I'm a consultant psychiatrist and I thought that "The Meaning of Madness" was a brilliant read, not only because it's clear and engaging (and at times fascinating) but also because it can be read on so many different levels. On one level it's a very competent primer on mental disorders. On another level it presents an original and compelling theory of mental disorders that reaches far beyond current models. And on yet another level it offers a profound meditation on the human condition by that rare and exotic beast, the part psychiatrist, part philosopher. I especially enjoyed the chapter on depression and the chapter on anxiety, which ultimately explore the problem of meaning, and the chapter on suicide, which ultimately explores whether death should be feared. I would happily recommend this book, particularly to anyone who has been touched by, or is curious about, mental disorder, and more generally to anyone who is a thinking, feeling, and suffering human being.