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everything_was_beautiful's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.75
sarahdenn27's review against another edition
5.0
Completely mind-blowing and eye-opening. I've recently become interested in the idea that hey maybe the modern psychiatry industry isn't some perfect and wholesome thing that we're led to believe it is. No, there are clear issues and plenty of pseudoscience being sold as real science. This book was shocking at first but actually made a lot of sense. Of course, we think we're the best and we know what's right, but do we really? This makes me reconsider everything I've been taught as "fact" within my psych major, as so much of it really can't be proven at all and has been manipulated by someone or other who has a vested interest in benefiting from the industry.
bootman's review against another edition
5.0
As someone who reads a ton of psychology books and books about mental health, I have no clue how I never came across this book. This book is so important, and Ethan Watters did a phenomenal job. Watters highlights the fact that not only do we tend to pathologize everything in the United States, but we completely neglect that different countries and cultures address mental health in a different way. I used to think we don’t talk about mental health enough, but now it feels like we talk about it too much, and every person is being diagnosed with a different illness. While disorders are very real, this book really shows that sometimes we’re sold on the idea that we’re “supposed” to have certain symptoms after different events or “should” be a certain way.
I don’t know what it’s going to take to get this book out to more people, but I can’t recommend it enough to anyone who cares about the conversations around mental health.
I don’t know what it’s going to take to get this book out to more people, but I can’t recommend it enough to anyone who cares about the conversations around mental health.
ari__s's review against another edition
4.0
I struggled with the lack of person-first language in this book; however, overall, it raises important points and may arguably be a text from which required readings should be assigned to all mental health-services students.
niniane's review against another edition
3.0
i read 50 pages about the spread of anorexia and then found it too depressing. It is well-written but quite a downer, not inspirational or a call to action. i felt helpless to help.
gimchi's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating book on how the way in which Americans internalize their thoughts and mental illnesses affects other countries (and not necessarily in a positive manner). It definitely made me look at our culture of individualism in new ways, even on a personal level.
Overall, the book isn't surprising, as I feel that the American culture seems to steamroller others (whether on purpose or by accident) and by the end, it just gets a little depressing. The book seems to say, 'Look at all the terrible things our culture is doing to change and homogenize the world', but at the same time it also seems to say that there's not much we can do about it, other than make ourselves aware of what's going on.
Overall, the book isn't surprising, as I feel that the American culture seems to steamroller others (whether on purpose or by accident) and by the end, it just gets a little depressing. The book seems to say, 'Look at all the terrible things our culture is doing to change and homogenize the world', but at the same time it also seems to say that there's not much we can do about it, other than make ourselves aware of what's going on.
ameliabedeliaful's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
anna_lezdkan's review against another edition
Too psychological not enough philosophical but it is a psychology book.