Customer Reviews

Disordered Personalities, Third Edition

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This book is considered a very good introduction for "personality disorders" from the DSM point of view. It's very readable, illustrated with mnemonics, cartoon examples, media examples, more over it uses humour as an educational tool. It could be considered as an appetizer, rather than a comprehensive reference in this area. I would recommend it for medical students, residents and mental health workers. It can be helpful for non medical people interested to know more than personality disorders.

The best book I've read to be used with patients in helping them understand a PD diagnosis in a non-threatening way. Wonderful refresher.

This book is like Axis two disorders for dummies. It is great there are a small amount of illustrations. There are references to movies that you could see that would give you a picture of what the diagnosis looks like. This is one of the easiest to read text books that I have ever had.

I wish such a book would have been available when I was in social work graduate school in the late 1970's. The required readings on object relations theory we had to do at that time were so technically verbose and seemed so irrelevant because so little was paid to practical application. On the other hand, this book is an excellent resource for both the medical, psychology or social work student or the veteran practicioner who has been in the field a long time and could use some review without having to pour over wordy textbooks.

This book, written by a Canadian psychiatrist, a graduate of the University of Toronto Medical School, and a practicing clinician in London, Ontario, Canada, is an outstanding handbook on understanding personlity disordered individuals and how to best assist them. His novel idea of using examples from the media (popular movies) to illustrate how a personality disorder might manifest itself in a human being proves to be particularly useful.

In Chapter 1 Dr Robinson explains to the reader how he has structured most of the following chapters in his book. He is very thorough including DSM-IV-R Diagnostic Criteria, Differential Diagnosis, Interview Features, Mental Status Examination. Etiology/Presumed Etiology. Ego Defenses, Psychodynamic Aspects, Psychodynamic Therapy, Transferance and Countertransferance, Suggested Therapeutic Techniques including Cognitive Therapy, Group Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy and Pharmacotherapy. To further assist the student (or the veteran trying to "brush" up on his knowledge) he includes a Mnemonic for Diagnostic Criteria on each personality disorder, Study Questions (with their Answers) and References. I was simply amazed on how efficient and well organized this text was.

As a graduate of the University of Michigan and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in three American states who has been a social worker for over 30 years, I can STRONGLY recommend this book to both new practicioner and veteran alike.

This book is considered a very good intruduction for " personality disorders" from the DSM point of view. Its very readable, illustrated with mnemonics, cartoon examples, media examples , more over it uses humer a an educational tool. It could be considered as an appetizer, rather than a comprehensive refrence in this area. I would recommend it for medical students , residents and mental health workers. It can be helpful for non medical people intrested to know more than personality disorders.

This is a really informative guide to personality disorders. I read it as a primer since I'm new to the field, but it was very dense and could be used as a reference book for those who are more familiar with psychology or even those practicing in the field.