Mistake Making

Kenneth L. Artiss provides a review of the fascinating but difficult aspect of human behavior—the borderline personality disorder. Artiss highlights the manner in which some people repeat their mistakes over and over and do not learn from experience. Their mistakes range from small, repetitive follies to grave, personal disasters. Such people pretend and "act" to an outrageous degree, threaten others, and easily become addicted. Artiss defines the disorder, explains how it develops, describes the pathology it causes, and discusses treatment of the disorder. Written by an experienced psychiatrist, Mistake Making avoids jargon and includes sections detailing stuttering and psychotherapy. Mistake Making should be read by practicing psychotherapists, mental-health practitioners and students, and personnel managers. Mistake Making was originally published in 1993 by Psychiatric Books.

About the Author :
Kenneth L. Artiss received the Medal of the Legion of Merit in recognition for his psychiatric research contributions. His previous books include The Symptom as Communication in Schizophrenia and Therapeutic Studies.

Review :
This book could only have been written by an elder statesman of the psychiatric profession who has not allowed his mental horizons to be constricted by conventional professional customs or mores. It reflects a thorough knowledge of psychiatric and related literature; a wealth of clinical experience; a great deal of personal introspection; a freedom to question theories and dogma of 'the' authorities; and the intellect to combine all of this into a construction which can be readily understood. -- Alexander G. Donald M.D., University of South Carolina Dr. Artiss calls this book a hard-headed uncompromising report, and that it is. His searching use of investigating psychotherapy with Borderline Personality Disorders has revealed them to be Mistake Makers. He has also taken a hard look at his profession and himself as a person who has stuttered. Clearly a scientific treatise, demanding use of much brain power, it also stirs up the kind of interest one has when reading an exciting novel. This book may be described as outrageous, provocative, fascinating and courageous. Above all, it is not dull. -- James I. Gibbs, M.D., Director, Division of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, Shepperd and Enoch Pratt Hospital Dr. Artiss calls this book a hard-headed uncompromising report, and that it is. His searching use of investigating psychotherapy with Borderline Personality Disorders has revealed them to be Mistake Makers. He has also taken a hard look at his profession and himself as a person who has stuttered. Clearly a scientific treatise, demanding use of much brain power, it also stirs up the kind of interest one has when reading an exciting novel. This book may be described as outrageous, provocative, fascinating and courageous. Above all, it is not dull. -- James I. Gibbs, M.D., Director, Division of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, Shepperd and Enoch Pratt Hospital This book could only have been written by an elder statesman of the psychiatric profession who has not allowed his mental horizons to be constricted by conventional professional customs or mores. It reflects a thorough knowledge of psychiatric and related literature; a wealth of clinical experience; a great deal of personal introspection; a freedom to question theories and dogma of 'the' authorities; and the intellect to combine all of this into a construction which can be readily understood. -- Alexander G. Donald M.D., University of South Carolina