Out of the Shadows: Confronting America's Mental Illness Crisis » (REV)

E. FULLER TORREY, M.D., is a research psychiatrist at the Neuroscience Center of the National Institute of Mental Health. He is also the author of fifteen books, including the bestselling Surviving Schizophrenia, which has been described as the "bible" of the mentally ill and their families.

"Powerful. . . . The crisis [Torrey] delineates should stir any halfway sensitive human being to anger."—The New York Times Book Review

"Brilliant and remarkably detailed. . . . Dr. Torrey, our clearest and most informed voice for the mentally ill, offers his own insightful plan for a way out . . . of a healthcare scandal that remains one of America's most enduring shames."—Phil Donahue.

"If President Clinton is looking for a worthy goal to accomplish in his second term, here's one: Rescue the homeless mentally ill. It can be done. . . . Dr. E. Fuller Torrey . . . provides a five-year road map in Out of the Shadows."—New York Daily News.

"An important book . . . timely and very well written."—The New England Journal of Medicine.

"Controversial ideas, forcefully presented."—Kirkus Reviews

"Moving and vivid. . . . Torrey's powerful prescription for change challenges conventional wisdom and political correctness. His searing case examples will haunt the reader."—Laurie Flynn Executive Director National Alliance for the Mentally Ill

Virginia Galloway

This is a concise, informative exploration of the mental illness crisis in America. The author provides the startling facts of our situation as an impetus for change, then catalogues the necessary steps to change. The aim of the book is simply to answer ""Why?"" Why do our mental illness problems exist? Why does the established system not work? Why has the crisis gotten worse, instead of better? What can we do? The book is needed because the current situation is depraved, inhumane, and not functional. The book answers these questions and offers a practical outline for change. The book is a valuable resource for mental health workers and the families of the mentally ill. The book is informative and pedagogic for anyone endowed with the power to invoke change. The author is learned about the state of America's mental illness crisis and has the clarity of vision and acumen to illustrate a solution. The illustrations are sufficient, but more would be useful. The references are expansive, almost overwhelming, yet necessary for a complete understanding of the gravity of the mental illness crisis. The table of contents is adequate and the index is superb. The book is attractive. The appendix detailing the magnitude of deinstitutionalization state by state is provocative, This is a palpable exploration of America's mental illness crisis. It humanely describes the privations of our mentally ill and methodically explores the economic, ideological, and legal reasons for such a state. The provided solution to the crisis is viable and informative. This book will provide mental health workers and the families of the mentally ill with insightful knowledge and has the potential to be acatalyst for change, if read by policymakers.