lovelyoutliers's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This book is a series of vignettes pulled from Tony David’s decades of neuropsychiatric practice and research. I found the first few to be very compelling, insightful, and well-written, but by the end, found that the lack of thread connecting the stories together felt like a collection of beautifully written case reports.
I work with Prof David at UCL and I think I also enjoyed the rare insight into his life that peeks through in refreshing glimmers.
I work with Prof David at UCL and I think I also enjoyed the rare insight into his life that peeks through in refreshing glimmers.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical trauma, Death of parent, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Rape, Mental illness, and Eating disorder
caoilinreads's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting delve into some of psychiatry’s unsolved mysteries through the worlds and stories of complicated patients. Though it was an engaging and quick read, great for general interesting in psychiatry and for the way it tells each patient’s story. I would love for it to have expanded more it the research and current understanding of the phenomena witnessed, but I have a feeling that would have made it into another book entirely and, in fairness, a lot of the research is yet to be done.
paulataua's review against another edition
1.0
What a terrifying book! The writer begins by expressing his commitment to science and empiricism, and his belief in a ‘biopsychosocial’ approach to mental illness that weaves together three strands- biology, psychology and sociology. Frankly, this seems to boil down to no more than a Whac-A-Mole model of psychiatry in which when a symptom appears, be it biological, psychological, or sociological, just whack it. The book presents different cases from the doctor’s many years of practice, but it comes over as a very poor man’s Oliver Sachs, providing all the fascination of the case and yet none of the insight. At one point we are presented with one patient who goes into a catatonic stupor, a state characterized by a marked decrease in response to stimuli with the patient remaining motionless and rigid. The doctor leans over her and says
“You’re safe now. I think you got like this because you stopped all your medication. Once you get back on it you will start to feel better. I promise.”
Not exactly the level of explanation that brings comfort to the sufferer or their close family. It is this lack of depth that characterizes the whole book. It frightens me that it is being promoted as a new advance in psychiatry. The book is right to ask the question of why we attach so much stigma to mental illness, but does little to improve matters, and most likely makes them worse.
“You’re safe now. I think you got like this because you stopped all your medication. Once you get back on it you will start to feel better. I promise.”
Not exactly the level of explanation that brings comfort to the sufferer or their close family. It is this lack of depth that characterizes the whole book. It frightens me that it is being promoted as a new advance in psychiatry. The book is right to ask the question of why we attach so much stigma to mental illness, but does little to improve matters, and most likely makes them worse.
bella_harris's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.5
so_lel_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
dzulija's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0