Back to Bedlam by Robert Whitaker
A riveting social and medical history of madness in America, from the 17th century to today. In Mad in America, medical journalist Robert Whitaker reveals an astounding truth: Schizophrenics in the United States fare worse than those in poor countries, and quite possibly worse than asylum patients did in the early nineteenth century. Indeed, Whitaker argues, modern treatments for the severely mentally ill are just old medicine in new bottles and we as a society are deluded about their efficacy. Tracing over three centuries of "cures" for madness, Whitaker shows how medical therapies-from "spinning" or "chilling" patients in colonial times to more modern methods of electroshock, lobotomy, and drugs-have been used to silence patients and dull their minds, deepening their suffering and impairing their hope of recovery. Based on exhaustive research culled from old patient medical records, historical accounts, and government documents, this haunting book raises important questions about our obligations to the mad, what it means to be "insane," and what we value most about the human mind.
Whitaker, Robert: - Robert Whitaker is the author of Mad in America, The Mapmaker's Wife, and On the Laps of Gods, all of which won recognition as notable books of the year. His newspaper and magazine articles on the mentally ill and the pharmaceutical industry have garnered several national awards, including a George Polk Award for medical writing and a National Association of Science Writers Award for best magazine article. A series he cowrote for the Boston Globe on the abuse of mental patients in research settings was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 1998.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780738203850 |
| ISBN 10 | 0738203858 |
| Title | Back to Bedlam |
| Author | Robert Whitaker |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Publisher | INGRAM PUBLISHER SERVICES US |
| Year published | 2002-01-03 |
| Number of pages | 352 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |