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The Emperor's New Drugs: Exploding the Antidepressant Myth Paperback – March 8, 2011
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The Emperor's New Drugs makes an overwhelming case that what had seemed a cornerstone of psychiatric treatment is little more than a faulty consensus. But Kirsch does more than just criticize: he offers a path society can follow so that we stop popping pills and start proper treatment for depression.
- Print length241 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBasic Books
- Publication dateMarch 8, 2011
- Grade level11 and up
- Reading age13 years and up
- Dimensions5.5 x 0.61 x 8.25 inches
- ISBN-100465022006
- ISBN-13978-0465022007
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“[Kirsch’s] case that the drugs’ benefits are due to placebo and enhanced placebo effect is fascinating and demands urgent research…Clearly, it's time for a big rethink of what constitutes mental illness and about how to treat it.”
Literary Review (UK)
“[B]rilliantly subversive… a fascinating and disturbing book.”
Kelly Lambert, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Randolph-Macon College; President, International Behavioral Neuroscience Society; Author of Lifting Depression
“Considering the crude and nonspecific therapies that have been historically available for depression, the thought of a pill acting as an effective agent against the tumultuous symptoms of this disease was appealing to everyone in the mental health industry. But, as Irving Kirsch points out in this provocative and informative treatise, The Emperor’s New Drugs, this dream ultimately turned out to be a fairy tale. There was no prince of healing to provide the promised relief for patients. Kudos to Dr. Kirsch for his impressive scientific investigative reporting described in this book, forcing our attention away from the fairy tale and toward the reality of more effective treatment strategies for depression.”
David D. Burns, author of
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy
“A beautifully written, profoundly important book.”
Druin Burch, author of Taking the Medicine
“A terrific account of how optimism, greed and scientific incompetence have misled us about the nature of depression and the drugs we throw at it.”
Psychology Today
“[The Emperor’s New Drugs] absolutely dismantles the case for antidepressants as a pharmacologically effective treatment.”
Publishers Weekly
“Writing with a broad audience in mind, Kirsch expands on this important topic in a lively style with clear, cogent explanations of the science involved, and many examples of the differences between solid and flawed research. The result is a fascinating book with broad implications for science policy.”
St. Petersburg Times
“Measured and laserlike in focus…The Emperor's New Drugs dismantles the case for antidepressants as a pharmacologically effective treatment.”
Charlotte Observer
“Kirsch…uses clear no-nonsense prose to marshal the extraordinary and convincing evidence needed to support his position.”
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Basic Books; Reprint edition (March 8, 2011)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 241 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0465022006
- ISBN-13 : 978-0465022007
- Reading age : 13 years and up
- Grade level : 11 and up
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.61 x 8.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #993,006 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #173 in Medical Psychopharmacology
- #239 in Popular Psychology Psychopharmacology
- #1,092 in Depression (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Irving Kirsch is Associate Director of the Program in Placebo Studies and a lecturer in medicine at the Harvard Medical School. He is also Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the Plymouth University (UK), University of Hull (UK) and the University of Connecticut (USA). He has published 10 books and more than 200 scientific journal articles and book chapters on placebo effects, antidepressants, hypnosis, and suggestion. He originated the concept of response expectancy. His 2002 meta-analysis on the efficacy of antidepressants influenced official guidelines for the treatment of depression in the United Kingdom. His 2008 meta-analysis was covered extensively in the international media and listed by the British Psychological Society as one of the “10 most controversial psychology studies ever published.” His book, The Emperor’s New Drugs: Exploding the Antidepressant Myth, has been published in English, French, Italian, Japanese, Turkish, and Polish, and was shortlisted for the prestigious Mind Book of the Year award. It was also the topic of 60 Minutes segment on CBS and a 5-page cover story in Newsweek. In 1974, Kirsch co-produced a record album titled "The Missing White House Tapes," which was nominated for a Grammy Award as Best Comedy Recording of the year.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book provides good information on antidepressants. They find it well-researched and accurate, with scientific details that are accurate. The language is clear and easy to understand, even for non-scientists. However, opinions differ on the reading pace - some find it ground-breaking and life-changing, while others find it shocking and not pleasant.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book informative and well-researched. They say it provides scientific information on common drugs and an eye-opening story about placebos and the myth of antidepressants. The book helps readers understand mental illness better with its revealing investigation of the chemical imbalance and history of the placebo effect.
"...This is a detailed and brilliant exposition of a global multi-billion dollar confidence trick...." Read more
"...book to anyone interested in the placebo effect and how placebos are used in clinical trials...." Read more
"...conclusion, "The Emperor's New Drugs" is an excellent account of the ineffectiveness of antidepressants, written by a pioneering researcher...." Read more
"...book particularly for the student of psychology because it is a great demonstration of how to take complicated research in the social sciences and..." Read more
Customers find the book well-written and easy to read. They appreciate the author's approach as sound and sensible. The book is accessible for non-professional readers, making it a must-read for anyone interested in the social sciences.
"...to take complicated research in the social sciences and make it accessible to all readers, something we psychologists ought to do a lot more of...." Read more
"...He does so using non-technical language that can be easily understood by the average layman...." Read more
"...This is an exeptionally written book that will keep you turning the page to uncover more evidence about the science of antidepressants...." Read more
"...While Breggin was an extremely credible author, most of his (rather vindictive claims) were supported by his own clinical experience, however he..." Read more
Customers have different views on the book's reading pace. Some find it informative and life-changing, while others describe it as shocking and not pleasant to read.
"Life Changin book please take a look. Its will change the way you thin about medications. It will change your life for the better...." Read more
"...It is readable. But it is not pleasant reading because it is the truth. It made me angry." Read more
"Excellent and ground-breaking...." Read more
"BS propaganda Stay away, this book is lethal and the author should be jailed." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2013I am a lifelong sufferer of depression. Unfortunately I chose not to deal with this until I got into my 40s. I stumbled on this book on a weekend meditation retreat - lucky me.
This is a detailed and brilliant exposition of a global multi-billion dollar confidence trick. Anybody taking SSRIs needs to read this book and then come up with a plan to wean themselves off the drug. Assume that you will relapse at some point and have a plan, just not one that involves a harmful placebo like an SSRI.
Apart from debunking the myth of the SSRI miracle, the author also fully explores the truly miraculous placebo effect. It occurred to me a few years ago that everybody seemed to be looking past the most powerful cure-all known to man when in fact we should be researching the placebo effect in order to better understand how to leverage it. Interestingly, Dr Kirsch talks about the ethics of misleading the patient by not disclosing when an inert placebo is being administered. I would gladly sign a disclaimer to allow any and all physicians to feed me sugar pills with a large dose of bull if that is what they think will do the trick.
I remember first doctor to give me "chemical imbalance in the brain" speech. I thought it was bulls*** then and I have continued to think it was bulls***. They can't measure your serotonin levels and even if they could would the lower level be a symptom or a cause. The theory is about a valid as saying - "You are depressed. This is due to your sad facial expression. We are going to perform a surgical procedure to put a permanent smile on your face and you will then feel much better."
That said, I fell into the trap of believing that the Lexapro I was prescribed actually worked. As Dr. Kirsch posits, starting on the drug actually made me feel so much worse than I already did that it was just about unbearable. My depression deepened to where I could barely move and I would sweat uncontrollably. I imagine that as I became adapted to the drug, the worst mood and physical effects lessened and ironically this may have made me believe that the drug was working and given me the lift I needed to start my way from the depths back up to the surface. Of course, I came to believe in my dependence on the drug for mood stability and I have struggled to come off the drug. I am currently about 20 pounds overweight and have all of the much discussed sexual issues. I will be coming off for good this time. The worst I have ever felt is when I began to take the drug and I am going to need to recognize that the drug effect is an illusion and use psychotherapy and other techniques to treat the condition.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2012Many antidepressants, including the ones most used in clinical practice, are no more effective than placebos. In his book, the author, Irving Kirsch, a professor of psychology and professor emeritus at the University of Connecticut describes how he discovered this lack of effectiveness and how he went on to study the placebo effect and how to use placebos in "double blind" research studies. Such studies are considered the "gold standard" in determining the effectiveness of new drugs. In such a study, a group of subjects are selected and divided into two groups; one group gets the drug and the other group gets a placebo. Neither the subjects nor the person giving the drug or placebo knows who is getting the drug being studied and who is getting the placebo. At the end of the study, the response of each subject is evaluated. The person doing the evaluations does not know which subjects got the drug and which got placebos; hence the name "double blind". Finally, the response of the subjects who got the drug are compared to the response of those who got the placebo.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in the placebo effect and how placebos are used in clinical trials. It is the most thorough discussion of placebos I have ever read. One interesting observation is that sometimes subjects can discover whether they received the drug or a placebo. Before the trial, they must be briefed on possible side effects from the drug under study. If, during the study, they have one of the side effects, they know that they are getting the drug; if they don't, then they know that they are getting the placebo. Such knowledge voids the study -- double blond or not. The solution to this problem is to use a placebo which also has the side effects of the drug!
The sole benefit of drugs which are essentially placebos is that they give the patient hope. That appears to be the case with currently popular antidepressant drugs.
Top reviews from other countries
cinemannaReviewed in India on June 10, 20215.0 out of 5 stars Must read for all
I was curious to complete my reading on depression related books as I have often come across friends who are feeling low or very low at times and look distressed. This is a book written with a very rational scientific approach. It makes it clear why pharmaceutical based approaches are not right. What one needs is counselling and not to look at it as a "medical problem". It states the case with very thorough research, if you want to read such a thorough research based account and not go by mere opinion, or intuition, that it is indeed not a "chemical" thing but one that needs mediation by people, a very human crisis. The other excellent book is "Feeling Good" by David Burns.
ChappyReviewed in Australia on October 27, 20245.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
This is scary stuff! Totally recommend it so others can read it and learn!
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RASReviewed in France on March 31, 20185.0 out of 5 stars The Emperor's New Drugs
J'ai rarement lu un livre aussi bien construit, basé sur la synthèse des recherches publiées et surtout non publiées sur les antidépresseurs. Irving Kirsch rassemble les preuves qui montrent que les antidépresseurs sont des placebos, les effets secondaires négatifs en plus. Une analyse très serrée sur le placebo est ensuite présentée, dont l'auteur est un spécialiste mondial. Il montre aussi que des alternatives viables existent, comme l'exercice physique et la psychothérapie. Cette dernière a aussi l'avantage d'être plus efficace à long terme. A lire absolument.
Julie De MerchantReviewed in Canada on July 31, 20125.0 out of 5 stars Money well spent !
In addition to exposing the myth of antidepressants, he explores the ramification of placebo, and goes into a descriptive narrative of its effects and how to properly measure its effects. I found the book very instructive and well paced. It is an excellent companion to Robert Whitaker's book "Anatomy of an Epidemic", which taken together, shake the foundations of modern psychiatric "treatment" - "a boat in need of sinking". This book makes me proud that he had the courage to face an multi-billion industry, whose premice is based on deceit.
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KakaduReviewed in Germany on December 29, 20105.0 out of 5 stars Dringende Leseempfehlung für jeden Arzt und jeden Hausarzt
Irving Kirsch's Sichtweisen auf die Verordnungpraxis von Antidepressiva sind für niedergelassene Ärzte von grosser Relevanz. Eine Reihe von Metastudien bestätigen Kirsch's Thesen. Die Richtlinien für die Behandlung der Depression mit einem niedrigen Schweregrad - wie sie häufig in der ärztlichen Allgemeinpraxis vorkommt - empfehlen nicht-pharmakologische Therapieformen als ersten Schritt. Warum das sinnvoll ist, darüber gibt dieses Buch umfangreich und fundiert Auskunft.








