Almost all of the contributors to the book on mental retardation are colleagues of Dr. Griffith from Birmingham, England. Fortunately, the biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors in mental retardation are not treated in a parochial manner. However, the chapters on community services and hospital services describe only the British provisions for health, education, and social services and, therefore, have limited value to people living outside the United Kingdom.
As with many books in which an attempt is made to ensure that all the aspects of mental retardation are covered, the end product frequently gives one the impression that a dilettante has been the author. The editor, in his introduction, admits to this and blames it on the size of the book (227 pages). Developmental screening, biochemical screening, comprehensive assessment, malformation syndromes, blindness and deafness, motor disability, communication disorders, and epilepsy and genetic counseling are some of the areas covered.