No One Cares About Crazy People

The Chaos and Heartbreak of Mental Health in America

By: Ron Powers

Narrated by: Ron Powers

New York Times-bestselling author Ron Powers offers a searching, richly researched narrative of the social history of mental illness in America paired with the deeply personal story of his two sons' battles with schizophrenia.

From the centuries of torture of "lunatiks" at Bedlam Asylum to the infamous eugenics era to the follies of the anti-psychiatry movement to the current landscape in which too many families struggle alone to manage afflicted love ones, Powers limns our fears and myths about mental illness and the fractured public policies that have resulted.

Braided with that history is the moving story of Powers's beloved son Kevin -- spirited, endearing, and gifted -- who triumphed even while suffering from schizophrenia until finally he did not, and the story of his courageous surviving son Dean, who is also schizophrenic.

A blend of history, biography, memoir, and current affairs ending with a consideration of where we might go from here, this is a thought-provoking look at a dreaded illness that has long been misunderstood.

"Extraordinary and courageous . . . No doubt if everyone were to read this book, the world would change." -- New York Times Book Review

Critic reviews

"Extraordinary and courageous...I'm not sure I've ever read anything that handles the decline of one's children with such openness and searing, stumbling honesty...[Powers] writes with fierce hope and fierce purpose to persuade the world to pay attention. No doubt if everyone were to read this book, the world would change."—Ron Suskind, New York Times Book Review

"[A] heartbreaking tribute to [Powers's] sons...and an urgent plea for reform."—People

"Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Powers (Mark Twain: A Life, 2005, etc.) presents two searing sagas: an indictment of mental health care in the United States and the story of his two schizophrenic sons.... This hybrid narrative, enhanced by the author's considerable skills as a literary stylist, succeeds on every level."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Very emotional.... [Powers] reminds us how apathetic and cruel society can be when it comes to mental illness."—Booklist (starred review)

"No One Cares About Crazy People is a woefully necessary kick in the teeth to society's understanding and treatment of mental illness. Reading Ron Powers is always an event--you can expect expert research and rich reporting in an engrossing style--but what makes this book soar is the passion of Powers' conviction based off his own intimate experiences with schizophrenia. I put this book down days ago and I'm still reeling. It's the rare book that breaks your life into a before and an after."—SusannahCahalan, New York Times bestselling author of Brain on Fire

"Ron Powers writes eloquently, passionately, and persuasively about the failure to properly treat mental illness in America. What makes this book really powerful is Powers's personal story-the harrowing, wrenching tale of his two sons wrestling with the unholy demon of schizophrenia."—Evan Thomas, NewYork Times bestselling author of Being Nixon

"Whether Ron Powers is writing about Mark Twain, small-town life in the Midwest, the state of television, or crime, his books resonate. Now he has written the book he never wanted to tackle-about the schizophrenia of his sons and the cruel failures of the American mental health establishment."—SteveWeinberg, author of Taking on the Trust

heartbreaking

Excellent book about a very difficult subject, the treatment of mentally ill people in our society throughout history and today. You can feel the pain and frustration of this family, and their love for the two sons affected.

Excellent

This author does a fantastic job of balancing his personal experience and tragedy with helping the reader learn about the history of psychiatric medicine.

interesting, many feelings felt

My feelings were all over the place with this book. I appreciate hearing it instead of reading it because of the musical examples included.
I feel for the sense of loss for the father/author/narrator.
I have a daughter with autism who has never been able to talk so this both hit home and at times I was jealous since I lost her before she could say/express/accomplish anything. We both face similar handicaps in trying to get needed help for our children. I was jealous that the author had and is looking forward to having the freedom of being a couple without children in the house. While his plight is bad and difficult, it has more possibilities than mine. I wondered which is worse, losing an adult child and then struggling, where you look back with such sadness at what was lost, or never having the child be anything but difficult as a child or adult. In other words losing them early so there is so little to look back upon. He had normality until tragedy, I never had normality. He faces a difficult future but has hope. My future is largely without hope.
At times I really did not like the tone of voice used. It seemed for lack of a better term 'stuck-up', pedagogical but in a speaking down to you way. It grated like nails on the blackboard.
Good points; It did convey his deep sadness and the difficulty of trying to deal with a system which is underfunded and limited in what it can offer. It did explain the problem of individual choice versus how to treat a person who really is not competent to make that choice for his own good. It did a good job of explaining the complexity of mental illness treatment.
Bad points; It seemed it was almost two books with two purposes mixed into one. One of a father's story where the sons were lionized too much and the crushing loss experienced. One where the topic of mental illness was being explained and explored. Somehow, the mixing didn't fully work and the literary references used at times did not help this.
All in all I am glad to have bought this book and listened to it. I hope it opens people's eyes to the plight of parents faced with having to do the best they can in difficult circumstances. I hope it brings us all more help.

Full of history of mental health care!

Being a nurse and someone married to a man with Bi-polar 1, I found the history in this book very interesting. I enjoyed the way Ron Powers alternated chapters of history with the story of his family’s heartbreak and struggle with mental illness. I hope that this will open people’s eyes and hearts to the intense struggle of both the afflicted and the family members of those with debilitating mental illness.

Of Care and Caring

Ron Powers skillfully intertwines the historic lack of meaningful health care for people suffering from mental illness with the caring and love he and his wife extend to their sons. Though a heart wrenching journey, Powers concludes with hope. First, from advancing medical knowledge and, perhaps more importantly, a vision of community caring to benefit us all.