Madness

_x005F_x000D_ Madness: A History is a thorough and accessible account of madness from antiquity to modern times, offering a large-scale yet nuanced picture of mental illness and its varieties in western civilization. _x005F_x000D_ The book examines the social and cultural forces shaping the medical and lay perspectives on madness, the invention and development of diagnoses as well as the theories and treatment methods by physicians, and the patient experiences inside and outside of the mental institution. _x005F_x000D_ Drawing extensively from primary records written by psychiatrists and accounts by mental health patients themselves, this is an essential read for all students of the history of mental illness and medicine.