Understandable Psychiatry

Dr. Hinsie has addressed his book, "Understandable Psychiatry," to the patient and the physician. This duality of purpose diminishes rather than enhances the value of the material to the patient because it has caused to be included highly technical vocabulary and comments which are of interest to the physician alone. The general orientation of the book is largely psychoanalytic. The case reports are interestingly and convincingly told, and represent a present trend in vivid presentation of material that formerly and in some quarters is still considered to be decidedly not therapeutically advisable or advantageous. The physician who is not a specialist has much to gain from the many clinical comments about human relationships with which Dr. Hinsie amplifies his case histories. The book certainly will serve to stimulate further interest in both the layman and physician in psychiatric treatment.