A review by doctabird
Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the American Psyche by Ethan Watters

3.0

There were parts of this book that were great, and parts that were simply infuriating. I think each of the chapters could have been fully flushed out into its own book, and would have been a more comprehensive story of inter- & intracultural influences on mental illness. By the end of each chapter, I felt like I was given a one-sided view of this narrative. I won't disagree that the western idea of defining, diagnosing, and treating mental illness has, often blindly, impacted how other cultures perceive mental illness. Watters gives compelling examples of how this has occurred using different disorders and different cultures. He also excessively bashes how the west (mainly the U.S.) handles mental illness, which was the infuriating part. It would have made a more interesting story to delve into A) instances where western treatment of mental illness translated well within another culture and B) instances where another culture's ideals surrounding mental illness pervaded and influenced western views. I'm sure those instances exist, and it would have made a more well-rounded picture of the inter- & intracultural influences on mental illness (or globalization of the American psyche).