Pushbutton Psychiatry: A Cultural History of Electric Shock Therapy in America, Updated Paperback Edition [Paperback]

Timothy W. Kneeland (Author), Carol A.B. Warren (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2008 | ISBN-10: 1598743635 | ISBN-13: 978-1598743630 | Edition: New Updated Edition

This volume uncovers the roots of electroshock in America, an outgrowth of western patriarchal medicine with primarily female patients. The authors trace the history of electroshock in the United States in three historic stages: from an enthusiastic reception in 1940, to a period of crisis in the 1960s, to its resurgence after 1980. Early American experiments with electrical medicine are also examined, while the development of electroshock in America is considered through the lens of social, political, and economic factors. The revival of electroshock in recent decades is found to be a product of growing materialism in American psychiatry and the political and economic realities of managed medical care. The new material in the Updated Paperback Edition describes the resurgence of electroshock in the private psychiatric sector as a treatment of choice for depression.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

This volume uncovers the roots of electroshock in America, an outgrowth of western patriarchal medicine with primarily female patients, with a new epilogue bringing the research up to the present.

About the Author

Timothy W. Kneeland is an Assistant Professor of History and Political Science at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York.

Carol A.B. Wareen is an emerita Professor of Sociology at the University of Kansas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 156 pages
• Publisher: Left Coast Press; New Updated Edition edition (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598743635
• ISBN-13: 978-1598743630
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,471,155 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Timothy W. Kneeland is a political analyst and associate professor of History and Political Science at Nazareth College. His interest in American politics and cultural history is evident in his publications which include: Push Button Psychiatry: A Cultural History of Electroshock (2008 revised); "Presidents and Radio" a chapter in American Presidency in Popular Culture (2005); "Robert Hare: Politics, Science and Spiritualism in the Early Republic, Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography (2008). He is currently at work on book length history of Hurricane Agnes (1972) and the politics of natural disaster policy. Dr. Kneeland teaches courses in American history, American government, African American history and the history of science. His teaching incorporates civic engagement and public history themes which intersect in his long term project with community partners to reconstruct and retell the history of African Americans in the Rochester area.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars GOOD HISTORY UNDER FLAWED IDEOLOGY, November 21, 2008

By 

Cheri Montagu "Writer" (San Francisco Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pushbutton Psychiatry: A Cultural History of Electric Shock Therapy in America, Updated Paperback Edition (Paperback)

It is practically impossible for me to write an intelligent review of this work because my software, which is Microsoft, cuts me off after only a couple minutes. People seeking more info should consult my website where is is reviewed more extensively. All I can say here is that the book is very persuasive in demonstrating that the recent upsurge in the administration of ECT is motivated, not by the patriarchy or gender issues upon which the authors focus initially, but rather greed. The fact is, ECT is very profitable for doctors, hospitals, and of course the ECT device manufacturers with whom they work so closely. Which leads one to wonder, what is it that really cured Kitty Dukakis' depression? Perhaps a fat stipend from some ECT manufacturer?