302 BOOK REVtEWS

do well to follow. The problems were tackled with incisive intelligence and the results described in a clear and elegant style.

References

JANE I. (1951) Air War and Emorional Stress. McGraw-Hill. New York. RMXNAN S. (1978) Fear and Courage. Freeman, San Francisco.

R. Ems and D. WHITTINGTON: A Guide to Social Ski& Training. Croom Helm. London (t%lZ 240 pp. fl2.95.

Amidst the growing volume of literature on social skills training, ranging from the practical “do it yourself’ to the esoteric, A Guide IO Social Skills Training is an excellent book which explores in depth theoretical aspects as well as current practice on the one hand, whilst on the other offering a great deal of well thought out advice and guidance. It is a book for the would-be trainer. and for those of us whose euphoric expectations of social skills training have faded into a recognition that we need to reexamine some of our basic premises. The ultimate aim of the authors is to maximize the effectiveness and relevance of social skiiis training to pro- fessional training through integration of theory and practice, a process they cali ‘action focus’.

Social skills &raining in ‘specialized settings’ (i.e. in professional training) seems to have been a relatively neglected area. and most available Iiterature focusses on ‘remedial’ and ‘developmental’ settings. Chapter t is an analysis of the principles and components of social skills training in terms of the paradigms used for tdentifica- tion and acquisition of skills within the three settings. It highlights the diversity of approaches and lack of clarity in basic principles. A central thesis of the book is that “trainers should !QXN* when decisions are being made on principles and when upon baser grounds” (p. 43).

Clarity in programme planning is the focus in Chapter 2; if explores an exhaustive list of questions to be considered, whilst offering criteria for decision to be made before embarking on a programme of traming. These include aspects of resources (hardware, software, logistics), trainees, trainers, analysis of training procedures and guidance on strategies for skill selection within the three settings. The concept of ‘social skill’. however. is ill defined and trainers have been found to show “a violet like reluctance to divulge the actual skills which they use’” (p. 77). Chapter 3, therefore, addresses itself to the task of presenting a compendium of skills. and critical comment upon: (1) identification procedures; and (2) the lack of information in respect of skill organization and presentation for training.

The following chapter is the semi-anecdatai ‘rags-to-riches’ story of development of social skilis training at Ulster Polytechnic. It outlines the transition from social skills training being merely grafted onto existing syllabuses to its status as a generic courses The material presented illustrates principles of approach. planning. procedures and obvious &ommitment to integration of theory and practice,.

The concept of transfer is next discussed; Chapter 5 considers various ways in which sociai skills training might relate to the curriculum of which it forms part. The authors review the few studies which have under- taken the issue of transfer. and offer guidelines for optimising generalisation through programme design. The latter is further explored in the chapter on ‘The Curriculum Context’ through discussion of logical and practiaf problems inherent in integrating theory and practice. The concept of ‘Action Focus Curriculum’ is arrived at. with social skills training as the most thoroughly worked through example of a curriculum unit.

The final chapter summarizes evidence on social skills training in the three settings by exploring the answers to four questions: (1) does social skills training show changes in behaviour; (2) are the changes indicative of increased social skills and how is this defined; (3) how do the elements of training contribute to the changes in behaviour; and (4) in what circumstances and for whom is social skills training recommended.

The Appendices contain outlines of professional courses at the Polytechnic and specification of CCTV equipment.

A Guide to Sircial Skifis Training is not just another book on social skills trainmg, but one which throws a completely new iight on the subject. It is well worth reading.

S. B. PtLSKoV and T. J. BOLL (Eds): Handhook of Clinical Neuropsycho/og.v. Wiley, Chichester (1981). xvii + 806 pp. f20.85.

The term ‘Handbook’ in this context leads to the expectation that the volume will contain fairly detailed and authoritative reviews of the major aspects of the field being covered. As judged against thus criterion the present voiume is not ideal although it does contain a number of good and worthwhiie offerings,

The various chapters cover quite a wide range of topics varying from background discussions of such things as brain-behaviour relar~onships through parricular disorders to the more practical issues of assessment and

BOOK REVIEWS 303

management. The most notable omission is a section on the effects of damage to particular parts of the brain (e.g. the frontal lobes). In addttion some major topics that are included receive a much more one-sided and partial treatment than would normally be expected in a book of this kind. This particularly true of the chapter on aphasia.

There are several chapters that deal with assessment and management. Basic, if uninspired, accounts are given of the North American ‘big battery’ approach to neuropsychological assessment with the inevitable homage bemg paid to the Halstead-Rettan battery. The naive reader might be forgiven for assuming from this that useful neuropsychologrcal assessment is restricted to the administration of a standard collection of tests taking several hours to work through.

One a much more positive note are two very useful chapters on rehabilitation and the use of biofeedback with neurological impairments. The first of these, by Diller and Gordon, gives a good indication of the considerable potential that exists for the application of psychological techniques in the management and rehabilitation of those who suffer functional deficits as a result of neurolsgical disease. The work they describe IS largely restrtcted to that carried out in their own centre in New York and the chapter’s value as a general reference is thereby reduced. On the other hand, given that many major texts on neuropsychoiogy totally Ignore the problem of management. the force of this criticism is very much lessened.

Considered overall this book IS a welcome addition to the neuropsychological iiterature. Unfortunately it does not really live up to the image engendered by its title and those seeking a single volume on neuropsycho- logy for a professional library would probably be best advised to look elsewhere.

EDGAR MILLER

A. J. FINCH and P. C. KENDALL (Eds): Ciinical Treur~lent and Reseurch it* Child ~s~choput~o~~g~. S. P. Medical and Scientific Books. New York (1979). xi + 392 pp. f10.50.

This is the third volume in a relatively new series of texts on Child Behavior and Development, the review editor being one of the more scientifically oriented of American child psychiatrists. The Editors of this book extol the virtues of the ‘scientist-practitioner model’ in health care delivery. Unfortunately, the book they produce stands as a sad reminder that the ideals of an applied scientific approach to clinical practice are difficult to attam.

The text is divided mto two parts. The first six chapters are described as summarizing ‘Research in Child Psychopathology‘. No rationale is given for selecting chapters as diverse in content as ‘success and failure’, ‘models of anxtety’ and ‘locus of control’. The impression is left that these happened to be the topics excercising the authors when they remembered that their manuscript was overdue.

The eight chapters on treatment are likewise not introduced by the editors with any reasons for their selectton. They range from two excellent overviews of Encopresis and Enuresis by Doleys, through interesting accounts of the Georgta group on training parents of non-compliant children, to an abysmal chapter by Wagner which (presumably unintentionally) all too accurately reflects what is wrong with research into learning disabilities.

An applied science approach to child psychopathology should be open to all empirical findings, but it should still reflect a problem-solving approach, and to that extent there should be a structure and a logic in the manner in which the subject matter is tackled. The editors have failed to provide such a structure. and the resulting text cannot be recommended.

WILLIAM YULE

H. 8. Gmsot: : Hans Epmck: Tlzr Man md His W’o~k, Peter Owen. London (1981). 275 pp. f 11.95.

The man and hrs work are clearly objects of fascination and we speculate constantly about his motives. No wonder Gibson‘s biography was eagerly awaited.

The book rehearses Eysenck’s academic history from the days of Burt as godfather, through the development of the Instttute’s Psychology Department, to the more recent public conflicts. Apart from the scholarly issues, some elements of William Hockey lighten the itory.

We get a good Idea of his single-minded confidence. not only in his own ideas, but in the value of empirical research mto the btg questions about people and their social lives. I believe that this is the strength of Eysenck’s contributton to British psychology.

On a different level Gibson allows himself freedom in his discussion of Eysenck’s battle with psychoanalysis and analysis. Some highly dynamic comparisons and indeed interpretations are made of the relationship between Eysenck and Freud-the two conquistadors! How far was the old giant the Laos to Eysenck’s Oedipus’? (Gibson himself is subject to a strange parapraxis in insisting that Freud was only forty years Eysenck’s sentor instead of sixty.. .I Here the reader longs to have had a chance to know Eysenck’s reaction.