Posted by JohnL on April 29, 2000, at 4:40:03
In reply to Re: Dr Martin Jensen, posted by DC on April 28, 2000, at 0:11:43
> TO all:
>
> I got the book the other day. Read pretty much the whole thing in two hours. I think the basic premise is sound. The idea of trying the meds quickly and trying the different classes. But the book itself is sort of a rip off. It's not very well written. It doesn't have a real binding even. I was expecting a real book with nice indepth discussions. Good ideas--but I think JohnL could explain them on here just as well as the book. This book has a lot of tables and graphs in it. It doesn't mention social phobia and some other conditions. The basic principiples may work, but this is not a sophisticated piece of literature. --DwightDwight. I know the feeling. My immediate impression on opening the package was a bit of disappointment. It wasn't a hard cover book like I expected. I too read it through in a few hours.
At first I felt like there wasn't as much in-depth stuff as I would like. But I have gone back and re-read parts of it several times. Each time something stands out that I kind of brushed over the first time. I get more and more from it each time I re-read it. I think there is actually a lot more there than at first glance. It takes me time to really digest it all. And then when I re-read it I discover new things I didn't get the first time.
I look at it more now as a workbook rather than a textbook. Jensen is at this moment writing a second 'book' which apparently goes into much greater detail of points made in the first book. And it apparently has more 'what-if-this' or 'what-if-that' procedural kind of detail. Should be a nice followup and expansion on the first book. But a hardcover version would look a lot nicer in my little library. :-)
I found all the tables and graphs fascinating. I haven't seen anyone else put the results of their practice into display like that before. I agree with you that this is not generally a sophisticated book. But then again, I don't think it was meant to be. I think it was meant to be a guidebook for patients, doctors, and students to follow when treating any psychiatric condition. Even psychiatric conditions not discussed--such as social phobia--can be easily treated with a firm understanding of the principles in the book. Hopefully his new book will have mention of some conditions not mentioned in the first. Regardless, I think the guidance provided by the book is sufficient to tackle just about any psychiatric condition successfully.
JohnL
poster:JohnL
thread:31396
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000429/msgs/31652.html