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The Medicalization of Everyday Life: Selected Essays

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The Medicalization of Everyday Life: Selected Essays

By: Thomas Szasz
Narrated by: Gary D. MacFadden
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About this listen

Defining "medicalization" as the perception of nonmedical conditions as medical problems and nondiseases as diseases, Thomas Szasz has devoted much of his career to exposing the dangers of "medicalizing" the conditions of some who simply refuse to conform to society's expectations.

Szasz argues that modern psychiatry's tireless ambition to explain the human condition has led to the treatment of life's difficulties and oddities as clinical illnesses rather than as humanity revealed in its fullness.

This collection of impassioned essays, published between 1973 and 2006, chronicles the author's long campaign against the orthodoxies of psychiatry. From "Medicine to Magic" to "Medicine as Social Control", the audiobook delves into the fascinating history of medicalization, including "The Discovery of Drug Addiction", "Persecutions for Witchcraft and Drugcraft", and "Food Abuse and Foodaholism".

In a society that has little tolerance for those who live outside its rules, Dr. Szasz's writings are as relevant today as ever.

©2007 Thomas Szasz (P)2014 Redwood Audiobooks History & Commentary Medicine & Health Care Industry Physical Illness & Disease Psychology Psychology & Mental Health

Critic Reviews

"This is a wonderful, impassioned book that is, considering the recent media attention to psychopharmaceuticals, a welcome investigation of the social ramifications involved." ( Publishers Weekly)
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Perfectly aligning with G Edward Griffin, Noam Chomsky, John Perkins and the like. If you enjoyed this you’ll enjoy the above authors.

Make this part of the school system syllabus

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Interesting and though-provoking essays by an important libertarian intellectual and psychiatrist. As a psychiatrist myself I consider this book essential reading for mental health professionals. Narration is quite monotonous and cold, which is a shame.

Interesting and thought provoking

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