A History of Psychiatry: From the Era of the Asylum to the Age of Prozac

In this comprehensive, provocative history of psychiatry noted historian Edward Shorter examines the evolution of psychiatry theory and practice from the 18th century to the present. The only book to cover the latest developments in the field, it proposes a return to "biological" roots and treatments of mental illness as opposed to the philosophy of insanity as being of social origin. It further describes the shift away from Freudian-based analysis toward a new era of possibilities of diagnosis and treatment using medication such as Prozac to treat a variety of disorders.