Insanity - by Thomas Szasz (Paperback)

About the Book

From one of the most renowned and controversial thinkers in behavioral science, here is a critical examination of the way both science and society define insanity.

Book Synopsis

Is insanity a myth? Does it exist merely to keep psychiatrists in business? In Insanity: The Idea and Its Consequences, Dr. Szasz challenges the way both science and society define insanity; in the process, he helps us better understand this often misunderstood condition. Dr. Szasz presents a carefully crafted account of the insanity concept and shows how it relates to and differs from three closely allied ideas--bodily illness, social deviance, and the sick role.

From the Back Cover

In this book, Dr. Szasz challenges the way both science and society define insanity; in the process, he helps us better understand this often misunderstood condition.

Review Quotes

Dr. Szasz is a brilliant debator, and the unpopularity of his position only serves to hone his formidable writing talent. He can turn a topic as somber as insanity and its social context into a book that is extraordinarily entertaining. He is as likely to quote Shakespeare or Molière as Freud and Jung, and when it suits him he quotes Ann Landers and Dear Abby, too. His irreverence and moral outrage fairly sizzle on the page.-- "The New York Times Book Review"

About the Author

Thomas Szasz is the author of over six hundred articles and twenty-four books. He was a practicing psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry emeritus at the Health Science Center, State University of New York, in Syracuse.