Nice broad overview. Most of the book focuses on the classifications and diagnostic features of the various mental disorders which is useful. I learned a few new ones from this one such as Othello's Syndrome in which a male has paranoias that his wife is commiting infidelities on him, as well as another paranoia in which a woman thinks a man has attractions for her but goes to lengths to hide it, when in fact he does not! Also note this book does not use the DSM system but apparently whatever they use in the UK, however the DSM is mentioned.

This book does a historical overview starting with primitive notions of spirituals healers, moving through classical notions of the stoics and their notions of virtuous living, down through christianity, and up to prominent psychodynamic theorists.

A few things are lacking: it presupposes some jargon from psychology particularly from Freudian psychoanalysis. A definition of "abnormality" and how this is socially and medically decided is not covered. Anyone who has looked at an intro to psychology book or course should be able to follow and understand from the context though.

Biological and social commentaries and theories on mental illness are provided in good balance on the various disorders. Lockup laws are covered. What a psychiatrist is and does is covered. And finally some social criticisms from the likes of Michel Foucault, RD LAING, and Thomas Szas are covered, and not dismissed. This is good because you are getting a fair and balanced overview, and the author notes that we can learn from these critiques as well as from the humanistic, existensial, and cognitive theorists in general who have tried to keep psychiatry from being impersonally clinical, inaccessible, overly authoritarian, and shrouded from the common persons understanding of it as a discipline.

The author himself also notes some problems and critiques which we should look at: hidden record keeping and permanent stigmatizing records, emphasis on pharmacology as primary treatment, the need for a greater common psychological knowledge among all for reduction in embarassment and stigma concerning mental illness, the need for less detached authoritarianism among professionals, the need for greater preventative measures, and so forth.

Good book, and cutely illustrated. Helps those who might otherwise think that psychiatry is a dry subject, which it isn't -- perhaps it can help you learn that, along with some other things ( )

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