The Center Cannot Hold - Elyn R. Saks

The Center Cannot Hold

By Elyn R. Saks

  • Release Date: 2007-08-14
  • Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Score: 5
5
From 185 Ratings

Description

A much-praised memoir of living and surviving mental illness as well as "a stereotype-shattering look at a tenacious woman whose brain is her best friend and her worst enemy" (Time).

Elyn R. Saks is an esteemed professor, lawyer, and psychiatrist and is the Orrin B. Evans Professor of Law, Psychology, Psychiatry, and the Behavioral Sciences at the University of Southern California Law School, yet she has suffered from schizophrenia for most of her life, and still has ongoing major episodes of the illness.

The Center Cannot Hold is the eloquent, moving story of Elyn's life, from the first time that she heard voices speaking to her as a young teenager, to attempted suicides in college, through learning to live on her own as an adult in an often terrifying world. Saks discusses frankly the paranoia, the inability to tell imaginary fears from real ones, the voices in her head telling her to kill herself (and to harm others), as well as the incredibly difficult obstacles she overcame to become a highly respected professional. This beautifully written memoir is destined to become a classic in its genre.

Reviews

  • What a tiger you are! You inspire me…

    5
    By schidMom
    Wow! So. Much detail, so much struggle, so much triumph. Thank you Elyn for writing this book.
  • Worth Reading But Disturbing on Various Levels

    4
    By M_Lubo
    While I appreciate the courage it took for Ms. Saks to write and publish this work, there were several disturbing elements. First, the author came across to me as very self-absorbed with little sense of humility. In addition, there was not a hint of spiritual practice or any sort of grounding in that sense. The author seemed largely one-dimensional focused on academic and career success. Finally, I am both a licensed therapist and attorney. It is concerning that Ms. Saks treated patients in analysis without a professional license, but perhaps I am missing something. Nevertheless, I do appreciate the drive and resilience of Ms. Saks in pursuing her goals in the face of formidable obstacles.
  • Inspiring

    5
    By Nytraveler
    Fantastic book, hard top put down
  • A truly eye opening experience

    5
    By Littlepiggy3000
    As the sister of someone who has been recently diagnosed with a similar mental illness as Mrs. Saks, I purchased this book with numerous reservations afraid of what I would discover. However, as her story is extremely graphic and blunt, it has helped me better understand what Schizophrenia is and how a person with this illness thinks and learns to function. I am thankful for Mrs. Saks sharing her incredible life story, I highly reccomend this book to anyone looking to read a real, brutal yet inspiring story.

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