Robert Sapolsky, author of Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers This is fascinating material and Harriet Washington is a great writer - clear and accessible, witty, probing, and able to dissect the controversies in this field with great objectivity. The book has a broad, exciting range, considering 'contagion' in both the reductive sense, as well as an in the expansive societal manner. This superb book reviews the novel realization that infectious pathogens, and the immune system's response to them, can be risk factors for mental illness as well. We've escaped this primordial muck of attribution, learning that mental illnesses are biological disorders, complete with chemical and structural abnormalities in the brain, and with risk factors ranging from genes, hormones and fetal life to socioeconomic status. It used to be obvious what caused mental illness-depravity, a rotten soul, being in cahoots with the Devil. Packed with cutting-edge research and tantalizing mysteries, Infectious Madness is rich in science, characters, and practical advice on how to protect yourself and your children from exposure to infectious threats that could sabotage your mental and physical health. In Infectious Madness, Washington presents the new germ theory, which posits not only that many instances of Alzheimer’s disease, OCD, and schizophrenia are caused by viruses, prions, and bacteria but also that, with antibiotics, vaccinations, and other strategies, these cases can be easily prevented or treated. Is it possible to catch autism or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) the same way we catch the flu? Can a child’s contact with cat litter lead to schizophrenia? In her eye-opening new book, National Book Critics Circle Award–winning author Harriet Washington reveals that we can in fact “catch” mental illness. A groundbreaking look at the connection between germs and mental illness and how we can protect ourselves.
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