Snippets of studies rather than complete studies. , 04 Jan 2009
This book is terrible, which I am very shocked at as the first book was so good and was all I used to revise for AS. All you get is a few sentences describing a study and then another few sentences describing yet another study. The previous book would dedicate 2 pages to a study. This book only uses a couple of sentences to describe a complex study; this is ridiculous I don't understand why they did this.

Better Books Out There!, 19 Mar 2008
As an A Level psychology student using both the AS and A2 versions, i feel that i am eligible to comment.
There are so many other text books out there that would better equip studets with the knowledge needed to pass exams. Fair enough, the descriptions of subtopics are thorough. However, the commentary (evaluation) boxes, rather pretentiously, go all around the houses, and do not explain evaluative points concisively.
The layout of the book is poor, and the use of a KEY to have to work out which sections are explaining what just makes the book altogether confusing.
This review has been written after having to copy out of the book for a day's lesson - so i know that my notes are definately not sufficient enough to revise for a single topic for my exam.
The Collins Psycology books for A and AS level are much better!

Textbook, 26 Dec 2006
I'm mainly writing this review, to make the point that has not necessarily been made clear. This is the textbook version of this series for the A2 exams, 'The Exam Companion' equivalant is the book specifically for revision.
As a textbook, it depends what your needs are for the book. If you are buying one for your own personal use, you should find this very useful as it is written by the right people and not overly detailed like many textbooks out there. If, however, you are using it to compliment your classwork, all psychology textbooks use different studies etc. and this textbook (while probably contatining everything you need) is without a doubt concise.
To be clear this would not be suitable as a revision guide, but depending on your needs, could be a useful textbook.

Why people giving this low score - this book great, 15 Dec 2006
I see that 2 teachers are slating this book, but my whole class uses this book and is teacher recommended. Fair enougth people may not like the fact that it is very concise and doesnt elaborate too much. But i believe thuis is what makes a perfect a level book - just gives you the facts you need to do well in the exam, which thias book does. Its great for taking the notes you need. It has no unneccesary information, and doesnt waffle on about irrlevant stuff. A level is hard enough without a book that gives you an information overload and assumes you want to know everything about psychology.

Great book - great layout - exam advice - I PASSED!!!!!!, 15 Dec 2006
I used this book last year as part of a2 psychology and thought this book was the best of the lot (admittedly the eysenck one is pretty good also) but this one was just that bit better because it was more concise and was layed out in a way that meant the info was easier to remeber. When you go to a page it clearly states all the differetn approaches on the left hand page including the theories etc... than on the right hand side concluded them including critisicms and advantages.

This layout is perfect for exams because it covers the Ao1 and Ao2 in a easy way to folloew. You can just easily ectract the arguments and can have some good notes ready for your exams.

I strongly advise this book if you are doing a2 psychology.

Snippets of studies rather than complete studies. , 04 Jan 2009
This book is terrible, which I am very shocked at as the first book was so good and was all I used to revise for AS. All you get is a few sentences describing a study and then another few sentences describing yet another study. The previous book would dedicate 2 pages to a study. This book only uses a couple of sentences to describe a complex study; this is ridiculous I don't understand why they did this.

Better Books Out There!, 19 Mar 2008
As an A Level psychology student using both the AS and A2 versions, i feel that i am eligible to comment.
There are so many other text books out there that would better equip studets with the knowledge needed to pass exams. Fair enough, the descriptions of subtopics are thorough. However, the commentary (evaluation) boxes, rather pretentiously, go all around the houses, and do not explain evaluative points concisively.
The layout of the book is poor, and the use of a KEY to have to work out which sections are explaining what just makes the book altogether confusing.
This review has been written after having to copy out of the book for a day's lesson - so i know that my notes are definately not sufficient enough to revise for a single topic for my exam.
The Collins Psycology books for A and AS level are much better!

Textbook, 26 Dec 2006
I'm mainly writing this review, to make the point that has not necessarily been made clear. This is the textbook version of this series for the A2 exams, 'The Exam Companion' equivalant is the book specifically for revision.
As a textbook, it depends what your needs are for the book. If you are buying one for your own personal use, you should find this very useful as it is written by the right people and not overly detailed like many textbooks out there. If, however, you are using it to compliment your classwork, all psychology textbooks use different studies etc. and this textbook (while probably contatining everything you need) is without a doubt concise.
To be clear this would not be suitable as a revision guide, but depending on your needs, could be a useful textbook.

Why people giving this low score - this book great, 15 Dec 2006
I see that 2 teachers are slating this book, but my whole class uses this book and is teacher recommended. Fair enougth people may not like the fact that it is very concise and doesnt elaborate too much. But i believe thuis is what makes a perfect a level book - just gives you the facts you need to do well in the exam, which thias book does. Its great for taking the notes you need. It has no unneccesary information, and doesnt waffle on about irrlevant stuff. A level is hard enough without a book that gives you an information overload and assumes you want to know everything about psychology.

Great book - great layout - exam advice - I PASSED!!!!!!, 15 Dec 2006
I used this book last year as part of a2 psychology and thought this book was the best of the lot (admittedly the eysenck one is pretty good also) but this one was just that bit better because it was more concise and was layed out in a way that meant the info was easier to remeber. When you go to a page it clearly states all the differetn approaches on the left hand page including the theories etc... than on the right hand side concluded them including critisicms and advantages.

This layout is perfect for exams because it covers the Ao1 and Ao2 in a easy way to folloew. You can just easily ectract the arguments and can have some good notes ready for your exams.

I strongly advise this book if you are doing a2 psychology.

Useful! A must for any trainee counsellor/psychotherapist!, 05 Jun 2007
I found this book easy to read and very practical as a trainee Counselling psychologist/psychotherapist. It will be invaluable to anyone in or entering the field in dealing with the ethical dilemmas we all have to face with our clients. The book includes a very practical six step process to ethical problem solving and takes into account the codes of conduct/guidelines of our professional bodies as well as law, personal ethics, therapeautic model values, agency policy and moral philosophy. Really comprehensive and best of all easy to read and implement!

Contracts & ethics clearly explained, 12 May 2007
The difficult area of contracts and ethics are thoroughly and clearly explained. It is made more palatable by having relevant case material to illustrate ethical dilemmas. This is an invaluable reference tool for counsellors.

Excellent coverage of Ethics and Standards in Counselling, 20 Dec 2001
Tim Bond has produced an excellent work covering the major ethical issues within counselling. The book deals with all the major topics relevant to the ethical practise of counselling.
The second edition has usefully updated information which now provides one of the few comprehensive overviews of this emerging discipline.
With well illustrated cases, Tim Bond has provided an invaluable tool for counsellors and those who teach the subject. While covering all the main issues, Tim Bond has provided a comprehensive text book which also remains readable and therefore of practical use to the busy professional.
Tim Bond has illustarted the book with both UK and USA examples, from both the Legal and Professional perspectives.
Coverage includes material drawn from the largest UK counselling organisation - the British Association for Counselling (BACP), as well as the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
This second edition has developed the book in terms of updating material and offering a good overview of the topic.
From the UK perspective and in particular the BACP viewpoint, Tim Bond's work is hard to beat - as he has been central to the BACP development of Standards and Ethics, chairing the committe for many of it's most formative years.
It should be noted that Tim Bond has been commissioned by BACP to facilitate the development of new a Standards and Ethics Code for 2002, which speaks highly of his standing within this specialism within the counselling field.
This book or its equilivent is a must read for every counsellor.
Mike Ellis BA MA PGDipPS PGDipPsy Lecturer in Counselling and Supervisor

Snippets of studies rather than complete studies. , 04 Jan 2009
This book is terrible, which I am very shocked at as the first book was so good and was all I used to revise for AS. All you get is a few sentences describing a study and then another few sentences describing yet another study. The previous book would dedicate 2 pages to a study. This book only uses a couple of sentences to describe a complex study; this is ridiculous I don't understand why they did this.

Better Books Out There!, 19 Mar 2008
As an A Level psychology student using both the AS and A2 versions, i feel that i am eligible to comment.
There are so many other text books out there that would better equip studets with the knowledge needed to pass exams. Fair enough, the descriptions of subtopics are thorough. However, the commentary (evaluation) boxes, rather pretentiously, go all around the houses, and do not explain evaluative points concisively.
The layout of the book is poor, and the use of a KEY to have to work out which sections are explaining what just makes the book altogether confusing.
This review has been written after having to copy out of the book for a day's lesson - so i know that my notes are definately not sufficient enough to revise for a single topic for my exam.
The Collins Psycology books for A and AS level are much better!

Textbook, 26 Dec 2006
I'm mainly writing this review, to make the point that has not necessarily been made clear. This is the textbook version of this series for the A2 exams, 'The Exam Companion' equivalant is the book specifically for revision.
As a textbook, it depends what your needs are for the book. If you are buying one for your own personal use, you should find this very useful as it is written by the right people and not overly detailed like many textbooks out there. If, however, you are using it to compliment your classwork, all psychology textbooks use different studies etc. and this textbook (while probably contatining everything you need) is without a doubt concise.
To be clear this would not be suitable as a revision guide, but depending on your needs, could be a useful textbook.

Why people giving this low score - this book great, 15 Dec 2006
I see that 2 teachers are slating this book, but my whole class uses this book and is teacher recommended. Fair enougth people may not like the fact that it is very concise and doesnt elaborate too much. But i believe thuis is what makes a perfect a level book - just gives you the facts you need to do well in the exam, which thias book does. Its great for taking the notes you need. It has no unneccesary information, and doesnt waffle on about irrlevant stuff. A level is hard enough without a book that gives you an information overload and assumes you want to know everything about psychology.

Great book - great layout - exam advice - I PASSED!!!!!!, 15 Dec 2006
I used this book last year as part of a2 psychology and thought this book was the best of the lot (admittedly the eysenck one is pretty good also) but this one was just that bit better because it was more concise and was layed out in a way that meant the info was easier to remeber. When you go to a page it clearly states all the differetn approaches on the left hand page including the theories etc... than on the right hand side concluded them including critisicms and advantages.

This layout is perfect for exams because it covers the Ao1 and Ao2 in a easy way to folloew. You can just easily ectract the arguments and can have some good notes ready for your exams.

I strongly advise this book if you are doing a2 psychology.

Useful! A must for any trainee counsellor/psychotherapist!, 05 Jun 2007
I found this book easy to read and very practical as a trainee Counselling psychologist/psychotherapist. It will be invaluable to anyone in or entering the field in dealing with the ethical dilemmas we all have to face with our clients. The book includes a very practical six step process to ethical problem solving and takes into account the codes of conduct/guidelines of our professional bodies as well as law, personal ethics, therapeautic model values, agency policy and moral philosophy. Really comprehensive and best of all easy to read and implement!

Contracts & ethics clearly explained, 12 May 2007
The difficult area of contracts and ethics are thoroughly and clearly explained. It is made more palatable by having relevant case material to illustrate ethical dilemmas. This is an invaluable reference tool for counsellors.

Excellent coverage of Ethics and Standards in Counselling, 20 Dec 2001
Tim Bond has produced an excellent work covering the major ethical issues within counselling. The book deals with all the major topics relevant to the ethical practise of counselling.
The second edition has usefully updated information which now provides one of the few comprehensive overviews of this emerging discipline.
With well illustrated cases, Tim Bond has provided an invaluable tool for counsellors and those who teach the subject. While covering all the main issues, Tim Bond has provided a comprehensive text book which also remains readable and therefore of practical use to the busy professional.
Tim Bond has illustarted the book with both UK and USA examples, from both the Legal and Professional perspectives.
Coverage includes material drawn from the largest UK counselling organisation - the British Association for Counselling (BACP), as well as the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
This second edition has developed the book in terms of updating material and offering a good overview of the topic.
From the UK perspective and in particular the BACP viewpoint, Tim Bond's work is hard to beat - as he has been central to the BACP development of Standards and Ethics, chairing the committe for many of it's most formative years.
It should be noted that Tim Bond has been commissioned by BACP to facilitate the development of new a Standards and Ethics Code for 2002, which speaks highly of his standing within this specialism within the counselling field.
This book or its equilivent is a must read for every counsellor.
Mike Ellis BA MA PGDipPS PGDipPsy Lecturer in Counselling and Supervisor

Not for the beginner, 14 Mar 2004
Nice dictionary for the price but many words I have looked up are just not there.

If you are new to the subject perhaps give this one a miss, but if you have been studying the subject for some time and are looking for your first dictionary go for it.

The best quick and easy reference book around, 08 Jun 2002
Reber's text is thoroughly excellent; if possible, an improvement even on the second edition. Terms and perspectives are clearly explained with the occasional thought provoking comment thrown in (see the entry for 'binding'!). Moreover, Reber opts for a personal prose which distances the text from more stock, 'cookbook' competitors. Highly recommended and valuable at all levels of professional attainment. Buy it -- you won't regret it.

An invaluable tool for the psychology undergraduate, 08 Feb 2001
This book saw me through my undergraduate years and is still useful now that I'm postdoctoral! The clarity of expression and the range of individual entries provide an excellent start to any essay or topic. There are also some gems which you'll come across by accident - try the entry for psychoceramics!

Good general dicitionary but don't rely totally on it, 02 Dec 2000
It is good for people who are new to Psychology. If you are a degree student, it is worth bearing in mind that it is of most use in the first year. As the course gets more advanced, you are unlikely to find many new terms in the dictionary. Since the field of Psychology is so wide, it is difficult for a dicitionary of this size to give detailed definitions and explanations: if these are what you want, you are better off looking them up in the glossary in a more specialised textbook.

Great book for those new to psychology!, 23 Feb 2000
this book is a great book for all those who are new to psychology be it A level or even degree level. Technical words and phrases are expained and Important words and phrases are explained in detail it really helps with essay writing,and in easy to understand language too. well worth buying!

Snippets of studies rather than complete studies. , 04 Jan 2009
This book is terrible, which I am very shocked at as the first book was so good and was all I used to revise for AS. All you get is a few sentences describing a study and then another few sentences describing yet another study. The previous book would dedicate 2 pages to a study. This book only uses a couple of sentences to describe a complex study; this is ridiculous I don't understand why they did this.

Better Books Out There!, 19 Mar 2008
As an A Level psychology student using both the AS and A2 versions, i feel that i am eligible to comment.
There are so many other text books out there that would better equip studets with the knowledge needed to pass exams. Fair enough, the descriptions of subtopics are thorough. However, the commentary (evaluation) boxes, rather pretentiously, go all around the houses, and do not explain evaluative points concisively.
The layout of the book is poor, and the use of a KEY to have to work out which sections are explaining what just makes the book altogether confusing.
This review has been written after having to copy out of the book for a day's lesson - so i know that my notes are definately not sufficient enough to revise for a single topic for my exam.
The Collins Psycology books for A and AS level are much better!

Textbook, 26 Dec 2006
I'm mainly writing this review, to make the point that has not necessarily been made clear. This is the textbook version of this series for the A2 exams, 'The Exam Companion' equivalant is the book specifically for revision.
As a textbook, it depends what your needs are for the book. If you are buying one for your own personal use, you should find this very useful as it is written by the right people and not overly detailed like many textbooks out there. If, however, you are using it to compliment your classwork, all psychology textbooks use different studies etc. and this textbook (while probably contatining everything you need) is without a doubt concise.
To be clear this would not be suitable as a revision guide, but depending on your needs, could be a useful textbook.

Why people giving this low score - this book great, 15 Dec 2006
I see that 2 teachers are slating this book, but my whole class uses this book and is teacher recommended. Fair enougth people may not like the fact that it is very concise and doesnt elaborate too much. But i believe thuis is what makes a perfect a level book - just gives you the facts you need to do well in the exam, which thias book does. Its great for taking the notes you need. It has no unneccesary information, and doesnt waffle on about irrlevant stuff. A level is hard enough without a book that gives you an information overload and assumes you want to know everything about psychology.

Great book - great layout - exam advice - I PASSED!!!!!!, 15 Dec 2006
I used this book last year as part of a2 psychology and thought this book was the best of the lot (admittedly the eysenck one is pretty good also) but this one was just that bit better because it was more concise and was layed out in a way that meant the info was easier to remeber. When you go to a page it clearly states all the differetn approaches on the left hand page including the theories etc... than on the right hand side concluded them including critisicms and advantages.

This layout is perfect for exams because it covers the Ao1 and Ao2 in a easy way to folloew. You can just easily ectract the arguments and can have some good notes ready for your exams.

I strongly advise this book if you are doing a2 psychology.

Useful! A must for any trainee counsellor/psychotherapist!, 05 Jun 2007
I found this book easy to read and very practical as a trainee Counselling psychologist/psychotherapist. It will be invaluable to anyone in or entering the field in dealing with the ethical dilemmas we all have to face with our clients. The book includes a very practical six step process to ethical problem solving and takes into account the codes of conduct/guidelines of our professional bodies as well as law, personal ethics, therapeautic model values, agency policy and moral philosophy. Really comprehensive and best of all easy to read and implement!

Contracts & ethics clearly explained, 12 May 2007
The difficult area of contracts and ethics are thoroughly and clearly explained. It is made more palatable by having relevant case material to illustrate ethical dilemmas. This is an invaluable reference tool for counsellors.

Excellent coverage of Ethics and Standards in Counselling, 20 Dec 2001
Tim Bond has produced an excellent work covering the major ethical issues within counselling. The book deals with all the major topics relevant to the ethical practise of counselling.
The second edition has usefully updated information which now provides one of the few comprehensive overviews of this emerging discipline.
With well illustrated cases, Tim Bond has provided an invaluable tool for counsellors and those who teach the subject. While covering all the main issues, Tim Bond has provided a comprehensive text book which also remains readable and therefore of practical use to the busy professional.
Tim Bond has illustarted the book with both UK and USA examples, from both the Legal and Professional perspectives.
Coverage includes material drawn from the largest UK counselling organisation - the British Association for Counselling (BACP), as well as the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
This second edition has developed the book in terms of updating material and offering a good overview of the topic.
From the UK perspective and in particular the BACP viewpoint, Tim Bond's work is hard to beat - as he has been central to the BACP development of Standards and Ethics, chairing the committe for many of it's most formative years.
It should be noted that Tim Bond has been commissioned by BACP to facilitate the development of new a Standards and Ethics Code for 2002, which speaks highly of his standing within this specialism within the counselling field.
This book or its equilivent is a must read for every counsellor.
Mike Ellis BA MA PGDipPS PGDipPsy Lecturer in Counselling and Supervisor

Not for the beginner, 14 Mar 2004
Nice dictionary for the price but many words I have looked up are just not there.

If you are new to the subject perhaps give this one a miss, but if you have been studying the subject for some time and are looking for your first dictionary go for it.

The best quick and easy reference book around, 08 Jun 2002
Reber's text is thoroughly excellent; if possible, an improvement even on the second edition. Terms and perspectives are clearly explained with the occasional thought provoking comment thrown in (see the entry for 'binding'!). Moreover, Reber opts for a personal prose which distances the text from more stock, 'cookbook' competitors. Highly recommended and valuable at all levels of professional attainment. Buy it -- you won't regret it.

An invaluable tool for the psychology undergraduate, 08 Feb 2001
This book saw me through my undergraduate years and is still useful now that I'm postdoctoral! The clarity of expression and the range of individual entries provide an excellent start to any essay or topic. There are also some gems which you'll come across by accident - try the entry for psychoceramics!

Good general dicitionary but don't rely totally on it, 02 Dec 2000
It is good for people who are new to Psychology. If you are a degree student, it is worth bearing in mind that it is of most use in the first year. As the course gets more advanced, you are unlikely to find many new terms in the dictionary. Since the field of Psychology is so wide, it is difficult for a dicitionary of this size to give detailed definitions and explanations: if these are what you want, you are better off looking them up in the glossary in a more specialised textbook.

Great book for those new to psychology!, 23 Feb 2000
this book is a great book for all those who are new to psychology be it A level or even degree level. Technical words and phrases are expained and Important words and phrases are explained in detail it really helps with essay writing,and in easy to understand language too. well worth buying!

Janet B misses the point, 24 Jul 2007
Janet B misses the whole premise. Feelings are of course a response to the world around us, but between the sensory perception of an event in the world and the feeling that results comes a thought - often unnoticed. That thought is based on our beliefs and values and the way we view the world. All CBT asks us to do is to review those beliefs and values objectively and judge whether they are valid.

This book is simplistic and doesn't explain the core concepts of CBT as well as it might, but that doesn't detract from their validity.

Depressing and disappointing, 11 Mar 2007
I'm a mental health professional and I facilitate a depression group, this book was recommended to me for use with the group. I found the book clinical, unhelpful and very much a one size fits all ethos. The format of the book is forbidding and depressing. I don't recommend this book.

No good if you want to look beyond your thoughts, 03 Feb 2007
I've read many CBT self-help books both as a mental health professional and a sufferer of depression. What this book fails to recognise are my feelings as a human being. My feelings are not simply a direct reaction to my thoughts but are direct responses to the world. Mind Over Mood suggests that all I need to is 'reprogram' my thinking (as if I'm some computer!) and I'll feel better. But 'bad' feelings often tell us that there is something wrong in our world and if we continue changing what Padesky calls 'negative cognitions' then we fail to value either ourselves as accurate perceptors of an often damaging world, whilst we remain passive citizens who do not act to change what is wrong in society, the relationship, the family etc.

As a mental health professional I know that there is no money-saving substitute for seeking the sensitive support of a psychotherapist. Difficult feelings and thoughts happen for a reason and we owe it to ourselves to plumb the depths rather than gloss over the surface.

We are more than thoughts, 30 Jan 2007
This book is clearly laid out but suffers from over-simplifying the client's experiences to fit a very simplistic model. It gives brief overviews of the development of cognitive therapy and focuses on building 'evidence' for efficacy - CBT's main boast at present.

It attempts to incorporate its goals within various mental health settings but again fails to recognise that human experience is not amenable to the kinds of reductionism that the book promotes. Multi-disciplinary teams exist in order to manage and treat complex client circumstances and experiences and this book fails to acknowledge this and address these issues.

The book seems to attempt to present CBT as a panacea for all client experiences including groups, individuals and couples with little regard to relationship and circumstance.

In the end, the book's main weaknesses lie in relating to human beings in a mechanistic way; entertaining the notion that distress is 'all in the mind' and by changing value-laden terms such as 'negative thoughts' then all will be well. This is simply not the case and does a diservice to our client's experiences.



100% Possitive book, 01 Jan 2006
I bought this book because I suffer with depression, amongst other things and I have found it 100% useful.I orginally bought it out of a random choice-only to be told by my friend who is a CBT nurse that it is one of the best books about for self help. You can work with the book at your pace and lesure, and I have found the sections I have done in it most helpful to my problems and I continue to use the book.100% recommended to those who need self help that is totally possitive.

Snippets of studies rather than complete studies. , 04 Jan 2009
This book is terrible, which I am very shocked at as the first book was so good and was all I used to revise for AS. All you get is a few sentences describing a study and then another few sentences describing yet another study. The previous book would dedicate 2 pages to a study. This book only uses a couple of sentences to describe a complex study; this is ridiculous I don't understand why they did this.

Better Books Out There!, 19 Mar 2008
As an A Level psychology student using both the AS and A2 versions, i feel that i am eligible to comment.
There are so many other text books out there that would better equip studets with the knowledge needed to pass exams. Fair enough, the descriptions of subtopics are thorough. However, the commentary (evaluation) boxes, rather pretentiously, go all around the houses, and do not explain evaluative points concisively.
The layout of the book is poor, and the use of a KEY to have to work out which sections are explaining what just makes the book altogether confusing.
This review has been written after having to copy out of the book for a day's lesson - so i know that my notes are definately not sufficient enough to revise for a single topic for my exam.
The Collins Psycology books for A and AS level are much better!

Textbook, 26 Dec 2006
I'm mainly writing this review, to make the point that has not necessarily been made clear. This is the textbook version of this series for the A2 exams, 'The Exam Companion' equivalant is the book specifically for revision.
As a textbook, it depends what your needs are for the book. If you are buying one for your own personal use, you should find this very useful as it is written by the right people and not overly detailed like many textbooks out there. If, however, you are using it to compliment your classwork, all psychology textbooks use different studies etc. and this textbook (while probably contatining everything you need) is without a doubt concise.
To be clear this would not be suitable as a revision guide, but depending on your needs, could be a useful textbook.

Why people giving this low score - this book great, 15 Dec 2006
I see that 2 teachers are slating this book, but my whole class uses this book and is teacher recommended. Fair enougth people may not like the fact that it is very concise and doesnt elaborate too much. But i believe thuis is what makes a perfect a level book - just gives you the facts you need to do well in the exam, which thias book does. Its great for taking the notes you need. It has no unneccesary information, and doesnt waffle on about irrlevant stuff. A level is hard enough without a book that gives you an information overload and assumes you want to know everything about psychology.

Great book - great layout - exam advice - I PASSED!!!!!!, 15 Dec 2006
I used this book last year as part of a2 psychology and thought this book was the best of the lot (admittedly the eysenck one is pretty good also) but this one was just that bit better because it was more concise and was layed out in a way that meant the info was easier to remeber. When you go to a page it clearly states all the differetn approaches on the left hand page including the theories etc... than on the right hand side concluded them including critisicms and advantages.

This layout is perfect for exams because it covers the Ao1 and Ao2 in a easy way to folloew. You can just easily ectract the arguments and can have some good notes ready for your exams.

I strongly advise this book if you are doing a2 psychology.

Useful! A must for any trainee counsellor/psychotherapist!, 05 Jun 2007
I found this book easy to read and very practical as a trainee Counselling psychologist/psychotherapist. It will be invaluable to anyone in or entering the field in dealing with the ethical dilemmas we all have to face with our clients. The book includes a very practical six step process to ethical problem solving and takes into account the codes of conduct/guidelines of our professional bodies as well as law, personal ethics, therapeautic model values, agency policy and moral philosophy. Really comprehensive and best of all easy to read and implement!

Contracts & ethics clearly explained, 12 May 2007
The difficult area of contracts and ethics are thoroughly and clearly explained. It is made more palatable by having relevant case material to illustrate ethical dilemmas. This is an invaluable reference tool for counsellors.

Excellent coverage of Ethics and Standards in Counselling, 20 Dec 2001
Tim Bond has produced an excellent work covering the major ethical issues within counselling. The book deals with all the major topics relevant to the ethical practise of counselling.
The second edition has usefully updated information which now provides one of the few comprehensive overviews of this emerging discipline.
With well illustrated cases, Tim Bond has provided an invaluable tool for counsellors and those who teach the subject. While covering all the main issues, Tim Bond has provided a comprehensive text book which also remains readable and therefore of practical use to the busy professional.
Tim Bond has illustarted the book with both UK and USA examples, from both the Legal and Professional perspectives.
Coverage includes material drawn from the largest UK counselling organisation - the British Association for Counselling (BACP), as well as the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
This second edition has developed the book in terms of updating material and offering a good overview of the topic.
From the UK perspective and in particular the BACP viewpoint, Tim Bond's work is hard to beat - as he has been central to the BACP development of Standards and Ethics, chairing the committe for many of it's most formative years.
It should be noted that Tim Bond has been commissioned by BACP to facilitate the development of new a Standards and Ethics Code for 2002, which speaks highly of his standing within this specialism within the counselling field.
This book or its equilivent is a must read for every counsellor.
Mike Ellis BA MA PGDipPS PGDipPsy Lecturer in Counselling and Supervisor

Not for the beginner, 14 Mar 2004
Nice dictionary for the price but many words I have looked up are just not there.

If you are new to the subject perhaps give this one a miss, but if you have been studying the subject for some time and are looking for your first dictionary go for it.

The best quick and easy reference book around, 08 Jun 2002
Reber's text is thoroughly excellent; if possible, an improvement even on the second edition. Terms and perspectives are clearly explained with the occasional thought provoking comment thrown in (see the entry for 'binding'!). Moreover, Reber opts for a personal prose which distances the text from more stock, 'cookbook' competitors. Highly recommended and valuable at all levels of professional attainment. Buy it -- you won't regret it.

An invaluable tool for the psychology undergraduate, 08 Feb 2001
This book saw me through my undergraduate years and is still useful now that I'm postdoctoral! The clarity of expression and the range of individual entries provide an excellent start to any essay or topic. There are also some gems which you'll come across by accident - try the entry for psychoceramics!

Good general dicitionary but don't rely totally on it, 02 Dec 2000
It is good for people who are new to Psychology. If you are a degree student, it is worth bearing in mind that it is of most use in the first year. As the course gets more advanced, you are unlikely to find many new terms in the dictionary. Since the field of Psychology is so wide, it is difficult for a dicitionary of this size to give detailed definitions and explanations: if these are what you want, you are better off looking them up in the glossary in a more specialised textbook.

Great book for those new to psychology!, 23 Feb 2000
this book is a great book for all those who are new to psychology be it A level or even degree level. Technical words and phrases are expained and Important words and phrases are explained in detail it really helps with essay writing,and in easy to understand language too. well worth buying!

Janet B misses the point, 24 Jul 2007
Janet B misses the whole premise. Feelings are of course a response to the world around us, but between the sensory perception of an event in the world and the feeling that results comes a thought - often unnoticed. That thought is based on our beliefs and values and the way we view the world. All CBT asks us to do is to review those beliefs and values objectively and judge whether they are valid.

This book is simplistic and doesn't explain the core concepts of CBT as well as it might, but that doesn't detract from their validity.

Depressing and disappointing, 11 Mar 2007
I'm a mental health professional and I facilitate a depression group, this book was recommended to me for use with the group. I found the book clinical, unhelpful and very much a one size fits all ethos. The format of the book is forbidding and depressing. I don't recommend this book.

No good if you want to look beyond your thoughts, 03 Feb 2007
I've read many CBT self-help books both as a mental health professional and a sufferer of depression. What this book fails to recognise are my feelings as a human being. My feelings are not simply a direct reaction to my thoughts but are direct responses to the world. Mind Over Mood suggests that all I need to is 'reprogram' my thinking (as if I'm some computer!) and I'll feel better. But 'bad' feelings often tell us that there is something wrong in our world and if we continue changing what Padesky calls 'negative cognitions' then we fail to value either ourselves as accurate perceptors of an often damaging world, whilst we remain passive citizens who do not act to change what is wrong in society, the relationship, the family etc.

As a mental health professional I know that there is no money-saving substitute for seeking the sensitive support of a psychotherapist. Difficult feelings and thoughts happen for a reason and we owe it to ourselves to plumb the depths rather than gloss over the surface.

We are more than thoughts, 30 Jan 2007
This book is clearly laid out but suffers from over-simplifying the client's experiences to fit a very simplistic model. It gives brief overviews of the development of cognitive therapy and focuses on building 'evidence' for efficacy - CBT's main boast at present.

It attempts to incorporate its goals within various mental health settings but again fails to recognise that human experience is not amenable to the kinds of reductionism that the book promotes. Multi-disciplinary teams exist in order to manage and treat complex client circumstances and experiences and this book fails to acknowledge this and address these issues.

The book seems to attempt to present CBT as a panacea for all client experiences including groups, individuals and couples with little regard to relationship and circumstance.

In the end, the book's main weaknesses lie in relating to human beings in a mechanistic way; entertaining the notion that distress is 'all in the mind' and by changing value-laden terms such as 'negative thoughts' then all will be well. This is simply not the case and does a diservice to our client's experiences.



100% Possitive book, 01 Jan 2006
I bought this book because I suffer with depression, amongst other things and I have found it 100% useful.I orginally bought it out of a random choice-only to be told by my friend who is a CBT nurse that it is one of the best books about for self help. You can work with the book at your pace and lesure, and I have found the sections I have done in it most helpful to my problems and I continue to use the book.100% recommended to those who need self help that is totally possitive.

Fiction, 28 Feb 2006
To be honest as a work of complete fiction I found it a little thin on the ground plot wise and I didn't recognise any of the characters in it.
If you felt a chill down your spine at another customer review of this book that begins with the gloating conceited claim "The human psyche captured!" then the chances are at some point you have been or know someone who has been on the recieving end of treatment based on this reductive and "scientific" tomb.
Possible the most dangerous and damaging book since Mein Kampf -DSM IV carries on the tradtion of the American Psychiatric Association in reducing infinitley complex human behaviour into a series of parcelled, discreet, packaged, "illnesses" that powerful pharmacuetical companies, media obsessed reactionary governments and risk obsessed health services can target medication and "treatment" at in order that people no longer act like they are "insane".
Be aware that this book and the tradition it represents were the ringleaders for most of the horrors perpetrated on people diagnosed as suffering from a mental illness in the last century - patients were forcibly marched to labotomy operations and repeated electric shock treatments on the basis of a diagnosis from the psychiatric body that publishes this book. Psychiatrists involved in the early formations of this book were happy chair-leaders for eugenics and forced experiments on asylum populations.
Anyone even vaguely familiar with the history of DSM classifications (homosexuality was, until the 1980s, on its list of "mental illnesses") should regard this present wolume with little more than cynicism and contempt.
Only recently someone left the organisation responsible for this book after they had pointed out that on the basis of diagnosis from this book in some American schools up to a third of its children were classed as having ADHD and treated with drugs almost chemically identical with cocaine and ampthetamines.
It is important for anyone coming to this material for the first time that they should recognise that for a growing number of increasingly vocal nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, sociologists, and most importantly psychiatric "patients", DSM IV represents everything that is rotten in psychiatry and the mental health field.

Useful, but not that revised, 05 Jan 2006
We are in the in-between time, the DSM-IV being over a decade old, and the DSM-V being due out at some unspecified date, but giving the general publication rate of the major DSM revisions and the advance of general knowledge, it cannot be too far into the future. I have the DSM-IV, burgundy-cover edition, and have dipped into the DSM-IV-TR on occasion from the library, but have found no particular reason to need to purchase the TR silver edition for the kind of work I do.

This is a guide that is useful, indeed required, for graduate students in mental health and psychological fields, and for professionals working in those fields. As a pastoral care provider, I find it useful in many cases, but will warn that it is not a definitive tool to be used by itself in the hands of laypersons (which, in terms of professional psychology, I most certainly am). Symptoms and diagnoses are difficult to isolate, and not to be left in the hands of amateurs - to that end, I often worry about the general availability of books such as this (I have a similar fear for the PDR, the Physicians Desk Reference, whereby people try to self-diagnose and self-medicate based on their reading).

The DSM-IV is not without controversy - indeed, the whole psychological enterprise is not without controversy. However, this is the current standard by which the profession measures itself (sometimes a bit in opposition, but there are few who hold the DSM to be meaningless).

Professionals will want to have this book; graduate students may or may not need this particular revision.

The human psyche captured, 08 Jun 2003
The DSM is - unjustly - much decried and much derided by critics, both laymen and mental health practitioners. Its shortcomings notwithstanding, it is a noble and largely successful attempt to capture the dysfunctions of the human psyche in the confines of a single tome. Is mental illness a mere figment of our cultural and social milieu? Are the distinctions between mental disorders - the differential diagnoses - too ambiguous? Is the DSM too formal and bureaucratic? You bet. Has anyone come up with anything remotely better? No, Sir! The DSM is not only a system of classification - but also an insightful distillation of decades of clinical experience. A must. Sam Vaknin, author of "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited".

Better than wonderful!, 13 Apr 2003
As great as the little DSM is, the larger version is even greater and more wonderful. Especially if you're not a buddhist and need to kill a fly. Though if reincarnation does exist, the writers of this book will surely end up in the same state as all the people who have used the DSM to kill flies. I'm a vegetarian myself and all this talk about killing is making me queasy, so I'll say some other really good stuff about this book.

It's not boring in the least. The contents are as colorful as the cover.

One book to rule them all, one book to find them, one book to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

Brilliant!, 27 Nov 2002
A Book that is useful for both the standard undergraduate student and for those who have an avid interest in this field of psychology. Its clear terminology and description is ideal for when referencing essays and assignments. For those who are passionate about this field, the breadth of mental disorders and conditions that this book covers is enough to satisfy any quench for more knowledge. A MUST HAVE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, for those who are not it acts as a wonderful reference.

Snippets of studies rather than complete studies. , 04 Jan 2009
This book is terrible, which I am very shocked at as the first book was so good and was all I used to revise for AS. All you get is a few sentences describing a study and then another few sentences describing yet another study. The previous book would dedicate 2 pages to a study. This book only uses a couple of sentences to describe a complex study; this is ridiculous I don't understand why they did this.

Better Books Out There!, 19 Mar 2008
As an A Level psychology student using both the AS and A2 versions, i feel that i am eligible to comment.
There are so many other text books out there that would better equip studets with the knowledge needed to pass exams. Fair enough, the descriptions of subtopics are thorough. However, the commentary (evaluation) boxes, rather pretentiously, go all around the houses, and do not explain evaluative points concisively.
The layout of the book is poor, and the use of a KEY to have to work out which sections are explaining what just makes the book altogether confusing.
This review has been written after having to copy out of the book for a day's lesson - so i know that my notes are definately not sufficient enough to revise for a single topic for my exam.
The Collins Psycology books for A and AS level are much better!

Textbook, 26 Dec 2006
I'm mainly writing this review, to make the point that has not necessarily been made clear. This is the textbook version of this series for the A2 exams, 'The Exam Companion' equivalant is the book specifically for revision.
As a textbook, it depends what your needs are for the book. If you are buying one for your own personal use, you should find this very useful as it is written by the right people and not overly detailed like many textbooks out there. If, however, you are using it to compliment your classwork, all psychology textbooks use different studies etc. and this textbook (while probably contatining everything you need) is without a doubt concise.
To be clear this would not be suitable as a revision guide, but depending on your needs, could be a useful textbook.

Why people giving this low score - this book great, 15 Dec 2006
I see that 2 teachers are slating this book, but my whole class uses this book and is teacher recommended. Fair enougth people may not like the fact that it is very concise and doesnt elaborate too much. But i believe thuis is what makes a perfect a level book - just gives you the facts you need to do well in the exam, which thias book does. Its great for taking the notes you need. It has no unneccesary information, and doesnt waffle on about irrlevant stuff. A level is hard enough without a book that gives you an information overload and assumes you want to know everything about psychology.

Great book - great layout - exam advice - I PASSED!!!!!!, 15 Dec 2006
I used this book last year as part of a2 psychology and thought this book was the best of the lot (admittedly the eysenck one is pretty good also) but this one was just that bit better because it was more concise and was layed out in a way that meant the info was easier to remeber. When you go to a page it clearly states all the differetn approaches on the left hand page including the theories etc... than on the right hand side concluded them including critisicms and advantages.

This layout is perfect for exams because it covers the Ao1 and Ao2 in a easy way to folloew. You can just easily ectract the arguments and can have some good notes ready for your exams.

I strongly advise this book if you are doing a2 psychology.

Useful! A must for any trainee counsellor/psychotherapist!, 05 Jun 2007
I found this book easy to read and very practical as a trainee Counselling psychologist/psychotherapist. It will be invaluable to anyone in or entering the field in dealing with the ethical dilemmas we all have to face with our clients. The book includes a very practical six step process to ethical problem solving and takes into account the codes of conduct/guidelines of our professional bodies as well as law, personal ethics, therapeautic model values, agency policy and moral philosophy. Really comprehensive and best of all easy to read and implement!

Contracts & ethics clearly explained, 12 May 2007
The difficult area of contracts and ethics are thoroughly and clearly explained. It is made more palatable by having relevant case material to illustrate ethical dilemmas. This is an invaluable reference tool for counsellors.

Excellent coverage of Ethics and Standards in Counselling, 20 Dec 2001
Tim Bond has produced an excellent work covering the major ethical issues within counselling. The book deals with all the major topics relevant to the ethical practise of counselling.
The second edition has usefully updated information which now provides one of the few comprehensive overviews of this emerging discipline.
With well illustrated cases, Tim Bond has provided an invaluable tool for counsellors and those who teach the subject. While covering all the main issues, Tim Bond has provided a comprehensive text book which also remains readable and therefore of practical use to the busy professional.
Tim Bond has illustarted the book with both UK and USA examples, from both the Legal and Professional perspectives.
Coverage includes material drawn from the largest UK counselling organisation - the British Association for Counselling (BACP), as well as the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
This second edition has developed the book in terms of updating material and offering a good overview of the topic.
From the UK perspective and in particular the BACP viewpoint, Tim Bond's work is hard to beat - as he has been central to the BACP development of Standards and Ethics, chairing the committe for many of it's most formative years.
It should be noted that Tim Bond has been commissioned by BACP to facilitate the development of new a Standards and Ethics Code for 2002, which speaks highly of his standing within this specialism within the counselling field.
This book or its equilivent is a must read for every counsellor.
Mike Ellis BA MA PGDipPS PGDipPsy Lecturer in Counselling and Supervisor

Not for the beginner, 14 Mar 2004
Nice dictionary for the price but many words I have looked up are just not there.

If you are new to the subject perhaps give this one a miss, but if you have been studying the subject for some time and are looking for your first dictionary go for it.

The best quick and easy reference book around, 08 Jun 2002
Reber's text is thoroughly excellent; if possible, an improvement even on the second edition. Terms and perspectives are clearly explained with the occasional thought provoking comment thrown in (see the entry for 'binding'!). Moreover, Reber opts for a personal prose which distances the text from more stock, 'cookbook' competitors. Highly recommended and valuable at all levels of professional attainment. Buy it -- you won't regret it.

An invaluable tool for the psychology undergraduate, 08 Feb 2001
This book saw me through my undergraduate years and is still useful now that I'm postdoctoral! The clarity of expression and the range of individual entries provide an excellent start to any essay or topic. There are also some gems which you'll come across by accident - try the entry for psychoceramics!

Good general dicitionary but don't rely totally on it, 02 Dec 2000
It is good for people who are new to Psychology. If you are a degree student, it is worth bearing in mind that it is of most use in the first year. As the course gets more advanced, you are unlikely to find many new terms in the dictionary. Since the field of Psychology is so wide, it is difficult for a dicitionary of this size to give detailed definitions and explanations: if these are what you want, you are better off looking them up in the glossary in a more specialised textbook.

Great book for those new to psychology!, 23 Feb 2000
this book is a great book for all those who are new to psychology be it A level or even degree level. Technical words and phrases are expained and Important words and phrases are explained in detail it really helps with essay writing,and in easy to understand language too. well worth buying!

Janet B misses the point, 24 Jul 2007
Janet B misses the whole premise. Feelings are of course a response to the world around us, but between the sensory perception of an event in the world and the feeling that results comes a thought - often unnoticed. That thought is based on our beliefs and values and the way we view the world. All CBT asks us to do is to review those beliefs and values objectively and judge whether they are valid.

This book is simplistic and doesn't explain the core concepts of CBT as well as it might, but that doesn't detract from their validity.

Depressing and disappointing, 11 Mar 2007
I'm a mental health professional and I facilitate a depression group, this book was recommended to me for use with the group. I found the book clinical, unhelpful and very much a one size fits all ethos. The format of the book is forbidding and depressing. I don't recommend this book.

No good if you want to look beyond your thoughts, 03 Feb 2007
I've read many CBT self-help books both as a mental health professional and a sufferer of depression. What this book fails to recognise are my feelings as a human being. My feelings are not simply a direct reaction to my thoughts but are direct responses to the world. Mind Over Mood suggests that all I need to is 'reprogram' my thinking (as if I'm some computer!) and I'll feel better. But 'bad' feelings often tell us that there is something wrong in our world and if we continue changing what Padesky calls 'negative cognitions' then we fail to value either ourselves as accurate perceptors of an often damaging world, whilst we remain passive citizens who do not act to change what is wrong in society, the relationship, the family etc.

As a mental health professional I know that there is no money-saving substitute for seeking the sensitive support of a psychotherapist. Difficult feelings and thoughts happen for a reason and we owe it to ourselves to plumb the depths rather than gloss over the surface.

We are more than thoughts, 30 Jan 2007
This book is clearly laid out but suffers from over-simplifying the client's experiences to fit a very simplistic model. It gives brief overviews of the development of cognitive therapy and focuses on building 'evidence' for efficacy - CBT's main boast at present.

It attempts to incorporate its goals within various mental health settings but again fails to recognise that human experience is not amenable to the kinds of reductionism that the book promotes. Multi-disciplinary teams exist in order to manage and treat complex client circumstances and experiences and this book fails to acknowledge this and address these issues.

The book seems to attempt to present CBT as a panacea for all client experiences including groups, individuals and couples with little regard to relationship and circumstance.

In the end, the book's main weaknesses lie in relating to human beings in a mechanistic way; entertaining the notion that distress is 'all in the mind' and by changing value-laden terms such as 'negative thoughts' then all will be well. This is simply not the case and does a diservice to our client's experiences.



100% Possitive book, 01 Jan 2006
I bought this book because I suffer with depression, amongst other things and I have found it 100% useful.I orginally bought it out of a random choice-only to be told by my friend who is a CBT nurse that it is one of the best books about for self help. You can work with the book at your pace and lesure, and I have found the sections I have done in it most helpful to my problems and I continue to use the book.100% recommended to those who need self help that is totally possitive.

Fiction, 28 Feb 2006
To be honest as a work of complete fiction I found it a little thin on the ground plot wise and I didn't recognise any of the characters in it.
If you felt a chill down your spine at another customer review of this book that begins with the gloating conceited claim "The human psyche captured!" then the chances are at some point you have been or know someone who has been on the recieving end of treatment based on this reductive and "scientific" tomb.
Possible the most dangerous and damaging book since Mein Kampf -DSM IV carries on the tradtion of the American Psychiatric Association in reducing infinitley complex human behaviour into a series of parcelled, discreet, packaged, "illnesses" that powerful pharmacuetical companies, media obsessed reactionary governments and risk obsessed health services can target medication and "treatment" at in order that people no longer act like they are "insane".
Be aware that this book and the tradition it represents were the ringleaders for most of the horrors perpetrated on people diagnosed as suffering from a mental illness in the last century - patients were forcibly marched to labotomy operations and repeated electric shock treatments on the basis of a diagnosis from the psychiatric body that publishes this book. Psychiatrists involved in the early formations of this book were happy chair-leaders for eugenics and forced experiments on asylum populations.
Anyone even vaguely familiar with the history of DSM classifications (homosexuality was, until the 1980s, on its list of "mental illnesses") should regard this present wolume with little more than cynicism and contempt.
Only recently someone left the organisation responsible for this book after they had pointed out that on the basis of diagnosis from this book in some American schools up to a third of its children were classed as having ADHD and treated with drugs almost chemically identical with cocaine and ampthetamines.
It is important for anyone coming to this material for the first time that they should recognise that for a growing number of increasingly vocal nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, sociologists, and most importantly psychiatric "patients", DSM IV represents everything that is rotten in psychiatry and the mental health field.

Useful, but not that revised, 05 Jan 2006
We are in the in-between time, the DSM-IV being over a decade old, and the DSM-V being due out at some unspecified date, but giving the general publication rate of the major DSM revisions and the advance of general knowledge, it cannot be too far into the future. I have the DSM-IV, burgundy-cover edition, and have dipped into the DSM-IV-TR on occasion from the library, but have found no particular reason to need to purchase the TR silver edition for the kind of work I do.

This is a guide that is useful, indeed required, for graduate students in mental health and psychological fields, and for professionals working in those fields. As a pastoral care provider, I find it useful in many cases, but will warn that it is not a definitive tool to be used by itself in the hands of laypersons (which, in terms of professional psychology, I most certainly am). Symptoms and diagnoses are difficult to isolate, and not to be left in the hands of amateurs - to that end, I often worry about the general availability of books such as this (I have a similar fear for the PDR, the Physicians Desk Reference, whereby people try to self-diagnose and self-medicate based on their reading).

The DSM-IV is not without controversy - indeed, the whole psychological enterprise is not without controversy. However, this is the current standard by which the profession measures itself (sometimes a bit in opposition, but there are few who hold the DSM to be meaningless).

Professionals will want to have this book; graduate students may or may not need this particular revision.

The human psyche captured, 08 Jun 2003
The DSM is - unjustly - much decried and much derided by critics, both laymen and mental health practitioners. Its shortcomings notwithstanding, it is a noble and largely successful attempt to capture the dysfunctions of the human psyche in the confines of a single tome. Is mental illness a mere figment of our cultural and social milieu? Are the distinctions between mental disorders - the differential diagnoses - too ambiguous? Is the DSM too formal and bureaucratic? You bet. Has anyone come up with anything remotely better? No, Sir! The DSM is not only a system of classification - but also an insightful distillation of decades of clinical experience. A must. Sam Vaknin, author of "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited".

Better than wonderful!, 13 Apr 2003
As great as the little DSM is, the larger version is even greater and more wonderful. Especially if you're not a buddhist and need to kill a fly. Though if reincarnation does exist, the writers of this book will surely end up in the same state as all the people who have used the DSM to kill flies. I'm a vegetarian myself and all this talk about killing is making me queasy, so I'll say some other really good stuff about this book.

It's not boring in the least. The contents are as colorful as the cover.

One book to rule them all, one book to find them, one book to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

Brilliant!, 27 Nov 2002
A Book that is useful for both the standard undergraduate student and for those who have an avid interest in this field of psychology. Its clear terminology and description is ideal for when referencing essays and assignments. For those who are passionate about this field, the breadth of mental disorders and conditions that this book covers is enough to satisfy any quench for more knowledge. A MUST HAVE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, for those who are not it acts as a wonderful reference.

Essential reading, 20 Feb 2008
Those who are truly bipolar ( type 1 or 2) cannot fail to identify with this book. I felt reassured after reading it that I was not alone and also felt confident that there are many things I can do (in addition to taking medication) to help manage my condition. For example, the book speaks of the importance of circadian rythyms and how to maintain a regular sleep/wake cycle. I think this should be absolutely compulsory reading for those affected by bipolar- whether as a "patient" or as a carer/ family member. I also think this would aide doctors- particularly the psychiatrists to think about the human side of the condition, too. BUY it!

Informative, practical & easy to read, 28 Jun 2007
One of 2 books i purchased from Amazon after my diagnosis - the other being more geared towards the medical profession.

I've found this book really useful, not only in providing information on Bipolar Disorder, but also with practical advice on recognising symptoms and dealing with the disorder.

It's a real 'start at the beginning' book - taking you from recognising the symptoms of BD, through diagnosis, treatments and on through to dealing with the disorder, coping with the ups and downs, how to broach the subject with friends, family and work and then staying well.

It contains samples of scales, exercises & charts - much like the ones anyone dealing with BD will have been given by their doctor - which i found very helpful.

It also contains examples of real stories of BD patients. I found these especially comforting to read - it sounds cliched but i really did think 'i am not alone'.

The book discusses the possible causes of BD, what events/factors that may exacerbate symptoms, medications and their implications and therapies. It also discusses the role of family and friends in the BD sufferers life, giving advice on how they may find ways to deal with mood swings etc.

The only draw back to this book is that - as with much psych literature of this kind - it's written by an American doctor and as such is quite 'Americanised'. That doesnt detract however from how useful the book is - it just means that the author presumes you have your therapist on speed dial (in the NHS you'll be lucky!) - & the spelling & terms are American.

Overall i recommend this book to anyone dealing with BD on a personal level - either as patient or family/friend/carer.

Apart from the book i also bought at the same time as this i havent felt i needed any more info about my Disorder than this book has, and can, give me.

Excellent Book., 27 Mar 2005
I have read this book to understand what have been experiencing for years, Bipolar Disorder. This book is excellent, it felt as if it was written for me by a therapist who has known me for years. By using examples of real people, in many different situations, you feel that Dr. Miklowitz has an insight into exactly what you are experiencing. His advice is practical and spot on, this book is essential reading for anyone with bipolar and their immediate close circle of family and friends. He includes worksheets and information sheets throughout. My book is full of Postit notes and I am hopeful that I can improve my quality and enjoyment of life because of this book. His writing style is also easy and flowing and he references his work throughout, showing that he is extremely knowledgeable about bipolar disorder.

Refining the chaos, 29 Nov 2003
I've suffered from bipolar disorder since I was 9. After countless misdiagnoses (including ADHD, multiple personality disorder and paranoid schizophrenia), I was finally diagnosed shortly after my 18th birthday. Had this book been around when I was a child, maybe all that pain and confusion could have been avoided. A clear, well-written book, it brilliantly conveys everything families and sufferers need to know about this most complex of illnesses. It doesn't fall into the usual trap of assuming that you have a long family history of bipolar disorder, or that lithium is the only thing for you - it's written humanely, looking into all aspects and possibilities. Highly recommended.

Snippets of studies rather than complete studies. , 04 Jan 2009
This book is terrible, which I am very shocked at as the first book was so good and was all I used to revise for AS. All you get is a few sentences describing a study and then another few sentences describing yet another study. The previous book would dedicate 2 pages to a study. This book only uses a couple of sentences to describe a complex study; this is ridiculous I don't understand why they did this.

Better Books Out There!, 19 Mar 2008
As an A Level psychology student using both the AS and A2 versions, i feel that i am eligible to comment.
There are so many other text books out there that would better equip studets with the knowledge needed to pass exams. Fair enough, the descriptions of subtopics are thorough. However, the commentary (evaluation) boxes, rather pretentiously, go all around the houses, and do not explain evaluative points concisively.
The layout of the book is poor, and the use of a KEY to have to work out which sections are explaining what just makes the book altogether confusing.
This review has been written after having to copy out of the book for a day's lesson - so i know that my notes are definately not sufficient enough to revise for a single topic for my exam.
The Collins Psycology books for A and AS level are much better!

Textbook, 26 Dec 2006
I'm mainly writing this review, to make the point that has not necessarily been made clear. This is the textbook version of this series for the A2 exams, 'The Exam Companion' equivalant is the book specifically for revision.
As a textbook, it depends what your needs are for the book. If you are buying one for your own personal use, you should find this very useful as it is written by the right people and not overly detailed like many textbooks out there. If, however, you are using it to compliment your classwork, all psychology textbooks use different studies etc. and this textbook (while probably contatining everything you need) is without a doubt concise.
To be clear this would not be suitable as a revision guide, but depending on your needs, could be a useful textbook.

Why people giving this low score - this book great, 15 Dec 2006
I see that 2 teachers are slating this book, but my whole class uses this book and is teacher recommended. Fair enougth people may not like the fact that it is very concise and doesnt elaborate too much. But i believe thuis is what makes a perfect a level book - just gives you the facts you need to do well in the exam, which thias book does. Its great for taking the notes you need. It has no unneccesary information, and doesnt waffle on about irrlevant stuff. A level is hard enough without a book that gives you an information overload and assumes you want to know everything about psychology.

Great book - great layout - exam advice - I PASSED!!!!!!, 15 Dec 2006
I used this book last year as part of a2 psychology and thought this book was the best of the lot (admittedly the eysenck one is pretty good also) but this one was just that bit better because it was more concise and was layed out in a way that meant the info was easier to remeber. When you go to a page it clearly states all the differetn approaches on the left hand page including the theories etc... than on the right hand side concluded them including critisicms and advantages.

This layout is perfect for exams because it covers the Ao1 and Ao2 in a easy way to folloew. You can just easily ectract the arguments and can have some good notes ready for your exams.

I strongly advise this book if you are doing a2 psychology.

Useful! A must for any trainee counsellor/psychotherapist!, 05 Jun 2007
I found this book easy to read and very practical as a trainee Counselling psychologist/psychotherapist. It will be invaluable to anyone in or entering the field in dealing with the ethical dilemmas we all have to face with our clients. The book includes a very practical six step process to ethical problem solving and takes into account the codes of conduct/guidelines of our professional bodies as well as law, personal ethics, therapeautic model values, agency policy and moral philosophy. Really comprehensive and best of all easy to read and implement!

Contracts & ethics clearly explained, 12 May 2007
The difficult area of contracts and ethics are thoroughly and clearly explained. It is made more palatable by having relevant case material to illustrate ethical dilemmas. This is an invaluable reference tool for counsellors.

Excellent coverage of Ethics and Standards in Counselling, 20 Dec 2001
Tim Bond has produced an excellent work covering the major ethical issues within counselling. The book deals with all the major topics relevant to the ethical practise of counselling.
The second edition has usefully updated information which now provides one of the few comprehensive overviews of this emerging discipline.
With well illustrated cases, Tim Bond has provided an invaluable tool for counsellors and those who teach the subject. While covering all the main issues, Tim Bond has provided a comprehensive text book which also remains readable and therefore of practical use to the busy professional.
Tim Bond has illustarted the book with both UK and USA examples, from both the Legal and Professional perspectives.
Coverage includes material drawn from the largest UK counselling organisation - the British Association for Counselling (BACP), as well as the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
This second edition has developed the book in terms of updating material and offering a good overview of the topic.
From the UK perspective and in particular the BACP viewpoint, Tim Bond's work is hard to beat - as he has been central to the BACP development of Standards and Ethics, chairing the committe for many of it's most formative years.
It should be noted that Tim Bond has been commissioned by BACP to facilitate the development of new a Standards and Ethics Code for 2002, which speaks highly of his standing within this specialism within the counselling field.
This book or its equilivent is a must read for every counsellor.
Mike Ellis BA MA PGDipPS PGDipPsy Lecturer in Counselling and Supervisor

Not for the beginner, 14 Mar 2004
Nice dictionary for the price but many words I have looked up are just not there.

If you are new to the subject perhaps give this one a miss, but if you have been studying the subject for some time and are looking for your first dictionary go for it.

The best quick and easy reference book around, 08 Jun 2002
Reber's text is thoroughly excellent; if possible, an improvement even on the second edition. Terms and perspectives are clearly explained with the occasional thought provoking comment thrown in (see the entry for 'binding'!). Moreover, Reber opts for a personal prose which distances the text from more stock, 'cookbook' competitors. Highly recommended and valuable at all levels of professional attainment. Buy it -- you won't regret it.

An invaluable tool for the psychology undergraduate, 08 Feb 2001
This book saw me through my undergraduate years and is still useful now that I'm postdoctoral! The clarity of expression and the range of individual entries provide an excellent start to any essay or topic. There are also some gems which you'll come across by accident - try the entry for psychoceramics!

Good general dicitionary but don't rely totally on it, 02 Dec 2000
It is good for people who are new to Psychology. If you are a degree student, it is worth bearing in mind that it is of most use in the first year. As the course gets more advanced, you are unlikely to find many new terms in the dictionary. Since the field of Psychology is so wide, it is difficult for a dicitionary of this size to give detailed definitions and explanations: if these are what you want, you are better off looking them up in the glossary in a more specialised textbook.

Great book for those new to psychology!, 23 Feb 2000
this book is a great book for all those who are new to psychology be it A level or even degree level. Technical words and phrases are expained and Important words and phrases are explained in detail it really helps with essay writing,and in easy to understand language too. well worth buying!

Janet B misses the point, 24 Jul 2007
Janet B misses the whole premise. Feelings are of course a response to the world around us, but between the sensory perception of an event in the world and the feeling that results comes a thought - often unnoticed. That thought is based on our beliefs and values and the way we view the world. All CBT asks us to do is to review those beliefs and values objectively and judge whether they are valid.

This book is simplistic and doesn't explain the core concepts of CBT as well as it might, but that doesn't detract from their validity.

Depressing and disappointing, 11 Mar 2007
I'm a mental health professional and I facilitate a depression group, this book was recommended to me for use with the group. I found the book clinical, unhelpful and very much a one size fits all ethos. The format of the book is forbidding and depressing. I don't recommend this book.

No good if you want to look beyond your thoughts, 03 Feb 2007
I've read many CBT self-help books both as a mental health professional and a sufferer of depression. What this book fails to recognise are my feelings as a human being. My feelings are not simply a direct reaction to my thoughts but are direct responses to the world. Mind Over Mood suggests that all I need to is 'reprogram' my thinking (as if I'm some computer!) and I'll feel better. But 'bad' feelings often tell us that there is something wrong in our world and if we continue changing what Padesky calls 'negative cognitions' then we fail to value either ourselves as accurate perceptors of an often damaging world, whilst we remain passive citizens who do not act to change what is wrong in society, the relationship, the family etc.

As a mental health professional I know that there is no money-saving substitute for seeking the sensitive support of a psychotherapist. Difficult feelings and thoughts happen for a reason and we owe it to ourselves to plumb the depths rather than gloss over the surface.

We are more than thoughts, 30 Jan 2007
This book is clearly laid out but suffers from over-simplifying the client's experiences to fit a very simplistic model. It gives brief overviews of the development of cognitive therapy and focuses on building 'evidence' for efficacy - CBT's main boast at present.

It attempts to incorporate its goals within various mental health settings but again fails to recognise that human experience is not amenable to the kinds of reductionism that the book promotes. Multi-disciplinary teams exist in order to manage and treat complex client circumstances and experiences and this book fails to acknowledge this and address these issues.

The book seems to attempt to present CBT as a panacea for all client experiences including groups, individuals and couples with little regard to relationship and circumstance.

In the end, the book's main weaknesses lie in relating to human beings in a mechanistic way; entertaining the notion that distress is 'all in the mind' and by changing value-laden terms such as 'negative thoughts' then all will be well. This is simply not the case and does a diservice to our client's experiences.



100% Possitive book, 01 Jan 2006
I bought this book because I suffer with depression, amongst other things and I have found it 100% useful.I orginally bought it out of a random choice-only to be told by my friend who is a CBT nurse that it is one of the best books about for self help. You can work with the book at your pace and lesure, and I have found the sections I have done in it most helpful to my problems and I continue to use the book.100% recommended to those who need self help that is totally possitive.

Fiction, 28 Feb 2006
To be honest as a work of complete fiction I found it a little thin on the ground plot wise and I didn't recognise any of the characters in it.
If you felt a chill down your spine at another customer review of this book that begins with the gloating conceited claim "The human psyche captured!" then the chances are at some point you have been or know someone who has been on the recieving end of treatment based on this reductive and "scientific" tomb.
Possible the most dangerous and damaging book since Mein Kampf -DSM IV carries on the tradtion of the American Psychiatric Association in reducing infinitley complex human behaviour into a series of parcelled, discreet, packaged, "illnesses" that powerful pharmacuetical companies, media obsessed reactionary governments and risk obsessed health services can target medication and "treatment" at in order that people no longer act like they are "insane".
Be aware that this book and the tradition it represents were the ringleaders for most of the horrors perpetrated on people diagnosed as suffering from a mental illness in the last century - patients were forcibly marched to labotomy operations and repeated electric shock treatments on the basis of a diagnosis from the psychiatric body that publishes this book. Psychiatrists involved in the early formations of this book were happy chair-leaders for eugenics and forced experiments on asylum populations.
Anyone even vaguely familiar with the history of DSM classifications (homosexuality was, until the 1980s, on its list of "mental illnesses") should regard this present wolume with little more than cynicism and contempt.
Only recently someone left the organisation responsible for this book after they had pointed out that on the basis of diagnosis from this book in some American schools up to a third of its children were classed as having ADHD and treated with drugs almost chemically identical with cocaine and ampthetamines.
It is important for anyone coming to this material for the first time that they should recognise that for a growing number of increasingly vocal nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, sociologists, and most importantly psychiatric "patients", DSM IV represents everything that is rotten in psychiatry and the mental health field.

Useful, but not that revised, 05 Jan 2006
We are in the in-between time, the DSM-IV being over a decade old, and the DSM-V being due out at some unspecified date, but giving the general publication rate of the major DSM revisions and the advance of general knowledge, it cannot be too far into the future. I have the DSM-IV, burgundy-cover edition, and have dipped into the DSM-IV-TR on occasion from the library, but have found no particular reason to need to purchase the TR silver edition for the kind of work I do.

This is a guide that is useful, indeed required, for graduate students in mental health and psychological fields, and for professionals working in those fields. As a pastoral care provider, I find it useful in many cases, but will warn that it is not a definitive tool to be used by itself in the hands of laypersons (which, in terms of professional psychology, I most certainly am). Symptoms and diagnoses are difficult to isolate, and not to be left in the hands of amateurs - to that end, I often worry about the general availability of books such as this (I have a similar fear for the PDR, the Physicians Desk Reference, whereby people try to self-diagnose and self-medicate based on their reading).

The DSM-IV is not without controversy - indeed, the whole psychological enterprise is not without controversy. However, this is the current standard by which the profession measures itself (sometimes a bit in opposition, but there are few who hold the DSM to be meaningless).

Professionals will want to have this book; graduate students may or may not need this particular revision.

The human psyche captured, 08 Jun 2003
The DSM is - unjustly - much decried and much derided by critics, both laymen and mental health practitioners. Its shortcomings notwithstanding, it is a noble and largely successful attempt to capture the dysfunctions of the human psyche in the confines of a single tome. Is mental illness a mere figment of our cultural and social milieu? Are the distinctions between mental disorders - the differential diagnoses - too ambiguous? Is the DSM too formal and bureaucratic? You bet. Has anyone come up with anything remotely better? No, Sir! The DSM is not only a system of classification - but also an insightful distillation of decades of clinical experience. A must. Sam Vaknin, author of "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited".

Better than wonderful!, 13 Apr 2003
As great as the little DSM is, the larger version is even greater and more wonderful. Especially if you're not a buddhist and need to kill a fly. Though if reincarnation does exist, the writers of this book will surely end up in the same state as all the people who have used the DSM to kill flies. I'm a vegetarian myself and all this talk about killing is making me queasy, so I'll say some other really good stuff about this book.

It's not boring in the least. The contents are as colorful as the cover.

One book to rule them all, one book to find them, one book to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

Brilliant!, 27 Nov 2002
A Book that is useful for both the standard undergraduate student and for those who have an avid interest in this field of psychology. Its clear terminology and description is ideal for when referencing essays and assignments. For those who are passionate about this field, the breadth of mental disorders and conditions that this book covers is enough to satisfy any quench for more knowledge. A MUST HAVE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, for those who are not it acts as a wonderful reference.

Essential reading, 20 Feb 2008
Those who are truly bipolar ( type 1 or 2) cannot fail to identify with this book. I felt reassured after reading it that I was not alone and also felt confident that there are many things I can do (in addition to taking medication) to help manage my condition. For example, the book speaks of the importance of circadian rythyms and how to maintain a regular sleep/wake cycle. I think this should be absolutely compulsory reading for those affected by bipolar- whether as a "patient" or as a carer/ family member. I also think this would aide doctors- particularly the psychiatrists to think about the human side of the condition, too. BUY it!

Informative, practical & easy to read, 28 Jun 2007
One of 2 books i purchased from Amazon after my diagnosis - the other being more geared towards the medical profession.

I've found this book really useful, not only in providing information on Bipolar Disorder, but also with practical advice on recognising symptoms and dealing with the disorder.

It's a real 'start at the beginning' book - taking you from recognising the symptoms of BD, through diagnosis, treatments and on through to dealing with the disorder, coping with the ups and downs, how to broach the subject with friends, family and work and then staying well.

It contains samples of scales, exercises & charts - much like the ones anyone dealing with BD will have been given by their doctor - which i found very helpful.

It also contains examples of real stories of BD patients. I found these especially comforting to read - it sounds cliched but i really did think 'i am not alone'.

The book discusses the possible causes of BD, what events/factors that may exacerbate symptoms, medications and their implications and therapies. It also discusses the role of family and friends in the BD sufferers life, giving advice on how they may find ways to deal with mood swings etc.

The only draw back to this book is that - as with much psych literature of this kind - it's written by an American doctor and as such is quite 'Americanised'. That doesnt detract however from how useful the book is - it just means that the author presumes you have your therapist on speed dial (in the NHS you'll be lucky!) - & the spelling & terms are American.

Overall i recommend this book to anyone dealing with BD on a personal level - either as patient or family/friend/carer.

Apart from the book i also bought at the same time as this i havent felt i needed any more info about my Disorder than this book has, and can, give me.

Excellent Book., 27 Mar 2005
I have read this book to understand what have been experiencing for years, Bipolar Disorder. This book is excellent, it felt as if it was written for me by a therapist who has known me for years. By using examples of real people, in many different situations, you feel that Dr. Miklowitz has an insight into exactly what you are experiencing. His advice is practical and spot on, this book is essential reading for anyone with bipolar and their immediate close circle of family and friends. He includes worksheets and information sheets throughout. My book is full of Postit notes and I am hopeful that I can improve my quality and enjoyment of life because of this book. His writing style is also easy and flowing and he references his work throughout, showing that he is extremely knowledgeable about bipolar disorder.

Refining the chaos, 29 Nov 2003
I've suffered from bipolar disorder since I was 9. After countless misdiagnoses (including ADHD, multiple personality disorder and paranoid schizophrenia), I was finally diagnosed shortly after my 18th birthday. Had this book been around