Welcome to Litsy!

This book raised a lot of questions and self reflection. And unfortunately the world continues to have a huge stigma attached to individuals with mental health diagnosis.

Spent most of the day yesterday reading outside then finished it up this morning.

As a health care worker this excites me… but as a member of the general public… scares me a little.

💡💡💡💡

Started this one today but.. I was so relaxed I took a nap instead :)

Laying out on a hammock with the fire, a blanket and Maverick :)

In a pivotal 1973 study, Dr David Rosenhan stated that healthy people posing as patients were falsely diagnosed as schizophrenic by a system that couldn't tell the difference. His work rocked the world of psychiatry, but as Susannah Cahalan's investigation shows, the truth is complicated. The author's own brush with psychosis informs this thoughtful, compassionate look at Rosenhan's work and its role in society's relationship with mental illness.

First off, I‘m a bit surprised this was a #botm selection. Although I bought it through them, I ended up listening to this one on audio. Cahalan clearly did her research, and this is a book that will make you think long and hard about the current (and past) state of our psychiatric hospitals, as well as the methods used to diagnose mental illness. That said, the narrow focus wasn‘t immediately clear and Cahalan‘s purpose for writing the book murky

I binge read this in a day. Well researched, and i think it's a wonderful companion book to Hidden Valley Road. It's really about how research is conducted, and the limits of psychiatry.

Girl did her homework! It felt like there was a bunch left, but there was 100 pages of notes and references. This was a fascinating read. Callahan takes you along on her roller coaster of an investigation of David Rosenhan‘s essay “On Being Sane in Insane Places.” In doing so you get a history of the American mental health care system in the 20th century. Would recommend if you have interest in the subject. I plan on reading her memoir too.

#Two4TuesdayGiveaway @TheSpineView thanks for the tag! @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick

1. I keep them all - they‘re my prized possessions!Though I have a box of them living with my parents right now for storage and it‘s super sad.

2. Tagged: The Great Pretender

Play along: @Books4Ever @Mishu94 @BookDragonNotWorm

A deep look into mental health, hows it‘s been viewed and treated and a specific study about people who pretended to be ill and entered hospitals.

After finishing and loving Hidden Valley Road I thought I‘d read this #BOTMbacklog 🤓I enjoyed Brain on Fire so I‘m hoping Susannah Cahalan delivers again. I‘ve seen mixed reviews, so I‘m tamping my expectations😉

#readyoursign Sagittarius - sophisticated book, ruling number in pub date: 9-->November 2019)

Interesting nonfiction about the psychiatric pseudopatient study in the 1970s and tracking down the anonymous patients years later to corroborate the paper that came out of it. Readable enough but probably more interesting if you are interested in mental health. 4 stars.

Lunch time

Finally have a few mins to read before I start dinner

Book 98 of 2020
#botm #botmbacklist #nonfiction

Starting this today.

My last read of 2019. A powerful narrative about the complexities of mental illness and the dysfunction of mental institutions.

The Great Pretender is a clear-eyed examination of a turning point in the history of mental health care, in the style of Susan Orlean or Jon Ronson. Cahalan has done the legwork, chasing shadows and ghosts through the annals of the asylums, trying to establish the veracity of a pivotal study that changed psychiatry forever. Full review for subscribers at http://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/new-releases/ #NonFiction

A lot of middling to outright bad reviews here and I get the criticism but I do think The Great Pretender is worth the read. Cahalan is a competent journalist piecing together sources and hunting down leads, but mostly I think you should read this and think about how you engage with mental health (within yourself, your loved ones, and the wider world) and how you approach academia and expert opinions. Embrace both more empathy and more skepticism.

Opening line: "The story that follows is true. It is also not true." I am intrigued.

Finished this while waiting in A&E with my wife (she's fine). I found Cahalan's conclusion that Rosenhan was right despite the fakery an interesting nuance, and think I agree.

I find the reviews from mental health professionals who claim Rosenhan had no impact and this book is irrelevant to be worrying. I know about the study and I'm no professional. It helped shape the DSM. It's still taught in schools as true. Of course it's still relevant.

A little haul today since I was in town to get my hair cut. Susannah Cahalan's book was my objective, after reading the review in Nature and the piece in New Scientist, but THE FIVE and WHEN THE DOGS DON'T BARK were on buy-one-get-one-half-price, and highly recommended by the bookseller. 😁

I read the author's first book, Brain on Fire, for book club and found her research and presentation excellent so requested this new novel from NetGalley. This book was also well researched and well-presented if a bit dry at times. Its based on the Rosenhan experiment and I would recommend it to anyone with a sincere interest in psychology and mental illness as well as the mental health profession.

ARC provided by #NetGalley

I guess I should‘ve realized from the title, but I didn‘t realize I‘d go through 8 discs (I listened to the audio) of every aspect of this study, only to have the author say she believes large portions of the study were faked. The author definitely leans towards the anti-psychiatry movement & bc of personal reasons I found that irritating, although good points are made. It was well researched and the narrator did a good job.

I found this book interesting and informative on a personal level. I have an aunt who was diagnosed with borderline schizophrenia/bipolar disorder as a teen in the 70s. Throughout her life, doctors doped her up with medications that serious unforeseen consequences, including intestinal issues that ultimately led to her death. But this book was pretty dry and was mainly just a list of how psychiatry has evolved, for better or worse, without ⬇️

...my typical price for this kind of thing is $550.

#thankyouNHS

I'm reading the wrong book.
I do not want to be reading about what she was listening to when she went to do an interview. Get back to the story about the mental health study!
(Yup, I am being unreasonable and grumpy.)

Hard to believe this was with the last fifty years.

This is a great deal! This one came out super recent !

I've been blowing through my #audiobook titles even faster than usual these days during my walks on my lunch break at work. I am trying to work in more activity in my day and audios certainly help! (A picture of the adorable mini park I walk through in town)
This book though...I wouldn't recommend it, although it's not terrible. I love anything about psychology, but this one seemed too disjointed for my taste.

1973
Locked in a mental hospital and have to prove sanity
What is scarier?

This has a lot of not so great reviews. I agree that Brain on Fire was much more interesting and an easier read because it actually happened to her and read like a narrative. The Great Pretender can be dense at times with research and footnotes. However, I still found it a fascinating story that made me question our mental health system and who/ what symptoms gets labeled as ill.

Current #audiobook which I'm feeling a bit meh about. Definitely enjoyed Brain on Fire but this isn't on par with that one so far. We shall see 🤷🏼‍♀️

Nervous because this one has some not so great reviews on here, but I really loved Brain on Fire. I hope this does not disappoint.

This was really eye-opening and interesting and informative. The author did go off on some long tangents that made things a little confusing. But overall a solid read.

Didn't do so hot for #24b42020 (the whole weekend was a bust) but I'll post my ten hours anyway for the points!
#wintergames #readnosedreindeer #impulseread @StayCurious @Clwojick

As a mental health provider, I had some thoughts about this book. First, she is focusing on the adult persistently mentally ill population, which I don‘t work with much. I do deal a lot with psychiatrists & hospitals for kids/teens. 1) I actually liked some of the history about the mental health field. A lot I didn‘t know, some I had learned years ago, some I learned from The Psychopath Test. 2) I understand concerns about psych meds & have 👇

“In fact, the horror show that is our mental health care system today makes Rosenhan‘s critiques seem obsolete. ‘It shows just how quaint the study is‘”.
Haven‘t had much of an issue with this book yet, but this sentence struck me the wrong way. What makes the author an expert in the mental health field? Why is she calling the system a “horror show”? Why did she spend half a book talking about a study that is now “obsolete” & “quaint”? 🤦‍♀️

I had read the intro a few days ago, but now I‘ve really started this, with not much time left on the loan. Hoping I‘ll finish it tomorrow because I‘m not sure I want to end the year with this one. Last night, I was up to 9 hrs 40 min for #24b42020. @Andrew65 @jb72 @TheReadingMermaid

I was in the mood for some nonfiction, so I'm starting The Great Pretender and hoping to finish it by 2020 and score some hours for #24b42020 😁
#wintergames #readnosedreindeer @StayCurious @Clwojick

⭐️⭐️ Cahalan questions the validity of David Rosenhan‘s undercover psychiatric study. I‘m skeptical of this book‘s purpose. It just seems like a platform to further shout her disdain for psychiatry. Perhaps this could‘ve been a worthwhile article, but as a book, it lacks the sagacity of Brain on Fire.

NOVEMBER WRAP UP ~ I‘m working on my November wrap up video but in the meantime, let‘s talk about our favorite reads of November. What did you enjoy the most last month? I finished 9 books (two ebooks not pictured) and my top favorites were Strange Planet and The Great Pretender. But I really did enjoy everything, with the exception of one of the ebooks!

I really enjoyed The Great Pretender. The material was fascinating and I am a fan of this type of factual delivery in non-fiction.

Full review here: https://www.facebook.com/262384764521804/posts/382180872542192?d=n&sfns=mo

#NFNov
A great look at a study conducted on undercover psychiatric facilities, with mentions of the original undercover pioneer, Nellie Bly. Paired the audiobook and crafting with Brazen Cab Sauv, which features Bly on the label. Not as good as Callahan's Brain on Fire, but still a very thought provoking read on what we know and don't know about mental illness.

So I did half a book tree and painted and taped the other half. I'm not doing any cooking or baking for Thanksgiving, so this is satisfying my need to create. Also, my need to listen to audiobooks.

My book tree is coming along! And it's a great project to do while listening to audiobooks!

Waking up with a new nonfiction selection on this snowy, COLD (13° in NY) morning. I decided to rejoin Book of the Month Club and got it for free...I thought the "To be continued" book mark they included this month was oddly appropriate upon rejoining. ?
#BookHaul
#BOTM
#NFNovember

#BOTM in the house!

Happy pub day!

Happy Publication Day to The Great Pretender by Susannah Cahalan! Have you gotten yourself a copy of this book yet? It‘s perfect for Non-fiction November and explores an extremely intriguing topic! I loved Susannah Cahalan‘s previous book, Brain on Fire, and I am looking forward to sinking my teeth into this one. Thank you Grand Central Publishing for gifting me with a finished copy of this amazing book!

This one is already giving me a lot to think about, and I'm really interested to learn more about "On Being Sane in Insane Places." Unfortunately, as a field, I think we still have a long way to go. ?