Handbook of Cognition and Emotion. Edited by T. Dalgleish and M. Power. (Pp. 843; £90.00.) Wiley: Chichester. 1999.

The first thing to say about this book is that it is infinitely more enjoyable than its title and its size (843 pages) might imply. The editors have managed quite a feat by putting together such a comprehensive textbook in this rapidly expanding field. Furthermore, they are to be congratulated for achieving the impossible, namely succeeding in making it accessible and scholarly at the same time. It is to be hoped that the Handbook of Cognition and Emotion should put this growing body of research firmly on the academic map. Unfortunately, at £90 it is unlikely to be a popular buy, but libraries in both academic and clinical settings should definitely own a reference copy. The book is divided into five sections, namely ‘General Aspects ’, ‘Cognitive Processes ’, ‘Emotions’, ‘Theories in Cognition and Emotion’ and ‘Applied Issues ’. Each section contains between five and 12 chapters, with a grand total of 38 chapters. This self-explanatory structure works very well, and allows the editors to avoid the pitfall of many edited volumes of this size, namely of appearing too ‘bitty ’. The chapters, on the whole, are digestible at between 10–30 pages each, and are ideal for dipping in and out of the book. The contributors are mostly extremely distinguished, many of whom (such as Lazarus, Ekman, Teasdale, etc.) have been instrumental in establishing the field. To start at the end, perhaps the most stimulating part of the book is the concluding chapter by Dalgleish & Power. It provides an eloquent and erudite summing up of the emerging themes, and paves the way for exciting future directions in the field. The authors embrace a broad conceptualization of research designs, levels of analysis, and theoretical standpoints, while not being afraid to warn of the potential pitfalls of some methodologies, such as the temptation to utilize neuroimaging techniques as modern-day phrenological mapping of the brain. They conclude by identifying six prominent themes that characterize the current state of cognition and emotion research: the development of systemic and multi-level theoretical characterizations of the problems space; the application of neuroscience to understanding cognition–emotion relations; the relationship between theory and data concerning normal emotional experiences and emotional disorders ; the application of a developmental perspective to cognition–emotion interactions; the expansion of methodology to embrace neuroimaging, computational and quantitative modelling, and qualitative techniques; and the increasing application of basic research ideas in the clinic. These themes are indeed an accurate reflection of the topics contained in the book. The ‘General Aspects ’ section, as the name implies, covers a range of fundamental aspects of the cognition and emotion field, and sets the scene for the rest of the book. Lazarus opens this section by putting the debate in its historical context, followed by Lyons’ philosophical perspective. The theoretical feel of these two chapters is nicely balanced by an informative chapter on the research methods prevalent in this area, including their current limitations. All levels of analysis are offered, ranging from the role of the self in cognition and emotion (Lewis), to a neuropsychological outlook on affective styles (Davidson), including a brave and stimulating chapter by Gray on the links between conscious experience and the brain. The ‘Cognitive Processes ’ section is the longest at 12 chapters. The chapters are much more focused, each dealing with quite specific issues. This section will appeal most to specialized researchers in the field, and covers a wide range of topics, such as attention, memory (including autobiographical memory), inhibition, and social cognition, and their relationship to mood and various psychological disorders, ranging from anxiety (Mogg & Bradley) to psychosis (Bentall & Kinderman). Again, there is a nice balance between theoretical expositions (Matthews & Wells) and methodo-