The Geography of Madness
Author | : Frank Bures |
Publisher | : Melville House |
Total Pages | : 258 |
Release | : 2016-04-26 |
ISBN-10 | : 9781612193731 |
ISBN-13 | : 1612193730 |
Rating | : 4/5 (31 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: Why do some men become convinced—despite what doctors tell them—that their penises have, simply, disappeared. Why do people across the world become convinced that they are cursed to die on a particular date—and then do? Why do people in Malaysia suddenly “run amok”? In The Geography of Madness, acclaimed magazine writer Frank Bures investigates these and other “culture-bound” syndromes, tracing each seemingly baffling phenomenon to its source. It’s a fascinating, and at times rollicking, adventure that takes the reader around the world and deep into the oddities of the human psyche. What Bures uncovers along the way is a poignant and stirring story of the persistence of belief, fear, and hope.