This revised edition presents a rhetorical analysis of written communication in the mental health community. It discusses questions such as: what "ideological biases" are reflected in the language the nurse uses to talk to, and talk about, the patient? "Particularly valuable...are the authors' discussions of the language of mental health reports and the 'ideological biases' that govern the work of mental health professionals. These discussions help us see what kinds of questions can and should be asked. By enabling us to investigate the language and thought of one type of nonacademic setting, this book enables us to consider issues that are fundamental to our field."—Lee OdellRensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, From the Foreword