Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 21-25 of 153
 Never Received Order May 24, 2009
Lynn (Maryland)
0 out of 5 found this review helpful
I ordered a book form this seller. It never arrived. I tried to contact the seller numerous times and never heard anything back. Now I am in the process of trying to get a refund from Amazon. Do not order anything from this seller!
 An extraordinary window into the mechanisms of social ordering May 18, 2009
Jerry Saperstein (Evanston, IL USA)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
We live in increasingly complex societies where knowledge is endlessly expanding. Unless it is ordered, of course, information itself does us no good. The medical profession was among the first to recognize the need for ordered, cataloged information.
I became involved with DSM by accident: one of my projects required me to include a few pages copied from the DSM, well within the limits of Fair Use. Normally I would have hopped over to the library, copied the pages and been on my way. One of the local libraries, however, had a circulating copy so I spent more time with the volume than I would have otherwise.
Consider that there is no small amount of controversy surrounding the DSM (which, by the wsy, stands for "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders"). Many point wagging fingers at it for becoming involved with political issues, such as its well publicized dropping some years back of homosexuality as a "mental disorder". Others claim it is a make-word project for psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, social workers and others who are presented with an ever expanding array of mental disorders which are, in turn, covered by insurance and become cash flow producers for practitioners.
For the practitioner, however, it is easy to see that it provides a framework within which to compare their observations of a specific client against the collective knowledge of the American Psychiatric Association and its DSM publication committee.
Leafing through it is a solid reminder of how fortunate many of us are: we don't have any of the major disorders described here. On the other hand, it is interesting to see how inventive the mental health professionals have been in turning so many seemingly commonplace conditions into "mental disorders" for which they can be paid to treat. (Like many, I have a somewhat jaundiced view of psychotherapy. I have know two women who spent more than 25 years each in therapy - before deciding to become therapists.)
The introductory description of how the DSM came to be, how it is compiled and how it should be applied is fascinating in itself. The 1840 U.S. Census recorded only one variety of mental illness: "idiocy/insanity". By 1870, seven categories were listed. There are now, counting sub-divisions, hundreds of categories.
It is indeed fascinating to read the descriptions of the disorders and the diagnostic criteria. It is possible - with a little stretching - to see that the future of such medicine may rest in automated diagnostics. The computer program Eliza and other experiments gave a foretaste of that.
All in all, from a layman's perspective, a fascinating look at the human penchant for collecting, organizing, preserving and disseminating knowledge in action.
Jerry
DSM-IV-TR May 5, 2009
Juan A. Ruiz (INGRIT)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Great book for Psychologists or Behavioral Analysts, or anyone who just wants to know more about the different personality disorders, paraphilias and mental disorders out there.
DSM April 30, 2009
mz cutsie cute (USA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This product arrived on time and in great condition. As a psych major it was very useful to me for several projects. I would def to it all over again and recommend amazon and the retailer to my friends!
failed to mail April 25, 2009
Teri Schilling (mpls, mn)
0 out of 6 found this review helpful
I am very frustrated with this seller... my book $100 should have been here over 2 weeks ago and I still have not received any feedback from the seller despite my attempts to contact them. This book is essential for my profession and licensure testing, which I have had to postphone until I receive it.
Showing reviews 21-25 of 153
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