MENTAL HEALTH IN A MAD WORLD

Any reader outside the Catholic fold is bound to raise questions that this book does not answer. The Catholic viewpoint in the language of contemporary psychology reveals an astounding acceptance of the old parables and precepts. The author sees materialism as the basis for most of our community and personal failures, ranging from war to divorce, and advocates a ""mind at peace with itself"" as a starting point for better mental health. That he offers no positive suggestions on how one is to arrive at peace of mind, except through faith, disturbs him not at all. He advises against permitting the imagination to paint alarming pictures and feels that if we can have a ""cheerful imagination"" we'll be well on the way to solving our problems. His main contention seems to be that ""mental health is the product of controls over instinct, impulse, appetite and emotion"" -- but he does not define what he means by these terms. Perhaps the believer will find it satisfying.