WILLIAM L. MARSHALL and PHILIP FIRESTONE Abnormal Psychology Perspectives Toronto, ON: Prentice-Hall Allyn & Bacon Canada, 1999, xxv + 598 pp. (ISBN 0-13-589748-3, C$90.95, Hardcover) (Study Guide: ISBN 0-13-589772-6, C$21.95) Reviewed by HARVEY P. MANDEL and WENDY HAMPSON Those of us who teach abnormal psychology to Canadian undergraduates have been waiting for a textbook like this for far too long. Until now, Canadian faculty had to choose among a number of well-written American texts and then augment the text with Canadian readings. It is not that Canadian research is absent in American textbooks. Often it is blended into the presentation of scientific evidence. Some Canadian work is excluded routinely, simply because American texts focus primarily on the American mental health scene. What is lost is an exploration of the unique characteristics of Canadian mental health. But how should a Canadian textbook in abnormal psychology be constructed? One way would be to adapt an American text, adding and highlighting Canadian studies. However, that would not capture the broad context of the Canadian mental health scene. In order for a Canadian text in abnormal psychology to make a unique contribution, it should do two things. At its core, it must first address the Canadian experience in mental health and place it within a larger international context. It would have to reflect the history of Canadian mental health care, describe our delivery of mental health services, discuss our unique legal practices, explore the relationship between multiculturalism and mental health, provide Canadian statistics on such things as the prevalence of suicide across Canada, and examine Canadian programs for the prevention of mental illness. Second, it would have to include all of the major components of U.S. texts (i.e., up-to-date coverage of topics, multiple modes of data presentation, controversial issues and opposing points of view, a comprehensive glossary of technical terms, a study guide for students, an instructor's guide, a computerized record-keeping system and test bank for instructors, and a competitive price). The publication of Abnormal Psychology Perspectives goes a very long way in providing many of these components. Marshall and Firestone have chosen to construct an edited text, using Canadian experts for each of the 19 chapters. Marshall is an author or co-author on four chapters and Firestone on five. They required that all contributors adhere to a template. For example, all 19 chapters open with a brief case history, followed by an overview of the content of the chapter. Except for chapters on Therapies, Mental Health Law, and Prevention and Mental Health Promotion in the Community, each chapter contains sections on diagnosis and DSM-IV criteria, historical information, descriptions of the disorders, followed by information about etiology and treatment. Each chapter concludes with an overview of the material presented, a summary, and a listing of key terms and additional resources. The last section in each chapter provides one of the most interesting and worthwhile guides to additional resources through the listing of Canadian and international websites that students can access if they choose to pursue a topic in greater depth. Because of these organizational consistencies, the reader can progress relatively seamlessly across chapters written by a range of experts. Chapters 14 cover history, theoretical perspectives, classification and diagnosis, and assessment and research methods. Chapter 5 (Disorders of Childhood and Adolescence) and Chapter 6 (Developmental Disorders) appear before any of the adult disorders are presented. Many textbooks in abnormal psychology place disorders of childhood and adolescence at the end, usually just prior to the chapter on disorders of aging. The current positioning allows the reader to absorb the information following a life-span developmental perspective. …