The Myth of Mental Illness: Foundations of a Theory of Personal Conduct

Thomas S. Szasz, MD

Oct 2020 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Tom Parks

About this audiobook

The fiftieth anniversary edition of the most influential critique of psychiatry every written, with a new preface on the age of Prozac and Ritalin and the rise of designer drugs, plus two bonus essays. Thomas Szasz's classic book revolutionized thinking about the nature of the psychiatric profession and the moral implications of its practices. By diagnosing unwanted behavior as mental illness, psychiatrists, Szasz argues, absolve individuals of responsibility for their actions and instead blame their alleged illness. He also critiques Freudian psychology as a pseudoscience and warns against the dangerous overreach of psychiatry into all aspects of modern life.

Ratings and reviews

What was written about then is completely relevant now. Must read...

About the author

Thomas S. Szasz, MD, (1920-2012) was an academic, psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst. He served for most of his career as professor of psychiatry at the State University of New York Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York. His works include The Myth of Mental Illness and The Manufacture of Madness.

Since recording his first book for the Kansas Audio Reader Network in 1985, Tom Parks has enjoyed giving voice to stories. He has been nominated for Audie Awards and has received several AudioFile Earphones Awards, and reviewers have described his performances as "conversational," "energetic," and "sincere."