Shrinks: Summary Review
This is a summary review of Shrinks containing key details about the book.
What is Shrinks About?
"Shrinks: The Untold Story of Psychiatry" by Jeffrey A. Lieberman and Ogi Ogas provides a comprehensive history of the field of psychiatry, exploring its evolution from ancient times to the present day.
In Shrinks, the author traces the field from its birth as a mystic pseudo-science through its adolescence as a cult of 'shrinks' to its late blooming maturity since the Second World War as a science-driven profession that saves lives. With fascinating case studies and portraits of the luminaries of the field, from Sigmund Freud to Eric Kandel, SHRINKS is a gripping and illuminating read. It is also an urgent call-to-arms to dispel the stigma surrounding mental illness and to start treating it as a disease rather than a state of mind.
Summary Points & Takeaways from Shrinks
Some key summary points and takeaways from the book include:
* The history of psychiatry: The authors provide a chronological overview of the development of psychiatry, from its early roots in ancient Greece and Rome to its current state as a respected and regulated medical specialty.
* The role of psychotherapy: The book highlights the importance of psychotherapy as a tool for treating mental illness, and the impact that different therapeutic approaches have had on the field of psychiatry.
* The influence of cultural and social factors: The authors explore how cultural and social factors have shaped our understanding and treatment of mental illness, and how these factors continue to impact the field today.
* The challenges facing psychiatry: The authors also discuss some of the challenges facing psychiatry, including the stigma associated with mental illness, the lack of effective treatments for certain conditions, and the ongoing debate over the validity of certain diagnostic categories.
* The future of psychiatry: The book concludes by looking at the future of psychiatry, including the impact that advances in neuroscience and technology are likely to have on the field, and the importance of continuing to evolve and improve our understanding of mental illness.
Who is the author of Shrinks?
Jeffrey Alan Lieberman is an American psychiatrist who specializes in schizophrenia and related psychoses and their associated neuroscience and pharmacological treatment.
Ogi Ogas is an American writer who received doctoral training as a computational neuroscientist. As of May 2016, he is a visiting scholar at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he serves as Project Head for the Individual Mastery Project.
Book details
- Print length: 352 pages
- Genre: Nonfiction, Psychology, History
What are the chapters in Shrinks?
Chapter 1 The Stepchild of Medicine: Mesmerists, Alienists, and Analysts
Chapter 2 Down the Garden Path: The Rise of the Shrink
Chapter 3 What Is Mental Illness?: A Farrago of Diagnoses
Chapter 4 Destroying the Rembrandts, Goyas, and Van Goghs: Anti-Freudians to the Rescue
Chapter 5 Desperate Measures: Fever Cures, Coma Therapy, and Lobotomies
Chapter 6 Mother's Little Helper: Medicine at Last
Chapter 7 Out of the Wilderness: The Brain Revolution
Chapter 8 Soldier's Heart: The Mystery of Trauma
Chapter 9 The Triumph of Pluralism: The DSM-5
Chapter 10 The End of Stigma: The Future of Psychiatry
What do critics say?
Here's what one of the prominent reviewers had to say about the book: "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." — Matthew Hutson, Washington Post
* The editor of this summary review made every effort to maintain information accuracy, including any published quotes, chapters, or takeaways. If you're interested in furthering your personal development, I invite you to check out my list of favorite personal development books page. On this page, you'll find a curated list of books that have personally impacted my life, each with a summary and key lessons.
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
