Schizophrenia and Manic-Depressive Disorder: The Biological Roots of Mental Illness as Revealed by the Landmark Study of Identical Twins

by Ann E. Bowler, Irving I. Gottesman, Edward H. Taylor, et al.

Book Overview

An important contribution to the ongoing debate over the origins of mental illness, this book is based on the largest study ever of identical twins in which one was ill and the other not. The book provides compelling evidence that both schizophrenia and manic-depressive disorder are biologically based diseases of the brain, unrelated to psychological influences.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0465072852
• ISBN13: 9780465072859
• Release Date: April 1995
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Is "mental" illness nurture or nature: Finally answered

Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are relatively rare. About 5% of population. So finding people to participate in research is difficult. Finding twins? Almost impossible. This is the kind of study only these authors could do: find twins, where one is mentally ill and the other is not. Due to their stature in science they were able to do it. They wanted to explore if schizophrenia and manic depression are the result of genes, or is it acquired elsewhere. This book, written in language for the non-scientific oriented answers these questions in depth. I won't tell you what they found, but the answer will surprise you and enlighten you and maybe even inspire you to support more research into serious mental illness. BTW, this book will be of special extra interest to individuals with mental illness who are considering having children, because it gives perhaps the best genetic counseling you could ever get.