The person with schizophrenia poses a formidable challenge even to the experienced clinician. Bizarre, unpredictable behavior, disordered thought patterns, peculiar, even unintelligible speech, and extreme distrust can drastically limit the clinician's ability to conduct therapy. It is often seemingly impossible to determine the cause of these behaviors: Are they a result of the disease, the side effects of drugs, or the patient's efforts to cope?

In this brilliant and insightful book, Dr. Michael Selzer and his colleagues offer a radical new perspective on understanding and treating...