Crazy

A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness

By: Pete Earley

Narrated by: Michael Prichard

Pete Earley had no idea. He'd been a journalist for over 30 years, and the author of several award-winning, even best-selling, 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 year-long 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.

©2006 Pete Earley (P)2006 Tantor Media Inc

Critic reviews

"Parents of the mentally ill should find solace and food for thought in its pages." (Publishers Weekly)
"Crazy is a godsend. It will open the minds of many who make choices for the mentally ill." (Patty Duke)

facinating book, okay narrarator

the book is fantastic-- Perfect for my paper about mental illness for my Rhetoric course. However the voice chosen for this book is so dry that it makes it difficult to read. Also, be prepared for some uncovered injustices in the world

Harrowing, Heart-Breaking

Mr. Earley has written an important book, and he weaves his son's personal story into a well-researched narrative.

I learned a great deal about the history of treating mental illnesses in the U.S., as well as the Catch-22 implicit in many current US state laws, which place a premium on individual rights protection at the expense of appropriate treatment for the mentally ill. The result is that many mentally ill people end up in prisons for decades -- having fallen through the cracks in the health care system.

It is not a happy story; however, it is an important story -- a must for those working in local police forces or prisons, public policy makers in the area of health, and those who have family members suffering from a mental illness. Written accessibly, the book is easy to understand, and well-narrated.

Great work

This is the third Pete Earley book I've downloaded and listened to. It is the most personal to him and the most complex. Starting out as a loving father who faces the crisis of his son's escalating mental illness, Earley decided to write about his personal experience and the broader plight of mentally ill men who are incarcerated. By turns enlightening and frustrating, Crazy is a profoundly moving paean to human understanding and a call to action.

A must read for professionals

A truly enlightening story of a father's struggle and the reality of coping with mental illness in the family. Brilliantly written, very down to earth and gripping. Not a dull moment in this book.

A powerful exploration into the treatment of Mental Health in this country

I picked up this book to gain further insight on a project I am working on. Immediately, I found myself engrossed not only by the author's story of him and his son, but by how people like his son have been failed by the system over and over again. I have a better understanding on the complexities and challenges facing the mentally ill, and like with any truly great book,
I am left motivated to develop my understanding further. Lastly, as someone in recovery from addiction/substance use disorder, I often found myself drawing parallels between treatment, the system, and being housed in places never intended to help people like me. I recommend this book and would go so far as to hope to one day see it as required reading. The ending was incredible and logical and well spoken. Mahalo for this book!

A down in the trenches look at mental illness

An incredible piece of research exposing the terrible state of the mental ill in our country-and how it came to be that way.

Well written and commentated

There are many Damning, persistent beliefs still in American society today that marginize the mentally ill. You would think by now the powers that be could figure out the importance of stabilizing this population. Instead we fund wars to kill one another. Socialism is not the answer. Fascism is not the answer. Communism is not the answer.and greed driven Democracy isn't the answer. Certainly One World Government is the worst possible thing for all marginalized people. So I believe we must continue to work hard in our communities to get the mentally ill off the streets with more well yhout out Community Mental Health Centers outreach and half way facilities.

An important book

Parts were extremely slow but overall there is an important message to be heard. We need mental health reform and we need it now!

This was a eye opening book.

I have learned and woken up to the way people are treated with Mental Illnesses. Thank you for writing this.

fantastic insight into a world with so little.

This book is amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot. Well written and well thought out.