Reviews for Disembodied Spirits and Deanimated Bodies: The Psychopathology of Common Sense ( International Perspectives in Philosophy and Psychiatry Series)

The average rating for Disembodied Spirits and Deanimated Bodies: The Psychopathology of Common Sense ( International Perspectives in Philosophy and Psychiatry Series) based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2007-08-12 00:00:00 Kim Hannigan I generally don't write many reviews, but several of the low scores for this book spurred my to put something together. Brian Dillon's study of disease and hypochondria through the characters of nine literary figures presents an interesting and illuminating read with one major caveat that has led to it receiving such low-scoring reviews. This is not a scientific or medical study. If you are expecting someone who is going to give a detailed account and diagnoses based upon modern standards and theory, you will not find that in this book. This confusion has, understandably, annoyed many of the book's reviewers. Rather, this book is aimed much more to someone with a background or interest in history and literature, as, really, that is Dillon's main concern in the book, not with understanding disease as a medical phenomena, but with understanding disease as a cultural and literary concern. What is more important to Dillon's study is the way in which these writers structure their lives through the depression and diseases both imaginary and real which define their existences. In exploring this concern, Dillon presents a witty and interesting read I believe would be of interest to anyone seeking to explore our relationship to disease and the body and who is willing to piece through his, at times, slightly too eclectic style of writing.

Review # 2 was written on 2019-10-21 00:00:00 Ma Rocio Herrera I am surprised that this book has such a relatively low rating. Each study is deftly written, and I found the chapters on Florence Nightingale, Alice James and Glenn Gould particularly elegant. I respectfully suggest that any reader who wonders why some of these individuals were included in this book would do well to read it again and reflect on the changing conceptions of hypochondria.