Women and Madness

by Phyllis Chesler

Book Overview

Feminist icon Chesler's pioneering work--2.5 million copies sold--revised and updated for the first time in 30 years. This definitive book was the first to address critical questions about women and mental health. Combining patient interviews with an analysis of women's roles in history, society, and myth Chesler concludes that there is a terrible double standard when it comes to women's psychology. In this new edition, she addresses head-on many...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1403968977
• ISBN13: 9781403968975
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan
• Length: 406 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

We have paid the price for patriarchal privilege

Dr. Chesler casts her clear eyed vision over the field of psychiatry/psychology and unveils the sexism that underlies the history and the practice of the "art." Who knows how much untold damage has been caused by those who understand little about women as a sex and could care less, as long as they establish their careers? Incorporating the mythology of women as metaphor, Chesler also paints a picture of how we, as women, have paid the price for patriarchal privilege. I read this book 20 years ago, and I just read it again. It was an enjoyable this time as it was then, maybe even more so, with the deeper understanding I have now about the roots of feminism.The only thing I wish she had addressed in this revised edition is deinstitutionalization and its affects on women. Perhaps another time? Soon?