The author of this unique volume, Dr. Ronald W. Pies is a psychiatrist with a long-standing inerest in Jewish thought. Readers will surely note Dr. Pies's efforts to connect the teachings found within Pirkei Avot with the larger fabric of psychology, philosophy, and literature. While Pirkei Avot is a unique and specific expression of Judaic values, it is nevertheless true that the world's great religions often resonate with the values found within them. In some instances, this may reflect a direct historical/cultural interaction; in other cases, it reflects what may be called "convergent evolution." In any case, as the author writes, "Many values articulated in the world's major faiths are seen to mirror those embraced in Pirkei Avot.

"Handbook of Essential Psychopharmacology," Second Edition, provides an indispensable guide to vital information in the rapidly expanding field of psychopharmacology. The updated edition of this popular handbook will continue to be a reference that is simply the essential starting point in psychopharmacology for residents and experienced clinicians alike.

Busy residents and clinicians will find a quick, current, and accessible guide to basic facts about psychotropic drugs, including dosages, indications, and drug interactions. As in the first edition, its structure is clear and easy to read, including An all-new introductory chapter, designed to equip the reader with a basic understanding of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics Four main chapters covering the four main groups of psychotropic medications: antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, and mood stabilizers A consistent format for all four chapters that summarizes critical information about each group of medications, including drug class, indications, mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics, main side effects, drug-drug interaction, potentiating maneuvers, and use in special populations A wealth of tables and graphs for quick clinical consultation and unique self-instruction sets of questions and answers Fascinating and educational vignettes and puzzlers, extensive references for further reading, and& mdash;new to this edition& mdash;an invaluable appendix of fifty CME questions and answers, designed to test the reader's knowledge and comprehension of the text

Densely informative and packed with practical material and special features, this truly essential guide is a handy clinical reference for experiencedclinicians, an ideal teaching tool for educators, and a useful resource for residents, especially those preparing for the psychiatry board examinations.

Why do some psychiatric patients fail to get better, even when in the care of competent clinicians?

Treatment-refractory conditions are all too common in everyday clinical practice. Treatment resistance occurs across the full spectrum of psychiatric disorders, incurring enormous emotional, economic, and social costs. In the United States, treatment of depression alone costs more than $40 billion annually, and as many as 40% of patients with depression have a treatment-refractory form of the illness.

This groundbreaking clinical guide starts where standard textbooks end, focusing on clinical strategies to be used after all basic treatment options, such as medication and psychotherapy, have failed. In this book expert contributors address the sequential clinical steps in treating difficult-to-treat psychiatric patients by offering a blend of evidence-based clinical recommendations, detailed case vignettes, treatment algorithms, and -- when necessary to go beyond the reach of evidence -- the clinical wisdom of leaders in the field.

The chapters in this user-friendly, practical guide are organized by major disorder. Each chapter offers concrete recommendations on what to do when the usual first steps in therapy are ineffective, including evidence for biopsychosocial treatments alone versus in combination, generic versus specific therapies, and literature reviews and the latest expert wisdom. A sampling includes - The management of the complex and often refractory bipolar disorder, which involves replacing or combining lithium treatment with anticonvulsants or atypical antipsychotic agents with adjuncts such as benzodiazepines, thyroid hormone, and electroconvulsive therapy, but also -- above all -- with careful attention to the therapeutic alliance.- The importance of combined therapeutic modalities for patients with schizophrenia -- especially given managed care's cost-cutting strategies, which deprive many schizophrenic patients of effective treatment modalities such as family therapy or early use of an atypical antipsychotic.- Combination treatments for anxiety, with medications adjusted over time as symptoms wax and wane, and early and appropriate interventions to mitigate internal and external environmental stressors.- The emphasis on common sense, optimism, a sense of humor, and an iron constitution as the most important tools for clinicians wishing to work with the most severely ill patients with borderline personality disorder.- The importance of individual differences in biological vulnerability, emotionality and expressiveness, cognitive schemas and beliefs, prior traumatic experience, resilience, and coping strategies for successful treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder.

Packed with up-to-date information of immediate relevance, this volume will prove invaluable in both classroom and clinical practice, for everyone from beginning interns and residents to experienced psychiatric and medical practitioners and social workers.

Adam Levtov teaches drama at a small college in the tiny town of Hope Falls. He usually gets stuck with directing one of Shakespeare's "minor tragedies," but this year, he is staging Othello, and the pressure is mounting. Unfortunately for Levtov, his students are rebelling; his teenage son is wearing eyeliner; and a hulking man with a Russian accent is stalking him. All the while, Levtov is struggling with his guilt over a lie he has lived for fifteen years; a household roiled by his demented father-in-law; and a wife who may be flirting with one of Levtov's colleagues. Is all this why Adam Levtov feels like a ghost walking through life? The Director of Minor Tragedies takes the reader into a world of tragedy and treachery, wrongdoing and redemption, in which low comedy crouches stealthily behind high art. "In his debut novel, Ronald Pies creates a compelling family drama filled with love, compassion, humor and a keen understanding of the human condition...A pleasure from the opening sentence through the satisfying conclusion, this book left me hoping for a sequel." - Richard Berlin, MD, Author of "How JFK Killed My Father," and "Secret Wounds"

This is a book for anyone who wants to live "the good life," but who has not yet found a clear path to that goal.

By examining the common threads that unite three, great spiritual traditions--Judaism, Buddhism, and Stoicism--the author provides a framework for achieving a fulfilled and ethically responsible life. The author helps the reader take the spiritual "nutrients" from these three ancient traditions and transform them into a life of beauty, order, and purpose. No scholarly expertise or special knowledge of religion is required to understand this book, nor need the reader believe in a "supreme being" or owe allegiance to a particular religion. All that's needed is an open mind and a sincere desire to create an awakened and flourishing life.

What does rabbinical Judaism have to teach us about the way the mind works? How do the rabbis of the Talmud, Middle Ages, and our own time shed light on emotional disturbances, and on the cognitive-behavioral therapies used to treat them? In this panoramic view of rabbinical Judaism, psychiatrist Ronald Pies MD shows how cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT) rely on psychological principles found in both ancient and modern Judaic writings.

"The interplay between thought and deed is a central feature of Judaic affirmation. Control the thought and the deed will follow. Dr. Ronald Pies's book explores this connection in depth, and the inter-relationships that he weaves are at once illuminating and empowering." -Rabbi Dr. Reuven P. Bulka