Book reviews: non-fiction by Claudia Kalb, Amye Archer and Ruth Wariner
Kalb looks at historical greats through a psychiatric lens, Archer is disarmingly honest about her weight issues, and Wariner recounts a shocking childhood inside a cult
by Claudia Kalb
National Geographic (e-book)
3.5/5 stars
Are you a hoarder? Do you think you’re the bee’s knees? And what’s wrong with wiping doorknobs before touching them? These are symptoms of mental conditions included in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, writes Claudia Kalb. Trouble is since 1952, when the reference book made its debut, the number of mental disorders has jumped from 80 to 157. Which means it’s possible a doctor will prescribe medication for your condition. That understood, Kalb then profiles 12 figures in history, all of whom achieved fame despite (or perhaps because of) behaviour linked with autism, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and more. Andy Warhol (a compulsive shopper who resisted binning anything) joins Marilyn Monroe (with borderline personality disorder), Princess Diana (helped by psychological counselling), Albert Einstein (his symptoms of high-functioning autism would have been diagnosed as Asperger’s until recently), and others. Most intriguing is the inclusion of Frank Lloyd Wright, a narcissist. But does “colossal self-admiration” a mental disorder make? Apparently he exhibited “symptoms”, including rewriting his past. He also had fractured personal relationships. This book is a rollicking read that might open your eyes to your own mental “disorders”.
