Episode · EconTalk · 2023-03-20
Books mentioned on Megan McArdle on the Oedipus Trap
When physician Walter Freeman died in 1972, he still believed that lobotomies were the best treatment for mental illness. A pioneer in the method, he was a deeply confident and charismatic man who eagerly spread the technique in America, long after the rise of alternative treatments that were less destructive.
Russ Roberts discussed The Lobotomist by Jack El-Hai, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey, and In Defense of Troublemakers by Charlan Nemeth.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Lobotomist
The Lobotomist by Jack El-Hai is a biographical examination of Walter Freeman and the history of the lobotomy procedure.
Discussed“and the biography that that you draw on mostly is by Jack El-Hai, is that how you say it? That's correct.”
Where to get it
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Ken Kesey's classic novel "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" portrays institutional life and psychiatric practices through the experiences of patients in a mental asylum.
Discussed“The Ken Kesey reference is a reference to the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.”
Where to get it
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In Defense of Troublemakers
Discussed“I'm reminded of episode in 2018 with Charlan Nemeth. Her book was called In Defense of Troublemakers and we had a conversation along these lines.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“which is made famous by Isak Dinesen, the author of Out of Africa, um was an arsenic-based treatment that worked but I mean had crippling side effects.”