Writing a modern and voluminous manual of Clinical Psychiatry by a single author is a bold endeavor. Some reasons are self-evident. There is also an additional reason that applies today and did not apply in the past. The flood of information produced by the rapid advancement of sciences makes it increasingly difficult for the author to update, evaluate, and integrate this information into a didactically useful whole. [...] The book is not limited to presenting the etiological diagnostic and therapeutic practices in Clinical Psychiatry, but also offers the necessary knowledge in the basic branches of Psychiatry, Social-Community Psychiatry, Administrative Psychiatry, and Psychosocial Rehabilitation, as well as in very recent fields such as the quality of life of the mentally ill, informatics, and telepsychiatry. I must emphasize, although it is known to everyone, that it is M. Madianos who developed these fields in our country through his rich literary work and the practical development of community mental health services since 1979. Finally, I would like to stress that the author does not limit himself to a passive presentation of information, but develops his own critical perspective, something that is particularly evident in his epilogue with the presentation of a theory of psychopathology within the framework of contemporary international research and clinical experiences and findings. [...] [Excerpt from the preface text]