Between the over-diagnosis of psychiatric disorders and the attitude that mental illness is a myth, Allen (psychiatry, U. of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis takes a middle position regarding the dysfunctional family's role in mental disorders. In the contexts of cultural factors, managed health care pressures, and practitioner biases, he weighs the evidence regarding what has been called the "brainlessness-mindlessness pendulum" in attributing mental disorders to either brain disease or to failure to take responsibility for such behavior as child abuse. The Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration is presented as offering a balanced family systems approach. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)