Featured Books
Click on the photo of the book you are interested in and you will be taken directly to the blog posting for that book.

Psychiatry was coined in 1808 by German physician Johann Christian Reil and means “medical treatment of the soul.” Despite its origin over 100 years ago, major discoveries have only recently happened in the last few decades. The author of Shrinks: The Untold Story of Psychiatry is Jeffrey A. Lieberman, MD, the Lawrence C. Kolb Professor and Chairman, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons; Director, New York State Psychiatric Institute; and Psychiatrist-in-Chief, Columbia University Medical Center of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital. He was a member of the DSM-5 oversight committee and president of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) during the publication of the DSM-5. Dr. Lieberman believes he became the president of the APA at a historical turning point in the profession, when psychiatry finally assumed its rightful place in the medical community. New research, technologies, and insights have allowed the field to come out of the shadows of its dark history. He believes to move forward the field needs to own up to its history of mistakes and how they overcame their problematic past. He shares this controversial history in three main sections: the story of diagnosis, the story of treatment, and psychiatry reborn.

A Visionary Madness depicts the story of James Tilly Matthews, one of the first recorded cases of schizophrenia. Matthews described an “influencing machine” that could control peoples thoughts and actions. He was confined to Bethlam where he accused others of acting as spies for the English government. Matthews however displayed many signs of genius and he had been a spy for the English government which can be verified. The English government would likely have been embarrassed by these actions and may have set him up in order to deflect any talk of their involvement in his prior covert actions. A fabulous real-life case of “is he is isn’t he” which addresses the difficulty in determining the line between unusual and clinically disordered behavior.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) often does not get the attention it deserves. It is the fourth most common mental disorder after the big three of depression, substance abuse, and anxiety. OCD is referred to as a “secret disease” and a “silent epidemic,” but subclincial OCD is everywhere. The stigma has lessened for some disorders, such as depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar, but there is a way to go for OCD. The book The Man Who Couldn't Stop: OCD and the True Story of a Life Lost in Thought shares the personal journey of the author, David Adam, a science writer from the United Kingdom who informs the reader of the science and history of OCD in hopes of reducing the stigma associated with the disorder.

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If you are interested in learning more about these books and many others, click on the Blog link at the top of the page. Each of the book review postings includes a brief explanation of the book, a related classroom activity, key psychological concepts referenced in the book, and other resources such as websites or podcasts.