
The Medicalization of Everyday Life: Selected Essays
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Gary D. MacFadden
-
By:
-
Thomas Szasz
About this listen
Defining "medicalization" as the perception of nonmedical conditions as medical problems and nondiseases as diseases, Thomas Szasz has devoted much of his career to exposing the dangers of "medicalizing" the conditions of some who simply refuse to conform to society's expectations.
Szasz argues that modern psychiatry's tireless ambition to explain the human condition has led to the treatment of life's difficulties and oddities as clinical illnesses rather than as humanity revealed in its fullness.
This collection of impassioned essays, published between 1973 and 2006, chronicles the author's long campaign against the orthodoxies of psychiatry. From "Medicine to Magic" to "Medicine as Social Control", the audiobook delves into the fascinating history of medicalization, including "The Discovery of Drug Addiction", "Persecutions for Witchcraft and Drugcraft", and "Food Abuse and Foodaholism".
In a society that has little tolerance for those who live outside its rules, Dr. Szasz's writings are as relevant today as ever.
©2007 Thomas Szasz (P)2014 Redwood AudiobooksListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Myth of Mental Illness
- Foundations of a Theory of Personal Conduct
- By: Thomas S. Szasz MD
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thomas Szasz's classic book revolutionized thinking about the nature of the psychiatric profession and the moral implications of its practices. By diagnosing unwanted behavior as mental illness, psychiatrists, Szasz argues, absolve individuals of responsibility for their actions and instead blame their alleged illness. He also critiques Freudian psychology as a pseudoscience and warns against the dangerous overreach of psychiatry into all aspects of modern life.
-
-
Good format for initial exposure to the material.
- By Anonymous User on 11-29-21
-
Psychiatry
- The Science of Lies
- By: Thomas Szasz
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 4 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For more than half a century, Thomas Szasz has devoted much of his career to a radical critique of psychiatry. His latest work, Psychiatry: The Science of Lies, is a culmination of his life’s work: to portray the integral role of deception in the history and practice of psychiatry. Szasz argues that the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness stands in the same relationship to the diagnosis and treatment of bodily illness that the forgery of a painting does to the original masterpiece.
-
-
Over four hours of rant, with lack of rationale
- By Michael on 04-11-12
By: Thomas Szasz
-
Discrimination and Disparities
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discrimination and Disparities challenges believers in such one-factor explanations of economic outcome differences as discrimination, exploitation, or genetics. It is listenable enough for people with no prior knowledge of economics. Yet the empirical evidence with which it backs up its analysis spans the globe and challenges beliefs across the ideological spectrum.
-
-
Hard Pill To Swallow - I’m better for it
- By Charles on 01-14-19
By: Thomas Sowell
-
Anatomy of an Epidemic
- Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America
- By: Robert Whitaker
- Narrated by: Ken Kliban
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this astonishing and startling book, award-winning science and history writer Robert Whitaker investigates a medical mystery: Why has the number of disabled mentally ill in the United States tripled over the past two decades? Every day, 1,100 adults and children are added to the government disability rolls because they have become newly disabled by mental illness, with this epidemic spreading most rapidly among our nations children. What is going on?
-
-
The author does not use a fair scientific approach
- By Michael on 08-15-10
By: Robert Whitaker
-
Unmasking Autism
- Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity
- By: Devon Price PhD
- Narrated by: Devon Price PhD
- Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Unmasking Autism, Dr. Devon Price shares their personal experience with masking and blends history, social science research, prescriptions, and personal profiles to tell a story of neurodivergence that has thus far been dominated by those on the outside looking in. For Dr. Price and many others, Autism is a deep source of uniqueness and beauty. Unfortunately, living in a neurotypical world means it can also be a source of incredible alienation and pain.
-
-
Disappointing
- By Debra M. Givin on 11-12-22
By: Devon Price PhD
-
Fossil Future
- Why Global Human Flourishing Requires More Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas—Not Less
- By: Alex Epstein
- Narrated by: Alex Epstein
- Length: 16 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For over a decade, philosopher and energy expert Alex Epstein has predicted that any negative impacts of fossil fuel use on our climate will be outweighed by the unique benefits of fossil fuels to human flourishing--including their unrivaled ability to provide low-cost, reliable energy to billions of people around the world, especially the world’s poorest people. And contrary to what we hear from media “experts” about today’s “renewable revolution” and “climate emergency,” reality has proven Epstein right.
-
-
Strongly Recommend
- By Kevin on 06-14-22
By: Alex Epstein
-
The Myth of Mental Illness
- Foundations of a Theory of Personal Conduct
- By: Thomas S. Szasz MD
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thomas Szasz's classic book revolutionized thinking about the nature of the psychiatric profession and the moral implications of its practices. By diagnosing unwanted behavior as mental illness, psychiatrists, Szasz argues, absolve individuals of responsibility for their actions and instead blame their alleged illness. He also critiques Freudian psychology as a pseudoscience and warns against the dangerous overreach of psychiatry into all aspects of modern life.
-
-
Good format for initial exposure to the material.
- By Anonymous User on 11-29-21
-
Psychiatry
- The Science of Lies
- By: Thomas Szasz
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 4 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For more than half a century, Thomas Szasz has devoted much of his career to a radical critique of psychiatry. His latest work, Psychiatry: The Science of Lies, is a culmination of his life’s work: to portray the integral role of deception in the history and practice of psychiatry. Szasz argues that the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness stands in the same relationship to the diagnosis and treatment of bodily illness that the forgery of a painting does to the original masterpiece.
-
-
Over four hours of rant, with lack of rationale
- By Michael on 04-11-12
By: Thomas Szasz
-
Discrimination and Disparities
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discrimination and Disparities challenges believers in such one-factor explanations of economic outcome differences as discrimination, exploitation, or genetics. It is listenable enough for people with no prior knowledge of economics. Yet the empirical evidence with which it backs up its analysis spans the globe and challenges beliefs across the ideological spectrum.
-
-
Hard Pill To Swallow - I’m better for it
- By Charles on 01-14-19
By: Thomas Sowell
-
Anatomy of an Epidemic
- Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America
- By: Robert Whitaker
- Narrated by: Ken Kliban
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this astonishing and startling book, award-winning science and history writer Robert Whitaker investigates a medical mystery: Why has the number of disabled mentally ill in the United States tripled over the past two decades? Every day, 1,100 adults and children are added to the government disability rolls because they have become newly disabled by mental illness, with this epidemic spreading most rapidly among our nations children. What is going on?
-
-
The author does not use a fair scientific approach
- By Michael on 08-15-10
By: Robert Whitaker
-
Unmasking Autism
- Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity
- By: Devon Price PhD
- Narrated by: Devon Price PhD
- Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Unmasking Autism, Dr. Devon Price shares their personal experience with masking and blends history, social science research, prescriptions, and personal profiles to tell a story of neurodivergence that has thus far been dominated by those on the outside looking in. For Dr. Price and many others, Autism is a deep source of uniqueness and beauty. Unfortunately, living in a neurotypical world means it can also be a source of incredible alienation and pain.
-
-
Disappointing
- By Debra M. Givin on 11-12-22
By: Devon Price PhD
-
Fossil Future
- Why Global Human Flourishing Requires More Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas—Not Less
- By: Alex Epstein
- Narrated by: Alex Epstein
- Length: 16 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For over a decade, philosopher and energy expert Alex Epstein has predicted that any negative impacts of fossil fuel use on our climate will be outweighed by the unique benefits of fossil fuels to human flourishing--including their unrivaled ability to provide low-cost, reliable energy to billions of people around the world, especially the world’s poorest people. And contrary to what we hear from media “experts” about today’s “renewable revolution” and “climate emergency,” reality has proven Epstein right.
-
-
Strongly Recommend
- By Kevin on 06-14-22
By: Alex Epstein
Critic reviews
What listeners say about The Medicalization of Everyday Life: Selected Essays
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Luigi Grimaldi
- 02-11-15
A convincing piece for Capitalist Medicine
This is an excellent book that, via deductive logic and rationale thought dispels the idea that a state-run medical system is the only system. These systems will all evolve back to a free market over time.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tyler Walker
- 04-17-20
Our handling of Covid-19=Therapeutic-State
This information is most useful when we consider the Therapeutic-State and the handling of covid-19.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Michael Ten
- 09-09-16
good book
good book. read it. outlaw psychiatric slavery and psychiatric oppression.
Read Thomas Szaszs other books
I recommend Fatal Freedom, insanity and suicide Prohibition. read all his books
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sean
- 09-26-16
Weird
This guy has never met a person with schizophrenia. He also speaks about abolishing the insanity plea without any critique of the prison industrial complex. Dr. Szasz, we are already living in a world where people with mentally illness languish in prison and suffer through poverty. Does this mean you were right?
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful