Samuel H. Barondes, M.D., is Jeanne and Sanford Robertson Professor and Director of the Center for Neurobiology and Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. His books include Molecules and Mental Illness and Mood Genes: Hunting for Origins of Mania and Depression, both selected as "Great Brain Books" by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives.
"A fascinating chronology of just where Prozac, Ritalin, Valium and
other medications come from and what our future drugs may be able
to do."--Chicago Tribune
"This is likely the finest book I have ever read on
psychopharmacology."--Solomon H. Snyder, American Journal of
Psychiatry
"A good, short introduction to the history and current methodology
of drug development, from the accidental discovery of Thorazine (it
was supposed to be an antihistamine) to the current use of
'designer' mice, bred to mimic human psychiatric conditions, to the
quest for genetic markers of Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia,
and Parkinson's disease."--Library Journal
"Case Studies combined with solid descriptions of research reveal
an interesting path of development for psychiatric drugs."--Science
News
"A lively, informative, well-written and authoritative source about
likely future developments in the treatment of mental
illness."--Washington Times
"An engaging guide to the new biological paradigm of
psychiatry."--Publishers Weekly
"Better Than Prozac is accessible to all and accomplishes the
seemingly impossible task of making complex issues in
psychopharmacology understandable and clear."--Allan Young, New
England Journal of Medicine
"An excellent read.... A well-written and comprehensive account of
a field that has developed rapidly in the past few decades."--Les
Iversen, Nature
"Better than Prozac is more than just an excellent history of drugs
developed to treat mental illness. It is also a fascinating account
of the scientists who explore the brain and who are providing us
with a new and remarkable understanding of how it works. Dr.
Barondes--a lucid writer esteemed neuroscientist, and respected
physician--is uniquely able to tell this important story."--Kay
Redfield Jamison, Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins
Medical
School, and author of An Unquiet Mind and Night Falls Fast
"Samuel Barondes is a scientist with a knack for making technical
material accessible to the general reader. Better than Prozac is a
lucid and thorough account of the history and likely future of
medications for the mind."--Peter D. Kramer, author of Listening to
Prozac and Spectacular Happiness
"Samuel Barondes, one of the great expositors of biological
psychiatry, has done it again! He has used his wonderful knowledge
of medicine and psychiatry and his insights into the biological
basis of drug therapy to give us an historical overview of the
development of psychiatric drugs. In so doing, he not only explains
how these drugs work and the benefits they bring, he also teaches
us about their shortcomings and the roads we have to traverse to go
beyond
the currently available pharmacological therapies. These roads
include, at their core, a better understanding of the biological
bases of mental processes and mental disorders, areas which
Barondes
describes masterfully. In short, this book is a must read for those
who want to know where drug therapy in psychiatry is, where it has
come from, and where it is heading."--Eric R. Kandel, University
Professor, Columbia University, and Nobel Laureate
"Better Than Prozac is like a conversation with a genuine expert
about the psychiatric medications used to treat clinical depression
and other disorders of mental life."--J. Raymond DePaulo,
Cerebrum
"Case Studies combined with solid descriptions of research reveal
an interesting path of development for psychiatric drugs."--Science
News
"A fascinating chronology of just where Prozac, Ritalin, Valium and
other medications come from and what our future drugs may be able
to do."--Chicago Tribune
"This extensively documented book describes the bumpy road from
Thorazine to Prozac--a thoroughfare paved with quirky strokes of
luck and sometimes tragic side effects, with fascinating anecdotes
and eye-opening facts. The history Barondes provides then serves as
a background for his report of recent scientific advances, such as
the human genome project, which aims at a time when drugs can be
customized to suit each person's unique needs and physiology,
averting unwelcome side effects. Barondes discusses the world of
psychiatric drug therapy with candor and compassion, painting a
hopeful future for anyone suffering disorders ranging from clinical
depression
to schizophrenia."--Booklist
"A good, short introduction to the history and current methodology
of drug development, from the accidental discovery of Thorazine (it
was supposed to be an antihistamine) to the current use of
'designer' mice, bred to mimic human psychiatric conditions, to the
quest for genetic markers of Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia,
and Parkinson's disease."--Library Journal
"An excellent read.... A well-written and comprehensive account of
a field that has developed rapidly in the past few decades. It was
written for intelligent non-scientific readers, but experts will
also find much entertaining material about the scientists who were
involved in some of the major discoveries, and in the case
histories."--Nature
"An engaging guide to the new biological paradigm of
psychiatry."--Publishers Weekly
"A lively, informative, well-written and authoritative source about
likely future developments in the treatment of mental
illness."--Washington Times
"Better than Prozac is more than just an excellent history of drugs
developed to treat mental illness. It is also a fascinating account
of the scientists who explore the brain and who are providing us
with a new and remarkable understanding of how it works. Dr.
Barondes--a lucid writer, esteemed neuroscientist, and respected
physician--is uniquely able to tell this important story."--Kay
Redfield Jamison, Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins
Medical School, and author of An Unquiet Mind and Night Falls
Fast
"Samuel Barondes is a scientist with a knack for making technical
material accessible to the general reader. Better than Prozac is a
lucid and thorough account of the history and likely future of
medications for the mind."--Peter D. Kramer, author of Listening to
Prozac and Spectacular Happiness
"Samuel Barondes, one of the great expositors of biological
psychiatry, has done it again! He has used his wonderful knowledge
of medicine and psychiatry and his insights into the biological
basis of drug therapy to give us an historical overview of the
development of psychiatric drugs. In so doing, he not only explains
how these drugs work and the benefits they bring, he also teaches
us about their shortcomings and the roads we have to traverse to go
beyond
the currently available pharmacological therapies. These roads
include, at their core, a better understanding of the biological
bases of mental processes and mental disorders, areas which
Barondes
describes masterfully. In short, this book is a must read for those
who want to know where drug therapy in psychiatry is, where it has
come from, and where it is heading."--Eric R. Kandel, University
Professor, Columbia University, and Nobel Laureate
"This is likely the finest book I have ever read on
psychopharmacology."--Solomon H. Snyder, American Journal of
Psychiatry
"It is accessible to all and accomplishes the seemingly impossible
task of making complex issues in psychopharmacology understandable
and clear."--Allan Young, New England Journal of Medicine
"Barondes provides this information better that any other account I
have read. Moreover, he does it in such a creative way that
researches as well as clinical practitioners will learn from and
enjoy the material which he has so skillfully assembled."--Herbert
Y. Meltzer,Nature Medicine
"Better Than Prozac is like a conversation with a genuine expert
about the psychiatric medications used to treat clinical depression
and other disorders of mental life."--J. Raymond DePaulo, Cerebrum
Ask a Question About this Product More... |