Arguing that as the elderly lose contact with the outside world, they turn inward and to the past to work through unresolved emotional issues from their lives, Feil (Validation Training Institute, Cleveland, Ohio) presents her method for therapeutically dealing with patients with Alzheimer's and other dementias. Validation is based in the notion that painful feelings that are expressed, acknowledged, and validated by a trusted listener will diminish. Feil compares her method to other therapeutic methods, explains the theoretical basis of her work, and discusses case studies in which the method has been utilized. Included in the text are brief descriptions of the application of the method written by other professionals. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)