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A plethora of new as well as rediscovered terms have become increasingly popular in the wake of psychiatry's dramatic extension of activities in the mid-1960's. For the vast majority of psychiatrists, however, the terms, "community psychiatry," "community mental health," "comprehensive psychiatry," "social psychiatry," "public health psychiatry," and "preventive psychiatry" have very little meaning and cannot be distinguished from each other. Gerald Caplan has moved through this complex maze in as skillful a manner as any of his contemporaries and has provided us with cogent clarifications, boundary lines, and reasonably clear definitions. His Principles of Preventive Psychiatry is thus admirably suited as an introduction for readers who have not had the opportunity to become more knowledgeable about these areas. To those who have been active in the evolution of psychiatry's rapid thrust into the community, Caplan serves as a leading and articulate exponent of a major point of view. Thus