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A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness Audiobook
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(3.01) - 902 listener ratings
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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.
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"Although this book includes some already known anecdotes, it presents a compelling and new (to me)argument that our most mentally balanced leaders may not really be called to lead in times of crisis. great case studies. Builds on writing of J. Shenk in his book, Lincoln's Melancholy."
— Paula (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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A glistening psychological history, faceted largely by the biographies of eight famous leaders . . . A First-Rate Madness is carefully plotted and sensibly argued.
— The Boston Globe -
Ghaemi isn’t the first to claim that madness is a close relative of genius, or even the first to extend the idea into politics. But he does go further than others . . . His explanations are elegant, too—intuitively accurate and banked off the latest psychiatric research.
— Newsweek -
A provocative thesis . . . Ghaemi’s book deserves high marks for original thinking.
— The Washington Post -
Ghaemi is a remarkably disciplined writer, and he examines both psychiatry and history with impressive clarity and sensitivity. A First-Rate Madness will almost certainly be one of the most fascinating books of the year, not just because of the author's lucid prose and undeniable intelligence, but because of his provocative thesis: 'For abnormal challenges, abnormal leaders are needed.'
— NPR.org -
Provocative, fascinating.
— Salon.com
A First-Rate Madness Listener Reviews
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" Although Ghaemi scores easy marketing points by looking at Kennedy and Hitler, there's some good analysis and thought provoking ideas. Ghaemi distances himself from psycho-history and instead focus on the actual psychology conditions of the historical persons. As someone who lives with constant depression, I found his analysis of Ghandi and Martin Luther King, Jr. interesting. In many respects, my admiration for these persons can be seen as recognizing kindred spirits. "
— H, 2/8/2014 -
" Very interesting..but I skipped around and just read what interested me. Learning many hidden facts about these leaders was very interesting but when the author spent time validating his theory (psycho-babble...I skipped! But I do believe he has a good point. "
— Betsy, 1/28/2014 -
" I like the subject matter and material the author writes about in this book. But the book seemed poorly organized. He would talk about one person's story and then all of a sudden refer back to another person's story. It was kind of confusing, and I didn't always know who the person was, or I'd confuse one person with another. If it was organized better, I would have liked it even more. "
— Gina, 1/25/2014 -
" You're not okay, and that's ok. "
— Amanda, 1/25/2014 -
" I wanted to like this book. The premise was really interesting. However the mix of writing style and little to no actual facts made it almost unreadable. For the handful of interesting tibbits this book was not worth it. "
— Kristel, 1/19/2014 -
" I enjoyed the authors objective views, and thought he made solid arguments. I enjoyed the additional insights on Kennedy as well. "
— Austin, 1/19/2014 -
" A very interesting look at why sometimes mentally 'unhealthy' leaders can actually do a better job in times of crisis. This juxtaposition was interesting, but I also found the general insights about depression and mental illness to be fascinating and informative as well. "
— Jesselyn, 1/7/2014 -
" Interesting premise and engagingly written...it took me many pages to realize I didn't really care "
— Josiah, 1/2/2014 -
" Book itself isn't edited all that well but the message is worth 5 stars. It's a worthwhile book if you are leading any group. "
— David, 10/19/2013 -
" This is an important book about how mental illness can be a positive factor in leadership qualities. Totally fascinating. And yes, I also liked it because I have a hyperthymic personality -- and now I understand better some of about my leadership qualities, good & bad! :) "
— Chai, 3/21/2013 -
" For some reason I just couldn't get into this book. I read about 100 pages but I didn't think that the author's arguments really supported his thesis, and I wasn't motivated to go on. "
— Cynthia, 10/2/2012 -
" Just as I thought! You have to be a fanatic to be a great leader - good or bad. "
— Antoinette, 6/7/2012 -
" I'm not sure if I agree with the author's thesis that mental illness can be an asset to leadership, but this book presents interesting information about the personal struggles of leaders like Gandhi, JFK, MLK, Hitler and George Bush. It's worth a read. "
— Arloa, 12/10/2011 -
" Ghaemi takes a psychiatrist's look at a series of great politicians from Churchill to Lincoln to Kennedy...and concludes they were all a bit whacked. Which, as it turns out, is why they were great leaders. Compelling bit of history for a different POV. "
— Glenn, 12/8/2011 -
" A compelling a thought-provoking approach to history and our historical leaders. But including Ted Turner in with Lincoln, Churchill, MLK and Ghandi? Really? "
— Valeri29, 11/19/2011 -
" Very interesting..but I skipped around and just read what interested me. Learning many hidden facts about these leaders was very interesting but when the author spent time validating his theory (psycho-babble...I skipped! But I do believe he has a good point. "
— Betsy, 10/13/2011 -
" Interesting. With a history background I find the lack of footnotes distructing. However, the raw words just facinated me on linking the conclusions to support the topic. "
— Jessica, 10/12/2011 -
" Interesting study of several leaders (Lincoln, Kennedy, Churchill, Hitler, Gandhi, and other) who had indications of depression or other mood disorders. Very interesting. "
— Pamela, 9/24/2011 -
" A very interesting premise-- that some of the most famous and successful leaders in history suffered from mental illness-- but not all of the cases were convincing, and some seemed to be a pretty big stretch. I thought the author gave only a cursory look at a very complex subject. "
— Liz, 9/17/2011 -
" Very well written book that is more clinical in its approach to this topic! However, it is very readable. This are interesting perspectives. Provides a very different view of leadership to the reader. <br/> "
— JoAnn, 9/10/2011 -
" Interesting premise and engagingly written...it took me many pages to realize I didn't really care "
— Stargrave, 9/2/2011 -
" A compelling a thought-provoking approach to history and our historical leaders. But including Ted Turner in with Lincoln, Churchill, MLK and Ghandi? Really? "
— Valeri29, 8/31/2011 -
" So far, this is a very intriguing book. "
— Stacy, 8/8/2011
About Nassir Ghaemi
Nassir Ghaemi is a professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, where he directs the Mood Disorders Program. He trained in psychiatry at, and also serves on the faculty of, Harvard Medical School and has degrees in history (BA, George Mason University), philosophy (MA, Tufts), and public health (MPH, Harvard). He has published more than one hundred scientific articles and several books on psychiatry.
About Adam Barr
Pete Cross is an Earphones Award–winning narrator. He holds a BA in theater from the University of Toledo and an MFA in acting from the California Institute of the Arts. His experience on stage includes Carnegie Hall, and he has also acted in film. He has served on the faculty at Cal Arts and with Aquila Morong Studio in Hollywood. He has coached for film and theatrical productions and continues to work with private clients all over the world.