Andrew T. Scull Boeken

For more than two hundred years, disturbances of reason, cognition and emotion - the sort of things that were once called 'madness' - have been described and treated by the medical profession. Mental illness, it is said, is an illness like any other - a disorder that can treated by doctors, whose suffering can be eased, and from which patients can return. And yet serious mental illness remains a profound mystery that is in some ways no closer to being solved than it was at the start of the twentieth century. In this clear-sighted and provocative exploration of psychiatry, acclaimed sociologist Andrew Scull traces the history of its attempts to understand and mitigate mental illness- from the age of the asylum and unimaginable surgical and chemical interventions, through the rise and fall of Freud and the talking cure, and on to our own time of drug companies and antidepressants. Through it all, Scull argues, the often vain and rash attempts to come to terms with the enigma of mental disorder have frequently resulted in dire consequences for the patient. Deeply researched and lucidly conveyed, Desperate Remedies masterfully illustrates the assumptions and theory behind the therapy, providing a definitive new account of psychiatry's and society's battle with mental illness.

'A brilliant cultural history ... Scull's book fills a gap in the literature and deserves to be widely read ... outstanding' The Times

"Psychiatry and Its Discontents provides a wide-ranging and critical perspective on the psychiatric enterprise. The book's historical sweep is broad, ranging from the age of the asylum to the rise of psychopharmacology and the dubious triumphs of "community care." Freud and Foucault, Christian Science and Scientology, psychosurgery and modern drug treatments, trauma and the effects of war on the human psyche, the siren song of neuroscience, and the predicaments confronting the profession at the dawn of the new millennium are but some of the issues considered here. Collectively, the essays that make up Psychiatry and Its Discontents provide a vivid and compelling portrait of the recurring crises of legitimacy that mad-doctors (as they were once called) have endured, and of the impact of psychiatry's ideas and interventions on the lives of those afflicted with mental illness" --

* from USA. Will take 25-35 days

A Telegraph Book of the Year, a Washington Post Notable Work, and a Times Book of the Year, this compelling narrative is described as “an indisputable masterpiece” by the Wall Street Journal and “compulsively readable” by The Atlantic. It is recommended as essential reading for anyone referred to a psychiatrist, according to The Spectator, and is praised for its meticulous research and engaging writing style, even incorporating humor at times, as noted by The Guardian. This masterful work covers the history of psychiatry, showcasing a diverse array of mental health professionals, including psychologists, psychoanalysts, and neuroscientists, alongside patients and families seeking relief. Andrew Scull, a provocative thinker in the field, examines the rise and fall of state-run mental hospitals, shedding light on why many mentally ill individuals are now homeless and how experimental therapies disproportionately affected women. He also critiques the pharmaceutical industry's expansion and the concealment of drug side effects. This passionate account of America's struggle with mental illness invites readers to reconsider their assumptions about mental health and emotional well-being.

Od Bible k Sigmundu Freudovi, od exorcismu k mesmerismu, od blázinců k psychiatrickým nemocnicím, od teorie tělesných šťáv k moderní farmakologii, tam všude nás provází kniha předního amerického historika psychiatrie Andrewa Sculla. Autor důkladně sleduje, jaký byl postoj různých civilizací v průběhu tisíciletí k projevům neobvyklého chování a duševních onemocnění, všímá si proměn tohoto vztahu i jeho odrazu zejména v umění. Centrem jeho pozornosti je nejen civilizace Západu, ale i to, jak západní postoje pronikaly do ostatních částí světa. Publikace obsahuje rozsáhlý soubor dobových ilustrací s velkou vypovídací hodnotou.