Schizophrenia Genesis: The Origins of Madness (Series of Books in Psychology) [Paperback]

Irving I. Gottesman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1990 | ISBN-10: 0716721473 | ISBN-13: 978-0716721475 | Edition: 1

Sorting out fact from fiction, one of the world's leading experts presents an absorbing account of what is actually know about the complex subject of schizophrenia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: W. H. Freeman; 1 edition (September 15, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0716721473
• ISBN-13: 978-0716721475
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #149,121 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #37 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Schizophrenia

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written and comprehensive, June 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Schizophrenia Genesis: The Origins of Madness (Series of Books in Psychology) (Paperback)

The overwhelming stress that a family experiences as a result of the diagnosis of a psychotic disorder is beyond words. One thing that can help is to learn as much about the disease as possible. Although a cure for schizophrenia has yet to be found, Gottesman has successfully outlined this disease in an understandable and informative book. It has provided me with a much better understnding of a disease with an incredible social stigma.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Diathesis Stressor Model for Schizophrenia, May 6, 2009

By 

Bonnie Brody "Book Lover and Knitter" (Port St. Lucie, FL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Schizophrenia Genesis: The Origins of Madness (Series of Books in Psychology) (Paperback)

In this book, the author proposes the diathesis-stressor model of schizophrenia inheritability. This means that certain genes are activated by an environmental stressor such as drugs or trauma. He negates the environmental model for schizophrenia as well as the strictly Mendelian model. People who have close relatives with schizophrenia are more likely to pass down the genetic markers for this illness.

Citing adoption studies, he notes that children of schizophrenics who are adopted by non-schizophrenic parents have a higher likelihood of developing the disease than the general population. Concomitantly, children of parents who do not have schizophrenia, when adopted by parents with schizophrenia, have no more likelihood of developing the illness than the general population.

He looks at the properties of certain drugs that have a propensity to bring about schizophrenia and notes that they all have dopamine stimulating properties.

This is a very good book for anyone interested in schizophrenia. It can be somewhat technical so a background in psychology, social work, psychiatry or neuroscience is helpful. However, it is still accessible to anyone who has a specific interest in this illness. Another good book that is less technical is E. Fuller Torey's book, Surviving Schizophrenia: A Manual for Families, Patients, and Providers.