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Book

Seymour
Book
Shame
the

and
Birth

Pride:

By Donald
New
York,
ISBN

Affect,

of the

instein

once

remarked,

and no simpler.
his book
Shame

Birth

Donald

complexity
treatise

the relevance
The

just

such

in human
much,

to Silvan

experience.

Tomkins,

who

thought

and

his theory

Nathanson
begins
makes

things
drives

of

worse.
us.

sense
logical

it

rather
things

Affect

Moreover,

simbetis the

affect

is a

built-in
biologically
determined
amplifier
of
our internal
and external
experiences,
no less
important
in evolutionary
terms
than
the
development
of intelligence.
Nathanson
briefly
reviews
the history
of
emotion

theory,

beginning

with

The Expression
of Emotions
mals. He critically
reviews
hypothesis,
Hillman
mation

Freuds
theory,
theories
theory.

the innate

and

that

releases

Darwins

and Ani-

the James-Lange
theory,
the Jung-

and other
energy
transforbefore
segueing
into his and

Tomkinss
emotion,

drive

in Man

In it, affect

strictly

triggered
a pattern

is defined

biological
by a specific
of biological

portion
stimulus
events.

that

Tinbergen

tells

they

and

voking

believes

with
good
.

ethologists
us,

and

Affect

theory

cause

changes

by
sys-

to occur

at

sites all over the body,


and that we learn to
appraise
these
changes
with growing
sophistication
as we grow older.
It is the myriad forms of the evocation
and appraisal
of
affect,
and our reactions
to it, that are the
basis for the remainder
of the book.
Although
Nathanson
attempts
to weave
in explanations
of the biological
mechanisms involved
in triggering
and expressing
affect through
the use of pictures
of babies
facial expressions,
other empirical
findings,
and clinical
anecdotes,
his theory
rests
largely
on conjecture
and empirical
data
without
firmer ties to the scientific
literature
in brain
planations

is not widely
and psycho-

it is an explicit
attempt
theory
into the promisocial
and psycho-

that

bad
that

delivers.

an experimen-

developed

deserves.
The book
ple premises:
Affect
engine

for nec-

and

nearly
40 years
ago and
outside
of affect
theory

logical

in

Sex and the

a taste

promises

logical
testing
circles,
to bring
Tomkinss
nence
in contemporary

ter

L. Nathanson,

Affect,

and offers
a richly
conon affect
theory
to explain

tal psychologist
affect
known

in

as possible,

of shame

book

Dedicated

M.D.

Explanations

and Pride:

to the

Nathanson

tems,

$24.95

be as simple

of the Self, has

essary
structed

pages,

L. Donnelly,

should

a nod

states
simply
that the affects
are triggered
meaning
free alterations
in biological

1992

480

by Craig

science

With

and

Lorenz,

L. Nathanson
W.W.
Norton,

Reviewed

L. Halleck,
M.D.
Forum
Editor

Self

0-393-03097-0,

Sex

Forum

behavioral
physiology.
His
are nevertheless
thought-pro-

and

appeal

to

informed

in the way that Paul


theory
of the triune

ex-

common

MacLeans

onto-

brain has an explanatory


appeal
for neurobiologists.
Much
attention
is given
to explicating
Tomkinss
affect theory
as a framework
for
the introduction
of the nine innate
affects:
interest-excitement,
prise-startle,

enjoyment-joy,
fear-terror,

anger-rage,

sur-

distress-anguish,

dismell,

disgust,

and

shame-

humiliation.

The

book

takes

time

to

gain

momentum

in the

early

going,

but

with

the

theory
outlined
and the nomenclature
defined,
Nathanson
then casts a wide net in
demonstrating
the range
and explanatory
utility of affect theory
in human
experience.
Topics
such as true love, shame,
pride,
the
use of pornography
to control
humiliation,
classic

drive-based

psychoanalysis,

as

bys

of

comedy

of Buddy

violence

of inner-city

pursued

attachment

from

theory,
Hackett,
the

Bowl-

masochism,
and

the

the
current

culture
in America
are
perspective
of an

fresh

affect-based
vites the

interpretation.
reader
to rethink

psychiatrys
tion,

equally

cognition,

and

Nathanson
contemporary

weighted

triad

behavior

in-

of emo-

as the basis

for

organizing
thinking
about human
being. He
suggests,
using examples
from Greek mythology, popular
culture,
and computer
modeling, that affect cannot
be so easily isolated
from thinking
and behaving.
Indeed,
as the
engine
that drives
us, it shapes
our most
private
internal
experiences
as well as our
most
complex
social
interactions.
personal
to the political,
from
the

societal,

tive

it is affect

force

to existence.

Some

of the

that

From
the sexual

provides

the

the
to
mo-

lack of jargon,
and
life make
it highly
logically
recommend

minded
this

Dr. Donnelly
Psychiatry,

is executive
Duke (Jniverity

Psychiatric

found
in the
chapters
on sexuality.
Although
falling short
of providing,
as the chapter
title suggests,
A
New Theory
of Sexuality,
Nathansons
discussion

of the differences

Reviewed

arousal
inclusive

mechanisms
in men
and insightful.
His

the

in the

developmental

female

is to be

book

in sexual

patterns

arousal

and

their

drive

and

and women
is
excursions
into
of male

versus

ties to the affective

states
of shame,
excitement,
and fear highlight intrinsic
differences
in the experience
of

maleness
and femaleness.
The function
of
rape fantasies
in men and women
and the
counter-shaming
strategies
invoked
by homosexuals
to preserve
self-esteem
in a homophobic
culture
are examples
of the topics
that Nathanson
explores
in his discussion
of
inhibited
and uninhibited
enjoyment
of
sexual
arousal.
Vivid
and true to life, his
examples
spare the clinical jargon and metapsychology
rary literature
I found
reading
and
many
shame.

found
in much
of the contempoon human
sexuality.
this book
rereading.

things,

at bottom

It is a virtual

phenomenology
ence. The book
chotherapists
theory.

For

delightful
Although

on both
it is about

is a book

this

compendium

about
of

the

of shame
in human
experihas clear relevance
for psyand
researchers
in affect

the professional

psychotherapist

it has the informational


value
but the readability
of a novel.

of a textbook
Its wittiness,

and
context

to

of

interpersonal
of our social

chief resident,
Department
Medical
Center,
Durham,

1991,
556

Bloch

of

EdItion
and

M.D.
Oxford

ISBN

University

Press

0-19-261864-4

pages,

$55.00

2nd

EthIcs,

by Sidney
York,

material

highly

NC.

Chodoff,

enjoyable

I can

existence.

New

and

reader.

shame
in our intrapsychic
lives and in the broader

Paul

original

casual

to real
psycho-

book for those who seek


the power
and
influence

understand

Edited

most

vivid
applicability
accessible
to the

$120.00

hardcover,

paperback

or its second

Psychiatric

remains,

especially

M.D.

edition,

the already
popular
has been
revised
and
six new chapters
and nine new
Fortunately,
the core of gifted

Ethics

updated
with
contributors.
writers

I. Oglesby,

by Thomas

Paul

and

the

Browns

new

contributions,

Ethical

Aspects

Drug
Treatment,
are excellent.
bibliographies
are included
and
is didactic,

crafted
In

challenge

the

best

chapters

of

Although

the content

read

like

well-

essays.
their

introduction,

the readers

psychotherapeutic

the

denial
decisions

that
are

editors

routine
ethically

neutral
and carry no political
or social consequences.
They warn that the civil liberties
approach
to mental
illness,
which
is our
present
response,
could destroy
psychotherapy itself. This section
emphasizes
the practical daily need to examine
more closely
the
contemporary
ethical
issues
that guide
our
behavior
as psychiatrists.
The reader
is offered
a basic course
in
ethics,
quickly
immersed
in theoretical
topics, and then presented
concrete
clinical
examples
of contemporary
problems.
The
volume
succeeds
in describing
and suggest-

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