Book Review: Berk, R. (2004). Regression Analysis: A Constructive Critique. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 259 pp

• DOI: 10.1177/0734016807304871
• Published date: 01 September 2007
• Date: 01 September 2007
• Subject Matter: Articles

harm associated with terrorism and also provide descriptions of effective management

services for protective personnel. To illustrate, the authors describe a multidisciplinary

approach to helping rescue and recovery workers at Ground Zero after the September 11,

2001, attack. Although incredibly interesting, the explicit link to PTSD vulnerability is

unclear. In other cases where vulnerability and resilience are emphasized, explicit links to

the needs of protective services professionals are missing. For instance, Bartone postu-

lates underlying factors behind the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse, concluding with the con-

cept of hardiness to draw broader implications on helping soldiers ethically cope with

difficult situations. Expanding the final paragraph to clearly link to lessons for all protective

services professionals would strengthen this perspective. Furthermore, the chapter on interna-

tional humanitarian aid workers provides an interesting model for training and organiza-

tional intervention that could be applied to protective officers.

This book contributes to the field of criminal justice by introducing important evidence

and theory to protective services professionals. Yet a rudimentary knowledge of the science

of traumatic stress increases assimilation of presented information. Novices to the field

will benefit from reading definitions of PTSD before beginning the book, as it is not

defined until Chapter 4. In addition, an overview of the differences between vulnerability,

protective factors, resiliency, hardiness, and posttraumatic growth may help the novice

reader navigate the book. This book is of interest for individuals with a strong background in

traumatic stress studies seeking an enhanced understanding of protective services workers,

as this work increases initial awareness about occupational health and vulnerability of

protective services professionals.

The editors in the introductory chapter introduce the ideas of resiliency, although for the

most part, notions of hardiness, resiliency, and posttraumatic growth are not addressed in the

chapters. Including this perspective would further augment the ultimate important aim of this

book—to apply evidence-based approaches to an ethical duty to care for those professionals

who take many risks to aid society. The editors attempted a daunting task—to assemble an

interdisciplinary international group of experts to apply scholarship about vulnerability and

risk management to police and other protective services professionals. Although a few gaps

would be anticipated in such a noble venture, the editors are to be applauded for responsibly

using scholarship to help improve services for police.

Tracy Harrington

Elana Newman

University of Tulsa

Berk, R. (2004). Regression Analysis: A Constructive Critique.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 259 pp.

DOI: 10.1177/0734016807304871

Just about all the statistics books I’ve seen—including my own—are very much in the

form of advertisements for statistics. We fill our books with success stories of challenges

that were resolved by some method we are recommending. Even when we list some open

problems at the end, we have the confident feeling that they will soon be resolved with

some additional elaborations of our preferred approach.

Book Reviews 301