Book Description

This introduction to the theories of personality introduces readers to the rich history of psychology and practical information that helps students understand their own lives and their relationships with others. Using a theorist-by-theorist approach, this text summarizes the major theories of personality and emphasizes that the best understanding of personality comes from a variety of viewpoints. Theories representing the psychoanalytic, sociocultural, sociological, and existential-humanistic paradigms are offered as different--yet equally valid--ways of approaching the study of personality.

Theorists covered include: Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, Karen Horney, Erik H. Erikson, Gordon Allport, Raymond B. Cattell and Hans J Eyserick, B.F. Skinner, John Dollard and Neal Miller, Albert Bandura and Walter Mischel, David M. Buss, George Kelly, Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow, and Rollo Reese May.

Customer Reviews (2)

Theories of Personality Book Review
The book was delivered to me complete and in the condition that it was sold to me in.I would recommend and use this seller for future transactions.

Good product
It was in excellent condition when I received the item; it was exactly what I asked for and it was shipped in a very timely manner! Thanks! ... Read more

Book Description
In Personality-Guided Therapy for Depression, Neil R. Bockian describes apromising new approach to treating complicated depression, cases in whichprogress is painfully slow, elusive, or followed by relapse. The causesand experience of depression are influenced by personality style, ordeeply rooted patterns of functioning in the world. Depression in a person with a dependent style, for example, differs markedly from that in someone with an antisocial personality. This volume demonstrates how, drawinginsights from major theoretical orientations, psychotherapy can betailored to address patients' varying issues and communication styles. Astreating personality disorders alleviates depression, and vice versa, this approach offers new hope for progress in both realms. Using TheodoreMillon's personality-guided therapy as framework, Dr. Bockian illuminateshow specific personality types play into depression, and how takingpersonality into account enables psychologists to tailor theirinterventions to the patient and thus improve the prospects for long-termrecovery. For each personality type, the author explores how prevalentdepression is, what promotes and maintains it, how psychological,biological, and social factors contribute to it, and the role ofmedications and of therapist reactions to the patient. This groundbreaking book offers practitioners, researchers, and students a framework forunderstanding how personality factors increase vulnerability to depression or help buffer against it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A new approach to treating patients with complicated depression
Personality-Guided Therapy For Depression by Neil R. Rockian (Professor of Psychology, Adler School of Professional Psychology, Chicago, Illinois) presents a new approach to treating patients with complicated depression for whom progress has been slow, elusive, or followed by relapse. Professor Rockian notes, for example, that depression experienced by a person with a dependent style will differ markedly from depression experienced by someone with an antisocial personality. Drawing from major theoretical orientations to demonstrate how psychotherapy can be tailored to patients diverse needs and distinctive communication styles, Personality-Guide Therapy offers an approach that will provide new hope for successfully tailoring the therapy to the patient's personality type while controlling for how prevalent the depression is; psychological, biological, and social factors; the role of medications; and therapist reactions to the patient. A work of seminal, definitive scholarship, Personality-Guided Therapy For Depression is a welcome and core contribution to academic library and professional reference collections.
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Book Description
This book presents a cognitive styles framework that explores the relationship between traditionalism/modernism and cognitive styles and offers a method for multiculturalism assessment and psychotherapy that promotes the development of pluralistic perspectives and lifestyles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Cultural bias?
While this book does provide the critical reader with a good overview and new understanding of differences and similarities between Mexican/other Multicultural groups to European groups, it does have two major problems.
First, the author himself, and his father, are both two of the biggest pioneers in Chicano Psychology.While their names would probably appear more than others in nearly any book dealing with this subject manner, the way in which the author expands on his own research while briefly summarizing that of other psychologists.
In addition, this book address the concern of culture-centric practices on other cultures.This is a very important idea and is, as it should be, a major theme of the book.However, it seems somewhat hypocritical that Ramirez often approaches all European based techniques as being wrong. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
Reflecting the latest developments, this eighth edition paints a picture of the field as a cumulative, integrative science that builds on its rich past. It provides a much more coherent view of the whole functioning individual in the social world. Throughout the chapters, emphasis is placed on practical applications and personal relevance to everyday life in a clear and compelling way. The book also explores the essential features and contributions from the field's heritage ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Poorly organized and written "introductory" personality book
I adopted this book for one of my classes, based on Mischel being one of the authors (a respected personality researcher), and the format of the book.Unfortunately, I did not read it thoroughly before adopting it.All I can say, is that I pity my poor students who are trying to get a grasp of personality theories based on this book, fortunately they have lectures to help understand this material and also correct mistakes within this material. For example, when describing the personality trait of "Intuitive," the authors define this as "quick guesses."What a grossly misleading and absolutely incorrect definition. Further, the authors use a lot of "psychobable" specific to personality researchers, which may be useful for someone who is a personality researcher, but is rather confusing for undergraduate students where this is their first exposure to such theories.I thought this would be a nice, empirically-based personality theories book.Unfortunately, it is confusing and poorly organized.This book turns material that should be fun for students to learn into a dry and boring read. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (7)

Excellent addition to our cache of literature on abuse
Learned behavior truly IS only part of the recipe for making an abuser. Attachment has been known to be crucial to social development and quality of relationships for many years (from Ainsworth and Bowlby to the present), so it is wonderful for one book to tie in the research. Wonderful asset for all counselors.

Understanding Abuse
This book has excellent qualities and well-developed research is included within.This book is excellent for domestic violence counselors and those in the criminal justice field.It is an excellent asset for any library--and it has been quite an asset for my thesis!

An asset to the library
Excellent as an additional resource, but not a stand alone reference textbook. Should be in every therapists office!

Must read book for avocate and professional alike!
The Abusive Personality is simply the best book written on domesticviolence perpetrators and one of the best on the entire field ofpsychology. Dutton has integrated a variety of psychological perspectives(attachment theory, object relations, social learning theory, traumareactions) into a compelling and well reasoned profile of the developmentand behavior of abusive men. Dutton was the Prosecution expert in the OJSimpson trial. If you read this book, you'll wish he had taken the stand.

The Abusive Personality by Donald G. Dutton
What an excellent book!It goes step by step into what leads up to an abusive personality.I was also impressed by his mentioning that a battering relationship is like a hostage relationship, and the dynamics ofthat.I learned a lot.I feel that this would be a wonderful textbook. Easy to read, simple and to the point, and a lot of information in a fairlyshort book ... Read more

Book Description
Clinical Personality Assessment, 2/e, is the revised edition of an acclaimed comprehensive clinical personality assessment text. In this updated volume, contributors from a diverse range of psychological disciplines address a number of central issues in personality assessment in clinical and forensic settings. Focusing on key problem areas in the field, the authors emphasize practical issues in their chapters. The result is a work of outstanding variety and depth of coverage with a useful, hands-on focus. The second edition has been updated to include several new topics, such as psychophysiological methods in assessing emotions, assessment of clients' marital satisfaction, behavior genetic considerations in personality assessment, and assessment of suicide risk. Other topics include ethical considerations in clinical personality assessment, assessment of racial and ethnic minorities, sources of personality information, and problems in personality assessment. A practical, context-based approach is maintained throughout, and a helpful appendix listing psychological assessment tests and procedures concludes the book. A definitive text in its field, Clinical Personality Assessment, 2/e, is ideal for both students and practicing clinical psychologists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Text
This text is well written, comprehensive, and very easy reading.It provides comprehensive information concerning personality assessment including special populations, problems during assessment, sources of personality information and much more.Highly recommended for those seeking to understand this complex area of assessment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The tile should be "Charisma is not all its cracked up to be"
This is an important book because it makes an effort to identify a certain kind of individual who has the ability to motivate and manipulate other people and to share their often extreme world view. This type of supreme narcissist is part trickster and part prophet. This book gives examples of charismatic characters, great and small, and analyzes the factors that made them that way as well as their methods. If you are not prepared before encountering this type of individual you could spend many years on a path not your own, in service to someone elses path. Read this book to own your own power and not be a victim.

Essential reading for anyone who has encountered charisma
*(Recovery note: Prophetic Charisma is probably most beneficial for persons in somewhat advanced recovery from cult involvement--who have already reclaimed their boundaries, are appropriately angry at how their trust was violated, and who want to de-mystify the impact of their guru, but without making excuses for him (her).

Persons in very early recovery who might still be tempted to deny the harm they've suffered and who are still tempted to make excuses for an abusive guru while blaming themselves for all that went wrong should wait awhile before reading Prophetic Charisma. Reading matter that is helpful at a later stage of recovery may be less helpful or even hamper early recovery. Your therapist can help you figure out where you're at.)

This book is of the utmost value for anyone who has been affected by a charismatic person, whether in a one-on-one relationship or in a group lead by such a person. Prophetic Charisma is a great resource for any journalist who studies religion or politics. The descriptions of narcissistic personality disorder and the psychology of mystical awakening are extremely valuable and the excellent bibliography goes up to 1996-97.

I had always wondered whether gurus and charismatic leaders all attended the same 'Guru Training School' or some equivalent of Hogwarts Academy, because their personalities and life trajectories seemed remarkably similar. Len Oakes gives a detailed description of the way future leaders self-select and train themselves to function as charismatic leaders and gurus. This information will be especially valuable to journalists and historians.

What I found most valuable in this book is its combination of scholarship, lucidity, and the author's warm humanity. When Dr. Oakes describes charismatic leaders and those who trust in them, he does not stand aside, at a safe distance, but stands with them, and conveys their humanity. Dr. Oakes was once in a community led by a charismatic and knows the price in pain of putting one's heart on the line for a leader. That is probably why so many people were willing to trust him and respond to his questions--leaders and followers alike.

In the chapter entitled 'The Charismatic Moment' one man told Oakes the intimate details of an ecstatic experience triggered by his guru; that experience was as raw and intimate as orgasm and the man was both blissful and utterly terrified.

Len Oakes was a trustworthy confidante for such matters, because he'd once given his heart and soul to a charismatic leader. After leaving the leader's community, Dr Oakes re-assessed his earlier commitment. He became a social science researcher, a clinical psychologist and remained well aware how his former guru had abused money, sex and power.

Yet after becoming a social scientist and psychotherapist, Dr Oakes did not put his earlier experiences behind him, or shame himself for having once trusted a guru. Instead, Oakes has retained a creative, compassionate dual perspective: He allowed himself to remember how he felt when he opened his heart and tenderest hopes to the sunshine of his leader's charisma.Dr Oakes has become psychologically amphibious--he can simultaneously remember how he thrilled to a guru's charisma, yet at the same time remain the alert, critical minded stance of a social science researcher and clinician.

The most remarkable feature of Prophetic Charisma is that Dr. Oakes humanises charismatic leaders without excusing the harm they often do.He demonstrates very convincingly that these are narcissistically flawed, suffering human beings who are unable to experience normal empathy and intimacy. To compensate for these deficits, thesesufferers desperately and creatively activated their other talents, strove to master the arts of social finesse and manipulation, and through brilliant, strenuous improvisation, activated personal charisma and created social settings that further enhanced that charisma.

What Oakes found is that none of the 20 charismatic leaders he interviewed were genuinely spiritual themselves, *though they were capable of inspiring spiritual experiences in their followers*.

What Oakes found was that the charismatic leaders were never able to rest in peace or enjoy a single agenda-free moment. Every instant was spent scanning the environment, working the angles, calculating each move on the human chessboard 20 steps ahead. A charismatic leader may seem serene but covertly lives a rat-race existence.

Last but not least, Dr Oakes makes it clear that charisma can be used for pro-social(Winston Churchill, FDR) as well as anti-social agendas. Charisma has had a great impact on human history; we need to demystify it so we can better understand it.

Compassionate, insightful...brilliant!
I have read several books about cults and cult experiences, and Prophetic Charisma is wonderful addition to the "required reading" list. Oakes has done his research, so the book is informative. But what sets this book apart is Oakes' compassion, understanding and non-judgmental approach. Chapter 7, "The Followers and Their Quest," helped me immensely in understanding my own experience with a cult. Actually, the whole book helped me.I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to "get inside the head" of cult leaders and members (present, former and future.) ... Read more

Book Description
Written by Thomas L. Wilson of Bellamine University. The perfect complement to the online quizzing found on this text's companion Website, this STUDY GUIDE includes learning objectives to help students focus on important material; important concepts with text page references; Programmed Review (fill-in-the-blank questions); multiple-choice, integrative, and evaluative questions to test increasingly deeper levels of understanding and to help students assess their learning prior to testing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Thanks for the Personality Book
I can't remember who sold this book to me.. but Thanks so much for getting it to me so fast... I appreciate it and it was in excellent condition at a reasonable price.

D.Nixon

Great resource!
This book was outstanding...easy to understand and has all of the pertinent information you need to learn about the psychology of personality! ... Read more

Book Description
Personality Psychology in the Workplace reveals the exciting new developments being made in the area of measurement and methodology demonstrating the indisputable relevance of personality theory in the workplac e,particularly in the areas of personnel selection, job performance, workermanagement, and the study of leadership. This volume is the fir st toincorporate the interests of applied psychologists and industrial/organizational psychologists in one source. Personality psychologist sare introduced to the preoccupations that I/O psychologists have wit hpersonality while I/O psychologists are exposed to the contributions thatpersonality psychology can make to their research. This unique s ourcebook should provide inspiration for a broad audience of researche rs,practitioners, and graduate students. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
Organized by individual theorists, this comprehensive book examines the major movements in the field through an historic and humanistic approach. Allen begins each chapter with teaser questions that help frame the chapter.The questions are answered in the body of the chapter and are later reinforced through the use of summary points and essay/critical thinking questions at the end of each chapter, which aid in the continuation of a discussion about the text. In addition, Allen provides a tabular format: a running comparison between the major theorists that allows readers to analyze new theories with respect to theories learned in previous chapters. For anyone interested in personality theories. ... Read more

Book Description
FIND OUT HOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT OUT OF LIFE . . .

Do you long for happiness?Do you worry too much? Are you content in your romantic relationships? Do you wish you felt better about yourself?

Now you can discover exactly what's stopping you from living the life you long to lead-and what you can do about it. Based on the latest research, this inspiring guide by renowned author and psychologist Dr. Louis Janda presents twenty-four psychological tests that will help you identify the barriers standing between you and a more fulfilling personal and professional life-and figure out how you can overcome them. Developed by behavioral researchers for professional use, these tests are divided into three sections-personal barriers, interpersonal barriers, and one's capacity for change-and cover every aspect of personality, from self-esteem, impulsiveness, and self-efficacy, to intimacy, anger, and romantic relationships. Best of all, at the end of each test, Dr. Janda provides expert advice that will help you use your results to make changes for yourself or help you decide whether you should seek professional help. Refreshingly candid and insightful, The Psychologist's Book of Personality Tests will not only help you achieve greater personal and professional success-it will show you how to get what you want out of life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Inaccurate and difficult to understanding scoring
I put this book down after the eighth test out of sheer frustration. I picked it up at my local library just for something fun to do, as I know myself pretty well through my own experiences and introspection over the years. I usually enjoy personality tests, and am even sometimes surprised at the amazing accuracy of the more famous ones, such as the Myers-Briggs. I was a bit disturbed that I was finding such inaccurate answers, at the least the ones I could even understand how to score. I scored well out of the norms on every test, which I think is odd as I am college-age myself. Out of the first eight that I took, Who Controls Your Fate was probably the most accurate, and easiest to understand scoring-wise. It's just disturbing that this is a compilation of tests from various sources, and 7 out of the 8 I took had answers that I felt were pretty far off.

The scoring was also very difficult. Some of the instructions on how to score were almost impossible to decipher, which could have led to some of my obscenely off scores. Other tests would not even define what was a "good" or "bad" score, you were left to decide on your own!

The book just seems to have been quickly thrown together with very poor explanations. I suggest finding a book that delves more into one type of personality test, such as a book on Myers-Briggs or Enneagrams.

An unfortunate waste of money
I bought this book because I thought it'd be fun and interesting, but I was wrong. There were many tests which were interesting and I didn't mind taking the time to answer the forty to sixty questions. What bothered me was when I finished answering all the questions I was left completely confused. I'd find out my score for a test, but it didn't tell me if my score was a good thing or a bad thing. Instead it showed the results of other people, which I really didn't care about. I only wanted to know about my score, which I didn't get. I hope others were able to find this book helpful because I sure didn't.

good tests, but too confusing for the "abnormal"
I found this book interesting, but depressing. I think the tests in the book are great.However, the book itself does not tell how to accurately interpret unusually high or low scores, those outside of the percentiles for normal college students.Since I didn't score often in the "normal" percentile range, I had no idea how to gauge if it meant I was wonderfully unique or terribly dysfunctional. Since the author is not even sure about the meanings of some of the tests in this book, I am equally unsure. I am interested in being psychologically healthier, but not always interested in being "normal." If someone has a better approach to helping the layman interpret psychological testingI would be happy to find out about it.
I would recommend this book to someone who wants to know if they have major problems, because if you do, you will probably score way outside the percentiles. And there are a few tests that may help you see how healthy you are, if you are.The great thing is that the tests appear to be real, and the test for measuring your level of anxiety is detailed, well explained, and informative. I think the romantic love test is very accurate as well.
Needless to say, I don't think this book will help you much in overcoming your "personal barriers to a better life" like it says in the misleading subtitle.It only shows you barriers.

The first one was better!
I had bought the first book Louis Janda wrote in the personality test series: 'The Psychologist's Book of Self-Tests : 25 Love, Sex, Intelligence, Career, and Personality Tests...' and I think it was better. First of all I like the different tests in THIS book, they are pretty introspective. But I DID NOT like the way the tests were scored. It was at times hard to understand and keep tract of. I wanted to take the tests and learn the answer about myself. But even when I half figured out the scoring system and added the numbers up I couldn't tell by the scoring system whether my having a high/low score was good, or bad! I only give this a "3" instead of a "2" because they tests themselves were good, and pretty easy to take. Otherwise, if you're real good at math and have plenty of patience, you'll REALLY love this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
Why do people feel, think, and act the way they do? Cognitive variables are not enough to answer these questions. Motivational variables are also necessary, and motivation operates together with cognition to produce combined effects. What is it about motivation that is different than cognition but works together with cognition to produce thoughts, feelings, and actions? This is a basic question for all psychologists and the question that inspired this book of readings. Motivational science is concerned with the nature and functions of wanting and their relation to knowing, feeling and doing. Despite the central importance of motivational science to psychology, there is no current collection of articles that define the field. This reader provides an outstanding overview of classic and current articles in social-personality that address major issues in motivational science.

The articles in this reader were selected and edited for readability, interest, and centrality to motivational science. The reader provides an excellent introduction to social-personality contributions to motivational science at a level suitable for both advanced undergraduates and graduate students. It could be used both as a basic textbook for advanced courses in motivation and as a supplement to introductory courses in social-personality. Researchers, instructors, and practitioners in motivational science would also benefit from having these important articles readily available for the first time in a single sourcebook.

The reader begins with an original paper by the editors that introduces the social-personality perspective on motivational science and provides an integrated review of empirical and theoretical contributions. Major issues in motivational science are identified that form the basis for the organization of the book. Each section of the book also has a brief introduction, suggested additional readings, and questions for discussion. ... Read more

Book Description
The Psychology of Stalking is the first scholarly book on stalking ever published. Virtually every serious writer and researcher in this area of criminal psychopathology has contributed a chapter. These chapters explore stalking from social, psychiatric, psychological and behavioral perspectives. New thinking and data are presented on threats, pursuit characteristics, psychiatric diagnoses, offender-victim typologies, cyberstalking, false victimization syndrome, erotomania, stalking and domestic violence, the stalking of public figures, and many other aspects of stalking, as well as legal issues. This landmark text is of interest to both professionals and other thoughtful individuals who recognize the serious nature of this ominous social behavior.

Key Features
* First scholarly book on stalking ever published
* Contributions from virtually all major researchers in field
* Discussion of what to do when being stalked
* Uses examples from recent publicized cases ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Good Read!
Great intro to stalking behavior and the signs, symptoms, and preventive measures one can take. I found this book informative, well-researched, and insightful. Certainly, a good resource for anyone interested in stalking, domestic violence, or general offender behavior.

great book
great book.good look from a psychological standpoint.Very imformative.He ties together information on threats, stalking and assassination.

This book does not treat cases of multiple stalkers,....
I am a licensed psychotherapist with a personal and professional interest in 'multiple stalking' cases, in which a perpetrator organizes other individuals, likely strangers to the victim, to stalk and harass a feared or hated target individual, often over the internet.

This is a basic, beginning book, written in 1998 and way behind in filling the need, considering the proliferation of actual crimes originating on the internet especially those in which a single website recruits or incites multiple individuals, usually strangers, as stalkers against one individual. In addition, unfortunately, this well-meaning but limited book has likely set back law enforcement help for victims of multiple-stalker, internet-originating crimes by years:

In particular, the chapter on 'false victimization' is unnecessary and could well have been left out as it gives inexperienced, overburdened or uncaring law enforcement personnel, as they read the chapter about a variety of cases which at first sound like legitimate stalking cases but turn out to be false alarms, rationale to superimpose them upon all pleas to law enforcement for help, and justification to dismiss out of hand legitimate cases as illegitimate -- without investigation.

Other examples of little or no cyberstalking training (in the LAPD; there is no cyberstalking section though the law now mandates it): A lone law enforcement individual manning the phone at LAPD's 'cyberstalking' section has said, 'cyberstalking is threatening e-mails -- period!'(2001).(This misapprehension is not discredited in Meloy's book.)Another LAPD detective, a woman, said, 'Just don't go on line', and when she heard about skin-burning chemicals inserted in the victim's newspapers, 'Just stop taking the newspaper'. Another detective, when hearing about a rationally-described but complicated case of internet-originated stalking and harassment insisted that the victim go into a psychiatric facility for a three-day hold in order to 'determine what is going on' -- this is without the first attempt at interview or investigation. Other detectives, more restrained, have explained that they need 'proof' before even beginning an investigation and gathering proof,leaving the victim in a helpless, catch-22 situation (and, being put off by the multiple-stalker nature of the crime as described refused to look at the evidence at hand).

There are now many published accounts of individuals who have been targeted by people who want them dead or distracted (or, in some cases, discredited, as victims are often disbelieved when there are no witnesses and the harassment takes forms which leave little in the way of evidence)and who use the internet to accomplish such a crime without their risking being an actual part of it. One was of a woman who, working for Housing and Urban Development, had tried to integrate an all-white neighborhood. A white-supremicist set up a website and put her and her 18-year old daughter's personal information on it, inciting others to go after them. They had to move from house to house, state to state; each time the website updated their new, 'secret' information. (Finally, HUD sued this operator on the woman's behalf and won; it is unclear if he has stopped his mischief.) Another is of an editor of a progressive Jewish publication which has criticized Israel for being too hard on the Palestinians; he had death threats and had his address, phones, family names, published on a radical fundamentalist Israeli website, inciting strangers to make frequent death threats. Another victim, a grown woman, who confronted her paranoid and psychopathic father with the fact of her childhood sexual abuse by him later found herself a target of unknown people for years before finding out her father, who was afraid without reason of being incarcerated was behind it; she was forced to move from house to house, ending up incarcerated inside her own home due to the types of 'non-provable', 'high-tech' harassment techniques used by her father's cohorts (paid, or recruited over the internet)and cut off from other members of her family by her father's making sure everyone knew about his previously respected daughter's 'delusions of persecution'. --In this case, virtually every technique used, when spoken about, did sound like the delusions of a paranoid schizophrenic; such discrediting was the point of the crime, though the facts in this case were true.(Psychotherapists, take heed.)

Meloy doesn't mention multiple stalkers in his book, in fact, denigrates such stories by default and by being too vague in describing the differences between false and real cases (investigators 'had the feeling' the case was false), doing nothing to prevent law enforcement, with little more in the way of studies to go on, from concluding that more often than not a given case is 'self-harm' or simply a lie.

Psychotherapists: Many or most psychotherapists also have no choice, not hearing or knowing about the increasing multiple stalking cases (and being themselves too shocked at such stories and in denial -- as the society was about child abuse, wife-beating and one-person stalking for decades before acknowledging the seriousness and actuality of these crimes; and as we all were about the reality of terrorist threats to our nation though there was plenty of evidence for years apparently that these threats were real) they leap to the conclusion that their client is delusional. In fact, to be fair, most multiple-stalking cases are burgeoning exponentially, at the same rate as the internet, and all of this is new. (As Meloy, to his credit, attests, and he gives sound reasons why a person, who might not have been a criminal before the advent of the internet, might resort to deadly and terrorizing tactics when he thinks the internet will allow him impunity. p. 12)

There are now two cyberstalking laws in California (written after the book was written); one convicted a man (named Delapenta) who had set up a website in the name of a woman he had been turned down by for a date. He had published her name, address, phone, and ways to bypass her security system on this site; he said (as if he was she) 'she' wanted to be raped and to ignore any calls for help she might make -- that this was just part of 'her' game. The young woman was terrified at the calls and visits by strange men and remained so for at least a year after the perpetrator was caught (by her father spending weeks searching on line at first and then pretending to be a website visitor, and by two men who came to her door admitting what was going on; not by any police investigation).

There are many such stories which have been published, which make use of personal identity information on the internet, including photographs (in one known case, brazenly taken head-on of the victim by strangers with long-distance lenses in food stores, concerts, in an empty hotel lobby after a conference, across a children's playground of herself and her grandchild -- the stunned victim found that the photographers drove away in cars which had no license plates), to recruit and evoke stranger-stalkers to target one individual. Some sites might be 'dead pool' sites, which include gambling on the person's death date --this is an effective come-on as, unlike 'hate sites', 'players' have the impetus of winning money or earning it through individual assaults or 'attacks'. These may be like a computer game, but in which a real person has been chosen (likely by a known perpetrator, maybe a family member -- like the father who was afraid without cause that he, himself, would become incarcerated or abandoned if his abuse of his daugher came to light)to be the target in real life. Some of the sites may require illicitly shared software in order to 'play' and the website may not be findable by ordinary search techniques. A person playing this 'game' might get points for making one or more assaults of some kind on the victim, terrorizing her/him and possibly hastening his/her death by suicide or homicide. There was one such report (1997) of a Dungeons and Dragons game, originating on the internet but played out on the street, which resulted in the suicides of three terrified teenagers.

Clearly a new book needs to be written, and soon, incorporating all the now-known cases of multiple (stranger)stalkers elicited on the internet targeting a single individual as well as the continued gap in law enforcement between what needs to be known about how to investigate these cases (sophisticated cyber-training and sections in police departments devoted to such crimes) and how victims are being treated today. Likely legistatures need to vote money toward these sections and not just make new cybercrime laws.

This book does not treat cases of multiple stalkers,....
I am a licensed psychotherapist with a personal and professional interest in 'multiple stalking' cases, in which a perpetrator organizes other individuals, likely strangers to the victim, to stalk and harass a feared or hated target individual, often over the internet.

This is a basic, beginning book, written in 1998 and way behind in filling the need, considering the proliferation of actual crimes originating on the internet especially those in which a single website recruits or incites multiple individuals, usually strangers, as stalkers against one individual. In addition, unfortunately, this well-meaning but limited book has likely set back law enforcement help for victims of multiple-stalker, internet-originating crimes by years:

In particular, the chapter on 'false victimization' is unnecessary and could well have been left out as it gives inexperienced, overburdened or uncaring law enforcement personnel, as they read the chapter about a variety of cases which at first sound like legitimate stalking cases but turn out to be false alarms, rationale to superimpose them upon all pleas to law enforcement for help, and justification to dismiss out of hand legitimate cases as illegitimate -- without investigation.

Other examples of little or no cyberstalking training (in the LAPD; there is no cyberstalking section though the law now mandates it): A lone law enforcement individual manning the phone at LAPD's 'cyberstalking' section has said, 'cyberstalking is threatening e-mails -- period!' (2001)(This misapprehension is not discredited in Meloy's book.)Another LAPD detective, a woman, said, 'Just don't go on line' and when she heard about skin-burning chemicals inserted in the victim's newspapers, 'Just stop taking the newspaper'. Another detective, when hearing about a rationally-described but complicated case of internet-originated stalking and harassment insisted that the victim go into a psychiatric facility for a three-day hold in order to 'determine what is going on' -- this is without the first attempt at interview or investigation. Other detectives, more restrained, have explained that they need 'proof' before even beginning an investigation and gathering proof,leaving the victim in a helpless, catch-22 situation (and, being put off by the multiple-stalker nature of the crime as described refused to look at the evidence at hand). (...)

Good, but somewhat dated
This was one of the first published compilations of research articles on stalking. It includes such classics as the article by Zona and Lane (of the LAPD threat management unit) on the typology of stalking. As in many areas of active research, the book is already somewhat dated. Because stalking laws had only been recently passed at the time the papers were written, the discussion of stalking laws is limited mostly to discussing some of the cases that prompted the laws. Similarly, because there were relatively few documented cases at the time, the discussion of stalking statistics is quite preliminary. There are many more thorough recent studies (See, for example, the excellent NIJ research by Tjaden and Thoennes.) The primary strength of the book is its comprehensive selection of early papers. I would highly recommend it for a student in the field who should be familiar with this work. The book is NOT meant to be a sourcebook for case management. In particular, there are no specifics on threat assessment and only a single case study of intervention techniques. For people who work with stalkers or stalking cases, I would strongly recommend the "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin de Becker, who authored the MOSAIC system. Books on psychopathology (such as "Without Conscience: the Disturbing World of Psychopaths Among Us") are also excellent background. ... Read more

Book Description
Thoroughly updated to include the latest research references, Richard Ryckman's "theory-by-theory" approach to personality carefully guides students through major theories in a way that helps them develop a comprehensive understanding of personality. Ryckman's personal writing style presents the major theories in a straightforward way--helping readers more easily distinguish between them. At the beginning of the text, Ryckman provides a framework that defines personality, and emphasizes the science of personality (including the interrelation between research and theory). Then, he introduces each major theoretical position with an objective overview of the theorist's basic concepts and principles. Ryckman concludes by noting the ways in which the different theories stimulate additional research efforts, and by presenting five current research trends that have resulted from the work of these earlier theorists. The result is a text that merges the best of classic and contemporary research in the field--leaving students with a solid working knowledge of personality. ... Read more