Shrinks Lib/E: The Untold Story of Psychiatry

From alienists to mesmerists to shrinks: the fascinating story of psychiatry's demise and redemption in the field of medicine, by the former president of the American Psychiatric Association. In Shrinks, Jeffrey Lieberman, MD, shares the story of psychiatry's origins and the checkered history of useless or harmful treatments-including hydrotherapy, lobotomies, and primal screaming-to its rehabilitation and transformation into an evidence-based profession. A gripping and illuminating read, Shrinks reveals shocking case studies and serves as an urgent call to arms to start treating mental illness as a disease rather than a state of mind.

About the Author :
Jeffrey A. Lieberman, MD, is president of the American Psychiatric Association, chairman of psychiatry at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons, psychiatrist in chief at Columbia University Medical Center-New York Presbyterian Hospital, and director of the New York State Psychiatric Institute. He and his family live in New York City. Ogi Ogas is a cognitive neuroscientist and author. He received his PhD in computational neuroscience from Boston University and coauthored of A Billion Wicked Thoughts and Shrinks: The Untold Story of Psychiatry. His work has appeared in the Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal, Wired, and the Guardian, among others. Graham Corrigan is an audiobook narrator known for his reading of Shrinks by Jeffrey A. Lieberman.

Review :
Shrinks is a great read and is highly recommended. By combining clinical case histories and theoretical musings, it describes where psychiatry came from and where it is going. -- "E. Fuller Torrey, author of Surviving Schizophrenia" A chatty, expert, sometimes scathing but ultimately upbeat account of the history of psychiatry. -- "New York Times Book Review" A masterful behind-the-scenes examination of psychiatry-and, by extension, the human condition. A wise and gripping book that tackles one of the most important questions of our time: What is mental illness? -- "Andrew Solomon, New York Times bestselling author" An authoritative, often inspiring account of progress in psychiatry, balanced by frank and admirable openness about the field's historical missteps. -- "Peter D. Kramer, New York Times bestselling author" Authoritative, scientifically scintillating, and anecdotally dazzling. -- "Elle" Corrigan provides strong emphasis and timing and as well as a nuanced navigation of complex passages.' -- "AudioFile" Lieberman isn't another muckraker trolling the profession...Well, he may be raking up some old muck, but for good cause...He tells this history in engaging and authoritative detail. -- "Washington Post" This highly readable and fully accessible book puts the history of psychiatry into a modern perspective for the general reader. -- "Eric R. Kandel, MD, Nobel Prize winner, neuroscience professor, and author of The Age of Insight" Vastly edifying and vigorously written-a much-needed update on how far the psychiatric industry has come, both medically and from a public perception standpoint. -- "Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"