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A history of delusions : the glass king, a substitute husband and a walking corpse / Victoria Shepherd.
Why would someone wake up and claim they're Napoleon? Or believe they have been turned into a wolf and demand to be fed raw meat? For centuries, we've dismissed delusions as a problem for the shrinks to sort out in distant asylums. But delusions are more than just bizarre case studies - they tell stories of collective anxieties and traumas. In this groundbreaking history, Victoria Shepherd explores delusions from ancient times to present and implores us to identify reason in apparent madness. Isn't it perfectly understandable to believe you've got the wrong head when the guillotine takes the heads of hundreds every day? Who cannot sympathise with the man who believes he is already dead, when all his comrades died in the battlefields? We all have it in us to become delusional. In understanding delusions, we come closer to understanding ourselves.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780861540914
- ISBN: 0861540913
- Physical Description: xiv, 338 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
- Publisher: London : Oneworld, 2022.
- Copyright: ©2022
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 309-312) and index. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Delusions > History. |
| Genre: | Informational works. |
Available copies
- 5 of 6 copies available at Missouri Evergreen. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at North Kansas City.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 6 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Kansas City Public Library | 616.89 SHEPHERD 2022 (Text) | 0001002421137 | Nonfiction | Available | - |
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A History of Delusions : The Glass King, a Substitute Husband and a Walking Corpse
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Summary
A History of Delusions : The Glass King, a Substitute Husband and a Walking Corpse
A curious history of the strange, wonderful and sometimes terrifying worlds created by our minds. 'An utterly engrossing book.' ZOE WILLIAMS For centuries we've dismissed delusions as something for doctors to sort out behind locked doors. But delusions are more than just bizarre quirks - they hold the key to collective anxieties and traumas. In this groundbreaking history, Victoria Shepherd uncovers stories of delusions from medieval times to the present day and implores us to identify reason in apparent madness. Discover how the King of France - thinking he was made of glass - was terrified he might shatter... and he wasn't alone... Uncover the peculiar case of the dozens of Victorian women who tried to convince their physicians that they were, in fact, dead. And learn how after the Emperor met his end at the Battle of Waterloo, an epidemic of 'Napoleons' piled into France's asylums.
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