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by Ethel S. Person, MD, New York, NY, Basic Books, 1995.

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1998;55:657-658.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

At first glance, the aim of this book is to broaden our perspective on fantasy. Dr Person argues convincingly that fantasies are not only the source of symptoms and other aspects of pathology but are, as well, a mental workspace for healthy adaptation and creativity. She further views fantasies as having multiple origins, with important formative elements from external reality and especially from the culture, as well as from the "inside." In accomplishing this broadening of perspective, she provides a valuable typology of the various forms and functions of our diverse fantasies.

However, her larger aim is to deepen our understanding of how fantasy is intergral to the way the mind works. This, for me, is the most novel and far-reaching aspect of Dr Person's book. It lies behind her thinking and sneaks up on the reader, even though it is stated in the first sentence of the introduction: "Fantasies—daydreams, . . . [Full Text of this Article]