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Brad Culwell
Duke, P. & Hochman, G. (1992). A brilliant madness. New York: Bantam Books.

In this book Patty Duke, with the help of the medical writer Gloria Hochman, discusses her struggle as an actress with bipolar disorder, and gives many details about the symptoms and treatments of manic depression. Patty Duke is very credible as an author because the part of the book that she wrote is a biography. Gloria Hochman is also credible as a writer because she is a professional medical author.
A Brilliant Madness describes the different levels of manic depression, the signs and symptoms of it, and the treatments that follow. It goes into great detail when recognizing certain behavioral patterns and describes the different situations that others have experienced. The book even describes the medications used in treating the disorder. It mainly talks about the use of lithium as a medication, which is very effective for the majority of people who take it (including Patty). The book discusses lesser used medications like anticonvulsant drugs, antidepressants, neuroleptic drugs, and others. The book uses language that was very understandable, and since I previously knew very little about manic depression I learned a lot about daily lives of people with manic depression.
Included are interviews with doctors who specialize in mental illness that help readers to understand just what they really are. The stories from husbands, wives and family members who have experienced manic depression first-hand are profound. They are realizations of their lives and their dealings with daily life. The book also offers resources that those who suffer from a mental illness can contact for more information.
Patty's husband, Michael Pearce, is interviewed as well. He shares his thoughts about Anna and living with someone with manic depression. He talks about the difficulties he faced with having to deal...