American Psychiatric Press Textbook of Psychopharmacology, 2nd ed.

The first edition of this volume was published in 1995, and I had the privilege of reviewing it for The American Journal of Psychiatry (1). In the past 3 years, this textbook has become a classic reference on the topic of psychopharmacology. The second edition is not merely a cosmetic update but an extensive revision of the initial edition. I am impressed that the number of chapters has increased from 41 to 48. The number of pages has increased from 896 to 1,095, and, interestingly, the format is such that the amount of information per page seems to be at least 30% greater. Thus, it would not surprise me if the amount of the information in the second edition were 30% to 50% greater than the first edition.

The Textbook of Psychopharmacology continues to have four major sections: Principles of Psychopharmacology; Classes of Psychiatric Treatments; Animal and Human Pharmacology, Clinical Psychobiology, and Psychiatric Syndromes; and Psychopharmacological Treatment. The authors of the individual chapters were carefully selected to provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date versions of their topics. The second edition also seems to be better illustrated than the first edition, particularly in the Principles of Psychopharmacology section, which has been expanded from six to nine chapters. There are new chapters on animal models of Alzheimer’s disease and neuroendocrine and immune system pathology in psychiatric disease. The second section has two additional chapters, one on venlafaxine and one on ECT. The latter chapter includes some information on rapid-rate transcranial magnetic stimulation, an evolving experimental treatment for depression. The third section has an additional chapter on biology of personality disorders. The final section has an additional chapter on treatment of insomnia. Each chapter is well referenced, and the referencing includes citations through 1997. The treatment chapters follow a similar format and include general principles of treatment and approaches to treatment resistance. The index is quite useful.

It is difficult to revise a textbook in a 3-year span. The update, expansion, and revision of the second edition of the Textbook of Psychopharmacology reflects a considerable effort by the editors, section editors, and contributors, and the new edition incorporates all the updated research in these last few years.

This textbook is a must for psychiatric residents and psychiatrists who have recently completed training and those interested in studying for their board examinations. It is of considerable use for other mental health practitioners and provides an update on the rapidly evolving field of psychopharmacology. There is much more to this volume than the first edition, and I would encourage individuals who purchased the first edition to look through this magnificent volume and consider updating their library.