Reviews & Commentary
Book Review—Solidarity: The Past, Present, and Future of a World-Changing Idea
Solidarity is the key to “fighting for someone you don't know as much as fighting for yourself.” This is an important work that all social workers should read, considering current events.
Film Review: The Roses—The Life or Death of a Marriage
I must say how grateful I am that the marriage counselor in The Roses is not portrayed as a social worker. But her ineptness is integral to the satire of the film. Read our review.
Book Review—The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World
In The Serviceberry, Kimmerer proposes a new paradigm for our participation in the world, one that utilizes a gift economy approach. Read our review.
REVIEW—The Pitt: A Medical Setting as Reflection of Societal Pitfalls
Does The Pitt accurately portray issues in an ER, including medical social work and child abuse reporting? Read our series review.
Book Review: The Black Therapist’s Guide to Private Practice and Entrepreneurship
The Black Therapist’s Guide to Private Practice and Entrepreneurship is a powerful, step-by-step resource for Black therapists who aspire to launch, build, and sustain a private practice or business ownership in behavioral health. Read our review.
Book Review: More or Less Maddy
More or Less Maddy is a novel that describes the journey of a young college student who experiences first depressive symptoms and then mania before a formal bipolar diagnosis. Read our review of best-selling author Lisa Genova's latest book.
Book Review: I’m Not Alone—A Teen’s Guide to Living With a Parent Who Has a Mental Illness or History of Trauma
I’m Not Alone is a valuable resource for psychotherapists working with children and adolescents to help them understand mental illness and trauma from a parent’s perspective. Read our book review.
Book Review: Early Sobrieties
Michael Deagler’s novel “Early Sobrieties” follows 26-year-old Monk—Dennis Monk—along his sober quest for identity after nine years of blackout drinking. Read our review.
Book Review: The Social Work Career Guidebook
The Social Work Career Guidebook is a modern, realistic take on how to navigate the social work profession for current social work students, entry-level, and seasoned practitioners alike. Read our review.
Series Review: Dying for Sex—A Captivating Journey Toward Love
When have you viewed a superb screening where a social worker is presented in full dimension, front and center, in script formulation? Read our review of Dying for Sex.
Book Review—The Grieving Body: How the Stress of Loss Can Be an Opportunity for Healing
Social workers will find The Grieving Body a valuable resource for the development of bereavement interventions on micro, macro, and mezzo levels. Read The New Social Worker’s book review.
Book Review: The Blind Man Game
The Blind Man Game is a memoir about the challenges faced by a psychologist who was diagnosed with Stargardt Disease at the age of 21. Read our review.
Book Review: Help Wanted—A Novel
Help Wanted, a work of fiction, is a social commentary on the gig economy and the plight of part-time workers. Set in upstate New York, Town Square is a big box store, likely recognizable to most readers.
Book Review: Loving Someone With A Mental Illness or History of Trauma
Loving Someone With a Mental Illness or History of Trauma serves as an invaluable resource for anyone wanting to learn how to support a loved one in coping with mental health challenges or trauma issues. Read our review.
Book Review: Podcasting in Social Work Education—A Way Forward for Educators
Podcasting in Social Work Education opens with a brief history of the podcasting platform and makes a meaningful connection to social work education. Read our book review.
Film Review: A Real Pain Exposes Isolation and Trauma Through a Two-for-the-Road Dramedy
A Real Pain gently addresses myriad examples of intergenerational trauma that run the gamut from a lack of self-respect to self-loathing, leading to an inability to connect with others and the devastation of failed relationships. Read our review.
Film Review—Wicked Part One: The Personal Is the Political
At a time when desperately needed, the blended genius that created Wicked: Part One offers the magnificent beauty of hope. Review and commentary by SaraKay Smullens.
Book Review: Welcome Home, Stranger
Social workers will understand the tightrope of survival for those who come from dysfunctional families. Book review of Welcome Home, Stranger, reviewed by Lisa Eible.
Book Review—The Ethical Case Manager: Tools and Tactics
“...this is first and foremost a book that is grounded on the complicated nature of ethical decision-making.” Book review of The Ethical Case Manager, reviewed by Stephen Cummings.
Book Review—Social Justice for the Sensitive Soul: How to Change the World in Quiet Ways
Social Justice for the Sensitive Soul can be a valuable resource for someone grappling with how to align their personal passion for social justice with their sensitive nature. Book review by Allison Berkowitz.
