A First-rate Madness
Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness
Penguin Publishing Group · Print & ebook · June 26, 2012
The New York Times bestseller “A glistening psychological history, faceted largely by the biographies of eight famous leaders . . .” —The Boston Globe “A provocative thesis . . .
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- Who it’s for
- Readers interested in psychological analysis of historical leaders
- Themes
- mental illness, leadership, history
- Pacing
- Reflective
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The New York Times bestseller “A glistening psychological history, faceted largely by the biographies of eight famous leaders . . .” —The Boston Globe “A provocative thesis . . . Ghaemi’s book deserves high marks for original thinking.” —The Washington Post “Provocative, fascinating.” —Salon.com Historians have long puzzled over the apparent mental instability of great and terrible leaders alike: Napoleon, Lincoln, Churchill, Hitler, and others.
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In A First-Rate Madness, Nassir Ghaemi, director of the Mood Disorders Program at Tufts Medical Center, offers a myth-shattering exploration of the powerful connections between mental illness and leadership and sets forth a controversial, compelling thesis: The very qualities that mark those with mood disorders also make for the best leaders in times of crisis. From the importance of Lincoln's "depressive realism" to the lackluster leadership of exceedingly sane men as Neville Chamberlain, A First-Rate Madness overturns many of our most cherished perceptions about greatness and the mind.
Who it’s for
- Readers interested in psychological analysis of historical leaders
- Those curious about the intersection of mental illness and leadership
Where it sits
| Mental Health | 29% |
|---|---|
| Political Lives | 29% |
| Mental Disorders | 26% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Modern History
- Political History & Ideas
- Mental Health
- Authors
- Nassir Ghaemi, S. Nassir Ghaemi
- Publisher
- Penguin Publishing Group
- Published
- June 26, 2012
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- mental illness · leadership · history
- Reading lane
- Modern History