Book Review: Not So Abnormal Psychology: A Pragmatic View of Mental Illness

Abstract

The current paper reviews the book Not So Abnormal Psychology: A Pragmatic View of Mental Illness by Ronald B. Miller. While the text's stated purpose is ambitious, it does fall short in what one would hope to glean from it. The author does provide detailed, deep information about the history of abnormal psychology, as well as comprehensive overviews of the primary categories of mental illness. These, however, are overshadowed by a number of personal opinions and gripes with the profession of psychology, which, in combination with tangled language and organization, make the book inaccessible and challenging to digest. The reviewer recommends use of parts of this text, however in its entirety, it would not be useful as a course textbook.