This book is part of a series of personality-guided psychotherapy manuals having an editor such as Theodore Millon. Millon has received the 2003 Award for Distinguished Professional Contribution to Applied Research from the American Psychological Association. This information may appear tangential. However, those who are familiar with the extensive and prolific research of Millon are aware that much of the intelligentsia produced in the domain of Personality Disorders has been most enlightening, and often therapeutically helpful, although some clinicians may disagree with his viewpoints, conceptualizations, and treatment procedures.
The book's authors have cogently and proactively adopted Millon's personality-guided approach, and have treated us with a sublime work on stress-related conditions and disorders, PTSD, and interactions between stress and traumas. This is a very hot topic since APA has recently published new guidelines on the best treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder. There are people and patients who have a very pessimistic view of the nowadays' world, which they describe as unsafe, and dangerous. History teaches us that it has always been like this, and often times (unfortunately) even worse. As clinicians we cannot do much to change the events. However, what we can do is to help our patients to better deal with them. In light of the above, this book is an excellent tool because it offers a broad view of the topic, starting with an accurate conceptualization and ending with a choice of treatment plans and actions.
The book is very well-written, very informative, and sometimes fascinating because of its broad views, and the links to Hellenic and Hellenistic classical, philosophic, and epic accounts.
The senior author, Dr. George Everly, Jr. is a leading expert in stress-related disorders. His wealth of research is astonishing. Thus, as critic as you might be, you will have a hard time trying to find something which is not covered in this work at the time of publication (2002). In fact, the theoretical overview is so broad and tantalizing that you will be surprised how much there is we still didn't know.
I did learn much from this book in the past. It is my wish that other clinicians (and non) will profit from it as well.