Underlying all the frightening headlines and shocking news stories are important questions about who we are as a society. What are our values and our aspirations? What kind of people are we? Psychotrends charts the direction of our behavior; it offers a road map to the probable destinations of humankind in the next century.

Drawing on the best current research, distinguished psychiatrist Shervert Frazier sorts through conflicting trends in six important areas to determine the fundamental nature of our society.

Are we becoming more or less violent? Are sexual relationships and communication between the sexes growing stronger or weaker? Is the family as an institution still relevant? Are we growing more selfish and individualistic or kinder and gentler? As the abortion debate continues and the debate over euthanasia grows, are we becoming more or less respectful of life itself? As a society, are we growing more or less satisfied with our lives?

Dr. Frazier's analyses are surprisingly optimistic and encouraging. Here are some examples from the same six categories of human experience: Our society is actually growing less violent. The so-called inevitability of human aggression will finally be seen as a myth. There will be fewer but better romantic relationships as we approach love more carefully but more rewardingly than ever before. Traditional marriage and families will not make a comeback.

The family has undergone fundamental redefinition and now will serve predominantly psychological rather than biological ends. Americans will become more, not less, tolerant of diversity. The importance of altruism will be increasingly understood and appreciated. There will be greater reverence for life because of, not despite, our ability to manipulate it at the genetic level.

Even as the American Dream changes in many ways, Americans will still regard themselves as satisfied; the goal will continue to shift from being well off to being well. This is a fascinating book that offers a valuable look at the life we could be leading in the next century.