Customer Reviews

Multiple Personality: An Exercise in Deception

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Much has been written on the controversial topic of Multiple personality disorder since this book. This was perhaps the first short book to summarize the problems with this entity, which has been renamed Dissociative Identity disorder in the DSM-IV, used in the USA, but is still not confirmed by the International Classification of Diseases. In other words, even after 10 years, the kind of questions raised in this book have been sufficient for most psychiatrists outside the USA, and most psychologists worldwide to doubt the validity of this "diagnosis" in most if not all cases. This book is somewhat academic in tone and style, perhaps a little too dry, though not without moments of humor. Sometimes the author strays into polemics. It certainly cannot compete for excitement with some of the dramatic and sensational accounts of "Multiple Personality", but those with an interest in mental illness may find it closer to reality. One might speculate whether all the reviews of this book have been written by the same person.

Much has been written on the controversial topic of Multiple personality disorder since this book (eg by A. Piper(1997) or Nic Spanos (1992). This was perhaps the first short book to summarize the problems with this entity, which has been renamed Dissociative Identity disorder in the DSM-IV, used in the USA, but is still not confirmed by the International Classification of Diseases. In other words, even after 10 years, the kind of questions raised in this book have been sufficient for most psychiatrists outside the USA, and most psychologists worldwide to doubt the validity of this "diagnosis" in most if not all cases. This book is somewhat academic in tone and style, perhaps a little too dry, though not without moments of humor. Sometimes the author strays into polemics, and at times goes into details that may not interest the average reader. It certainly cannot compete for excitement with some of the dramatic and sensational accounts of "Multiple Personality", but those with an interest in mental illness may find the ideas presented by Aldridge-Morris closer to reality. One might speculate whether all the reviews of this book have been written by the same person.

Sorry folks, but this one was a real dud! The author seemed incoherent at times and seems to be on some kind of vendetta to dispell any notion of MPD/DID. I would rate it ZERO Stars if I could.