Originally published in 1979, this introductory text approaches schizophrenia as a complex biopsychological condition. Drawing from the fields of descriptive psychiatry, psychopathology, neurochemistry, genetics, life history research, and institutional practice, the author details our increasing understanding of the nature and etiology of schizophrenia at the time. He organizes and evaluates current concepts and findings from these areas, with a view towards integration. This volume was intended to serve as an introduction for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in psychology, as well as for students in psychiatry, psychiatric nursing, and clinical social work. The author assumes that a comprehensive understanding of schizophrenia requires a synthesis of findings from diverse fields and emphasizes the compatibility of, and points of contact between, clinical psychological, and biological approaches. Here is a text that introduces the reader to this challenging subject and to contributions from a variety of allied disciplines. Today it can be read in its historical context.