INFECTIOUS MADNESS The Surprising Science of How We "Catch" Mental Illness

Quiet wonder and intellectual security dominate Robert Petkoff's narration of this engaging audiobook, an astute and fast-moving exposition on how microbes can figure in mental disorders as diverse as anorexia, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Petkoff's pleasing voice and conversational phrasing lighten the book's subject matter and give the narrative verve. The author's writing, relaxed and evocative, also facilitates listening as she offers colorful dialogues and reviews history to show how we typically overlook the connections between mental and biological phenomena. Rather than simply resulting from psychosocial or hereditary factors, many psychiatric disorders arise from the interactions of infectious diseases and vulnerabilities in the immune system. The author excels at minimizing medical jargon and probing medical and cultural biases. This is a fascinating, mind-broadening audio. T.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2017]