The Mind's Fate: A Psychiatrist Looks at His Profession - Thirty Years of Writings [Paperback]

Robert Coles (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1996 | ISBN-10: 0316151394 | ISBN-13: 978-0316151399 | Edition: 2

This collection of essays assesses the evolving fields of psychiatry and psychoanalysis. The topics covered in this updated and expanded edition include the use of Prozac, the nature of white racism, William Styron's "Darkness Visible" and van Gogh's "fever of genius".

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This welcome, expanded edition of an essay collection first published in 1975 includes 16 previously uncollected pieces and is approximately 40% new material. Coles, Pulitzer Prize-winning psychiatrist and Harvard professor, is dismayed at the overreliance on psychoactive drugs in today's psychiatric profession. Among the notable new selections are a stirring account of Coles's work with poor black children in the South during the early civil rights era; a critique of reductionist Freudian and Marxist interpretations of religious faith; a case history of Connie, a rebellious, unruly, yet devoutly Catholic eight-year-old girl; and appreciations of the fictions of Raymond Carver and William Styron. Coles's assessments of Anna Freud's pioneering work with disturbed children, of Erik Erikson's developmental psychology of the life cycle, and of R.D. Laing and William James reflect his grasp of psychotherapy as an elusive mix of science and art. Whether he is discussing the pervasive violence and narcissism in American society or the deep religiosity in Van Gogh's paintings, his humanism and compassionate insight shine through.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Robert Coles, M.D., is the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his Children of Crisis series and is the author of more than fifty books, including the bestselling The Spiritual Life of Children. He is currently a professor of psychiatry and medical humanities at Harvard University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Back Bay Books; 2 edition (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316151394
• ISBN-13: 978-0316151399
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,829,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robert Coles is professor emeritus at Harvard University and the author of numerous books, including his series Children of Crisis, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize. He has also won a MacArthur Award, a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and a National Humanities Medal. He lives in Massachusetts.