This book provides a unique perspective on what it is like to be brain damaged, seen through the eyes of doctors and neuroscientists who have themselves suffered a brain injury or brain illness. It brings together more than 50 personal stories written over 120 years. Each article in its own right represents a fascinating insight into the effects of brain damage on the individual, covering areas that are often neglected in neurology and neuropsychology textbooks. Each of the personal accounts is accompanied by a Commentary that puts the papers into the context of our current theory and clinical practice. There are sections covering memory disorders, language disorders, visual disorders, Parkinson's disease, brain tumour, stroke, head injury, and epilepsy. An introduction to each of these sections provides background information for the non-specialist reader. An Overview chapter attempts to integrate the lessons to be learned across the various sections. Injured brains of medical minds: views from within presents some extraordinary stories and makes a highly original introduction to neuropsychology and neurology. It is also an invaluable resource for anyone involved in neuropsychological or neurological research.

Psychological research into autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has increased exponentially in the last two decades. Much of this work has been led by various theorists who claim to have identified processes that hold the key to understanding the condition. As a consequence, newcomers to the field feel that they have to opt for one or more of the competing approaches and to neglect the remainder as being in some way wrong. In fact, the different theoretical perspectives are just that - different points of view on the same phenomenon - each with its own insights to offer. This is not to say that understanding ASD in psychological terms is just a matter of choosing a perspective and that all perspectives are of equal value. Clearly they are not.

This book, in addition to providing an outline of what current perspectives have to offer, also provides a framework to help readers to decide which aspects of psychological research into ASD contribute to our understanding of the field and how these can be integrated in a way that enables research to be taken forward.

Nancy Andreasen, fuhrende Neurowissenschaftlerin, Herausgeberin des angesehenen American Journal of Psychiatry und ausgezeichnet mit der National Medal of Science, zeigt uns in ihrem neuen Buch die Zusammenhange zwischen Gehirn und Genom. Dank modernster Methoden und Entdeckungen in Neurowissenschaften und Molekularbiologie wissen Forscher mehr denn je uber die Funktionen des Gehirns. Die Autorin beschreibt auf faszinierende und verstandliche Weise, wie alles zusammenhangt - von Milliarden kleinster Neuronen im Thalamus bis hin zur moralischen Kontrollinstanz im prafrontalen Kortex. Sie erklart die Entschlusselung des Genoms, dessen 30000-40000 Gene fast alle in irgendeiner Form in unserem Gehirn aktiv sind. In fesselnden Geschichten beleuchtet sie aber auch, wie sich psychische Storungen entwickeln und welche Auswirkungen sie auf Patienten und Angehorige haben. Nancy Andreasen gelingt der Bruckenschlag zwischen hochkomplexen Inhalten und spannender Lekture."

Die Geschlossenheit der Darstellung und das hohe Mass an verstandlicher Formulierung der komplizierten Zusammenhange zeichnen dieses Buch aus und sind bisher von keinem anderen Autor so klar vorgelegt. Die ausserordentlich effektiven Methoden der systemischen Psychotherapie erhalten in diesem Buch eine theoretische Einordnung, so dass die Methoden selbst verstandlicher und entmystifiziert werden. Sie erhalten dadurch eine zusatzliche Eigenstandigkeit. Dadurch, dass die systemische Theorie sich selbst als Theorie begrunden kann, hat sie den Charakter einer universalistischen Theorie und macht sie im Vergleich zu Psychoanalyse und Verhaltenstherapie besonders attraktiv. Dieses Buch bietet fundierte Argumente und entwirft futuristische Horizonte.
"Dem Autor ist es auf beeindruckende Weise gelungen, die Wirklichkeit der Wirklichkeit der Psychosomatik darzustellen. Mit einer Fulle von interessanten Ideen uberwindet er traditionelles Denken und entwirft eine Theorie der biopsychosozialen Medizin der Zukunft."
Paul Watzlawick
"Konsequent verfolgt Dr. Bokmann das Ziel, kybernetische Uberlegungen aus verschiedenen Disziplinen zusammenzutragen und zusammenzudenken und fur die Medizin und Psychosomatik fruchtbar zu machen. Diese Zusammenschau ist eine einzigartige Leistung: ein hervorragendes Buch "
Prof. Heinz von Foerster"

When readers first meet Ben, he is a sweet, intelligent, seemingly well-adjusted youngster. Fast forward to his teenage years, though, and Ben's life has spun out of control. Ben is swept along by an illness over which he has no control one that results in runaway episodes, periods of homelessness, seven psychotic breaks, seven hospitalizations, and finally a diagnosis and treatment plan that begins to work. Schizophrenia strikes an estimated one in a hundred people worldwide by some estimates, and yet understanding of the illness is lacking. Through Ben's experiences, and those of his mother and sister, who supported Ben through every stage of his illness and treatment, readers gain a better understanding of schizophrenia, as well as mental illness in general, and the way it affects individuals and families. Here, Kaye encourages families to stay together and find strength while accepting the reality of a loved one's illness; she illustrates, through her experiences as Ben's mother, the delicate balance between letting go and staying involved. She honors the courage of anyone who suffers with mental illness and is trying to improve his life and participate in his own recovery. Ben Behind His Voices also reminds professionals in the psychiatric field that every patient who comes through their doors has a life, one that he has lost through no fault of his own. It shows what goes right when professionals treat the family as part of the recovery process and help them find support, education, and acceptance. And it reminds readers that those who suffer from mental illness, and their families, deserve respect, concern, and dignity."

This is the amazing true story of one woman's journey deep into mental illness and her return to sanity -- and to a successful life and career. Carol North was diagnosed with schizophrenia in college. The story of her life is traced from her early life in a middle class small-town family in the Midwest. For many years, Carol struggled against overwhelming odds to achieve in school in spite of her illness and was finally admitted to medical school to pursue her hopes and dreams of becoming a doctor. In medical school, however, she slid further into psychosis and finally succumbed the inexorable incapacitation so often characteristic of the illness. Carol was fortunate enough, however, to find a skilled psychiatrist who understood her dedication to becoming a physician and who worked with her to stay well enough to remain in school. When all hope seemed lost, her doctor enrolled her in an experimental dialysis program, similar to the treatment given to patients with kidney failure. With this treatment, her illness went away and she no longer required medication for it. This engrossing and ultimately triumphant story of courageous struggle against mental illness will inspire anyone who has ever had to battle for achievement against overwhelming odds. After recovering from her illness, Carol returned to school and received her medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri in 1983. She then completed her internship and residency at Barnes Hospital/Washington University, and subsequently obtained a masters degree in psychiatric epidemiology (the study of psychiatric disorders in populations) while simultaneously pursuing a NIMH fellowship in psychiatric epidemiology at Washington University. Dr. Carol North is currently a board-certified psychiatrist and full Professor of Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine. She treats patients with schizophrenia and a range of psychiatric illness, trains young physicians and psychiatrists, and pursues federally funded research in psychiatric epidemiology. She is the recipient of numerous national awards and has appeared on many national television and radio programs.

The distinguished historian of medicine Gerald Grob analyzes the post-World War II policy shift that moved many severely mentally ill patients from large state hospitals to nursing homes, families, and subsidized hotel rooms--and also, most disastrously, to the streets. On the eve of the war, public mental hospitals were the chief element in the American mental health system. Responsible for providing both treatment and care and supported by major portions of state budgets, they employed more than two-thirds of the members of the American Psychiatric Association and cared for nearly 98 percent of all institutionalized patients. This study shows how the consensus for such a program vanished, creating social problems that tragically intensified the sometimes unavoidable devastation of mental illness. Examining changes in mental health care between 1940 and 1970, Grob shows that community psychiatric and psychological services grew rapidly, while new treatments enabled many patients to lead normal lives. Acute services for the severely ill were expanded, and public hospitals, relieved of caring for large numbers of chronic or aged patients, developed into more active treatment centers. But since the main goal of the new policies was to serve a broad population, many of the most seriously ill were set adrift without even the basic necessities of life. By revealing the sources of the euphemistically designated policy of "community care," Grob points to sorely needed alternatives. Originally published in 1991. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.