The Horn Book Guide

TECHNOLOGY

Kent, Deborah , Kent, Deborah

Snake Pits, Talking Cures, and Magic Bullets: A History of Mental Illness

160 pp. | Lerner/Twenty-first Century | January, 2003 | Library ISBN 0-7613-2704-5 $$26.90

(3) YA From ancient practices through present-day treatments and legislation, Kent provides an extensive history of (primarily Western) societies' responses to mental illness. Profiles of researchers and reformers share the stage with accounts from patients writing about their experiences. Sidebars extend and help clarify information and, along with the archival photos, break up the dense but readable text. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn