Dr. Laurence Baldwin

Thought provoking view on voice hearers..., 31 May 2013

This book is a personal journey of discovery, and a fascinating view on the experiences of voice hearers past and present. Professor Hornstein presents a personal reflection on her journey to discover the first hand narratives of voice hearers, drawing on historical writings of people who have experienced what we health professionals call psychosis, including that embroidered into Agnes's jacket, apparently the only way she (Agnes) could record her thoughts in her hospital setting. Gail Hornstein cleverly combines her own thoughts and reflections on peer support groups in the UK (mostly through the Hearing Voices Network) and in her native USA, and argues that mental health professionals… Read more

One for the Carcassonne Tourist Board..., 27 April 2013

The flaws in this as a coherent story have been highlighted by others, perhaps a bit harshly. It's pleasantly watchable, and the crossover between the periods is intriguing and well done - one or two of the shots that cut quickly from medieval to present day are fun.
What the story does do very well is bring the feel of a medieval city to life, and having visited Carcassonne last year I must admit a bias, as it helps if you've visited a place and tried to imagine it as it once was! Extra star then for reminiscence value, and if you haven't visited Carcassonne or Languedoc before then you should do so, it's a great region of France to explore and this should whet your appetite :-)

Classic ideas-based sci-fi, 25 Oct 2012

I first read this many years ago, probably when I read a lot of library books as a kid. A few years ago I hunted it down as an obscure reprint and now I'm going to buy it for my kindle...
Like much great sci-fi this tale is based on a concept, an idea, and whether you agree with the power of the idea or not this tale is told with convioction and invention and romps alongmaking it a quick and enjoyable read.