Handbook of Stress Medicine and Health, 2nd Edition

Handbook of Stress Medicine and Health, 2nd Edition Editor: Cooper, Cary L. Bibliographic Data: (ISBN: 0-8493-1820-3, Taylor & Francis Inc., 2005, $149.95. Imprint: CRC Press I LLC) 410 pages, hard cover. Subjects: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Public Health, Psychology, Clinical, Community Health. DESCRIPTION: This revision offers a fresh look at types of stress, including stress-related characteristics, symptoms, duration, and certain treatment approaches. It uses a generic theory of stress and health and explores the relationship of stress to a variety of health outcomes such as heart disease. Professor Cary L. Cooper (Department of Organizational Psychology and Health, Lancaster University, UK) uses a distinguished panel of 38 experts to evaluate a wide range of psychological factors contributing to associated illnesses. PURPOSE: Starting with Hans Selye’s three-stage process for defining stress-related illnesses (alarm reaction, resistance and exhaustion), this second edition conceptualizes the importance of stress in society and defines links from stress to states of health. The book also explores the relationship of stress to a number of health outcomes, advances the link between stress and personality, and concludes with a treatment of stress and general ill health consequences. AUDIENCE: The authors somewhat mirror its intended audience, encompassing a wide range of interdisciplinary scientists and physicians, including those in psychology and psychiatry, medical sociology and social work, and internal medicine. Management and human resource leaders may also benefit from the major findings presented here. FEATURES: This edition provides a useful taxonomy for stress, listing its characteristics, symptoms, duration, and treatment approaches. In particular, its final 7 to 8 chapters deal with the consequences of stress, including the emotional processing of traumatic events, family-originated stress, and strategies for better coping with stress in the workplace. ASSESSMENT: Stress is a condition for which no “vaccine” currently exists. Although this is a serious, scholarly book, I believe it will also find its way into personal decision-making, probably even extending to its sophisticated readers. To editor Cooper’s credit, he has incorporated 20 chapters from many distinguished scientists with related books to their own credit. An honest attempt has been made to treat the subject along a continuum stretching from molecular to psychosocial bases. Five chapters focus on actually dealing with stress. The index is appropriately organized and the chapters are extensively and currently referenced. SCORE: Weighted Numerical Score: 93 Reviewed by:J. Thomas Pierce, MBBS, PhD (Navy Environmental Health Center)FIGURE. No caption available.