Important Advances in Oncology 1988

population. In addition, no essay attempts to define the elderly. Are clients in their 60s similar to others in their 80s and 90s? One is left with little regard for the life cycle as a viable force past adulthood. Several of the cases presented raise interesting issues but, again, do not place them within a meaningful context. One exception in Part II is an essay by Lawrence Breslau on the Exaggerated Helplessness Syndrome. This syndrome , in which elderly patients become maladjusted to their disabilities, highlights their passivity and serves to maintain the support of primary caregivers. The psychodynamic issues here are ripe for intervention, and Breslau provides good clinical examples. Part III, entitled "Specific Psychotherapeutic Modalities," picks up many issues from Part I and ends with a real gem: an essay entitled "The Whole Grandfather: An Intergenerational Approach to Family Therapy" by Etta Ginsberg McEwan. The other essays focus on crisis management and short-term and group geriatric psychotherapy , and the information provided here is perhaps the most practical for readers, since it addresses the appropriate structure of therapeutic intervention. For example, Kahana's chapter on crisis management presents a crucial skill for the intake of elderly clients. He provides a working definition for geriatric crisis, along with many useful clinical pieces. Ginsberg McEwan's essay, coming second to last, is poignant and informative , presenting an entire case study within the context of family and inter-generational therapy. It speaks to the very intent of the book in tying together the therapeutic goals of the elderly with those of children and grandchildren. By juxtaposing these issues, Ginsberg McEwan illustrates points of common interest as well as age-specific ones. Sadavoy and Leszcz's collection of essays will, it is hoped, serve to encourage study along the lines of its distinguished contributors. Although several essays are a bit incongruous with the book's focus on treating the elderly, one should not be discouraged. There has simply not been enough longitudinal work on the elderly, and the very concept, both before and after reading the book, remains a diffuse notion of "people 65 years and older." What emerges from the book, then, is not a specific definition, but a well-rounded appreciation for the complex issues facing the elderly and the enormous potential for therapeutic intervention. Important Advances in Oncology 1988 is the fourth annual volume in a series dedicated to the review of significant and timely …