From Library Journal
These three books explore the controversial phenomena of ADHD, which affects two million children in the United States, where about 80 percent of all Ritalin is consumed. Walker, a neurologist/psychiatrist, contends that parents are often intimidated into accepting Ritalin for their children before a complete diagnosis is made and more benign therapies tried. He posits many other causes of hyperactivity, evaluates nondrug therapies, and suggests ways parents can become advocates for their troubled children. Comparing Ritalin to cocaine, Walker classes it with other psychostimulants in terms of addiction and potentially lethal side effects. The broader field of child psychiatry is the domain of Wilens's book. A Harvard psychiatry professor, researcher, and clinician, he presents a valuable "insider's" guide to specific disorders (e.g., ADHD, depression, anxiety, autism). Filled with helpful tables and charts, definitions, commonly asked questions, and sources for further information and support, this book should empower parents to become collaborators in their children's care. Like Walker's compendium of responsible warnings, this user-friendly catalog of current drug information is recommended for public libraries. In contrast, DeGrandpre's (psychology, St. Michael's Coll., VT) scholarly work ventures beyond simple skepticism and quibbling about overdiagnosis to question psychiatry's identification of ADHD as a biologically based brain disease. He argues that societal adjustments and a change in human consciousness are the real antidotes for this development disorder. Viewing hyperactivity in a multidisciplinary context, Ritalin Nation is richly referenced and offers a critical perspective suited to academic and specialized collections. [See also "Paying Attention to Attention Deficit Disorders," LJ 1/99, p. 59-62.]?Antoinette Brinkman, Southwest Indiana Mental Health Ctr. Lib., Evansvill.
-?Antoinette Brinkman, Southwest Indiana Mental Health Ctr. Lib., EvansvilleCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Pressestimmen
"I have used Dr. Wilens's book in teaching graduate social work students about mental health issues with children and adolescents. I have found Dr. Wilens's approach to be direct, understandable, and applicable for my students as they learn about pharmacological interventions with children and adolescents. My students, too, report that the book is one they have shared with families, internship supervisors, and colleagues; one they will keep in their resource libraries long after they complete their graduate education."--Jeff Levy, ACSW, LCSW, Lecturer, Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois-Chicago
"Our students appreciate "Straight Talk "for its practical information presented in a well-organized, question-and-answer format. Students repeatedly indicate that the book is a definite 'keeper' for their resource libraries."--DeDe Wohlfarth, PsyD, Department of Psychology, Spalding University
"Dr. Wilens has done a masterful job in synthesizing complex information and making it available to parents and families. Practical and useful, this book will strengthen parents' ability to understand the role that psychiatric medicines can play in their children's health and well-being. I strongly recommend it for any parents struggling with behavioral and emotional difficulties in their young." --Joseph Biederman, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
"An extraordinarily valuable reference for parents and others who care for children with psychiatric disorders. With remarkable clarity, Wilens describes a wide variety of conditions and up-to-the-minute information about related treatments. These topics are covered in a manner befitting the author's first-rate credentials in psychopharmacology research and psychiatry. What may be most striking, however, is the compassion for families that is conveyed in every chapter. Wilens is clearly sensitive and knowledgeable about the experiences and concerns of parents. I strongly recomme
