Jay > Recent Status Updates

"Responsibility for the coexistence of great poverty beside great wealth rests squarely at the feet of a dominant regional bloc that has fought every effort to expand the parameters of social, economic and cultural justice," Woods wrote. Rejecting dominant explanations of poverty -liberal or illiberal- that blames past trauma, lack of education, risky behaviour or cultural deficiencies... (p. 20) Quite the start.

Went to the book launch with KR & bought a copy with the intent to read it right away. Only got through the Introduction before life got in the way.

I usually skip acknowledgements. This time I read them carefully as I was curious for local colour . It was a very thoughtful & exhaustive acknowledgment, & was glad to see that I recognized a bunch of quality people.

Looking forward to finishing it this time.

Only a few chapters in, and I'm loving it. Very topical. Even if you aren't interested in housing, it's a good book on class struggle on a very local level. I'm sure I'm going to pull a bunch of quotes from it and make a bunch of social media posts inspired by it.

Really enjoying the first few chapters.

The Mangling Memories chapter was short but very disturbing. That chapter alone was worth the price of admission. I recoiled at first & had to put the book down, but powered through. It's examination of one lobotomist & the way his victim was treated is quite representative of the whole history of psychiatry. Could be a great introductory read to Henrietta Lax's story.
Foundation and funding were weak chapters.

A couple good chapters on the intellectual roots of the movement (Szasz, Laing, Breggin).
A chapter that stoked my appetite for more history of the Icarus project (Downloaded their 80 page booklet).
3 Interviews. Ever grateful for the atheist/agnostic Caty Simon). It made it less painful to witness Farber's messianic pleading.

I'm glad I gave it a second chance. Lots of good history amidst the often overwhelming messianic tone of Farber.
Two good chapters on Mind Freedom and David Oaks.

1. A chapter that provides a satisfying take-down of Freud largely based on the work of Crews.
2. Sexism and psychiatry through the Meyer, Richter, Phyllis Greenacre triad. And the tragedy of Henry Cotton's deadly medical experimentation which Greenacre could have exposed had it not been for Meyer's sexist nepotism and prudish hypocrisy.

Not much on Szasz and Patients Liberation movements that I was hoping for. Disheartening to read his critique of Foucault's Madness and Civilization after finally reading him. Great stuff to use on social Darwinism, Nazis, Vichy France and savage critiques of psychiatry. Not as helpful for my paper, but lots of teachable material in here (and a few books to read and movies to watch). Definitely will enjoy the rest