Stahl's Essential Psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific Basis and Practical Applications

Well organized and illustrated. Thorough in its content.

When I had first read Dr. Stahl's Essential Pharmacology (3rd Ed.), I was absolutely fascinated with the presentation and wished that psychopharmacology was taught this way in medical school.This latest edition does not disappoint either.When the book arrived in the mail I was quite curious why the packaging for it was not as thick as I expected (readers of Stahl know how thick the previous edition was). That's because the book has been reformatted into a larger page size and some redundancy in the chapters was eliminated. I have to say I really like the new format; it's not quite a full sized textbook and in my opinion is perfect because neither textbook nor smaller-sized (yet Bible thickness) lend themselves to ease of transport.As far as the actual content goes, readers will find that the book is very similar yet significantly updated as to not feel like one is reviewing the same book as the previous edition. I have only thus far given the book a cursory overview, but the ambiguities I noticed in the previous edition have been seemingly cleared up. Another fantastic aspect of the new edition is a more in depth analysis of specific receptor subtypes.Dr. Stahl continues to show his great insight in biological psychiatry, and I highly rate his series!

This is probably one of the easiest and best written of the psychopharmacology textbooks I've read. While it's not necessarily the easiest to refer back to and find individual bits of information, many of the indexing challenges are overcome through the search function in the Kindle edition, with hyperlinking providing easy referencing of points brought up. The way the text is written provides a straightforward explanation. I've described it once as a good beach psychopharmacology textbook, one that's good to settle down for a day and just read on the beach or with a cup of coffee and learn.The emphasis on the biology and the use of clinical pearls of wisdom help explain not just the what, but the why in a comprehensive way that I feel has provided a good framework for other reference books to hang themselves on. Anyone can write a textbook explaining the mechanism of actions of drugs and dosages and basics to consider. Stahl's Essential Pharmacology provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the reasoning behind these facts. I can honestly say that this book has improved my understanding in the field, and I recommend it wholeheartedly and without reservation.

If you’re looking for a book that teaches exactly what to prescribe, opt for the prescribers guide. This book is one of the best, if not the single best text for psychopharmacology. I am studying psychiatry and this book is my go-to and this book puts my knowledge base far above my peers. Incredible book. I just wish it was more updated to include information about newer drugs, within the last few years.

Ok - on first read this text is overwhelming, but if you are able to slow yourself down, take deep breaths, and re-read as needed, this is actually a really fantastic resource for learning all things psychopharm! The illustrations are actually pretty cute too (check out the adorable kinases in chapter 1! <3 <3 <3). My only beef so far is that the 4th edition doesn't have the same first chapter the 3rd edition has, thus the 3rd edition has a bit more review/background given in the first chapter that helps serve as a foundation for all of the other really cool shit you will learn throughout the rest of the book. Don't get overwhelmed by the complex neuropsych stuff in here! Once it starts to make sense you will have a much better understanding of how these medications work, and hopefully you'll find it all as fascinating as I do. Happy studying, fellow psychopharmacologists!

I did take this over to my local printer and have them put a spiral binder on this so it's easier to use.

Probably the best written book in science that I have ever read, I have a Masters in biochemistry paediatrics background and then psychiatry …It is direct, clear has enough repetition and excellent diagramsIt is written with zest and expressive wording to make you smile and think, extremely grateful for such gift ! resource!

This is a very well-written and informative reference. It is great for understanding the detailed pharmacology of drugs used in psychiatry. There is also some clinical information. In studying for my board exam, I found that it was best used in conjunction with a clinically focused reference to get the complete picture of pharmacology and practical use of drugs.I ordered several books in studying for my exam, and there was really no need for any other pharmacology based books. This one covered it all. I highly recommend Stahl's for exam review as well as being an essential daily reference book for doctors or pharmacists working in the area of psychiatry.