Review: Bedlam: A Year In The Life Of A Mental Hospital

Bedlam: A Year In The Life Of A Mental Hospital by Dominick Bosco
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I bought the original hardback printing of this book more than ten years ago as part of research for the second edition of my own book on asylums. Looking back on my original Amazon review I admitted to putting it aside at first so I could read some of the better known volumes in my collection. I wish I had never delayed reading this book. This has now become one of my most oft recommended volumes on mental health.

Bedlam tells the story of Bedloe State Hospital (a pseudonym of course) and its enigmatic head physician Alex Greco. Through the tales of a number of staff and patients, Bedlam takes the reader on a roller coaster ride through the world of the state hospital for the insane. Regardless of its age, Bedlam is as relevant to the field now as it was when Bosco penned it.

In 2014 I had the pleasure of writing the foreword to the current edition and I am proud to have done so. I have recommended this book to my colleagues, my students, and friends with an interest in the world of mental health, asylums, and psychology. If you haven't read this book yet, what are you waiting for?

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