Review by Choice Review
Explores the issues around the investigation of whether or not mental illnesses are inherited. Part of a series on psychosocial epidemiology covering who becomes mentally ill, when, and why, the book focuses on a fast-moving overlap of many areas of science and social science. A difficult task, but, in general, well done. Covered are twin and adoption studies, genetic linkage, and cohort and age effects. Focusing on knowledge in specific disorders, such as schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and obsessive disorders, it tackles issues such as the problems of adoptive studies, whether twins have a different environment from the rest of humanity, and finding the indivduals for these studies. One flaw in the book is that its only coverage of theories of inheritance focuses on genetic latent structure models. Although the authors could be more critical of earlier, more naive, work, much of the research reported is sophisticated statistically and careful in its selection of subjects. In all, a useful coverage of the area, with the inevitable drawbacks of specialization and that, with fast-moving research, it will be outdated soon. Graduate level.-J. A. Mather, University of Lethbridge
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review