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This compact little volume is full of information for all who are interested in research methods, psychiatry, or research in general practice. The various articles are well written which makes for easy and pleasant reading. It is impossible in a short review to cover every aspect of the symposium. Professor Hill's introduction whets the appetite with a stimulating paper. He points out a strange paradox by underlining how disappointing various approaches to psychiatry have been. Neuropathology, genetics, and psychopathology have done little to help in the treatment of mental illness, and at the same time, modem treatment which is so successful, is based on empiricism. Professor Millar outlines the methodology of a survey project in the Northeast of Scotland, which covers a well defined area of the country. Dr Kessel's paper on conducting a psychiatric survey in general practice is of special interest to the family doctor. He shows how difficult it is for a single general practitioner to do this on his own because of an inevitable bias; and this he suggests is at the root of the widely divergent figures which have so far been produced in this field. The ideal would be for skilled psychiatric surveyors to work with a team of general practitioners, and methods of selecting the team are described. Dr Martin outlined the difficulties of defining a social class, and the importance of a proper appreciation of these social variables. Dr Sainsbury outlined the Worthing Experiment and gave some of the findings of this work. In conclusion Professor Carstairs, after underlining some of the difficulties of psychiatric research, suggested some interesting projects for the future. One can buy this comprehensive volume, well produced, for the modest sum of five shillings. The book should find its way onto the shelves of all family doctors who have an interest in research.