European Eating Disorders ReviewEur. Eat. Disorders Rev. 9, 64±65 (2001)

Book Reviews

Eating Disorders: Anatomy of a Social EpidemicRichard A. GordonBlackwell (1999), £50.00 (Hardback), ISBN 0-631-21495-X; £14.99(Paperback), ISBN 0-631-21496-8.

Gordon's book represents a worthwhile attempt to synthesize the availableknowledge about the nature and causes of eating disorders. He has successfullyproduced a very useful volume, which can be recommended as a primer whichis readable, informative and well referenced. The book starts with a discussionof `Ethnic disorders', comparing eating disorders with other culture-boundsyndromes, and goes on to review the history, de®nitions and classi®cation ofeating disorders, and then their epidemiology. The second half of the book isdevoted to the social determinants of female body dissatisfaction, which beginsin childhood and, in a proportion of predisposed individuals, makes itsappearance as clinical eating disorders. This section is interesting andpersuasive, although the discussions sometimes lack depth and could wellbene®t from a social scientist's perspective. It is to be hoped that, in futureeditions, Gordon will co-author at least part of the book with such an academic.

It is, perhaps, surprising that he views treatment resources as `continuing todecline', although this may re¯ect the battle between clinicians and US Healthinsurance companies over funding of inpatient care. In view of thecontemporary rise of evidence-based medicine some information is presentedsomewhat uncritically, such as Minuchin's `Psychosomatic family' concept,which has hardly withstood close examination. In general, however, coverageof the ®eld is broad and most approaches are represented.

A good read.

Paul Robinson

Overcoming Low Self-EsteemMelanie FennellRobinson (1999) £7.99 (paperback), pp. 275.

The publication of a well written and clinically sound book on self-esteem islong overdue. Melanie Fennell's Overcoming Low Self-Esteem is a signi®cant stepin the right direction. Low self-esteem and eating disorders are closely

European Eating Disorders ReviewCopyright # 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. 9(1), 64±65 (2001)