Allan V. Horwitz

Personality Disorders, written by Allan V Horwitz and narrated by Jonathan Yen, is a comprehensive look at what we now call personality disorders.

While the text is detailed I don't think it is exhaustive (no doubt there is even more to say) but it is comprehensive in that it uses the history of mental health approaches along with where we stand now to give a very good picture of what these disorders are. I found the writing to be engaging but still almost academic in nature, which makes it accessible for those who are interested enough to put in the effort while still offering enough detail to be of value to those in the field, or any periphery field.

I listened to the audiobook version and found Yen to be a good narrator, just enough inflection to keep my attention but not to the point of being distracting. For me, someone with only a few courses in the general area and no practical experience, the audiobook worked very well. I didn't get bogged down, as I often do, in words I would have stumbled over which allowed the big picture to come through. I wouldn't mind having a physical copy to examine in more detail, but as a book to read/listen to primarily to understand the ideas, the version I have was great.

I would recommend this to those who want a deeper understanding of personality disorders than we often get in popular science books but don't want to grapple with a textbook, though I think this would make a great textbook. I also think those in the field will enjoy getting a bit more history in their understanding of personality disorders to help them see just how dynamic the diagnoses still are.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (más)

An essential look at the current state of psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. Provides a history of DSM I through DSM-5, and documents how normal emotional ups-and-downs have become diagnoses which require specific treatment. A key point: DSM-III resulted in the loss of context for psychiatric diagnoses, so that all sadness has now become depression, which requires medical treatment, resulting in significant profits for both the pharmaceutical industry and physicians (more primary care physicians than psychiatrists).
An important and disturbing book.… (más)