This is a thoroughly researched and detailed book, but the seemingly constant editorialization (and often condescending tone) was so distracting that I began questioning his historical interpretation halfway through the book.

This book was a wonderful introduction to the history and treatment of mental health, primarily in the United States. So many fascinating, gut-wrenching facts that I feel very thankful to know. Powers writes about this history in a relatable, powerful way, enabling the reader to get a full grasp of the extremity of the topic at hand. To accompany the facts pertaining to mental health in this book, Powers weaves his own first-hand experience with familial mental illness via the upbringing of his two sons who have schizophrenia. Although I do feel that his personal experience was critical to the book, the personal storyline and the mental health history storyline did not seem to mesh well - it was like the book didn't know if it wanted to be a memoir or a textbook. That being said, I understand why he included his experience - it provided an opportunity to show the reader just how loving, deserving, and human someone with a mental health disorder is. This directly supports his claims throughout the book that our poor treatment, and fear, of mentally ill individuals is shameful and highly problematic. This book is bound to cause controversy, because of the intense subject matter, the jarring personal story, and any claims made about how best to help someone who is seeking (or not seeking) help with their mental health. I think it's important more personal stories related to mental health, like Powers', are put into the world, and that that people learn the history and current standing of mental healthcare in America. Because of this, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is considering reading it.

Such an important book for understanding all the factors that have influenced and shaped the way we mistreat and neglect the mentally ill in this country.

I will admit that I skipped many of the nonfiction history of mental health medicine chapters. They were compelling & well written, but was most interested in his own experience with not one, but both sons developing schizophrenia.

there are a lot of things i could say about this book. working in mental health, i learned SO much about the basis and history of schizophrenia, more than i ever learned in school. It started slow, but the integration of history as well as the writer’s personal experiences with schizophrenia, kept me going. I was able to relate a lot of the personal stories to clients i have worked with. If you’re at all interested in the (horrible) history (and present) of mental illness and how we treat them in our current society, read this!

2.5 stars.

The history of attitudes about and treatment for mental illness interspersed with heartbreaking chapters about Powers' two sons who were diagnosed with schizophrenia.

This book is wonderful to read in a completely tragic way. The juxtaposition of the author’s own experiences with the history of how mental illness has been treated is frightening in the revelation of both how far we come and how little we actually know.

This is an important and poignant book. Ron Powers is a Pulitzer Price-winning critic and Emmy-winning TV commentator. He and his wife had two schizophrenic sons. By telling their story of their sons progressive schizophrenia, he tells the story of America's mental health policies, medical developments and big pharma, and general stigmas supplied by ordinary people like you and me.

Powers writes beautifully and this is an interestingly blend of excellent nonfiction writing and narrative story telling. He shares a lot of very personal exchanges within his family in the hope that more conversation will be stimulated on this difficult subject. While the focus is largely on schizophrenia, the messages apply to the broad array of mental conditions.

This is for those who experience mental illness (1 in 4 Americans?), but especially for those who care for people with mental illness.