Crazy
Pete Earley had no idea. He’d been a journalist for over thirty years, and the author of several award-winning-even bestselling-nonfiction books about crime and punishment and society. Yet he’d always been on the outside looking in. He had no idea what it was like to be on the inside looking out until his son, Mike, was declared mentally ill, and Earley was thrown headlong into the maze of contradictions, disparities, and catch-22s that is America’s mental health system.
The more Earley dug, the more he uncovered the bigger picture: Our nation’s prisons have become our new mental hospitals. Crazy tells two stories. The first is his son’s. The second describes what Earley learned during a yearlong investigation inside the Miami-Dade County jail, where he was given complete, unrestricted access. There, and in the surrounding community, he shadowed inmates and patients; interviewed correctional officers, public defenders, prosecutors, judges, mental-health professionals, and the police; talked with parents, siblings, and spouses; consulted historians, civil rights lawyers, and legislators.
The result is both a remarkable piece of investigative journalism, and a wake-up call-a portrait that could serve as a snapshot of any community in America
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Crazy
This is an excellent evaluation of the state of the mental health care system in this country which is abysmal.
5 Stars A Must Read!
A incredibly honest look at our mental health system. Pete Earley speaks for millions of people who continue to be extremely frustrated in the lack of continuity of care for those coping with severe and persistent mental illness. An overall shortage in funding nationwide has created a mental health system that is ineffective and unacceptable.
5 Stars Recommended reading
This book explains the difficulties and challenges one faces with a mentally ill child over the age of 18. The author shares the frustration and the inexplicable complications of the laws in our country that may prevent a parent to get help for an of-age child that doesn’t want help. Our society tends to imprison the mentally ill instead of treating them, mostly because of the way the laws have been written. The author writes clearly and in an easy-to-understand way that makes reading it a breeze. I’m a mental health professional and highly recommend this book.
5 Stars “Crazy” by Pete Earley
This is an eye opening account of one mans journey through the US Mental Health System. A must read for anyone who is touched by mental illness. My son suffers from Bi-Polar disorder and going through a similar situation as Mr. Earley’s son. I am now an active NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) member and will fight for the rights and protections of all of those who live with mental illness.
Well done Mr. Earley……brilliant book
4 Stars review of Crazy: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness
I was very satisfied with the condition and speed with which I received this book. I have no complaints and rate this seller as very good.
Filed under: Mental Health Book Reviews