Psychologists view well-adjusted behaviour as conformity the ability to navigate relationships and events within a framework of societal rules and regulations. George Serban argues that a better test is how well an individual is able to navigate adverse situations by handling conformity's ambiguities and incongruities. He uses clinical findings and content analysis to explore the interface between social conformity and nonconformist behaviours. The definition of the normal is itself problematic, since society's expectations are sometimes controversial, arbitrary, or equivocal. As a result, people who have problems coping with social conformity choose between degrees of nonconformity or hiding under what Serban calls a "mask of normalcy." Further complicating matters is that some nonconformist attitudes are now seen as normal, supported by governmental policies tacitly favouring moral relativism. A multicultural society is crisscrossed by shades of controversial values and mores. New social codes of "correct" conduct blur the distinction between true and false, right and wrong; and social conflict simmers as a result. What society perceives as well adjusted may even change within a society over time, depending on prevailing social values. Some noticeable variations have been within male-female relationships and sexual morality. Serban ultimately concludes that those who have learned how to manipulate social situations are viewed as well adjusted. Those who have not are seen as struggling or maladjusted.

Psychologists view well-adjusted behavior as conformity--the ability to navigate relationships and events within a framework of societal rules and regulations. George Serban argues that a better test is how well an individual is able to navigate adverse situations by handling conformity's ambiguities and incongruities. He uses clinical findings and content analysis to explore the interface between social conformity and nonconformist behaviors.

The definition of the normal is itself problematic, since society's expectations are sometimes controversial, arbitrary, or equivocal. As a result, people who have problems coping with social conformity choose between degrees of nonconformity or hiding under what Serban calls a "mask of normalcy." Further complicating matters is that some nonconformist attitudes are now seen as normal, supported by governmental policies tacitly favoring moral relativism. A multicultural society is crisscrossed by shades of controversial values and mores. New social codes of "correct" conduct blur the distinction between true and false, right and wrong; and social conflict simmers as a result.

What society perceives as well adjusted may even change within a society over time, depending on prevailing social values. Some noticeable variations have been within male-female relationships and sexual morality. Serban ultimately concludes that those who have learned how to manipulate social situations are viewed as well adjusted. Those who have not are seen as struggling or maladjusted.

Undoubtedly this symposium will prove to be an important landmark in the development of our understanding of the psychopathology of human adaptation in general, as well as of the general adaptation syndrome and stress in particular. It was organized to give an opportunity to an international group of experts on adaptation and stress research to present summaries of their research that could then later be exhaustively analyzed. The carefully structured program brings out three major aspects of adapta tion to stress in experimental animals and man. The first section deals with the neurophysiology of stress responses, placing major emphasis upon the neuroanatomical and neurochemical aspects involved. The second section is devoted to the psychology and psychopathology of adaptive learning, motivation, anxiety, and stress. The third section examines the role played by stress in the pathogenesis of mental diseases. Many of the relevant subjects receive particularly detailed attention. Among these, the following are especially noteworthy: The existence of reward and drive neurons. Constitutional differences in physiological adaptations to stress and d- tress. Motivation, mood, and mental events in relation to adaptive processes. Peripheral catecholamines and adaptation to underload and overload. Selective corticoid and catecholamine responses to various natural stimuli. The differentiation between eustress and distress. Resistance and overmotivation in achievement-oriented activity. The dynamics of conscience and contract psychology. Sources of stress in the drive for power. Advances in the therapy of psychiatric illness. The application of experimental studies on learning to the treatment of neuroses."

In March, 1974, an International Symposium was held at the Harmonie Club in New York to discuss a highly pertinent problem in today's research: the "Rele vance of the Animal Psychopathological Model to the Human." This meeting was sponsored by the Kittay Foundation, which brought together an outstanding group of scientists involved in widely different fields of research. This volume, it is hoped, will convey the tone of lively and cordial exchange between inter nationally renowned investigators, including Dr. I. Eibl-Eibesfeldt from Germany, Dr. Robert A. Hinde from England, Dr. Edward F. Domino from Michigan, and Dr. Pierre Pichot from France, Chairman of the Steering Committee. In his welcoming address, Mr. Sol Kittay reminded us that man has achieved remarkable control over his environment but not over himself, and he suggested that we should reexamine our ancestral origins, and search in animal behavior for clues to the understanding of normal and abnormal behavior in man."

The mental health movement of early release into the community of the chronic schizophrenic has been based on a set of old theoretical assumptions and expectations which, when tested on the community level, failed to meet the desired results. On the contrary, the first visible outcome of deinstitutionalization was the revolving door policy with the patients repeatedly in and out of the hospital, changing their previous status of inpatient to the new one of pseudoam bulatory. Yet, this would not be a serious problem if the life of the patient in the community, in between rehospitalizations, was beneficial to him and to the community. However, the quality of life experienced by the patients in the community appears to be deplorable. Available statistics indicate that over 70% of chronic schizophrenics discharged into the community live a marginal, unproductive, aimless life in dilapidated hotels or private proprietary homes. Certainly, though there are various scattered community programs for the rehabilitation of the schizophrenic, the results are far from encouraging. With these basic facts in mind, we have to ask ourselves: What went wrong with deinstitutionalization? Apparently in the process of hasty deinstitutionaliza tion, too many issues were overlooked by the community mental health planners. The most critical factor neglected by the policy makers was the establishment of more realistic criteria for the patient who can or cannot function in the community."

The description of sequelae of nutritional deficien cies was equally oversimplified. Obviously, a disease like rickets, which affected hard tissues--the skeleton- had irreversible consequences. Destruction or alteration of tissues, such as in cancrum oris or severe xerophthal mia, was equally permanent and easily observed. Other models were beriberi or scurvy, where, by contrast, the vitamin treatment seemed to restore the individual to the completely normal status quo ante. Most nutritionists were therefore little prepared intellectually for the series of suggestive findings con cerning nutrition and mental development which has been the highlight of nutritional research in the past decade: the discovery that there are irreversible gaps in mental development not correlated with obvious permanent somatic lesions which follow acute malnutrition during the develop ment of the young infant. Furthermore, not only are ex isting somatic instruments--physical examination, the scale, and the measuring tape--inadequate to detect such intellectual and behavioral deficits, but some of the current psychological instruments, bound to traditions of Western culture, are often poorly adapted to measure fine differences in psychological development among poor populations. These initial discoveries have stimulated important methodological advances, ranging from better staining techniques for the study of fibers connecting brain neurons to better tests for the study of cognitive development."

If Gregg might have wondered about the fate of his soul after his death, he found out now. His soul pushed by mysterious forces took off into the galactic space. Changed into a cosmic bio-energy entity, he reached Soulsland, the planet for souls' cosmic recycling. There, as a high bio-energy soul, he was assigned to protect other souls in his sector against the unexpected invasion of critters of a predatory planet, PP5x, who armed with powerful robots and gamma rays missileships tried to abduct many souls. Gregg dramatically defeated them using a clever strategy. He became an instant hero. This lead to his cosmic odyssey full of suspenseful and frantic struggles for survival culminated by flying with his friend Mike a pricely spaceship. After daring exploits, pursued by PP5x, who he defeated, he landed on RX7, a planet inhabited by beings of a unique civilization. They reincarnated there. Here, Grego discovered a vast Machiavellian conspiracy masterminded by a powerful MC planet ready to take over RX7. This plot conceived and carried out in Earthian fashion led to a cloak-and dagger affair. While the daring aerial and ground confrontations continued, Miko piloting a spaceship got caught in cosmic storm and ended on a distant small planet inhabited by a kind of hominids. With the navigational system restored he flew back to tell his fascinating story. Then the day of Armageddon came when Grego and his space fleet defeated in spectacular battles the MC space fleet armed with anti-proton bombs. The galactic supremacy of MC ended and with it the Machiavellian spirit of reincarnated Earthian souls. During the unfolding of these suspenseful encounters and thrilling events, Grego's love life was conflicted by two beautiful females, one of them sent to kill him. Did he meet his cosmic destiny or something else would happen to him?

If Gregg might have wondered about the fate of his soul after his death, he found out now. His soul pushed by mysterious forces took off into the galactic space. Changed into a cosmic bio-energy entity, he reached Soulsland, the planet for souls' cosmic recycling. There, as a high bio-energy soul, he was assigned to protect other souls in his sector against the unexpected invasion of critters of a predatory planet, PP5x, who armed with powerful robots and gamma rays missileships tried to abduct many souls. Gregg dramatically defeated them using a clever strategy. He became an instant hero. This lead to his cosmic odyssey full of suspenseful and frantic struggles for survival culminated by flying with his friend Mike a pricely spaceship. After daring exploits, pursued by PP5x, who he defeated, he landed on RX7, a planet inhabited by beings of a unique civilization. They reincarnated there. Here, Grego discovered a vast Machiavellian conspiracy masterminded by a powerful MC planet ready to take over RX7. This plot conceived and carried out in Earthian fashion led to a cloak-and dagger affair. While the daring aerial and ground confrontations continued, Miko piloting a spaceship got caught in cosmic storm and ended on a distant small planet inhabited by a kind of hominids. With the navigational system restored he flew back to tell his fascinating story. Then the day of Armageddon came when Grego and his space fleet defeated in spectacular battles the MC space fleet armed with anti-proton bombs. The galactic supremacy of MC ended and with it the Machiavellian spirit of reincarnated Earthian souls. During the unfolding of these suspenseful encounters and thrilling events, Grego's love life was conflicted by two beautiful females, one of them sent to kill him. Did he meet his cosmic destiny or something else would happen to him?

One of the most puzzling problems of our time is society's changing attitude toward truth and lying. Are we experiencing the breaking down of our moral values as many ethicists claim or are we confronted with a new moral paradigm? Serban explores the new moral relativism within the context of the unprecedented social-political and technological advances of the last decades. With the classical values under siege, a new concept of right and wrong has emerged based on a blurred distinction between truth and falsehood. Many forms of lying are considered subjective truth. Political correctness and spinning are part of the social interaction promoted by lawyers, politicians, activist judges, media, among others.

Serban documents that man, in the process of pursuing his goals, tends to manipulate others. Adapting through deception, particularly in crisis, is part of our animal heritage. Our thought processes, protective of our emotions and self-image, are perfectly adapted for the task of lying. Historically, people have always lied, regardless of social-moral restraints and legal prohibitions. Man--to successfully compete in this rapidly changing world full of conflicts, duplicity, and half-truths--either have to learn the new rules of self-protection in the social game of manipulative interaction or become losers. Psychiatrists, sociologists, psychologists, social workers, legal professionals, all other students of human behavior and also general readers interested in understanding the dynamic of social deception will find the work of particular value.