lbribiescas's review against another edition

Go to review page

informative slow-paced

2.0

theskyboi's review against another edition

Go to review page

This book was far too concerned with the individual narratives of patients at the start of the institution, as opposed to discussing the realities of disenfranchised patients closer to our current era. Additionally, there was too much energy spent on explaining the political moves in the Confederacy for my liking; I wanted more of the story of how we got to the end of things, not the geopolitical underpinnings that I'm educated enough to already know.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kdurham2's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings

An in-depth look at not only a mental institution, but the people and the time and place that it existed. This mental institution was large and located in an interesting place especially at an interesting time in our nation's history - the south pre and post Civil War. With its location it had a trying relationship with race relations and how that fits into mental health. I have read other books, mostly historical fiction about mental institutions and the study of mental health and this was a different look at how it fits in the surrounding time.

I initially started reading this book via audiobook and had to stop and return it after three chapters as it wasn't keeping my attention and wasn't working for me, so I switched to ebook form and finished it reading that way.

madtattler's review against another edition

Go to review page

informative medium-paced

4.25

marrry's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

It was fine. I didn’t love it but I enjoyed it enough. There was plenty of good information but not a lot of spark. I didn’t feel connected to the history. It was a long slow read for me. But it was a great topic and something I want to learn more about.

annieb123's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Administrations of Lunacy is a dispassionate account of the facts surrounding the Central State Hospital in Milledgeville GA, USA. Released 14th April by The New Press, it's 384 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

This is an unflinching and unflattering deconstruction of the history of (at one time) the largest facility for treating and housing the mentally ill in the world. In continuous operation since December 1842 and now largely defunct, it's a huge sprawling (and mostly abandoned) complex of over 200 buildings on 2000 acres of land. Author Mab Segrest knits the facts and bald history of the place together with the systemic, wilful, historical administration and in-baked racist policies and treatment that people of color received throughout the institution's almost 180 year history.

Especially in the greater context of the continuing painful racist brutality that is rampant in the world today, this was a very difficult but important read. I found that I had to put the book down and walk away and think about and process the information at several points. The author is unsparing. There are frank discussions of (to modern people) barbaric, cruel, and senseless "treatments" and processes. The author's historical examination of eugenics as practiced by the non-consensual sterilization of inmates, torture, lobotomization, and other procedures is unstinting. The notes and references are academically rigorous, plentiful, and well organized.

General information and historical background are alternated throughout the book with personal stories of inmates (where known) or professionals employed in the care and operation of the facility. The author quotes a former staff member, Joe Ingram, when she devastatingly writes that there are "Rows upon rows of numbered, small, rusted markers as far as you can see... it must be the most gruesome sight in Georgia. Unknown humans, shunned when living, deprived of their very names in death... and literally known only to God".

Difficult reading. This would make a superlative adjunct text for related subjects, history of medicine, gender and race studies, psychiatry, mental health issues, public health, and so forth.

Four stars. Readers should certainly be prepared for triggering subject matter. It makes for grim reading.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

bethbarron's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Wow, where do I start?
Mab Segrest takes readers on an incredible 170 year journey through psychiatry, politics, and prisons.
This was incredibly informative, if dense and time consuming to read.
I'm glad I stuck with it.

dianna_reads's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark informative reflective slow-paced

4.0

maweets's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

This really took me a while to get through but I really felt like I learned a lot by the end of the book. My biggest critique is that I think this book spends a lot of time establishing the historical context for treatments and philosophies for care (or lack there of) seen at Milledgeville. At times I really felt like I had gotten into the weeds of history before I remembered what exactly it related to.
I did really appreciate the level of research and care that went into this book. I appreciated that the author wove in as many individual stories as possible to give better insight into the day-to-day experiences of many of the people who endured Milledgeville or similar situations.
I think this is a great foundational book for readers who are just beginning their research into how disability rights play into other forms of activism. I think that individuals either have done lots of research on disability rights or who have plenty of lived experience with the intersection of race and disability might view this work differently.

geeky_spider's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.0