BOOK REVIEWS
All reviews are prepared on invitation. Unsolicited reviews
Opinions expressed are entirely those of the reviewers.
SOCIAL CLASS AND THE TREATMENT OF
ALCOHOLISM-By Wolfgang Schmidt, et
al. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto
Press, 1968. 1 1I pp. Price, $5.
At first glance, this short book might
be considered of interest only to the
specialist in treatment of alcoholism.
Certainly everyone who works in alco-
holism programs should read it. More
importantly, however, the authors have
made a masterly search of the litera-
ture on the relation between social class,
disease, and the treatment of disease.
They have digested the material and
summarized the previous work in a co-
herent and highly readable fashion. The
result is a statement of value to every-
one working in public health.
The research findings are equally sig-
nificant. The relations which are indi-
cated between social class and kinds of
physical, mental. social, and even drug
therapy suggest a wide range of public
health functions which may be influ-
enced by social class phenomena. Re-
examination of all types of contacts with
the public and with patients might well
be undertaken in light of potential in-
fluences resulting from the social class
of administrators, therapists, and pa-
tients or clients. The social status of the
"gatekeepers" can be of particular rele-
vance in determining the kind of treat-
ment the patient receives. The social
status of the patient may be important
in determining the kinds of treatment
to which he is able to relate.
While the study was not intended
for this purpose, some findings have
clear implications in terms of delivery
of health services. It is not hard to
draw the inference that social class fac-
JULY, 1970
cannot be accepted.
tors are a significant influence in the
increased demand by community groups
for a voice in the operation of local
health facilities.
Despite some errors, the book is well
written and easily read. It is highly
recommended for all public health prac-
titioners. ROBERT W. JONES
MANAGEMENT OF NURSING CARE-
By Elma L. Rinehart, New York: Macmillan
(866 Third Ave.), 1969. 243 pp. Price, $6.95
(hard cover).
The author states that her book is in-
tended "primarily to assist the nurse in
the patient care unit in gaining a bet-
ter understanding of the factors involved
in the management of patient care."
This is a "how to do it" book and as
such fulfills the author's intentions. It
is plentifully supplied with lists of ac-
tivities and who does them, and gives
attention to an often neglected area-that
of planning for nursing services in the
home after discharge. Miss Rinehart dis-
plays some ambivalence regarding the
responsibility for this by assigning, on
page 109, liaison functions to the so-
cial worker and, on page 116 of the
same chapter, the responsibility for con-
tinuity to the nurse. She is unclear in
differentiating the differences, if any,
between these two functions.
In Chapter 3 the author also falls
to make explicit the influence on nurs-
ing plans of the physician as director of
the patient's medical care regime. Fur-
ther, she does not raise the question, "Is
all this necessary for every patient?"
and has not made clear the differences
inherent in the management of care be-
1 347
tween a long-term facility and an acute
care hospital.
This reviewer would find it hard to
imagine a head nurse on a busy acute
medical unit having the time and staff
to follow the author's plans.
It is unfortunate the author was un-
able to acknowledge that some patients
are uneducable and that some cannot
be saved, and has assumed, I think
wrongly, that all patients leave the hos-
pital educated and alive.
The book should have value for begin-
ning head nurses, students, and others
who are unfamiliar with the complexi-
ties of the nursing care unit.
JOAN E. MULLIGAN
MANPOWER FOR MENTAL HEALTH-
Edited by Franklyn N. Arnhoff, ot al. Chi-
cago, 111. 60605: Aldine (529 South Wabash
Ave.), 1969. 204 pp. Price, $6.95.
This volume should be of great value
to all who are interested in the provi-
sion of mental health services. Moreover,
it should be of great interest to all who
are concerned with the development of
manpower for these services. The editors
have provided a collection of papers
which are individually of high quality
and collectively consistent.
Some who read the volume may look
for solutions to our present-day prob-
lems of finding adequate manpower for
mental health services. These readers
may be initially disappointed as they
discover that the editors and the authors
of the individual papers have not sought
to provide such solutions. Rather, the
papers represent scholarly and insight-
ful discussions of the broader social,
economic, and conceptual issues which
must be considered by those who do
attempt to find solutions to our present
manpower problems. An understanding
of these issues can do much to broaden
the perspective and thus increase the
skill of the manpower problem-solver.
The potential value of this book is
therefore great; however, it must be
1348
pointed out that the editors have omitted
at least one basic issue from their dis-
cussions of the context in which man-
power concerns must be handled. In
none of the papers is there any sub-
stantial consideration given to the na-
ture of the existing system for the de-
livery of mental health services. More-
over, there is no discussion of what
might be thought of as the dynamics
of this system and its potential for fur-
ther change. This is an unfortunate
omission for, clearly, any approaches to
the development and utilization of men-
tal health manpower in large part must
be determined by the nature of the
services system in which this manpower
will function. ALAN I. LEVENSON
NOISE AND MAN-By William Burns. Phila-
delphia, Pa.: Lippincotf (East Washington
Square), 1969. 336 pp. Price, $1 1.
This depressing book portrays the ef-
forts of a small band of scientists totally
absorbed in a subject which has until
now been of little concern to most peo-
ple. It should be read now and saved as
a reference book against that day when
the conservationists make their assault
on noise.
The author takes a reasoned approach
to his subject. He searches for possible
effects of noise on health in general, on
hearing specifically, and on irritability
and annoyance thresholds. He finds
little reason to belie4ie that health in
general is adversely affected by noise.
Curiously, no reference is made to the
numerous epidemiologic studies that
have shown correlations between am-
bient noise and certain chronic diseases,
such as coronary artery disease. The ef-
fects of continuous and impulse noise
on hearing thresholds are well described.
Annoyance is subjected to a crude but
enlightening attempt at quantification.
A rapid, kaleidoscopic review of a
very complicated subject, at times this
study is unnecessarily detailed. It seems
clumsy to insert a series of references in
VOL. 60, NO. 7, A.J.P.H.