Psychiatry has come a long way since the “insane” were locked in cold cells. Jeffrey Lieberman, in his fascinating book, shows that this path was by no means an easy one: the “black sheep of medicine” had to overcome a lot before gaining recognition. Dr. Lieberman traces the history from the birth of mysterious pseudoscience and the period of the “shrink cult” to the current moment when specialists saving lives using scientifically proven methods. Psychiatry's past is full of dubious theories and risky treatments (including induced comas and ice pick lobotomies). There were also two opposing camps in the field: psychiatrists like Sigmund Freud, who focused on the mind, and neuroscientists like Eric Kandel, who focused on the brain. With its fascinating case studies and wide-ranging portraits of the industry's leading figures, The Brainiac is not only a fun read, but also teaches. The book draws attention to the problem of stigmatization of mental disorders. People should treat them as illnesses, not as sad states of mind. A detailed, authoritative, sometimes ruthless, but ultimately optimistic account of the history of psychiatry. — Natalie Angier, New York Times book reviewer A story written in easy-to-understand language. Full of both skepticism and triumph. It shows how far psychiatry has come. —Julia Klein, critic for The Boston Globe About the author Jeffrey Lieberman, MD, PhD, Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, Director of the New York State Psychiatric Institute. He currently serves as psychiatrist-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center, and previously served as head of the American Psychiatric Association. In 2000, following the election results, he was admitted to the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine. Lives with his wife and two sons in New York. Publishing epub uploaded.