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In Two Minds: Shocking true stories of murder, justice and recovery from a forensic psychiatrist

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Shocking. Eye-opening. Grimly fascinating. These true stories from a Forensic Psychiatrist working in prisons, secure hospitals and criminal courts are perfect for true crime fans and readers of The Prison Doctor and The Dark Side of the Mind.As a forensic psychiatrist, it's Dr Das's job to treat and rehabilitate what the tabloids might call the 'criminally insane', many of whom assault, rob, rape, and even kill. From the young woman who smothered her two-year-old nephew in a flash of psychosis, to the teenager who set his house on fire with his mother locked inside, Dr Das must delve into the minds of these violent offenders to understand their actions and prevent future atrocities.In these honest and unflinching stories, Dr Das details some of the most extreme, heart-breaking and bizarre cases of his career. 'A fascinating and moving account of life working with people who too often society wants to forget'Dr Amanda Brown, author of THE PRISON DOCTOR'Excellent and enlightening'Jonathan Levi and Emma French, authors of INSIDE BROADMOOR'Thought-provoking'Gwen Adshead, author of THE DEVIL YOU KNOW

400 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 10, 2022

129 people are currently reading
1317 people want to read

About the author

Sohom Das

4 books10 followers

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5 stars
207 (27%)
4 stars
296 (38%)
3 stars
207 (27%)
2 stars
48 (6%)
1 star
8 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
Profile Image for Petra X.
2,455 reviews35.7k followers
October 9, 2022
It was an enjoyable read but I didn't really learn anything new of the criminal cases I had heard about. I'm not sure I would have picked up the book if I had realised it was going to veer so far from the title into the personal life story of the author. I kept wanting to skip to the cases and what Dr. Das made of these bad and/or mad people and how he was going to present his findings to the court. His podcast, a Psych for Sore Minds sounds quite interesting, but I'm more into books that podcasts.

I read the book to contrast a forensic psychiatrist with a book I had just finished, Kerry Daynes What Lies Buried: A forensic psychologist's true stories of madness, the bad and the misunderstood and I have to say that book was better written, I learned a lot more and more enjoyable, in part because there was less Kerry Daynes and more forensic psychology. I hope Dr. Das goes on writing, I just think he hasn't quite found his groove as yet, and Kerry Daynes hits the target audience, or at least me, with both her brilliant books.

If you are just as interested in the psychologist, the author, as they psychology, then I think you would enjoy this book even more than I did. 4 stars.
__________

Reading Notes This is interesting. The author thinks that Borderline Personality Disorder, more common in women (Anti-Social Personality Disorder, the 'little brother of psychopathy', being more common in males) is
'a serious mental abnormality that causes unstable mood, behaviour and relationships. It is characterised by unstable or changing relationships, impulsive or self-damaging behaviours, e.g. excessive spending, unsafe sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge-eating and problems with anger including frequent loss of temper or physical fights'.
The forensic psychologist (see below) who wrote What Lies Buried: A forensic psychologist's true stories of madness, the bad and the misunderstood does not believe that this is a mental disorder but self-indulgent, manipulative narcissistic behaviour. I'm on the fence so interested to read about it.

But on reading that list, it seems that if it was a a young guy doing all those things except perhaps binge-eating, no one would think twice, they would think some kid acting out, he'll grow out of it. I knew a few guys like that in art college. Crazy and out of control, drank too much and sometimes got into fights, whored around, spent their grant money at the beginning of term, and one who drove over the middle of traffic roundabouts calling them 'reefs' when he was drunk. I think he became a doctor. I don't know anyone personally who is said to have BPD, I mean why would I? Why would I want someone like that as a friend?
___________

I'm reading What Lies Buried: A forensic psychologist's true stories of madness, the bad and the misunderstood by the excellent Kerry Daynes. Kerry Daynes is a forensic psychologist - that is, she is not medically qualified and cannot prescribe medication. This author, Dr Sohom Das is a forensic psychiatrist - he qualified as a medical doctor first, forensic psychiatry is his speciality. I'm interested to see the difference in how they deal with those whose crimes have a mental component or are criminally insane.

Kerry Daynes does not accept Munchausen's by Proxy as a mental illness. It is usually mothers getting unnecessary medical treatment for their children (by drugging, poisoning or otherwise injuring them). She thinks it is a behaviour and that the women know exactly what they are doing. When caught they use their 'diagnosis' as an excuse. "I have MbP and I'm going to have treatment and get better". I am interested to know if Dr Das feels the same.

Borderline Personality Disorder is just about the most unpopular problem that mental health professionals have to deal with. Kerry Daynes thinks that, like psychopathy, this is who they are. There's nothing medically, mentally wrong with them. Psychopaths have no empathy and don't generally care at all what harm they might do in living their lives the way they want (they are mostly not criminals, that's just tv). Borderline Personality Disorder people are narcissists who are manipulative and can get extremely nasty when people don't give them what they want. Both psychopaths and BPD know exactly what they are doing, as do the Munchausen's women but none of them want to change, because by and large their behaviour gets them what they want.
Profile Image for Lucii Dixon.
1,104 reviews54 followers
May 22, 2022
From the first page, I knew this was going to be a book I could not put down, and boy was I right! From start to finish, you’ll find it hard to put it down, it’s one of those books that’s so fascinating in nature that you tell yourself you’ll read just ‘one more chapter’, and then realise it’s 2.15am (like it is now… honestly, couldn’t put it down!).

The nature of the book is clearly obvious, it’s Dr. Sohom Das’ experiences working within the fascinating world of psychiatry, this includes his experiences within a psychiatric hospital and working with criminal offenders for medico-legal work (expert witness for the UK courts). He delves into his past cases (with full anonymity!!) and educated us readers on some mental illnesses that he has come across and treated, like that of psychosis, schizophrenia, schitzoaffective disorder, PTSD, postpartum psychosis (which isn’t talk about enough!) and personality disorders (such as Borderline Personality Disorder and anti-social personality disorder/psychopathy). I feel I have learned so much in these 350+ pages, which I feel will help me on my personal journey.

I’m currently studying for my Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and criminology (second year) so for the most part, I know a fair bit about personality disorders, ASD (autism spectrum disorder), psychopathy and some other mental health conditions (like bipolar and learning disabilities & difficulties) within the clinical psychology that I cover in university.

Saying the above, I feel this book has educated me in a way to learn what’s it is like to work with criminal offenders with mental illness as that’s what I want to get into when I’ve completely university. I’ve recommended this book too all of my uni friends and professors.

I’m also a big fan of his YouTube channel - ‘a psych for Sore Eyes’ - where, again, he educates his viewers on mental illness, helping (I wholeheartedly hope so) to break the stigma of mental health conditions and offenders.

I hope he releases another book like this! It was absolutely incredible and educational. And it’s a page turner!
Profile Image for Jen Juenke.
1,019 reviews43 followers
August 24, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. The author made it very enjoyable by actually talking about his personal life and the tough decisions that he has to think about while evaluating mentally disturbed criminals.
I loved all of the references to the 90's and to pop music, it made it seem like the author was more real and down to earth.
I liked learning about the difference between a person who is "mad", "bad" and "sad". Not everyone who is committing crimes are bad and but some are mad.
The clinical settings, the tight timetables and the interesting cases made the book a must read for anyone interested in forensic psychiatry.

A must read for anyone interested in true crime/mental illness.

Thank you to netgalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.
Profile Image for Steph.
636 reviews19 followers
December 31, 2022
Extended YouTube plug.
or
Author's narcissim displayed. #3wordbookreview

And also his sexism. Where was the editor on this?? This could have been a really interesting book about crime and forensic psychiatry. Unfortunately, it wasn't. I suspect if a third party had been able to write this story it would have turned out better.
Profile Image for Laura.
826 reviews121 followers
July 26, 2023
An informative discussion around forensic psychiatry, how patients are identified within the criminal justice system and subsequently treated and monitored. I enjoyed the authors writing, noting how he didn't take himself too seriously (his foray into stand up comedy and Youtube-ing being evidence of this!)

The book features several detailed patient case studies, some of which committed horrifically violent crimes against other people. The author writes how he came into contact with these patients as they work their way through the system. Of course, no system is perfect and he is astute enough to point out where the government and mental health services fail to completely meet the needs of some of the most needy patients.

An enjoyable read, despite its heavy topic. I'd like to read more by this author, especially his take on notorious criminal cases, which he does briefly touch upon towards the end of the book. An ideal choice for readers who enjoy psychology and true crime.
Profile Image for Chrissie.
1,058 reviews93 followers
July 2, 2025
A very interesting dive into the world of a Forensic Scientist.

His wife is a saint!
Profile Image for Melissa Cashmore.
81 reviews
December 19, 2022
I’ll give this book 3 stars. It’s alright but not great.
An insight into forensic (pertaining to the court) psychiatry through psychiatric dissections of real life cases by Dr Sohom Das. Dr Das also has a You Tube channel ( A Psych for Sore Minds), a podcast , had a stint as a stand up comedian, given opinions on the mind of criminals on numerous tv programmes , has his own medico-legal practice and appeared on This Morning ! So in my mind he’s trying to carve a media career ( and now author) on the back of a rather short career as a psychiatrist.
This book felt very different to other medicine books such as Mr Henry Marsh the neurologist. Henry was and is passionate about his job which is reflected in his writings especially the first book which were deep dives about various cases and is written with compassion, honesty, a love for his ‘art’ with very little about himself and when there is it’s a reluctant but appropriate insight. This book is not in the same league.

Shame I can’t pass this book on as unfortunately I bought it on kindle. There are many pros to kindle but the biggest drawbacks are not being able to donate or pass on the book, esp one I will never read again.
Profile Image for Ilona * ksiazka_w_kwiatach *.
901 reviews19 followers
January 23, 2024
Reportaże i historie true crime to gatunki, po które staram się sięgać możliwie jak najczęściej. Bardzo lubię tego zagłębiać się w tego typu lekturach. Wiele razy wspominałam już, że mocno intryguje mnie ludzka psychika oraz to, co przyczynia się do tego, że człowiek decyduje się popełnić zbrodnie. W książce „W głowie mordercy. Zbrodnia, prawo i medycyna okiem psychiatry sądowego” Sohom Das dzieli się z czytelnikami historiami ze swoich piętnastu lat pracy, dość szczegółowo opisując niektóre z ekstremalnych i poruszających przypadków.

Doktor Sohom Das jest psychiatrą sądowym. Na co dzień zajmuje się leczeniem i rehabilitacją osób, z których wiele napada, ratuje, gwałci, a nawet zabija. W swojej pracy bardzo często odwiedza więzienia o zaostrzonym rygorze, czy też szpitale psychiatryczne, jest również uczestnikiem rozpraw sądowych w charakterze biegłego. Jego praca to głównie zagłębienie się w umysły przestępców oraz próba zrozumienia ich działania, by w przyszłości zapobiec kolejnym przestępstwom z ich udziałem.

„W głowie mordercy. Zbrodnia, prawo i medycyna okiem psychiatry” to forma pamiętnika, w której autor ukazuje nam, jak wygląda życie psychiatry sądowego, dzieli się z nami wspomnieniami z całej kariery, doświadczeniami z pacjentami tymi mniej i bardziej niebezpiecznymi. Książka napisana jest prostym i lekkim w odbiorze językiem, pomimo używanej przez autora dość trudnej terminologii, książkę czyta się dobrze i nie ma problemu ze zrozumieniem używanych przez autora pojęć. Sięgając po tę książkę, oczekiwałam trochę innej lektury, niemniej jednak uważam, że czas, jaki dla niej poświęciłam, nie był stracony. Wspomnienia spisane przez Sohoma Dasa to bardzo ciekawa opowieść, która obala mity związane z pracą psychiatry sądowego. Jeżeli interesuje Was psychiatria sądowa, i to, jak naprawdę wygląda praca psychiatry sądowego, to zachęcam Was do lektury.
Profile Image for For The Love of books.
245 reviews26 followers
April 12, 2024
This book by a forensic psychiatrist (not to be confused with Psychology), was interesting. It delved into the chaotic world of criminal mental illness. The vast majority of the book was very interesting and the idea of mad or bad. Towards the end the book slumped though in the last few chapters as the author justified the many roles of forensic psychiatry, it felt the last few chapters detracted from the book as a whole there was not a need for the author to state the many different roles, as it was evident throughout the book and the need for justification was not required. Definitely an interesting read.
Profile Image for Anna.
149 reviews2 followers
February 16, 2024
Whilst there were funny and genuinely interesting parts throughout the book, I have to say I’d struggle with giving it more than 2 stars.

There were so many inaccuracies about autism that made me want to curl up in a ball and scream, and other conditions were so heavily stigmatised by the author - something that I know frequently happens by doctors and psychiatrists, but still gets to me whenever I see it. There were other examples too that contributed to my rating but I’m too damn tired to write them down 🤣
Profile Image for Sheila.
3,091 reviews123 followers
August 29, 2022
I received an ARC of, In Two Minds Stories of Murder, Justice and Recovery from a Forensic Psychiatrist, by Dr. Sohom Das. Dr Das has a very interesting job as a forensic psychologist. His job is not for the weak of heart. Working in prisons and hospitals, seeing the worst of humanity, those we failed, and those who failed us. A great read.
2 reviews
January 27, 2024
Unfortunetly, this book is more about the author than mental disorders. I assume that nearly half of the book concerns the author's hobbies like stand-up or sport, whether he liked or not his former boss, how he struggled with parenthood etc. If you want to expend your knowledge about mental disorders, ethical issues on guilt or responsibility for actions, take a look at something else.
404 reviews1 follower
October 16, 2023
I read this as I've heard a couple of episodes of Dr Das' podcast. I think it often helps realising how someone has got where they are (so the story of medical student to forensic psychiatrist). The book was fine. Not the best ever. It won't, necessarily, enhance my appreciation of the podcast but I think I'll go back to that and prefer it to the book.
Profile Image for Keely.
975 reviews31 followers
June 1, 2022
This was utterly fascinating. I hadn't heard of their youtube channel before this book but I'll definitely check it out in the future. I reccomend this if you're interested in the subject matter. It's easy to understand and things are explained very well.
Profile Image for Rena.
114 reviews
June 29, 2022
This was my second lil dip into the world of non fiction books, and it's been an enjoyable one. The stories have a lot of insights into the world of forensic psychiatry, from what place they have in the system career-wise, what kind of patients there are, and the distinction of "mad" or "bad" within crime. I also liked the author's own comedic and personal touches, as well as his opinion on the way outsiders perceive his job compared to his own anxieties throughout his career.
Profile Image for Anneb.
390 reviews1 follower
audiobooks
November 14, 2024
It was okay. I got a little tired of the author ego and perkiness that felt at odds with his care for the mentally ill and techniques of diagnosis, but it's a difficult career. I wanted to like it more.
I preferred the mature, reflective story and selfless care of neurosurgeon Frank T Vertosick JR, who worked on the mechanics of the brain rather than the chemistry of the mind.
Profile Image for Adrienne.
178 reviews3 followers
June 29, 2022
I did really enjoy this book. I’m a forensic psychologist, so a lot of what was written, I have a lot of understanding and knowledge of. Particularly in regards to working in secure mental health hospitals. Overall I thought it was really interesting. That said, I get it’s written from a psychiatrist’s perspective, but there were bits that didn’t really ring true or seemed a little embellished. Overall though, a great read for anyone interested in this area!
Profile Image for Rhiannon.
103 reviews1 follower
June 30, 2022
This book was full of interesting stories and knowledge about diagnosis but in particular the forensic mental health system. I found it a very enjoyable, intriguing read.
The book is written very much in the authors voice, which I enjoyed and appreciated his sense of humour and little insights to his life. Although this book was full of the forensic knowledge you might be looking for, it is also very much a reflective personal view on authors journey through his career and so might not suit everyone (those who dont want to hear about the author as well as the work)
20 reviews
April 10, 2022
Not very much interesting but get to know about mental illness and treatments. The author keeps telling about his family unnecessarily which doesn't seem to have any significance here. Maybe psychology students might feel this useful. Some characters reminded me of some movies in regional language
27 reviews
April 15, 2022
A great deep dive into human behaviour and what makes people think and act in certain ways. Particularly good was that the author actually narrated the book so you get to hear things as intended.

I very much enjoyed the mad vs bad chapter.

Give Risma a medal!!

Good work Dr D! X
Profile Image for Fee Robinson.
1 review1 follower
September 4, 2023
Good but makes unsupported sweeping generalisations at points and is occasionally oversimplistic, bordering on inaccuracy, with the law. Still very interesting. Would recommend, nice views and discussion on reform and rehabilitation.
Profile Image for Huyen.
148 reviews258 followers
May 30, 2022
This book should be fascinating but I can't help feeling the author is quite self-absorbed. Lots of irrelevant, distracting details of his personal life that add nothing to the main thesis.
Profile Image for mommy_and_books.
1,392 reviews35 followers
December 6, 2023
" [...] Od mojego wystąpienia zależy los tych, którzy zasiadają na ławie oskarżonych. [...] "

Uwielbiam czytać reportaże dotyczące więźniów, morderców i psychopatów. Książka Sohoma Das "W głowie mordercy. Zbrodnia, prawo i medycyna okiem psychiatry sądowego" po części umożliwiła mi zajrzenie w umysłach chorych psychicznie ludzi.
Sohom Das jest psychiatrą sądowym. Na co dzień ma do czynienia między innymi z mordercami, gwałcicielami i psychicznie chorymi osobami. Nie ma lekkiej pracy. Ba, ma nawet bardzo niebezpieczną robotę. Po części od jego diagnozy zależy życie ludzkie. Jeżeli źle oceni swojego pacjenta, to taka osoba przez przypadek może uniknąć więzienia i wyjść na wolność. A co za tym idzie dalej mordować. Dużo osób udaje psychicznie chorych. Część psychiatrów nieprawidłowo diagnozuje swoich pacjentów. Autor opisał kilka takich przypadków.
Bardzo ciekawa i merytoryczna książka. Składa się z trzech części. W pierwszej z nich mowa jest o szpitalach psychiatrycznych. W drugiej dowiecie się między innymi o pracy psychiatrów w zakładach karnych. W trzeciej części poznacie ich pracę w salach sądowych jako biegli i eksperci.
Ja jestem zadowolona, że mogłam przyjrzeć się z bliska pracy Sohoma Dasa. Cieszę się, że autor opisał swoją historię i swoich niektórych pacjentów.
Tak jak ja, autor interesował się światem zbrodni, a teraz z tym pracuje. W młodości słuchał również ciężkiego rapu. Dzięki tej książce poznacie jego historię. Cieszę się, że autor otwiera przed nami tematy tabu dotyczące chorych psychicznie osób umieszczonych w szpitalach i więzieniach. Sohom Das pracuje w Wielkiej Brytanii.
Jeżeli interesujecie się prawdziwymi historiami i uwielbiacie zaglądać w umysły chorych psychicznie osób, to sięgnijcie po tę książkę. Nie pożałujecie.
Z tą książką nie da się nudzić.
Okładka nie przyciąga, ale treść jest imponująca.
Profile Image for Zaczytana_olcia.
711 reviews21 followers
December 10, 2023
Jeśli chodzi o tematykę psychiatrii sądowej, to mimo, iż moja wiedza nie jest w tym temacie szczególnie duża, ciężko zadowolić mnie czytelniczo.
Trafiła w moje ręce tym razem książka “W głowie mordercy”. Napisana przez Sohoma Dasa, psychiatrę sądowego z wieloletnim doświadczeniem. Autor w książce dzieli się kilkoma przypadkami szczególnych spraw, którymi zajmował się w trakcie swojej kariery, pracując czy to jako biegły sądowy, czy lekarz psychiatra. Przedstawił kilka sytuacji, w których ciężko było rozpoznać, czy badana osoba była faktycznie niepoczytalna w czasie popełnienia zarzucanego jej czynu, czy to jednak udawanie.

Książkę czyta się niezwykle lekko - Autor nie posługuje się milionem medycznych określeń, od których laika mogłaby rozboleć głowa. Książka jest przystępna językowo, ale inteligentna, w odpowiednich momentach podane są konieczne do zrozumienia definicje czy procesy. Pod tym względem nie mam nic do zarzucenia.

Nie jest dla mnie zrozumiała jednak popularna ostatnio moda na opisywanie w tego typu książkach połowy życia prywatnego Autora. Oczywiście, to też po prostu człowiek, aczkolwiek informacje typu, że Autor odsypiał dwa dni po trzydniowym festiwalu muzyki techno czy poświęcenie więcej niż kilku zdań na fakt, że uprawiał stand-up po godzinach pracy, nie jest wartością dodaną książki. Takich wtrąceń było kilka i niestety, skutecznie zaburzały moją radość czytania.

To nadal nie jest zła książka. Ciekawe przypadki opisywane przez Autora niejednokrotnie nie wpadały na pierwsze strony gazet, co jest plusem. Miło jest przeczytać o sprawach, o których ani razu się nie słyszało. Szkoda, że sporo miejsca poświęconego zostało faktom nieistotnym, ale zostało to zrównoważone informacjami o systemie leczenia psychiatrycznego w Wielkiej Brytanii.

[Współpraca barterowa: @wydawnictwoczarnaowca]
33 reviews3 followers
September 15, 2024
In Two Minds by Dr. Sohom Das offers a compelling look into the complex and often misunderstood field of forensic psychiatry. As a memoir, it blends personal stories with professional insight. It explores the ethical dilemmas and challenges that arise when dealing with mentally disordered offenders and shows the thin line between vulnerability and culpability.

A key strength of the book is how it humanises patients. Das conveys empathy effectively, particularly in his discussion of individuals who hesitate to accept treatment for conditions they struggle to understand. This compassionate approach helps to illustrate the complexities of mental illness, especially within the criminal justice system. Further, he stresses how many patients struggle unsupported, with poignant reflections like, “Patients who were quietly psychotic could often fester inside themselves, drowning in their own insanity, under the radar of the prison mental health team.”

However, while Das offers valuable insights into the systemic failures and stigma surrounding mental health, the book sometimes feels limited in its exploration of these deeper societal issues. Reflections often raise important questions about the way the public views offenders, though the analysis doesn’t always go far enough in unpicking these perceptions or proposing systemic changes.

Overall, In Two Minds provides an empathetic and thoughtful introduction to forensic psychiatry. As a memoir, it effectively humanises those within the system, though it occasionally leaves broader systemic critiques underdeveloped. Thus, it offers a thought-provoking but not fully comprehensive read for readers interested in the intersection of mental health and justice.
Profile Image for Simone Frost .
808 reviews
August 23, 2023
I’ve read a few books in this genre recently and I was looking forward to reading this. I’ve seen some of the author’s videos on YouTube and find them interesting.

Sohom Das is a Forensic Psychiatrist with experience working in secure hospitals and prisons. The book is accessibly written and you don’t need a background in medicine or psychiatry to understand it.

The book is separated into three parts with different cases being discussed in each chapter. A lot of cases are mentioned and I wonder if it would have been better to focus a little more in depth on fewer cases, rather than including so many. The book felt a little like a memoir at times, including some personal input from Sohom. I liked this and thought it gave more insight into him as a person, but this may not appeal to everyone.

I was disappointed that my copy had a typo on the first page, hopefully it will be picked up for future editions.

I found the book quite easy to read but I have read other books in a similar vein which I felt were better written and more tightly structured.

Overall, this offered an interesting insight into Forensic Psychiatry and it made me think more about those who have committed crimes when suffering from mental illness. The media is so quick to portray them as an awful person, and this lets you consider the other side.

If you’re interested in true crime and psychiatry, I would recommend this book and also the author’s YouTube channel.

3.5 stars rounded to 3.
Profile Image for Marie Meow Meow.
675 reviews4 followers
June 30, 2023
Dr Das has written a very interesting book about his career as a forensic psychiatrist. It was brutal at times, sometimes clinical, sometimes made me laugh (not at patients, at his parenting quips or his standup career highlights). He is extremely sensitive to the turmoil his patients have gone through, while also mentioning that he is not minimizing the anguish the patients victims have suffered either.

I was fortunate to do my psych rotation for nursing school at a forensic unit. I sat and met with the patients, went through my planned activities with them, and only then was I allowed to look at their charts. I was surprised to see their crimes of arson, kidnapping, murder, etc. It taught me that these are human beings and we as health care professionals should never judge them. I treat the patient and the illness, not what they've done.

I listened to the audiobook, which Dr Das read himself. His voice is very soothing and I love a good accent so I was all about this one. One thing...he got punched in the head once. He mentioned it about a half dozen times at least. I know every nurse out there is rolling their eyes with me. I'm not even in psych and how many times have I been hit, punched, kicked, spit on, etc ha ha
j/k I really enjoyed the book. It's a great listen or read
Profile Image for Sophie Skotland-Crowe.
77 reviews
April 12, 2025
A very challenging book to rate. I thoroughly enjoyed the clinical sections. The author’s storytelling in those moments was definitely compelling.

That said, I found this book to be a glaring example of life as the non-default parent. The author not only juggles two high-demand jobs but also indulges in a series of extremely time-consuming hobbies, including attending overseas techno festivals and a six-month comedy stint with around 40 performances, all while his wife is left managing the bulk of parenting two small children. It’s hard to read those parts without feeling the imbalance, and it definitely coloured my experience of the book overall.

This book often reads like the story of a man whose ambitions and hobbies consistently take priority over his roles as a parent and partner. He frequently mentions his aversion to boredom and his need for constant stimulation, which seems to justify his ongoing pursuit of time-consuming activities that keep him away from home. His wife is portrayed as a supporting character in the background of his main-character narrative. A narrative in which he is able to have it all, because there is always someone at home keeping it together.

Begrudging 2/5. Interesting clinical stuff, author does not appear to be overly insightful into his own life (or how he writes it anyway)
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