I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in getting real facts about psychoactive drugs. Dont be fooled by the low price or the fact that it is "nontechnical." (All that means is that psychiatrists can read it without digging though their biochem notes!) This is a real medical-grade book that gives a very complete and easy-to-understand introduction to the drugs used to treat psychiatric disorders. Dont waste time with popular books that either claim psychoactive drugs will solve all our problems, or alternately, that they are useless brain-damaging poisons. *A Primer...* is the most honest, readable introduction to the psychotherapeutics I know of. It is essential reading for the informed patient or caregiver.
This is the third edition of this book that I own. As a dual diagnosis counselor I have found this book to be an invaluable resource. The psychopharmacology of both drugs of abuse and mental health medications are explained in a detailed manner that is very accessible. I find it a valuable resource in helping me educate clients about drug action.
First, I divulge a long-time professional relationship with the author. In the years when I served as Director of Training in a large community mental health center, I contracted with Dr. Julien to provide In-service training to our staff of over 350. His sessions always filled our training room and received positive evaluations from both persons with medical training and our case manager/counselors. I focus my review on two portions of the books sub-title. 1)Non-technical and 2) Revised and Updated. Robert Julien writes as he speaks. He demystifies the vast information in this field and clarifies it. However, for the reader who wants in-depth information about the topics, there are treasures to be found. Your "aha !" and "ohhhh" buttons will be pushed constantly. I appreciate the conscientious way Dr. Julien and his publisher have kept the book "revised and updated." There are so many research findings being reported all the time. New medications come on line. This makes many excellent (and expensive) books obsolete within a couple of years. "A Primer of Drug Action" remains current and useful. But seriously, they sometimes are slow in being returned. I buy them two at a time.
