Temperament in clinical practice /

Chess (child psychiatry, NYU Medical Center) and Thomas (psychiatry, NYU Medical Center, former director of Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital) have written a very fine exposition of temperament and its role in understanding and dealing with people. The work is based on the New York Longitudinal Study (195686) as well as on their clinical experience. The authors describe various temperamental styles and the interactions between these styles and other important variables, using a ``goodness-of-fit'' model. Chess and Thomas discuss such matters at each stage of development, and describe methods for developing a good fit between temperament and the environment. Their emphasis on temperament as one of many important variables nicely complements works that focus on other aspects of human functioning (developmental, environmental, etc.) Although one third of the book is primarily of interest to clinicians, the remainder contains valuable information for parents, educators, medical professionals, and anyone who works with children. Because of the clear style and extensive use of examples, most upper-level undergraduates should find this book quite accessible.-H. Karp, University of Houston-Clear Lake