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Synopsis
Its landscaped ground, chosen by Frederick Law Olmsted and dotted with Tudor mansions, could belong to a New England prep school. There are no fences, no guards, no locked gates. But McLean Hospital is a mental institution-one of the most famous, most elite, and once most luxurious in America. McLean "alumni" include Olmsted himself, Robert Lowell, Sylvia Plath, James Taylor and Ray Charles, as well as (more secretly) other notables from among the rich and famous. In its "golden age," McLean provided as genteel an environment for the treatment of mental illness as one could imagine. But the golden age is over, and a downsized, downscale McLean-despite its affiliation with Harvard University-is struggling to stay afloat. Gracefully Insane, by Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam, is a fascinating and emotional biography of McLean Hospital from its founding in 1817 through today. It is filled with stories about patients and doctors: the Ralph Waldo Emerson prot'g' whose brilliance disappeared along with his madness; Anne Sexton's poetry seminar, and many more. The story of McLean is also the story of the hopes and failures of psychology and psychotherapy; of the evolution of attitudes about mental illness, of approaches to treatment, and of the economic pressures that are making McLean-and other institutions like it-relics of a bygone age.
This is a compelling and often oddly poignant reading for fans of books like Plath's The Bell Jar and Susanna Kaysen's Girl, Interrupted (both inspired by their author's stays at McLean) and for anyone interested in the history of medicine or psychotherapy, or the social history of New England.
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About the Author
Alex Beam is a columnist for the Boston Globe and for the International Herald Tribune. He is the author of two works of nonfiction, Gracefully Insane and A Great Idea at the Time, both New York Times Notable Books. He has also written for the Atlantic Monthly, Slate, and Forbes/FYI. He lives in Newton, Massachusetts with his wife and three sons.
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Gracefully Insane: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Mental Hospital
Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
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Paperback. Condition: Good. An entertaining and poignant social history of McLean Hospital--temporary home to many of the troubled geniuses of our age--and of the evolution of the treatment of mental illness from the early 19th century to today. Seller Inventory # 00069161635
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Gracefully Insane The Rise and
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Condition: Acceptable. Item in acceptable condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00103528897
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Gracefully Insane: Life and Death Inside America's Premier Mental Hospital
Published by
PublicAffairs (edition First Edition), 2003
ISBN 10: 1586481614
ISBN 13: 9781586481612
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Seller: BooksRun, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.
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Gracefully Insane: Life and Death Inside America's Premier Mental Hospital
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Condition: Good. A sound copy with only light wear. Overall a solid copy at a great price! Seller Inventory # BOS-T-11h-01595
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Gracefully Insane: Life and Death Inside America's Premier Mental Hospital
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Condition: acceptable. All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may be missing bundled media. Seller Inventory # MINV.1586481614.A
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Gracefully Insane: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Mental Hospital
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Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G1586481614I3N10
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Gracefully Insane: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Mental Hospital
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Paperback. Condition: Fair. No Jacket. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G1586481614I5N00
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Gracefully Insane: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Mental Hospital
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Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G1586481614I3N00
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Gracefully Insane: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Mental Hospital
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Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G1586481614I3N00
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Gracefully Insane: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Mental Hospital
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Paperback. Condition: Fair. No Jacket. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G1586481614I5N00