity and confidence" that leads couples to remaining married, divorcing, or deciding to attend six months of couple counseling, where divorce is not considered. This work is an exceptionally valuable and resourceful manual in that it elucidates protocols to be followed for each of the choices available to couples. It is strongly recommended for all professionals and students working with couples.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; faculty and professionals.

This edited volume, an update to The Handbook of Dramatherapy (1994), is a comprehensive review of the 40-year history, theories, and current practice of drama therapy (DT) across many cultures. Part 1 includes specific chapters on the development and current use of DT in the US, India, Romania, Africa, and Canada. Part 2 presents the history of DT as a branch of theater, with healing intention, and as a segment of a broader, contemporary category of art-based therapy. The authors in part 3 describe the varying theoretical approaches to DT, including social justice, the Jungian perspective, core processes, the use of puppets, and shamanism to heal. The third part of this volume also includes interesting case studies of DT used in Palestine, Israel, the Czech Republic, Australia, the UK, and the US. These case studies examine a wide range of issues that can affect individuals of all ages. In part 4, the authors present new, innovative approaches to DT in Italy, Greece, Israel, Argentina, the UK, South Africa, and the US. These methods include yoga, feminist theory, commedia dell'arte, spagyria, and meditation. This work is an essential addition to any upper-level program offering courses in DT, as well as programs offering a broad range of therapeutic modalities.Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates and above; faculty and professionals.

In this second edition of their authoritative volume on the practical and research-based dimensions of mindfulness, Shapiro (Santa Clara Univ.) and Carlson (Univ. of Calgary, Canada) again offer what is one of the finest summaries of the emergent field of mindfulness-based solutions to psychological and physical problems. Sections of the book define mindfulness; examine its applications to clinical work; look at the evidence for its capacity to change humans in mind, spirit, and body; and examine the future course of the modality, including self-care for clinicians. Four appendixes include various mindfulness practices, as well as basic resources for clinicians and their patients. The current edition, though organized like the first one (CH, Dec'09, 47-2298), is updated to include important developments in the research since 2009. Any clinician or researcher entering the field of mindfulness with beginning or intermediate experience will find this book of significant value. General readers will find a concise summary of the transformative features of mindful living and seeing.Summing Up: Essential. All readers.

Sibley and Barlow's edited The Cambridge Handbook of the Psychology of Prejudice is an important and timely collection of research. Including both historical and contemporary theory and research findings, the text is segmented into three parts: "General Theoretical Perspectives," "Prejudice in Specific Domains," and "Prejudice Reduction and Analysis in Applied Contexts." Contributions are provided by global scholars from multiple disciplines, bringing contemporary societies into focus with this continuously "growing body of research." The goal of this volume is to examine prejudice and its role in discrimination, societal and political struggles, and our underlying biases across diverse cultures. Thoroughly researched and documented, the book could easily serve as a text for courses that concentrate on prejudice. The extensive references at the end of each chapter will assist with further research. This work is essential for collections dealing with social psychology and the topic of prejudice and discrimination in all forms.Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates and above; faculty and professionals.

Albert Einstein is reputed to have said "understanding physics is child's play when compared to understanding child's play." In The Developmental Scientist's Companion, Reznick (1951-2016, emer., Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) demonstrates why understanding children as they develop involves layers of complexity. With lively writing, Reznick explains how open science, which involves exploration of behavior in complex natural settings rather than in controlled laboratory environments, must contend with multiple variables extraneous to phenomena of interest. His discussions include ideas and issues associated with development of theory, theoretical concepts, research design, data analysis, and interpretation of results. Throughout the book, Reznick lays out critical issues in developmental research, such as how to recognize factors that could impede understanding of how thought and behavior unfold and manage them when possible. In a compelling way, the book shows how research involves more than isolated theoretical factors and requires recognition of the human element on the part of the person being studied and the researcher conducting the investigation. As such, it becomes clear that every stage of research involves its own complexities because human factors intrude at every juncture. The volume will be valuable for students of development at every level.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; researchers and faculty.

This text should be required reading for all psychology majors--preferably no later than sophomore year. It should also be recommended reading for professors! Students will find answers to questions they have surely pondered, as well as answers to questions they may not have even considered. In 14 chapters (with several new and revised chapters from the first edition), the authors offer students an organized, clearly written abundance of explanations and advice on how to get the most use out of their undergraduate psychology education and how to prepare for a successful post-graduation path. Like the first edition, the focus is on the value of research experiences and the connections to career success. Each chapter touches on these themes in a manner helpful for all students, even those not intending to continue in graduate work or research. The style is comfortable, with clear empathy for undergraduates. The authors are encouraging but firm, much like what most individuals either fondly remember or wished for in academic mentors. As a result, students are more likely to read this text and follow the many pieces of helpful advice.Summing Up: Essential. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; researchers and faculty.