The disease is not fatal but few diagnoses have the capacity to instill as much fear in the hearts of patients and families. Here is a profoundly reassuring book that shows there can be life after a diagnosis of schizophrenia. The book includes thirty-five first-person accounts, along with chapters by professionals on a wide range of issues from hospitalization to rehabilitation. Jargon-free and technically accurate, the chapters are short and offer up-to-date information on medication, coping skills, social services, clinical research, and much more. Patients and their families can read the book from cover to cover or skip around and select topics as the need arises. In the United States, one out of every 100 people suffers from schizophrenia, the mental illness that afflicts Nobel prize winner John Nash, the subject of Sylvia Nasar's A Beautiful Mind and the Ron Howard film of the same name. In this atmosphere of heightened awareness, Miller (M.S.W., Hillside Hosp., NY) and Mason (social work, Yeshiva Univ.) present an excellent guide for patients and their families dealing with the onset and long-term effects of schizophrenia. Intermingled with firsthand accounts by 35 patients is jargon-free information by mental health specialists on the initial diagnosis and beginning of treatment, answers to frequently asked questions, the physiology of the brain, a basic explanation of the illness, the state of research on the origins of the disease, dealing with family and friends, coping with side effects and negative symptoms, using drugs and alcohol, getting the services necessary to recover, and today's new generation of antipsychotic medications. The appendixes include state phone numbers for client assistance programs, national mental-health advocacy organizations, and vocational rehabilitation programs, but surprisingly none of the state agencies responsible for mental health services in hundreds of community mental health centers. Still, the heartfelt delivery of these comprehensive and vital data will facilitate a greater understanding of a complex disease. Essential for all public libraries. Dale Farris, Groves, TX Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. An excellent guide for patients and their families. -- Dale Farris ― Library Journal (starred review) Far easier to understand than the classic title for schizophrenics and their families. ― Publishers Weekly Valuable... highly recommended. ― Schizophrenia.com Rachel Miller is a social worker for the National Institute of Mental Health, Child Psychiatry Branch, where she works with children with psychotic disorders and their families. Susan E. Mason is professor of social work and sociology at Yeshiva University's Wurzweiler School of Social Work, where she teaches courses on psychiatric disorders. She is a fellow at the New York Academy of Medicine and a senior education specialist and fellow for the New York State Social Work Education Consortium.