Customer Reviews

Pathological Gambling: The Making of a Medical Problem

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is an informative and interestingly written book about a little discussed problem. Castellani opens his book with a dialogue between two individuals, a friend of the author who is about to treat her first compulsive gambling patient and the author himself, who has experience and expertise in this area. It is within this dialogue that we are introduced to pathological gambling as a social problem, the therapeutic challenge it represents, and the theoretical and methodological approach taken by the author as he attempts to tackle this topic. The author then moves to a seminal court case (United States v. Toriero) and structures the rest of the book around this trial. As we are introduced to the major arguments put forth by the prosecution and defense, we encounter a wealth of information about how gambling is framed from a variety of vantagepoints (the government, the gambling industry, medicine, therapists, and special interest organizations). Each of these entities represents a "voice" (a "discourse") with each discourse having its own history, agents, and social dynamics. The various intersections of these discourses--how they compliment and conflict with one another--takes us to the heart of this study. Castellani ends his book with a series of policy implications and recommendations

The book itself is very well written. It is a quick and "clean" read. The three hours I spent with it (reasonably slim at 222 pages) was enjoyable and educative. I learned a lot about how pathological gambling came to be viewed as a disease rather than a failure of character and (God forbid) a little social theory along the way.

I thought sexist comments and introductions such as the one in this book went out with the buggywhip. If you like books that are me. me followed by I, I. you'll enjoy this one.