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 enlarge | Author: Elyn R. Saks
Publisher: audible.com
Category: Book
List Price: $34.99
Buy New: $18.37
You Save: $16.62 (47%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  67 reviews
Media: Audio Download
ASIN: B000WOYDOS
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
 Brilliant, Beautiful, The Best! March 1, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Thank you Elyn Saks for sharing private information that allows us to better understand mental illness and the potential for those diagnosed to live happy, productive lives. "The Center Cannot Hold" is the best personal acoount of mental illness I've ever read. Combine this with Kate McLaughlin's parental perspective, "Mommy I'm Still in Here", and you see the situation clearly from all angles.Mommy I'm Still in Here: Raising Children with Bipolar Disorder
First-rate memoir February 7, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This is the best personal account of mental illness I've ever read, and I've read most of them. Since I knew Saks was a successful lawyer and a professor, I went in with the expectation that she would write well. But I was not prepared for HOW well she wrote in this vivid account of her illness and remission. The book is an honest, clearly-written and compelling look into the experience of schizophrenia. And what's especially affecting
about this book is the author's acknowledgement of the human connections, those people who gave her honest affection and friendship, as part of the story of her remarkable recovery. Even though those connections would not have been enough for her to get well, (she had to come to terms with taking antipsychotic medication, and I applaud her for saying so) the connections she made with some good and decent people she met along the way (and the connections they chose to make with her) are acknowledged as part of the reason for her recovery. And so they should be.
I wish I knew her, because she's one amazing woman, and one hell of a writer.
But anyway, "The Center Cannot Hold" is a brilliant contribution to the public's understanding of both mental illness and the process of recovery. If Ms. Saks never wrote another thing in her life, this book would more than make up for it. It's simply wonderful.
Stark Raving Mad About This Book January 24, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The Center Cannot Hold was such a fascinating self-reported story of a schizophrenic who stubbornly refused to give in, I think it will become a classic in the field of psychological/psychiatric literature as well as biographical literature in general. The gutsiness of the author in dealing with this debiliatating problem should inspire professionals who deal with those so afflicted as well as the afflcited themselves who might be able to comprehend the courageousness of Ms. Saks.
Wonderful insight January 23, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I have read many books about schizophrenia in order to gain insight into my younger brother's mind, who seems to have had his first psychotic break a few years ago. Before that, he was smart, creative and funny. Most books provided some insight, but left me depressed and heartbroken. Saks' book provided a look into the illness that helped me understand and emphathize how the disease can impact the victim's life, while also giving me a little bit of hope. Saks' writing style is endearing and honest and doesn't sugar-coat anything. I would highly recommend this book to anyone trying to crack the mystery of mental illness.
 Interesting in a meandering way January 18, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I enjoyed reading this memoir, and am impressed by Dr. Saks' accomplishments and her bravery in putting a face to a disease that has few spokespeople. In terms of it's merit as a literary work, it was more of a detailed report of her life rather than a crafted memoir with deep insights or elegant prose. Worth a read if you are reading it for content and information about schizophrenia, but lacks the poetry of a book like William Styron's Darkness Visible.
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