BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article: PROFESSIONAL BOOKS: Tiefer, L. (1995). Sex is not a natural act and other essays. PROFESSIONAL BOOKS: Carr, A. (1995). Positive practice: A step-by-step guide to family therapy. PROFESSIONAL BOOKS: Read, J. (1995). Counseling for fertility problems. PROFESSIONAL BOOKS: Roy, R., & Frankel, H. (1995). How good is family therapy? A reassessment. PROFESSIONAL BOOKS: Kaslow, F. (1995). Projective genogramming. PROFESSIONAL BOOKS: Held, B. S. (1995). Back to reality: A critique of postmodern theory in psychotherapy. PROFESSIONAL BOOKS: Fontes, L. A. (Ed.). (1995). Sexual abuse in nine north American cultures. GENERAL INTEREST BOOK: Bor, R., & Elford, J. (Eds.). (1994). The family and HIV. SELF-HELP BOOKS: Wassil-Grimm, C. (1994). Where's daddy? How divorced, single, and widowed mothers can provide what's missing when dad's missing. SELF-HELP BOOKS: Block J. (1994). Family myths: Living our roles, betraying ourselves. VIDEOTAPE REVIEW: The Psychological Residuals of Slavery. (1995). (Videotape presenting emotional and behavioral consequences of historical enslavement on contemporary African Americans).     

Mortality Attributable to Cigarette Smoking in the United States

Cigarette smoking is an especially pernicious behavior because of its high prevalence and mortality risk. We use the powerful methodology of life tables with covariates and employ the National Health Interview Survey‐Multiple Cause of Death file to illuminate the interrelationships of smoking with other risk factors and the combined influences of smoking prevalence and population size on mortality attributable to smoking. We find that the relationship between smoking and mortality is only modestly affected by controlling for other risk factors. Excess deaths attributable to smoking among adults in the United States in the year 2000 were as high as 340,000. Better knowledge of the prevalence and mortality risk associated with different cigarette smoking statuses can enhance the future health and longevity prospects of the population.     

The Psychogeriatric Problem

The nature and the origin of the psychogeriatric problem are described as a consequence of interactions of psychological, organic and social forces. The changing social role of the aged, accompanied by downward social mobility, is a feature seen as significant. The resulting difficulties experienced by an increasing proportion of the population are seen as being mainly in the form of dependence which is treated by rejection. No solutions are proposed in this paper.     

REVIEWS

McDaniel, S. H., Hepworth, J., & Doherty, W. J. (1992) Medical family therapy: A biposychosocial apprach to familees with health problems .
Walsh, F.,& McGoldrick, M. (Eds.). (1991). Living beyond loss: Death in the family.
Edelwich, J., & Brodsky, A.(1991). Saexual dilemmas for the helping professional(2nd ed.).
Skynner, R. (Ed.). (1990). Explorations with families: group analysis and family therapy.
Weiner-Davis, M.(1992). Divorce busting: a revolutionary and rapid program for stayin together.
Powell, E.(1991). Talking back to sexual pressure: What to say to resist persuasion, avoid disease, stop harassment, and avoid acquaintance rape.
Albert, G., & Michael, S.(1991). No-fault living.
Emmons, M.L. & Alberti, R.E (1991). Accepting each other: Individuality and intimacy in your loving relationship.
Misflwy, J., & Midgley, S.V. (1990). Partners on a journey: A support structure for the newly married.
Bilofsky, P., & Sacharow, F. (1991). In laws/outlaws: How to make lpeace with his family and yours.
Disabilty in the Family and Disability in the Family Part II: Assessment.     

REVIEWS

PROFESSIONAL BOOKS: Williamson, D. S. (1991). The intimacyparadox: Personal authority in the family system. PROFESSIONAL BOOKS: Freeman, D. S. (1992). Multigenerational family therapy. PROFESSIONAL BOOKS: Framo, J. (1992). Family-of-origin therapy: An intergenerational approach. PROFESSIONAL BOOKS: Sherman, R., Oresky, P., & Rountree, Y. (1991). Solvingproblems in couples and family therapy: Techniques and tactics. PROFESSIONAL BOOKS: Donaldson, R. (Ed.). (1991). Sacred unity: Further steps to an ecology of mind/Gregory Bateson. PROFESSIONAL BOOKS: L'Abate, L. (1992). Programmed writing: A self-administered approach for interventions with individuals, couples, and families. PROFESSIONAL BOOKS: Lewis, K. G. (Ed.), (1991). Family systems application to social work: Training and clinical practice. PROFESSIONAL BOOKS: Combs, G., & Freedman, J. (1990). Symbol, story, and ceremony: Using metaphor in individual and family therapy. PROFESSIONAL BOOKS: Vesper. J. H., & Brock, G. W. (1991). Ethics, legalities, andprofessionalpractice issues in marriage and family therapy. PROFESSIONAL BOOKS: Peterson, M. R. (1992). At personal risk: Boundary violations in professional-client relationships. GENERAL INTEREST BOOKS: Imber-Black, E., & Roberts, J. (1992). Rituals for our times: Celebrating, healing, and changing our lives and relationships. GENERAL INTEREST BOOKS: Peele, S., & Brodsky, A. (1991). The truth aboutaddiction andrecuvery. GENERAL INTEREST BOOKS: Nitzberg, E. (1991). Hippocrates' handmaidens: Women married tophysicians. SELF-HELP BOOKS: Sellner, J. A., & Sellner, J. G. (1991). Loving for life: Your self-help guide to a successful, intimate relationship. SELF-HELP BOOKS: Buxton, A. (1991). The other side of the closet: The coming-out crisis for straight spouses. SELF-HELP BOOKS: Hunter, M., & “Jem.” (1989). The first step forpeople in relationships with sex addicts: A workbook for recovery. SELF-HELP BOOKS: Greeson, C., Hollingsworth, M., & Washburn, M. (1990). The grief adjustment guide.     

Indicators and models of changes in the American occupational system, 1947–73

This paper extends earlier conceptual and empirical work by Bell, Lebergott, and Moore on changes in the American occupational system in the post-World War II period. After updating and extending several time series of occupational indicators used by these authors and adding some others as well, the authors specify and estimate a number of dynamic structural-equation models to explain changes in the occupational system as indexed by the social indicators. These equations indicate: (1) that Bell's thesis about a shift from a production of goods orientation to a performance of services orientation in post-war American society needs to be qualified; (2) that the shift is due more to increased productivity in argriculture rather than in industry; (3) that increased bureaucratization of employment results, in part, from the shift out of agriculture and other post-war trends in the technological and organizational context of the work environment; and (4) that societal investments in military technology and in scientific research and development have had an important impact upon the occupational system in terms of shifting upwards the distribution of occupations with respect to prestige. In each of the topics analyzed, the authors make suggestions for developing additional indicators and for refining the structural equations. In addition, the potential of these equations for social forecasting is considered.     

Calculating life tables by estimating Chiang’s a from observed rates

A simple, accurate method of life table construction is advanced based upon a new way to estimate Chiang’s _n a _x (the average number of years lived in the x to x + n age interval by those dying in the interval). The estimate for _n a _x leads immediately to an expression for l _x+n (the survivors to age x + n) in terms of l _x and the known mortality rates for the interval x to x+n and the two adjacent intervals. The complete solution for the basic life table is given. The proposed method and five other easily applied methods are then compared against the standard provided by the U.S. life tables for 1969–1971. The results attest to the excellent performance and high degree of accuracy of the proposed method. Finally, extensions of the method to multiple decrement and associated single decrement life tables are briefly described.