MEDIA REVIEW * The term emotional disturbance (ED) has spawned controversy and created confusion among parents, teachers, political organizations, advocacy groups, educational institutions, and legal systems throughout the country. In many school districts, it appears that the label is applied liberally, while in others, students with ED appear to be seriously underrepresented. The challenge lies in understanding the vague, and possibly inadequate, federal definition and being able to apply the inclusionary as well as exclusionary clauses appropriately and effectively. Unfortunately, there are as many interpretations of what constitutes ED as there are students identified with the disorder. Cullinan points out that many students with ED have a diagnosable mental disorder, while not all students with mental disorders quality as students with ED. According to the federal guidelines, an emotional or behavioral disorder must adversely impact the student's educational performance, and that impact on educational performance must not be better explained by social, cultural, medical, or learning problems, nor can it be the result of social maladjustment. It is important that students with ED be identified appropriately and that they be served in a manner that will help them overcome the stigmatization, as well as the possible social barriers, associated with lower graduation rates, incarceration, and unemployment. Cullinan's book provides teachers and other helping professionals with an introduction and broad exposure to emotional or behavioral disorders (E/BD), the special education process, legal issues, current and best practice, and developmental theories and treatment issues. The text is divided into 12 chapters in three basic groupings. In the first section, the author devotes 5 chapters to defining E/BD, presenting a historical framework and justification, and outlining the assessment and classification system. Chapter 1 outlines the issues involved with E/BD, including existing definitions, prevalence data, and reasons for serving students identified with this disability. Regardless of whether the definition is authoritative or administrative, the common ground appears to be that children and adolescents with EB Personal Disturbance (i.e., anxiety and depression); and No Umbrella Term (i.e., relationship problems, learning disabilities). Cullinan relates these patterns to the previously identified classification systems, the measurement of pattern existence, the prevalence of the patterns among students with E/BD, and the manifestation of these patterns in actual behaviors. …