Yet, as it is clear from this book, alternate Morris Parloff ("Analytic Group Psycho¬

languages are evolving for the description of
the phenomena bared by psychoanalysis,
though, as Grinker points out, "serious errors
have been promulgated by applying to all
forms of enquiry a method developed for use
in a two person situation." There is, for ex¬
ample, the language of the twin natural
science of ethology. There are the languages
of learning theory, and the languages of the
behavior analyst working within the opérant
framework. Moreover, as pointed out in three
superb and confluent essays by Grinker, Breg-
er, and Ruesch, the languages of systems
theory are peculiarly suited to the description
of personal and interpersonal processes. The
human biocomputer is beginning to look at
itself, while at the same time developing its
intelligent metal prostheses. Nothing will dis¬
turb the inner, as well as outer, ecology of
man as will these discoveries, which are still
in their infancy.
It is difficult to do justice to the many ex¬
cellent contributors in this rich volume. Let
the names speak for themselves. The general
conceptual framework, in addition to those
already mentioned, is covered by Harley
Shands ("Psychoanalysis and the 20th Cen¬
tury Revolution in Communication"); Har¬
old Kelman ("Psychoanalysis: Some Philo¬
sophical and International Concerns"); Leon
Salzman ("Sexuality in Psychoanalytic The¬
ory"); and Maurice Green, M. Ullman, and
Edward Tauber ("Dreaming and Modern
Dream Theory"). Biological aspects are dis¬
cussed by Jules H. Masserman ("The Bio-
dynamic Roots of Psychoanalysis"); Edwin
Weinstein ("Symbolic Neurology and Psy¬
choanalysis"); George Engel ("Psychoanal¬
ytic Approach to Psychosomatic Medicine");
and Arnold Mandell ("Psychoanalysis and
Psychopharmacology"). Clinical aspects are
discussed by Hans Strupp ("Psychoanalytic
Therapy of the Individual"); Lewis R. Wol¬
therapy"); Salvador Minuchin ("Psycho¬
analytic Therapies and the Low Socioeco-
nomic Population"); and Otto Will, Jr.
("Schizophrenia and Psychotherapy").
In the section on culture and society, there
are the essays by Leonard Duhl and Robert
Leopold ("Relationship of Psychoanalysis
with Social Agencies: Community Implica¬
tions"); Sol Levine and Norman Scotch
("The Impact of Psychoanalysis on Sociology
and Anthropology"); Leon Edel ("Psycho¬
analysis and the 'Creative' Arts"); Lawrence
Freedman ("Psychoanalysis, Delinquency,
and the Law"); Arnold Rogow ("Psychiatry,
History, and Political Science: Notes on an
Emergent Synthesis"); and John Seeley
("Psychiatry: Revolution, Reform, and 'Re¬
action' ").
One must agree with Levine and Scotch
that as "long as psychoanalytic theorists
argue that their discipline is a science, they
must submit to the canons and prescriptions
of the scientific method." But could it not be
that our view of science itself is changing?
Does not the stochastic quality of transient
states of mind and of interpersonal transac¬
tions suggest that we had better look at the
traditions and the framework of science?
Should not linear causality give way to a
theory of states? The essays in the volume
provide questions aplenty. A resident in train¬
ing will find these as rich a reading as will
his mentor.
Joel Elkes, MD
Identity: Youth and Crisis. By Erik H. Erik-
son. Price, $6.95. Pp 336. W. W. Norton
& Company, Inc, Publishers, 55 5th Ave,
New York 10003, 1968.
Erik H. Erikson is a psychoanalyst and an
anthropologist of international stature. His
works have served, over the past decades, as
some of the best examples of scholarly and

berg ("Short-term Psychotherapy"); Joan clinical work which linked individual psy-
J. Zilbach ("Family Development"); Frank chological maturation and development with
S. Williams ("Family Therapy"); Wells social process. His concept of modal adaptive
Goodrich ("Toward a Taxonomy of Mar¬ tasks at phase specific stages of life has not
riage"); Stuart Finch and Albert Cain only been proved as a process analysis of
("Psychoanalysis of Children: Problems of normal behavior but allows a cross-sectional
Etiology and Treatment"); Roger Shapiro analysis throughout life. Among his more
("Action and Family Interaction in Adoles¬ original concepts is the description of the
cence"); Raymond Sobel ("Special Problems process which he called ego-identity. Ego
in Late Adolescence and College Years"); identity is Erikson's attempt to link the in-

Downloaded From: http://jamanetwork.com/pdfaccess.ashx?url=/data/journals/psych/12185/ on 01/14/2017

 ternalpsychological make-up of the individual whelmed by the variety of usages made of the
with the environment which is social reality. term Identity and exasperated as he searches
Since identity, according to Erikson, is for clarity. It seems to this reviewer that
formed during adolescence and consolidated Erikson has possibly missed here a golden
at the end of adolescence, much of his writ- opportunity to clarify for himself and others
ings on the subject of identity concerns what he means by the term identity. There
youth. are at least six different definitions of iden¬
The purpose of the book, Identity: Youth tity found in his book. Though the definitions
and Crisis, is to demonstrate the indispen- complement each other and show that Erik¬
sability of such concepts as ``identity'' and son himself has thought about the subject of
``identity confusion'' in case history, life his- identity extensively, they do not present a
tory, and history. comprehensive picture. For example, Erikson
The book contains eight chapters, all of discusses "identity formation," "ego iden¬
which have been published previously in a tity," and "sense of identity" without at any
variety of journals and books. Among the point presenting the reader with a clear dis¬
better known are: ``The Problem of Ego cussion of their similarities and differences.
Identity'' (1956), ``Growth and Crises of the The time seems ripe for a theoretical and
`Healthy' Personality'' (1950), and ``Youth: operational evaluation of the concept of iden¬
Fidelity and Diversity'' (1962). This is an tity. The concept of identity, which has stim¬
extremely valuable collection of essays and ulated so much rich behavioral and social-
observations on human nature by a distin¬ science research, needs to be presented within
guished investigator. Each chapter stands on present-day theory. It will probably be most
its own and is valuable contribution to our
a appropriate to think of it within the frame¬
understanding of youth, the crisis on the work of general systems, since it encompasses
campus, race and prejudice, the plight of the child development, psychoanalysis, and social
modern woman, and the place of psycho¬ process. It is not an easy task, but one whose
analysis on the modern American scene. completion we will all anxiously await. Once
The unfortunate failing of the book is that done, it will make research of everything that
it is not a book, but a collection of essays, Erikson has so ably described more exact,
artificially tied together by a sentence or two. more scientific, and possibly more profitable.
The writings were done over the past 17 years Daniel Offer, MD
and there has been no attempt made to inte¬
grate the different observations. It would Endocrinology and Human Behavior. Edit-
have made more sense to bill the book as a ed by Richard P. Michael. Price, $18.00.
collection of essays by Erikson, rather than Pp 349. Oxford University Press, Inc., 200
give a promissory note which is not fulfilled. Madison Ave, New York 10016, 1969.
Erikson is acutely aware of the problems By their nature the proceedings of any
associated with the use of the term identity. conference are highly vulnerable reports,
In the first few pages of the book he states readily subject to extensive criticism. This
how the term has been utilized for many dif¬ publication is no exception. One cannot help
ferent purposes and in many different con¬ but admire, however, the efforts of workers
texts. It is used in psychoanalysis (where to relate endocrinology and behavior. As a
Erikson first introduced the term as ``ego science, endocrinology remains operationally
identity''), in adolescent psychology (as very diffuse with many almost independent
``normative identity crisis''), in adolescent subunits or specialized interests. Despite the
psychopathology (as ``identity confusion''), years of study, behavioral inquiries defy
and in social psychology (as ``self-identity'' even the simplest summary statements that
or ``sexual identity''). meet with universal acceptance.
Lately it has also been utilized in a variety Central nervous system involvement in
of contexts and given labels such as ``The the regulation of endocrines is serving as
Identity Crisis of Psychoanalysis,'' ``The one of the few unifying approaches in endo-
Identity Crisis of Africa,'' and ``The Identity crinology. Historically, the various endo-
Crisis of the Pittsburgh Glass Industry.'' The crine glands have served as subject material
reader of Erikson cannot help but be over- for largely independent and unrelated

Downloaded From: http://jamanetwork.com/pdfaccess.ashx?url=/data/journals/psych/12185/ on 01/14/2017