If you wish to be able to discuss the drugs you take with your psychiatrist intelligently, then read this book! Stephen Stahl explains the psychopharmacology of the drugs used to treat depression and bipolar, but without getting in over your head. An excellent book for any person afflicted with depression or bipolar and wishes to become an "educated mental patient." Id also recommend this book to "non medical" mental health professionals such as psychologists, social workers and others who must work with severely mentally ill persons, but are not directly involved in the prescribing of medications.

Another good book that covers the drugs used in the treatment of depression and bipolar is Jack M. Gorman's "Essential Guide to Psychiatric Drugs."

People love this book because of it's pretty diagrams and the way it presents receptor mechanisms with clarity and certainty. This is very good for the beginner, but those who read primary sources will probably note at least two shortcomings. Firstly the effects of stimulating different receptors and the interactions between them are more complex and apparently contradictory than this book implies. Secondly the author does not comprehensively review clinical trials which again give results that are not as unequivocal as might be predicted from the models put forward. In summary this book is a great achievement but tends to downplay the uncertainties in the field.

Stephen Stahl does a fine job of explaining the details of modern psychopharmacology. But he can do it in such a way as to not bore you six feet into the ground. Stahl goes into much detail in explaining all the many specifics concerning the many drugs used in psychiatry. He covers most of the combos and "augmenting" approaches that can be taken in modern psychopharmacology. Stahl also covers the neglected area within psychiatry known as "treatment resistant depression" or mood disorders which do not adequately respond to the usual Prozac.

Id recommend this book to anyone diagnosed with a severe mental illness and who wants to learn more about the medications they take. Id also recommend this book to non medical mental health professionals such as psychologists, social workers, counselors, etc. For most psychiatrists this book would probably be redundant (Id hope at least).

All of Stahls psychopharmacology books are good books BTW.

I found the book to be very helpful and extremely informative. Dr. Stahl's writing style is concise and interesting.He doesn't try to blow us"non-med students" out of the water with big words. I attended University of California at San Diego where he does much of his research and I have had a chance to meet with him. He is not only a great author, but a kind, caring, creative and intelligent doctor(believe it or not, he also has a great sense of humor). I hope you all enjoy this book!

Although the cover fell off my copy years ago, I still use the book. It only makes sense there's no cover. After all, my cookbook is a first printing from about forty years ago, and was passed on through at least two other families before making its way to me.

This book covers the basics of North American/western European cuisine. I learned how to make killer omelettes (plain, or oven-puffed with cheese sauce) with this, and my terrified-of-the-kitchen hubby learned to make a delicious ham supper. Whenever I'm sick and can't cook but we're expecting company, he always goes for this particular cookbook. If he can't find it, he whinges ferociously. None of my other books are as clear and concise, I guess.

The James Beard Cookbook is an excellent book for anyone. For the absolute novice, it details the best ways to cook bacon and eggs. For the kitchen maestro, it explains numerous sauce and souffle techniques. So, if you're looking for a good basic cookbook for yourself or for a lost-in-the-kitchen bachelor(ette), I strongly recommend this book.

I learned to cook using an early edition of this cookbook. When it wore out, I bought another. I am now ordering a copy for my 18 year old son. He discovered in on my shelves and always goes to James Beard first. Basic techniques, theme and variation, putting together menus and learning how ingredients go together - learning by doing! - James Beard wrote the book.

This cookbook is the basis for most of what I know and love about cooking. I read it over and over as a young person - I was fascinated by James Beard's appreciation for simple but elegant dishes. I differ with the earlier reviewer's comment that the dishes are "fancy". In fact, most of the recipes are basics - how to roast a chicken, how to cook green beans, and so on. With many of the recipes are suggestions for which dishes would go well with them. Granted, the recipe for whiskey cake does start something like, "Cut a pound of raisins in half," and you have to actually start this task to realize just how many trillions of raisins there are in a pound. I've usually avoided this excessive raisin involvement by substituting currants or chopped dates, but somehow the freshly-halved raisins do make the cake go from excellent to great.