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A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness
S. Nassir Ghaemi · 2011 · 352 pages
The New York Times bestseller
“A glistening psychological history, faceted largely by the biographies of eight famous leaders . . .” —The Boston Globe
“A provocative thesis . . . Ghaemi’s book deserves high marks for original thinking.” —The Washington Post
“Provocative, fascinating.” —Salon.com
Historians have long puzzled over the apparent mental instability of great and terrible leaders alike: Napoleon, Lincoln, Churchill, Hitler, and others. In A First-Rate Madness, Nassir Ghaemi, director of the Mood Disorders Program at Tufts Medical Center, offers a myth-shattering exploration of the powerful connections between mental illness and leadership and sets forth a controversial, compelling thesis: The very qualities that mark those with mood disorders also make for the best leaders in times of crisis. From the importance of Lincoln's "depressive realism" to the lackluster leadership of exceedingly sane men as Neville Chamberlain, A First-Rate Madness overturns many of our most cherished perceptions about greatness and the mind.
“A glistening psychological history, faceted largely by the biographies of eight famous leaders . . .” —The Boston Globe
“A provocative thesis . . . Ghaemi’s book deserves high marks for original thinking.” —The Washington Post
“Provocative, fascinating.” —Salon.com
Historians have long puzzled over the apparent mental instability of great and terrible leaders alike: Napoleon, Lincoln, Churchill, Hitler, and others. In A First-Rate Madness, Nassir Ghaemi, director of the Mood Disorders Program at Tufts Medical Center, offers a myth-shattering exploration of the powerful connections between mental illness and leadership and sets forth a controversial, compelling thesis: The very qualities that mark those with mood disorders also make for the best leaders in times of crisis. From the importance of Lincoln's "depressive realism" to the lackluster leadership of exceedingly sane men as Neville Chamberlain, A First-Rate Madness overturns many of our most cherished perceptions about greatness and the mind.
recommended by 4 people
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Austen Allred
“Huge thank you to whoever recommended this book; I can’t remember who you are. It’s fascinating.”↗
Yoko Ono
“At first this book first gives you a ‘reader’s digest’ version of how the world leaders really were. That’s interesting enough. But it goes on to show you how the brain works when a person is depressed, and how to overcome it. It is fascinating and full of important information. I kept reading thinking “great to know the other side of our leaders we didn’t know.” But then, in the end, there is a surprise! It shows the current scientific findings of the link between depression and empathy, we knew only as a moral and idealistic trait. Now it seems they found a point of brain that corresponds to empathy, scientifically, which is connected to depression, its cause, and also as its cure.”↗
Brianne Kimmel
“One of the best books I’ve read in a while The author makes the argument that mentally healthy leaders may succeed when the world is running smoothly But in times of crisis, leaders with mental illness outperform their peers and succeed because of their illness”↗
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