Psychotropic Drug Prescriber’s Survival Guide:
Ethical Mental Health Treatment in the Age of Big Pharma
Amelia N. Dubovsky and Stephen L. Dubovsky
W. W. Norton, New York, 2007
187 pages, $27.50

If you enjoyed the article on antidepressants and Numbers Needed to Treat, and would like to learn more about how to interpret pharmaceutical studies, this is an excellent, concise, and readable text. It does a good job showing you how to look for the “spin” in an article, and how to sort the facts from the hype.

The previous review was written by Caroline Fisher, MD, PhD
Editor-in-Chief, CCPR


Treating Child & Adolescent Mental Illness, A Practical All-in-One Guide
Jess P. Shatkin, MD, MPH
W.W. Norton & Company, 2009
392 pages, $35

Written as a “comprehensive but user-friendly guide,” this book provides the “basics” of psychopathology and practical information on medication, psychotherapy, and psychosocial interventions. Catering to a wide audience that includes primary-care physicians, psychologists, therapists, school personnel, and parents, Dr. Shatkin writes in a clear, accessible manner, balancing well-written overviews with a useful degree of detail. Ed Note: Dr. Shatkin is a member of editorial board forThe Carlat Child Psychiatry Report.

The previous review was written by Jonathan Jacobson, MD
Pediatric Behavioral Health, West Boylston, MA