Why people recommend it
The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions is a deeply personal and investigative memoir by Jonathan Rosen that examines the tragic trajectory of his childhood friend Michael Laudor, a brilliant legal scholar who developed severe schizophrenia. The book was discussed extensively across multiple episodes of The Book Review. On the episode titled Book Club: Dolly Alderton's 'Good Material', MJ Franklin and Emily Aken shared a stirring, highly evocative dive into Rosen's work, praising it as an exceptional and compelling piece of narrative non-fiction. Later, on the episode titled Our Critics' Year in Reading, Gilbert Cruz and Alexandra Jacobs revisited the memoir, exploring how its profound thematic elements resonated with other major releases of the year. The critics highlighted the book's unflinching look at mental illness, institutional failure, the limits of empathy, and the complex bonds of lifelong friendship. Through these thoughtful conversations, the podcast underscored the memoir's heavy emotional weight, establishing it as a vital, harrowing, and beautifully written contribution to contemporary literature concerning mental health and societal responsibility.
Who recommended it
- MJ Franklin Discussed
- Gilbert Cruz Discussed
MJ Franklin — 1 mention
“you gave that like stirring very evocative dive into Jonathan rosen's best Minds I love that book great great narrative non-fiction”
Gilbert Cruz — 1 mention
“I feel like thematically there are parts of that book that dove somewhat with one of the books on our top 10 books of the year list which is the best Minds by Jonathan Rosen”