Raj Persaud in conversation - the podcasts

Psychiatrist Dr Raj Persaud talks in-depth to Professor Richard Gill - one of the key experts who has helped overturn two recent nurse serial killer convictions You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? The article below was published before the outcome of the Lucy Letby case was known https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/in-the-media/2023/02/in-a-normal-murder-case-you-actually-have-a-body-statistician-richard-gill-says-in-science 'In a normal murder case, you actually have a body' statistician Richard Gill says in Science 02 February 2023 After diving into the murder trial of nurse Lucia de Berk, statistician Richard Gill became a leading expert on the statistics of medical murder cases. Together with colleagues, he now wrote a peer reviewed report about the statistical missteps in past medical murder trials. It gives recommendations for how legal systems can do better. 'People's intuition of an "impossible coincidence" sometimes falsely joins the dots in the evidence,' he says in the Science Magazine. Lucia de Berk was under trial for being present at a suspiciously high number of deaths and resuscitations. His wife told him about a "witch trial" and saying: 'They're using statistics; you should get involved, do something useful.' At first Gill didn't get involved, but years later the case would turn out to be the pinnacle of his career. He proved that the nurse went to jail based on bad statistics, tunnel visions and assumptions. 'In a normal murder case, you actually have a body which has clearly been murdered,' he says. 'When there's only a suspicious cluster of deaths, investigators may assume a murderer is at work and selectively focus on evidence that supports that assumption.' Statistics to the rescue When the court of appeals announced the acquittal of the nurse, Gill was there to celebrate. 'It was one of the biggest events of my life,' he says. 'It was really joyful.' And that became the start of lending his expertise as a statistician in medical murder cases.  With that expertise, Gill and his colleagues wrote a report published by the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) in September 2022. That report  exposes the statistical missteps in past medical murder trials and makes recommendations for how legal systems can do better. One of the things that the report recommends is for investigators to be 'blinded'. For example, having pathologists classify deaths as suspicious or not, without knowing which medical personnel were in attendance. The next generation of statisticians Gill hopes the report will help with new similar cases.  The one of the British nurse Lucy Letby for expample, who is now on trial for the alleged murder of seven babies. Gill is retired, but still follows the case closely. As he will not be working much on forensic cases anymore, Gill hopes younger statisticians will feel compelled to help when bad statistics lead to injustice, as he did. 'I sensed that in the Lucia case, I could make a difference. And that therefore I must.' Want to know more? Read more about Richard Gill and his career in the article on the website of Science.

Psychiatrist Dr Raj Persaud talks in-depth to Dr Dewi Evans - one of the key prosecution expert witnesses about the Lucy Letby case You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? https://www.herald.wales/west-wales/carmarthenshire/how-dr-dewi-evans-helped-secure-justice-in-nurse-letbys-chilling-baby-murders/ How Dr. Dewi Evans helped secure justice in nurse Letby's chilling baby murders   Luke Sinclair LUCY Letby's conviction for multiple counts of murder and attempted murder at the Countess of Chester Hospital is intertwined with the meticulous work of Dr. Dewi Evans, a retired consultant paediatrician from Carmarthen. Dr. Evans, a seasoned medical legal expert with over three decades of experience, emerged as a key figure in unraveling the complex web of deliberate harm inflicted upon innocent infants. In an exclusive interview with TalkTV, Dr. Evans delved into the intricacies of his involvement in the case, revealing the depths of his horror at the heinous events that unfolded. He described the events as a tragedy of unparalleled proportions, possibly ranking as the most shocking occurrence within an NHS hospital in the past 75 years. Cheshire Police turned to Dr. Evans for his expertise in dissecting the medical evidence and shedding light on the nefarious activities behind the deaths. His journey began with an exhaustive review of clinical records, meticulously analysing over 30 cases of babies who perished or suffered collapses between January 2015 and July 2016. Dr. Evans' ability to discern hidden patterns within the chaotic medical records would prove to be a critical turning point. Among the cases, he identified 15 instances that defied conventional explanations. These babies displayed telltale signs of harm, ranging from symptoms of air embolism—suggesting the injection of air into their circulatory systems—to signs of milk or milk-and-air injections directly into their stomachs, leading to life-threatening breathing difficulties. However, the true revelation came with the discovery of insulin poisoning in two sets of twins. Dr. Evans stumbled upon abnormally elevated insulin levels in these babies, indicative of an intentional injection of insulin. This discovery, initially unforeseen even by the astute doctor, added a sinister layer to the unfolding narrative. Dr. Evans also highlighted the crucial role of analyzing duty rosters. His meticulous examination revealed a chilling connection—Lucy Letby was consistently on duty during each of the tragic incidents. This realisation provided a pivotal break in the case, further cementing the suspicion against Letby. Yet, the journey wasn't without its challenges. During the trial, Letby's defence team sought to discredit Dr. Evans' objectivity and impartiality, accusing him of bias. However, Mr. Justice Goss, the presiding judge, steadfastly refused to exclude Dr. Evans' evidence, emphasising the need for the jury to assess his credibility in light of the broader evidence presented. The case also spotlighted the systemic shortcomings and managerial failures within the NHS. Dr. Evans lamented the lack of responsiveness from NHS managers and pointed to a culture of cover-ups when things went awry. The case prompted a broader conversation about transparency, accountability, and safeguarding within healthcare institutions. Ultimately, Dr. Dewi Evans' meticulous analysis and unwavering dedication became instrumental in securing justice for the innocent victims and their families. The case serves as a chilling reminder of the importance of persistent investigation, expert analysis, and the pursuit of truth in even the most chilling of circumstances.

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? Born in New Zealand, Anne fled at the earliest opportunity to England, where her roots and heart lie. She co-founded Meyler Campbell in 1999 and continues to work tirelessly to promote its activities and Community. She is also an intermittent but happy gardener, and a passionate historian. Following a successful global career as a diplomat and Citibank-trained international banker Anne retrained mid-career as a psychologist (PG Dip Psych and MSc Organisational Psychology - both with Distinction.) Among her many accolades Anne was named as one of five leading experts in business coaching globally by Harvard Business Review (2009), is the author of The Financial Times Guide to Business Coaching (2011) (a second edition of which was published in 2020), and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine. In 2018, Anne was appointed Visiting Scholar at Oxford Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. Anne and her co-author Professor Herminia Ibarra published the article, "The Leader as Coach" in the November-December issue of the Harvard Business Review. In March 2020, it was announced that this article had won the Warren Bennis Prize, awarded for the top-rated HBR leadership article of the year. Much in demand for her expertise, Anne has served on a raft of Expert Panels and policy committees including a Positive Psychology task force for the Royal Society. She has delivered Keynote speeches for all the major coaching bodies including AC, BPS/SGCP, ICF, WABC and ICAEW, and has taught workshops at London Business School and Cambridge's Judge Business School. Anne believes that traditional mentoring / training / consulting puts in content while coaching pulls out the capacity people have within ...and that we all need both. In her view knowledge and skill are essential, but so too are the energy, inspiration and motivation that can only come from within. Great organisational coaching fluently and pertinently blends both.   Anne Scoular on Raj Persaud podcast 14 December 2022 References and further resources Anne: Background on Anne: https://www.meylercampbell.com/our-people/anne-scoular ; Her book on leadership coaching: https://www.amazon.co.uk/FT-Guide-Business- Coaching-Guides/dp/1292309075/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= ; and her 2019 bicentenary lecture on Queen Victoria, her grief and recovery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6DMSK16dP0&ab_channel=MeylerCampbell Queen Victoria Short, sparkling and psychologically alert biography: Jane Ridley, Victoria: Queen, Matriarch, Empress (London: Allen Lane/Penguin, 2015) (The great, full biography: Elizabeth Longford, Victoria RI (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1964/1987) The Queen's effectiveness John Plunkett (2000) "Queen Victoria: the Monarchy and the Media": PhD dissertation, Birkbeck College London; published as a book, John Plunkett: Queen Victoria: First Media Monarch (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003). (But the detailed data is in the PhD.) Wealth of data Journals of Queen Victoria, freely accessible at http://www.queenvictoriasjournals.org (114 vols: 13 originals 1832-37; 13 Esher transcript 1832-40; 111 Beatrice-ed 1837-01; 4 drafts) Letters of Queen Victoria, ed. Esher / Benson / Buckle, 9 vols 1907-32 (you see her at work.) Personal Letters to her daughter 'Vicky', ed. Roger Fulford, 5 vols 1964-81 (Vol 1 especially recommended – two very fine, very real women in impassioned conversation.) The Queen's own two publications: Leaves from a Highland Journal 1868 and 1885 - online on QV journals site as above Diaries and letters of 360o : Greville, Ponsonby, Mallet, Antrim, Lyttleton, Reid, Arnold, Gladstone, Disraeli... Biopsychosocial See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biopsychosocial_model Insecure attachment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attachment_theory Complicated grief The Centre for Prolonged Grief (Columbia University, New York) (formerly the Centre for Complicated Grief): https://prolongedgrief.columbia.edu/for-the-public/complicated-grief- public/overview/ Burnout https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSAGnwf0iAY and other Sally Maitlis articles/videos Identity In Victorian era: Pat Jalland, Women, Marriage and Politics 1860 – 1914 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986) for starters. (Pat Jalland is also the expert on Victorian bereavement.) But the superb (and slim) book in this area is K.D. Reynolds, Aristocratic Women and Political Society in Victorian Britain (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998) – a fine scholarly study of gender, power, and female leadership in the Victorian era, its iron constraints, and how some fortunate women got around them a little; has much of relevance to us. Today: Herminia Ibarra, Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career (Boston: Harvard Business Review Press, 2004) The Queen's recovery The 1997 movie Mrs Brown (Judi Dench/ Billy Connolly) is spot on re Brown; William M. Kuhn, Henry and Mary Ponsonby (London: Duckworth, 2002) is perceptive on the work and marriage of these two remarkable and unconventional characters; Robert Blake's Disraeli (1966; various editions since) is one of the great biographies of all time. Power https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_and_Raven%27s_bases_of_power Mentoring and coaching www.meylercampbell.com Continued discrimination Caroline Criado Perez, Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, (London: Chatto & Windus, 2019)

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? All over the world, our ability to pay attention is collapsing. In the US, college students now focus on one task for only 65 seconds, and office workers on average manage only three minutes. New York Times best-selling author Johann Hari went on an epic journey across the world to meet the leading scientists and experts investigating why this is happening to us – and discovered that everything we think we know on this subject is wrong. We think our inability to focus is a personal failing – a flaw in each one of us. It is not. This has been done to us – by powerful external forces. Our focus has been stolen. Johann discovered there are twelve deep cases of this crisis, all of which have robbed some of our attention. He shows how he learned this in a thrilling journey that takes him from Silicon Valley dissidents who figured out how to hack human attention, to veterinarians who diagnose dogs with ADHD; from a favela in Rio where everyone lost their attention in a particularly surreal way, to an office in New Zealand that discovered a remarkable technique to restore their workers' attention. Crucially, he learned how – as individuals, and as a society – we can get our focus back, if we are determined to fight for it. The answers will surprise and thrill you. This is a book about our attention crisis unlike any you've read before. Johann Hari's books on addiction and depression transformed those debates, appearing in 37 languages, praised by everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Noam Chomsky to Hillary Clinton. His TED talks have been viewed 78 million times.   What They're Saying About "Stolen Focus" 'I think this book is exactly what the world needs right now … I hope everybody buys the book. I promise you it will be worth your time and certainly worth your focus.' – OPRAH 'If you want to get your attention and focus back, you need to read this remarkable book. All over the world, Johann Hari interviewed both the leading scientists investigating why we're losing our focus, and the people developing solutions. He has cracked the code of why we're in this crisis, and how to get out of it. We all need to hear this message.' – ARIANNA HUFFINGTON 'A visionary, systemic, revolutionary and practical guide for creating the new world. Through tireless research and genius insight Johann Hari certainly snapped me to attention. A life changing book.' – EVE ENSLER 'Johann Hari's superb STOLEN FOCUS is a beautifully researched and argued exploration of the breakdown of humankind's ability to pay attention. It's a story that so many of us have felt needs to be told, but whose cause and consequences are hard to capture and articulate without guesswork, prejudice or ideology. Hari not only achieves this and more, but he does so it with the pace, sparkle and energy of the best kind of thriller writer. I can't remember reading a book which made me shout out "yes! That's it!" quite so many times. The same brilliant voice that has made us rethink so convincingly the real solutions to the global epidemic of addiction and mental health (Chasing the Scream, Lost Connections) is not satisfied with hand-wringing or tub-thumping – Hari as ever also offers ways out, one which we would do well to … to concentrate…' – STEPHEN FRY 'Stop whatever you're doing and read this book. A deeply researched, disturbing, and yet ultimately hopeful exploration of the primal crisis of our time: our diminishing ability to focus on what really matters.' – RUTGER BREGMAN 'I don't know anyone thinking more deeply, or more holistically, about the crisis of our collective attention than Johann Hari. And this is a crisis that we must address if we are to meet any of the other pressing emergencies we face as a species, whether ecological or social. Which means that this book could not be more vital. Please sit with it, and focus.' – NAOMI KLEIN 'A brilliant book about one of the most important topics of our time' 'Johann Hari writes like a dream. He's both lyricist and storyteller — but also an indefatigable investigator of one of the world's greatest problems: the systematic destruction of our attention. Read this book to save your mind.' – SUSAN CAIN 'A gripping analysis of why we've lost the capacity to concentrate, and how we might find it again. STOLEN FOCUS won't just capture your attention—it will keep you thinking and rethinking long after you've finished it. Johann Hari is one of the most insightful critics of our modern malaise, and he's written the book the world needs to win the war on distraction.' – ADAM GRANT, #1 New York Times bestselling author of THINK AGAIN and host of the TED podcast WorkLife 'A brilliant book about one of the most important topics of our time' – DR. RANGAN CHATTERJEE 'Thanks to this brilliant book, I have got to know myself and my fellow humans better. It educates and entertains you – the stories will suck any reader in, and then slowly change your mind. Everyone should read it. It has changed my habits – way beyond just putting away my phone more. 'Stolen Focus' is a really important book.' – DR. PHILIPPA PERRY 'In his unique voice, Johann Hari tackles the profound dangers facing humanity from information technology and rings the alarm bell for what all of us must do to protect ourselves, our children and our democracies.' – HILLARY CLINTON 'An entirely necessary book, a miracle of clarity and depth, a resonant, deeply researched warning followed by a truly inspiring clarion-call to action. Read it and weep, then dry your eyes and join in.' – EMMA THOMPSON 'In a world that in Johann Hari's deft phrase suffers from "mental jet lag," his new book is a highly original and wide-ranging investigation into the causes of our epidemic of flagging attention. Written with Hari's trademark incisive prose, indefatigable search for scientific evidence vividly presented, and illustrated with telling anecdotes, Stolen Focus is a bracing and necessary wake-up call to us all.' – GABOR MATE M.D 'A bold, troubling and penetrating tour de force that lifts the lid on something parents, teachers, psychologists and doctors have been increasingly worried about. A fascinating journey into the mind and how it is being manipulated with devastating effects. Hari's subject is something that is affecting us all and this seminal work will be one of the defining books of our era. Johann Hari is quickly proving himself to become the chronicler of our time. We must all wake up and pay attention to this book's message. It is a clarion call for us to take back our focus. Get off social media, switch off the TV, put down your smart-phone and do one thing – read this book.' – DR. MAX PEMBERTON 'This mind-blowing book explains everything. Read it and be free.' – SIMON AMSTELL 'If you read just one book about how the modern world is driving us crazy, read this one.' – THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH   ohann Hari is the author of three New York Times best-selling books, and the Executive Producer of an Oscar-nominated movie and an eight-part TV series starring Samuel L. Jackson. His books have been translated into 40 languages, and been praised by a broad range of people, from Oprah to Noam Chomsky, from Elton John to Naomi Klein. His latest book, 'Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention', was published in January 2022, and received rave reviews everywhere from the Washington Post to the Irish Times to the Sydney Morning Herald. It has been a best-seller on three continents. Johann's first book, 'Chasing the Scream: the First and Last Days of the War on Drugs', was adapted into the Oscar-nominated film 'The United States Vs Billie Holiday'. It has also been adapted into a documentary series which is available to view now. His second book, 'Lost Connections: Uncovering The Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions' was described by the British Journal of General Practice as "one of the most important texts of recent years", and shortlisted for an award by the British Medical Association.  Johann's TED talks have been viewed more than 93 million times. The first is named 'Everything You Think You Know About Addiction is Wrong'. The second is entitled 'This Could Be Why You Are Depressed or Anxious'.  He has written over the past decade for some of the world's leading newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Guardian, the Spectator, Le Monde Diplomatique, the Sydney Morning Herald, and Politico. He has appeared on NPR's All Thing Considered, HBO's Realtime With Bill Maher, The Joe Rogan Podcast, the BBC's Question Time, and many other popular shows. Johann was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and when he was a year old, his family moved to London, where he grew up and where he has lived for most of his life. His father – a Swiss immigrant – was a bus driver, and his mother was a nurse and later worked in shelters for survivors of domestic violence.   He studied Social and Political Science at King's College, Cambridge, and graduated with a Double First. Johann was twice named 'National Newspaper Journalist of the Year' by Amnesty International. He has also been named 'Cultural Commentator of the Year' and 'Environmental Commentator of the Year' at the Comment Awards. He lives half the year in London, and spends the other half of the year traveling to research his books. You can email Johann at chasingthescream (at) gmail dot com. To read about what Johann is working on now, and what you can do to support him, please click here.

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223?   A London-based executive coaching & mediation practice. I founded Byron & Wilf to coach clients to think, communicate and behave in a way that improves their ability to manage themselves and others more effectively, achieve their professional and personal goals and reach new levels of confidence and performance at work. About An executive coach, member of Faculty at Meyler Campbell and mediator with over twenty years of experience in communications. I work with board directors, CEOs and senior leaders on how they can improve their awareness and management of themselves and others to successfully: Communicate with more skill Transition to a more senior role Make difficult decisions Manage stress Resolve conflict Build their reputation and impact My work as a mediator has enabled senior level individuals in global organisations to identify issues and develop a non-adversarial and collaborative approach to resolution with close colleagues, peers and team members. Qualifications I am a graduate of the Meyler Campbell Mastered Programme (2014) and have an MA in English Literature from St Andrews University (1998). I am currently studying for a MSc in the Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at Kings College London. I am qualified to work with a number of psychometrics including: Hogan, MBTI, Firo-B and ESCI. What my clients say  I worked with Alex following a promotion, when I was struggling, as many people do, with imposter syndrome. She helped me understand some of the misconceived assumptions I was holding on to and identified strategies to help improve my confidence and performance. Whilst some of those imposter feelings never leave, I now have control of them and feel so much more confident in my role and am performing at a higher level. I highly recommend Alex as a coach, as she gets results and is great fun to work with. Choice - which for me is fundamental to and comes before change How we all ignore the mind-body connection - for example high functioning, successful individuals not recognising link between their stress levels, cracked teeth, frozen shoulders, eczema, IBS etc. We tend to think physical health or mental health - still I think the conversation needs to advance to link the two things together  How can you get to 50+ and have no idea about how your amygdala works and why when you are sitting in a meeting and your boss tells you he doesn't think much of you, you don't freeze and get brain fog because you are incompetent..its physiological (obvs you will need to check my neuroscience here!)  The importance of the language we use in our own heads and the horror movies we mentally press play on and how this links to the above - emotional self-regulation  Mindfulness/breathing - I don't know your thoughts on this but having always been a bit wary of it for fear of being dubbed a life coach, my degree and personal experience have taught me otherwise and I think it is a crucial life skill  There is lots of hierarchy based debate regarding the differences between coaching, therapy, counselling, psychotherapy - and of course there are differences but the fundamentals which are often the most effective are not rocket science …i.e. asking open questions & listening - but this is still v hard for lots of people to do 

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? Rosemary Conley CBE is one of the UK's most successful diet and fitness experts with 50 years' experience in helping people to lose weight and get fitter. Rosemary Jean Neil Conley CBE, DL is an English businesswoman, author and broadcaster on exercise and health. Conley authored a low-fat diet and exercise programme, The Hip & Thigh Diet in 1988, which sold more than two million copies. https://www.rosemaryconley.com/

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223?   Jane Janse Van Rensbury is an addictions therapist at the famous White River Manor Clinic in South Africa. Here she talks to psychiatrist Dr Raj Persaud about why the field of addictions has so many ex-addicts as therapists - is this a good or a dangerous thing?   https://www.whiterivermanor.com/team/jane-janse-van-rensburg/

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? Roxana is a Business Psychologist with 10 years of experience working in fast-paced organisations. She is passionate about the human dynamics of successful people, especially those with ADHD. She has been strengthening and coaching teams for many years before specialising in ADHD Business Coaching. Her speciality is helping her clients find their WHY and operate from a place of strength. Roxana's coaching method is built upon a belief that once we become able to see clearly where our power lies, we hit our targets with ridiculous ease and the brain which didn't quite fit before becomes our greatest asset. Roxana is committed to always learning is currently doing her ADHD Advanced Coaching Certification at the only accredited institution is the world: ADDCA in New York. Fun fact: As a freelancer after her MSc, she worked with Body Talk to produce the biggest Body Language study in the world

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? Peter Cook helps you navigate uncertain business futures for a better world. He fuses three passions: Business, Science and Music, in 18-year-long overlapping cycles: 18 years experience leading science innovation teams to bring life-saving pharmaceuticals to the world, from human Insulin to the first breakthrough Herpes and HIV / AIDS treatments. Many years as an industrial troubleshooter, from Europe to USA, India and the Far East.  18 years teaching and writing MBA programmes with 3.5 degrees across multiple fields.  18 ++ years experience as a thought leader, speaker and author, working globally. His books are acclaimed by Tom Peters, Professors Charles Handy, Adrian Furnham and Harvey Goldsmith, the man behind Live Aid. Peter won a prize from Sir Richard Branson for leadership, gaining an exclusive interview with Richard for his 8th book.  18 till I die - Composing and producing music: Working with Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist, Meatloaf's singing partner and members of Prince's musical circle. http://www.academy-of-rock.co.uk/  

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? Dr Cosmo Duff-Gordon is an eminent psychologist who created a completely new clinic that specialises in treating addicts - but his ancestor is the infamous Cosmo Duff-Gordon who it is claimed got into lifeboad number 1 as the Titanic sank when it was meant to be women and children first off the sinking wreck. It is claimed he dressed up as a woman to get into the life-boat and also that he bribed the rowers to row away from survivors in the water and not go back to rescue them. The cad and bounder was named the number one Cad of the twentieth century and also featured in the James Cameron hit movie 'Titanic'. Does the psychology of having this notorious ancestor drive someone like the modern day Dr Cosmo Duff-Gordon to rescue people? Psychiatrist Dr Raj Persaud probes the psychology of having a 'wrong 'un' dogging your past.

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? Jane Janse van Rensburg is a counsellor and part of the multi-professional team at White River Manor Clinic in South Africa - designed to help those recovering from addictions, alcohol dependency and substance abuse problems. She talks to Psychiatrist Dr Raj Persaud about what works and what doesn't in therapy, and why therapy is a lot more like work than most people realise.

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? Clare outwardly had everything anyone could possibly want - a top executive with a glittering career - a loving husband - wonderful children - yet something wasn't quite right on the inside, as she candidly admits in this searingly honest interview with Psychiatrist Dr Raj Persaud, and it led to problems with drinking - an explicit no holds barred account of a slide into trouble and an inspiring story of hope for recovery. The picture is of one of the rooms in White River Manor - the recovery centre that helped Clare.  

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? Prof Joanna Moncrieff Professor of Critical and Social Psychiatry Epidemiology & Applied Clinical Research Division of Psychiatry Research summary My research consists of an analysis of all aspects of psychiatric drug treatment, including subjective experiences, history of drug treatment, a critique of evidence for drug treatments, theoretical perspectives on psychiatric drug treatment, and political aspects of drug treatment, including work on the influence of the pharmaceutical industry. I am also interested in the nature and function of diagnosis in modern psychiatric practice, and in the history, politics and philosophy of psychiatry more generally. I have written two books: The Myth of the Chemical Cure, published by Palgrave Macmillan http://www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?PID=283272 and A Straight Talking Introduction to Psychiatric Drugs, published by PCCs books http://www.pccs-books.co.uk/product.php?xProd=463&xSec=1&jssCart=951d6cfb50d466e4f830c58cadfd75d6   LATEST BOOK – A Straight Talking Introduction to Psychiatric Drugs: The truth about how they work and how to come off them. Second Edition In an era when more people are taking psychiatric drugs than ever before, Joanna Moncrieff's explosive book challenges the claims for their mythical powers. Drawing on extensive research, she demonstrates that psychiatric drugs do not 'treat' or 'cure' mental illness by acting on hypothesised chemical imbalances or other abnormalities in the brain. There is no evidence for any of these ideas. Moreover, any relief the drugs may offer from the distress and disturbance of a mental disorder can come at great cost to people's physical health and their ability to function in day-to-day life. And, once on these drugs, coming off them can be very difficult indeed. This book is a wake-up call to the potential damage we are doing to ourselves by relying on chemical cures for human distress. Its clear, concise explanations will enable people to make a fully informed decision about the benefits and harms of these drugs and whether and how to come off them if they so choose. Click here to buy this book from the publisher's website Click here to buy this book on Amazon 'This is a brilliant book. It offers an incisive, clear and evidence based appraisal of psychiatric drugs, arriving at just the right time to counter the growing controversy and confusion in this area. I could not think of a more respected and credible guide to take us through this tricky terrain. This book should be compulsory reading for anyone working in mental health. I would also recommend it for anyone holding a more personal interest in the subject.' – –Dr James Davies, Reader in Social Anthropology & Mental Health, University of Roehampton, and author of Cracked: why psychiatry is doing more harm than good.  

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? Saving Freud The Rescuers Who Brought Him to Freedom By Andrew Nagorski   Andrew Nagorski served as Newsweek's bureau chief in Hong Kong, Moscow, Rome, Bonn, Warsaw, and Berlin. He is the author of seven previous critically acclaimed books, including Hitlerland and The Nazi Hunters. He has also written for countless publications. Visit him at AndrewNagorski.com. A dramatic true story about Sigmund Freud's last-minute escape to London following the German annexation of Austria and the group of friends who made it possible. In March 1938, German soldiers crossed the border into Austria and Hitler absorbed the country into the Third Reich. Anticipating these events, many Jews had fled Austria, but the most famous Austrian Jew remained in Vienna, where he had lived since early childhood. Sigmund Freud was eighty-one years old, ill with cancer, and still unconvinced that his life was in danger. But several prominent people close to Freud thought otherwise, and they began a coordinated effort to persuade Freud to leave his beloved Vienna and emigrate to England. The group included a Welsh physician, Napoleon's great-grandniece, an American ambassador, Freud's devoted youngest daughter Anna, and his personal doctor. Saving Freud is the story of how this remarkable collection of people finally succeeded in coaxing Freud, a man who seemingly knew the human mind better than anyone else, to emerge from his deep state of denial about the looming catastrophe, allowing them to extricate him and his family from Austria so that they could settle in London. There Freud would live out the remaining sixteen months of his life in freedom. This book is both an incisive new biography of Freud and a group biography of the extraordinary friends who saved Freud's life.

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? Peter Richardson https://www.benevolent.com/team/peter-richardson   VP Pharmacology Peter Richardson serves as VP Pharmacology at BenevolentAI. He was a founding member of Cambridge Biotechnology Ltd in 2001 and served as CSO and Executive Director until 2005. Peter pioneered the sale of CBT to Proximagen Ltd, to whom he acted as an adviser until 2012. Between 1989 and 2006 he served as a Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge where he pioneered research into drug discovery for Parkinson's disease and inflammation, as well as new gene expression technologies. He is the author of over 70 peer-reviewed scientific papers. Peter studied Biochemistry at the University of Oxford, and was awarded a doctorate in Biochemistry from the University of Cambridge.

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? George Georgas, Business Development Manager, talks to Dr Raj Persaud about the luxury treatment centre in South Africa attracting patients from all over the world.  About White River Manor https://www.whiterivermanor.com/about/ Surrounded by majestic beauty in the heart of the stunning African bushveld, White River Manor provides the perfect tranquil environment for discerning individuals seeking professional help for addiction, trauma and burnout. With decades of professional experience in addiction and wellness treatment, the Manor was founded in 2015 with passion and purpose. This classic country hotel – a stately heritage home nestled in a 100-year old lush garden – was soon transformed into a world-class facility offering luxury accommodation, state-of-the-art facilities and a dedicated commitment to your recovery.

'Incredible. One of those rare books that should be dispensed on prescription to every household.' - Lucy Easthope, author of When the Dust Settles 'Hilarious, bitter, poignant and profound . . . like an existential soap opera - only with more laughs.' - Philip Hoare, author of Leviathan It was the kind of phone call we all dread. Your elderly father has been admitted to hospital. Your even older mum is now at home alone. The answer? Simple. Drop everything, go back and help. The reality? Not so straightforward. Suddenly, you're a kid again, stranded in the overheated house you grew up in. Soon they need you 24/7. And you want to help, of course you do. But now your own life starts to unravel almost as quickly as their health. And then there is nowhere else to go. In between bouts of washing, feeding, cooking and fighting there are times that test you, days where everything goes wrong and moments when everyone, miraculously rises to the occasion. And amidst all of that, this strange second childhood offers up a shot at redemption - if you can just stop everyone from falling down. Irresistibly funny, unflinching and deeply moving, this is a love letter to family and friends, to carers and to anyone who has ever packed a small bag intent on staying for just a few days. This is a true story of what it really means to be a carer, and of the ties that bind even tighter when you least expect it. This is The Reluctant Carer.

Trans-Africa Land-Rover 7 reviews by Porter Press International Current price£ 30.00 GBP Please note: £30 is the special price for non-trade customers who purchase this book directly from Porter Press. The story of Philip Kohler and his epic overland adventure by Martin Port When Philip Kohler left his native South Australia in 1955, his sights were firmly set on the UK, yet his continued appetite for travel eventually led him to Northern Rhodesia – a move that would ultimately see him fulfil a deeply held desire to complete a solo crossing of the Sahara desert. With only his thoughts and the mechanical outpourings of his Series II Land-Rover for company, Kohler spent three years traversing his way across a remarkable continent that was in the midst of revolution and change – documenting his journey with his trusted Leica camera – before arriving back in London in the latter half of 1962. The adventure provided not just new experiences, but also shaped the rest of his professional life – his photographic ability, as well as a chance encounter with John Wayne, resulting in a hugely successful career in the international film industry. Lavishly illustrated with the beautiful photographs that he took along the way, and written by award-winning author Martin Port, this new book from Porter Press International tells the story of Philip Kohler and his trans-African Land-Rover. A unique collection of photographs and documents that charts Kohler's journey from Australia to Europe, including superb colour images of 1950s London. The epic story of Kohler's overland adventure across Africa and Europe in his 1959 Series II Land-Rover – one that was undertaken without sponsorship or assistance. Illustrated with more than 300 photographs – most of which are in beautifully preserved colour – that Kohler took along the route, including a solo crossing of the Sahara desert. The full story of Kohler's encounters with Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox while in Africa, which led to him working as location/production manager on nearly 40 films, including The Empire Strikes Back, Full Metal Jacket and numerous Bond movies. How this remarkable one-owner Land-Rover, which remained with the family until 2016, made an emotional return to the road after 20 years of inactivity. Specifications:  ISBN: 978-1-913089-29-0 280 x 240mm, 144 pages Jacketed hardback Over 300 period photographs and original documents The Author Martin Port has owned and run classic cars for 30 years – from humble Morris Minor to AC Buckland and Porsche 912 – but his overwhelming passion is for classic Land-Rovers. Since buying his first as an antidote to Porsche ownership, he has travelled through Europe and North Africa at the wheel of various examples and has been the proud owner of the 1959 Trans-Africa Series II since 2016, using the 63-year-old example as his preferred daily mode of transport. Martin has been working as a graphic designer, writer and photographer since graduating from art college in 1993 and was Classic & Sports Car's art editor for 16 years before embarking on a freelance career in 2019. He is author of JUE 477: the Remarkable History & Restoration of the World's First Production Land Rover, Mini Scrapbook: 60 years of a British icon and JCB Scrapbook: celebrating 75 years of engineering innovation, and designer of Camel Trophy: The Definitive History – all published by Porter Press International. He has written for Land Rover Monthly, Classic Land Rover, Classic & Sports Car, Octane and Magneto and is editor of the Series 2 Club magazine, Built 2 Last.   

Vajrin Malin qualified as a doctor from Bristol Medical School in 1985. His postgraduate medical training was mostly in London, initially in Infectious Diseases. This took him to a lecturer position in Zimbabwe for two years where he had an interest in TB in HIV. He then undertook a PhD on TB vaccine design and finally completed his training including Infectious Diseases, Respiratory and General Medicine. He recently retired from 20 years as Respiratory Consultant in Bath. He's had a lifelong interest in training and education. In addition to his time in Africa, he was College Tutor for the Royal College of Physicians, Foundation Programme Director, Director of Medical Education in his hospital trust and Associate Postgraduate Dean for Health Education England (HEE) South West. He sat on the council for the NACT UK holding the office of Honorary Treasurer then Honorary Secretary. His HEE responsibilities included providing professional support for postgraduate trainees (PSW) and Supported Return to Training (SuppoRTT). He's taught in Uganda, he has been a NACT Eugene Meyer Travelling Fellow to North Carolina and written several documents for NACT. He was a keen triathlete competing in Ironman events, marathons and long distance cycle holidays with his wife and friends. He was ordained and given the name Vajrin (previously Adam) in the Western Buddhist Order (now Triratna) 16 years ago.    Sadly, in February 2020, whilst undertaking a 3000km off-road cycle trip the length of New Zealand, he fell 20m down the gorge leaving him permanently paralysed from his chest down. However, he's had excellent rehabilitation, initially in Auckland and later Salisbury and Stoke Mandeville spinal units. After a stormy period in the first year of his spinal cord injury (four neurosurgical operations for a swollen spinal cord - SPAM). He is now back working one day a week for HEE seeing trainees and running a South West programme on supporting trainees who've had a break of 3 months or more. His interests include health and well-being, coaching (ILM5 trained), burnout, educational leadership and educational systems.   Selection of articles Supporting Locally Employed Doctors (LEDs) across the UK: The non-consultant non-training doctors. NACT UK 2017 (currently being updated) Putting an end to Black Wednesday: improving patient safety by achieving comprehensive trust induction and mandatory training by day 1 - Clinical Medicine 2016 Vaccinia expression of mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen 85 and ESAT-6 secreted proteins - Microbes Infect. 2000 Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in Zimbabwe - Lancet 1995 Leprosy in reaction: a medical emergency. Lesson of the Week - British Medical Journal 1991

GWENDOLINE SMITH - PSYCHOLOGIST, AUTHOR AND SPEAKER Trained as a clinical psychologist in the 1970's, we were introduced to a bit of everything, sex therapy, behavioural therapy, couples therapy, working with phobias, depression, addictions and schizophrenia. The pallet of learning was extensive. As a combined result of my experience I specialise in: Depression Anxiety Work-related stress Worry Social anxiety PTSD I mostly work with adults and young adults. In today's 'urban jungle', anxiety, in my opinion, prevails as the epidemic. The anxiety of the 'Facebook' world and brand advertising and social images of perfection, do take their toll in the youth as illustrated by youth suicide. For adults, the same – work stress, lifestyle balance impact on relationships, anxiety accumulates and collapses the system into depression. My approach is integrated, in that I will use whatever I see as offering the biggest contribution to the well-being of the individual. This often means borrowing from different schools of thought. I integrate a great deal of the cognitive behavioural approach into my work. I also work alongside doctors and psychiatrists and am very literate in the appropriate uses of medication.   The Book of Knowing: Know How You Think, Change How You Feel (Gwendoline Smith - Improving Mental Health Series) 07-Jan-2021 by Gwendoline Smith  ( 20 ) £3.99 £8.99   Written in an accessible and humorous style, this book teaches you to know what's going on in your mind and how to get your feelings under control. It'll help you adapt and feel better about your place in the world.

The Little Book of Zen Money: A Simple Path to Financial Peace of Mind Seven Dollar Millionaire ISBN: 978-1-119-85969-7 April 2022 304 Pages DESCRIPTION At last, a mindful book about money that anyone can appreciate and understand The Little Book of Zen Money: A Simple Path to Financial Peace of Mind delivers easy-to-follow steps for combining sensible saving strategies with mindfulness practices to achieving financial peace of mind. Finally, you can know how to fix your finances without feeling stressed out! In this book, you'll find out that sound financial strategy is far more straightforward than the financial industry wants you to think. It reveals the path to mindful money simplicity, showing readers how to adopt behaviors that encourage responsible saving and spending. You'll learn about: How to journal your spending and saving so you keep track of the money you have coming in and going out Easy mindfulness exercises, mantras, and meditations that keep you centered, rational, and calm when it comes to your money Simple explanations of the financial industry and how to invest responsibly that anyone can understand Perfect for anyone who doesn't usually like books about money (or the complicated jargon they're often filled with), The Little Book of Zen Money proves that you don't need to be an expert, professional, or mathematician to get great financial advice. ABOUT THE AUTHOR THE SEVEN DOLLAR MILLIONAIRE is a group of financial literacy enthusiasts, who make learning about money accessible and engaging, and the author of Happy Ever After: Financial Freedom Isn't a Fairy Tale. They were quoted in the Financial Times in November 2020 saying "No one thinks about being financially literate per se. But they do want to be financially secure, to not be in debt and misery". Seven Dollar Millionaire Did you know that the smallest amount of money you need to save and invest (at a 7% return) to become a millionaire over your career is just seven dollars? No, nor did the Seven Dollar Millionaire until his daughter asked him if she could become a millionaire, and what was the smallest amount she could start with. That question turned into the book "Happy Ever After", his new nickname and a lifetime commitment to teaching the concepts that can help all of us achieve financial security. Having worked in the financial sector for more than 20 years, he has managed billion-dollar deals, invested hundreds of millions of dollars for clients, and won multiple awards - but helping people make the most of their circumstances, whether they are migrant workers or his own daughter, is worth so much more. You can find out more of the Seven Dollar Millionaire's secrets, at this page of his website https://www.sevendollarmillionaire.com/secrets/ and here is an example of one of the fairytales from Happy Ever After, along with its wonderful hand-drawn illustration by Jo Sanders: https://www.sevendollarmillionaire.com/2021/02/21/the-emperors-new-money-2/

Does predicting the outcome of the war in Ukraine rest more on understanding the psychology of the Ukrainian soldier, than any other factor? Psychiatrist Dr Raj Persaud is in conversation with Dmytro Assonov, MD, MSc Assistant professor at the department of medical psychology, psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy, Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine Clinical psychologist at the Hospital for War Veterans "Forest Glade" of Ministry of Health of Ukraine.   PhD thesis (currently writing) is related to the resilience of Ukrainian veterans.   You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223?

The photograph accompanying this podcast is of Orest Suvalo, a volunteer and a psychiatrist in #Ukraine, speaks with patients at a medical point set up above Lviv Central Station. A doctor and psychiatrist, Orest Suvalo, talks to Dr Raj Persaud about the mental health situation in Ukraine From The Guardian Newspaper 'They draw bombs, tanks and wishes for peace': Ukraine's child mental health crisis Theatre workshops and art classes have sprung up to offer temporary respite from war as doctors warn of widespread trauma https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/mar/15/ukraine-child-mental-health-crisis Two days after Russian forces entered Ukraine, on 26 February, the country's public military administration requested that a psychological support system be put in place at Lviv train station. Thousands of women and children were passing through the station, 80km (50 miles) from the border with Poland, and the need for doctors and psychiatrists to support the displaced was immediately clear. "The first week was very difficult," says Dr Orest Suvalo, psychiatrist and coordinator of the support centre. "There were people arriving from Kyiv and Kharkiv who showed critical signs of distress. Many children, but also adults, were panicking, looking for shelters and buses to Poland.'' You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223?

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? CONNECT THE DOTS THE ART AND SCIENCE OF CREATING GOOD LUCK "A wise, exciting, and life-changing book" - Arianna Huffington   Modern life can feel like an endless sequence of cancelled plans, last-minute meetings and delayed journeys. So how can we use unpredictability to our advantage? LSE and NYU academic Dr Christian Busch has spent a decade exploring how we can use uncertainty as a pathway to more joyful, purposeful and successful lives. In this book, he reveals the secrets behind the hidden force that rules the universe: serendipity.    The book is based on cutting-edge research in the natural and social sciences, as well as hundreds of interviews including with leading CEOs, entrepreneurs, and changemakers from around the world who turned the unexpected into opportunity by seeing and connecting the dots. Anchored in a science-based framework and peppered with inspiring stories and hands-on exercises, it captures how all of us can cultivate serendipity and turn uncertainty into opportunity, joy, and sustained success.   Dr. Christian Busch is an expert in entrepreneurship, social innovation, and purpose-driven business. He teaches at New York University (NYU) and at the London School of Economics (LSE), and directs the NYU Global Economy Program. He is a co-founder of Leaders on Purpose and the author of The Serendipity Mindset: The Art & Science of Creating Good Luck.  Previously, he served as Inaugural Deputy Director at the LSE's Innovation Centre and co-founded the Sandbox Network, a community of young innovators. He is part of the World Economic Forum's Expert Forum, and has been named as 'top emerging management thinker' (Thinkers50), 'Top 99 Influencer' (Diplomatic Courier), and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA).

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223?   Grief and Grieving a guide for the confused https://michael.cholbi.com/ Grief: A Philosophical Guide published by Princeton University Press Michael Cholbi An engaging and illuminating exploration of grief—and why, despite its intense pain, it can also help us grow Experiencing grief at the death of a person we love or who matters to us—as universal as it is painful—is central to the human condition. Surprisingly, however, philosophers have rarely examined grief in any depth. In Grief, Michael Cholbi presents a groundbreaking philosophical exploration of this complex emotional event, offering valuable new insights about what grief is, whom we grieve, and how grief can ultimately lead us to a richer self-understanding and a fuller realization of our humanity. Drawing on psychology, social science, and literature as well as philosophy, Cholbi explains that we grieve for the loss of those in whom our identities are invested, including people we don't know personally but cherish anyway, such as public figures. Their deaths not only deprive us of worthwhile experiences; they also disrupt our commitments and values. Yet grief is something we should embrace rather than avoid, an important part of a good and meaningful life. The key to understanding this paradox, Cholbi says, is that grief offers us a unique and powerful opportunity to grow in self-knowledge by fashioning a new identity. Although grief can be tumultuous and disorienting, it also reflects our distinctly human capacity to rationally adapt as the relationships we depend on evolve. An original account of how grieving works and why it is so important, Grief shows how the pain of this experience gives us a chance to deepen our relationships with others and ourselves.   The pandemic has flooded the world with grief, but we're not in a 'grief pandemic' Michael Cholbi is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh. He has published widely in ethical theory, practical ethics, and the philosophy of death and dying. His books include Suicide: The Philosophical Dimensions (Broadview, 2011), Understanding Kant's Ethics (Cambridge University Press, 2016), and Grief: A Philosophical Guide (Princeton University Press, expected 2021). He is the editor of several scholarly collections, including Immortality and the Philosophy of Death (Rowman and Littlefield, 2015); Procreation, Parenthood, and Educational Rights (Routledge, 2017); The Future of Work, Technology, and Basic Income (Routledge, 2019); and The Movement for Black Lives: Philosophical Perspectives (Oxford University Press, 2020). He is the the co-editor of the textbook Exploring the Philosophy of Death and Dying: Classic and Contemporary Perspectives (Routledge, forthcoming 2020).  His work has also appeared in a number of scholarly journals, including Ethics, Mind, Philosophical Studies, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, and Oxford Studies in Normative Ethics. In recent years, he has been an acdemic visitor at Australian National University, the University of Turku (Finland), and the Hastings Center - Bioethics Research Insitute. His current research interests are Kantian ethics, particularly respect for persons, equality, and rational agency death and dying, including suicide and assisted dying, immortality, and grief ethics of work and labor paternalism procreative and parental ethics Qualifications Ph.D, University of Virginia, 1999 [President's Fellow and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertation Fellow] Responsibilities & affiliations Founder,  International Association for the Philosophy of Death and Dying Editorial board, Journal of Applied Philosophy Board of advisors, Social Theory and Practice Area editor (Ethics), Ergo International advisory board, Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh Former editor, Teaching Philosophy Multiple roles within the American Philosophical Association, including Divisional Executive Committe Member, the Committe on Teaching Philosophy, and the Committee on Public Philosophy

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? https://readinglist.click/sub/in-madness-stories-of-uncertainty-and-hope-sean-baumann-argues-for-a-more-inclusive-way-of-making-sense-of-mental-health/ In Madness: Stories of Uncertainty and Hope, Sean Baumann argues for a more inclusive way of making sense of mental health Madness: Stories of Uncertainty and Hope by Sean Baumann is out now from Jonathan Ball Publishers. 'This book has irrevocably changed my understanding of madness. Through succinct and often poetic accounts Baumann carefully mediates access to glimpses of the brave, fearful, lonely and vulnerable humanities of those suffering from psychiatric disorders, especially schizophrenia. The text, illuminated by extraordinary artwork, compels one to believe that beyond all the distress and despair, there is, and always should be, hope.' – Antjie Krog For many of us, what lies beyond conventional portrayals of mental illness is often shrouded in mystery, misconception and fear. Sean Baumann spent decades as a psychiatrist at Valkenberg Hospital and, through his personal engagement with patients' various forms of psychosis, he describes the lived experiences of those who suffer from schizophrenia, depression, bipolar and other disorders. A patient is standing in the middle of the river, his back turned to the hospital. The nurses are waiting for him patiently on the riverbank. He seems uncertain whether to cross the river or to return. There is no danger. He is in an in-between space, as is the hospital where I have worked as a specialist psychiatrist for over 25 years. The stories told are authentic, mysterious and compelling, representing both vivid expressions of minds in turmoil and the struggle to give form and meaning to distress. The author seeks to describe these encounters in a respectful way, believing that careless portrayals of madness cause further suffering and perpetuate the burden of stigma. Baumann argues cogently for a more inclusive way of making sense of mental health. With sensitivity and empathy, his enquiries into the territories of art, psychology, consciousness, otherness, free will and theories of the self reveal how mental illness raises questions that affect us all. Madness is illustrated by award-winning artist Fiona Moodie. Ebook available from Amazon, Kobo, Snapplify and ITSI. About the author Dr Sean Baumann worked for 25 years as a consultant to the male acute service at Valkenberg Hospital in Cape Town and was a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health at UCT, where he holds an honorary position. He is the editor of Primary Care Psychiatry: A Practical Guide for Southern Africa (1998, 2007, 2015). His cantata Madness: Songs of Hope and Despair was performed at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town in 2017.

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? A crystal-clear, scientifically rigorous argument for the existence of free will, challenging what many scientists and scientifically minded philosophers believe. Philosophers have argued about the nature and the very existence of free will for centuries. Today, many scientists and scientifically minded commentators are skeptical that it exists, especially when it is understood to require the ability to choose between alternative possibilities. If the laws of physics govern everything that happens, they argue, then how can our choices be free? Believers in free will must be misled by habit, sentiment, or religious doctrine. Why Free Will Is Real defies scientific orthodoxy and presents a bold new defense of free will in the same naturalistic terms that are usually deployed against it. Unlike those who defend free will by giving up the idea that it requires alternative possibilities to choose from, Christian List retains this idea as central, resisting the tendency to defend free will by watering it down. He concedes that free will and its prerequisites—intentional agency, alternative possibilities, and causal control over our actions—cannot be found among the fundamental physical features of the natural world. But, he argues, that's not where we should be looking. Free will is a "higher-level" phenomenon found at the level of psychology. It is like other phenomena that emerge from physical processes but are autonomous from them and not best understood in fundamental physical terms—like an ecosystem or the economy. When we discover it in its proper context, acknowledging that free will is real is not just scientifically respectable; it is indispensable for explaining our world. "Accessible, clear and convincing… List's carefully crafted argument may help many of us sleep more soundly, being further assured that we can choose how to live our own lives."—Ellie Lasater-Guttman, LSE Review of Books "Well argued and admirably sets out the challenges to free will that, when coupled with its clarity, make it an excellent gateway into the contemporary free will debate."—Logan B. Weir, Review of Metaphysics "List argues that free will is not explained away through science by looking at the activity in our brain… A wonderful defense of free will accessibly written for readers new to the topic."—Library Journal "In Why Free Will Is Real, List does as advertised, advancing a novel, intriguing view of free will and making a thoughtful case for the thesis that free will, as he conceives of it, is real. This book is a pleasure to read."—Alfred Mele, Florida State University "An original and challenging new contribution to contemporary debates about free will. After making a compelling case for the irreducibility of different explanatory levels of reality, Christian List argues that free will requires indeterminism at the psychological level of explanation, but not at the physical level, where it is compatible with determinism. His arguments in support of these claims address a host of potential objections and include insightful appeals to new developments in the logic of agency and branching time, among other novel arguments."—Robert H. Kane, The University of Texas at Austin "Many philosophers have suggested that we may be causally determined at the neurophysiological level, but not at the psychological. List is the first to work out a detailed proposal of how this might work, and of how it can underpin an account of free will. Developing ideas from theories of causation and of counterfactuals, it provides an incisive and accessible introduction to contemporary thinking about how we might be free in a causally-determined world."—Richard Holton, University of Cambridge  

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? Richard Bett specializes in ancient Greek philosophy, with a particular focus on ethics and epistemology. He also has interests in modern ethics and epistemology, as well as a significant side-interest in Nietzsche. He is the author of Pyrrho, his Antecedents and his Legacy (Oxford, 2000), and of translations of Sextus Empiricus' Against the Ethicists (Oxford, 1997, with introduction and commentary), Against the Logicians (Cambridge, 2005, with introduction and notes), Against the Physicists (Cambridge, 2012, with introduction and notes), and Against Those in the Disciplines (Oxford, 2018, with introduction and notes).  He is also the editor of The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Scepticism (2010). A collection of his essays, under the title How to be A Pyrrhonist, was published in 2019 (Cambridge). He has published articles in Phronesis, Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy, Apeiron (of which he is an Editorial Board member), and elsewhere. His publications have been especially on ancient Greek skepticism (sometimes including comparisons with modern approaches to skepticism), but also include papers on the Stoics, Socrates, Plato, the Sophists, and Nietzsche. He spent 1994–95 as a Fellow at the Center for Hellenic Studies, Washington, DC.  From January 2000 to June 2001, he was acting executive director of The American Philosophical Association, and from 2003-13 he was secretary-treasurer of its Eastern Division; since 2013 he has been Vice Chair of its Board of Officers. https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691206042/how-to-keep-an-open-mind Along with Stoicism and Epicureanism, Skepticism is one of the three major schools of ancient Greek philosophy that claim to offer a way of living as well as thinking. How to Keep an Open Mind provides an unmatched introduction to skepticism by presenting a fresh, modern translation of key passages from the writings of Sextus Empiricus, the only Greek skeptic whose works have survived. While content in daily life to go along with things as they appear to be, Sextus advocated—and provided a set of techniques to achieve—a radical suspension of judgment about the way things really are, believing that such nonjudging can be useful for challenging the unfounded dogmatism of others and may help one achieve a state of calm and tranquility. In an introduction, Richard Bett makes the case that the most important lesson we can draw from Sextus's brand of skepticism today may be an ability to see what can be said on the other side of any issue, leading to a greater open-mindedness. Complete with the original Greek on facing pages, How to Keep an Open Mind offers a compelling antidote to the closed-minded dogmatism of today's polarized world. "[How to Keep an Open Mind] gives a modern audience an accessible introduction to the school of thought, and shows us a better way to think about skepticism in a radically polarized world."—Steven Gambardella, The Sophist (Medium) "In a world overflowing with information, 'What should I believe?' can be a daunting question. The ancient philosopher Sextus Empiricus addresses this issue, asking, what if the pressure to form beliefs is itself a major source of distress and turmoil in our lives? This accessible, engaging translation of key parts of Sextus's most famous work shows how to achieve a more tranquil life by suspending judgment and keeping an open mind."—Christiana Olfert, Tufts University "This excellent volume offers a timely introduction to ancient skepticism, which argues that much of our anguish and conflict is the product of dogmatism and that only an open mind can lead to tranquility. This is surely a message for our times."—John Sellars, author of The Pocket Stoic

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living or get busy dying. – Andy, The Shawshank Redemption Dr Mark Sinyor   Appointments and Affiliations: Associate scientist, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute Staff psychiatrist, mood and anxiety disorders program, department of psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Assistant professor, department of psychiatry, U of T Research Foci: Suicide prevention Mood and anxiety disorders Placebos and expectation effects Randomized controlled trial design Public health Research Summary: The focus of Dr. Sinyor's research is in two areas within the field of mood disorders. Suicide is a leading cause of premature death around the world and the second most common cause of death in young people in Canada after accidents. Dr. Sinyor is one of the founding members of PROGRESS (Program of Research and Education to Stop Suicide) at Sunnybrook. He is using coroner's records and other data sources to examine thousands of suicides that have occurred in Toronto and more broadly in Ontario to understand suicide better and to inform future efforts in suicide prevention. He is also conducting clinical trials that aim to prevent suicide in hospitalized patients. There is growing evidence that expectations and the placebo effect have an important, under-recognized impact on mood and anxiety disorders both clinically and in research trials. Dr. Sinyor is working in this emerging field to understand how these factors influence outcomes and whether there are avenues to optimize expectations to improve patient care.

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223?   Thomas Niederkrotenthaler is associate professor at the Suicide Research Unit at the Institute of Social Medicine, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna. He is the co-chair of the International Association for Suicide Prevention's Media and Suicide Special Interest Group. Reacting to suicidal revelations - is Piers Morgan right? Research on suicide reporting suggests a surprising effect of Meghan's interview by Dr Raj Persaud   Piers Morgan, a controversial TV host, has now left his national broadcasting position after expressing strong disbelief over Meghan's confessions of suicidal thinking in her interview with Oprah Winfrey. BBC News reports that Piers Morgan continues to stand by his criticism of the Duchess of Sussex. Ofcom, a regulator of broadcasting in the UK, is investigating his comments after receiving 41,000 complaints from the British public. The duchess apparently formally complained to ITV about Morgan's remarks. It is reported that she raised concerns about how Piers Morgan's sentiments affect the issue of mental health, and what it might do to others contemplating suicide. Is Meghan correct in her reported analysis? Or is Piers Morgan right to stand by his comments? Or, in discussing suicide during an Oprah Winfrey interview, did she in fact make it more likely that others will self-harm? Media reporting of suicidal behaviour has been found to contribute to an increase in suicidal thinking and actual suicides in the population. At this point Piers Morgan may argue the duchess is wrong to criticise him, and has only herself to blame, if there is a spike in suicides following the interview. Recent research found that Google searches for "How to kill yourself" significantly increased after the release of '13 Reasons Why', a popular Netflix American teen drama on the aftermath of high school student's suicide. The study calculated there were 900 000 to 1.5 million more searches than expected, for that time of year, in just over two weeks following the release of the series. Another study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry in February 2020, estimated there were 195 additional suicide deaths among 10- to 17-year-old youths between April 1 and December 31, 2017, following the series' release. One of the first studies to investigate this effect, analysed 34 newspaper stories that reported on suicides, and found a 2.51% increase in suicide during the month of the publicity. More worrying still, about the possible repercussions of the extensive reporting of Meghan's suicidal thinking worldwide, is that, research by Professor Steven Stack, an expert on the sociology of suicide, based at Wayne State University, USA, found that studies measuring the presence of an entertainment celebrity in a suicide press report, are over 5 times more likely to find a copycat effect, while studies focusing on female suicide, were almost 5 times more likely to report a copycat effect, than other research investigating the impact of suicide reporting in the press. Another example reported by Steven Stack is that in the year of the publication of a book which focused on self-harm via a particular method, suicide by that specific recommended method, increased 313% in New York City. In almost one third of cases a copy of the book was found at the scene of the suicide. On average, following the media reporting of a suicide, approximately one third of persons involved in subsequent suicidal behavior appear to have seen the reporting of that suicide and may be copycat suicides. The suicide of actress Marilyn Monroe was associated with a 12% increase in suicide. One theory as to why reporting of a celebrity killing themselves or feeling suicidal, according to Professor Steven Stack, is that the vulnerable suicidal person may reason, 'If a Marilyn Monroe with all her fame and fortune cannot endure life, why should I?' Copycat suicides following media reporting of self-harm has been termed the 'Werther Effect', following a notorious historical incident after the publication in 1774 of a popular novel in which the hero kills himself. Entitled, The Sorrows of Young Werther the book by Goethe was rumoured to be responsible for a subsequent epidemic of suicide in young people. European authorities were so worried about its impact, that the book was banned in Copenhagen, Italy and Leipzig. Goethe is reported to have commented on the phenomenon; "My friends … thought that they must transform poetry into reality, imitate a novel like this in real life and, in any case, shoot themselves; and what occurred at first among a few took place later among the general public …" However, now new research suggests that, in fact, Meghan Markle in talking about suicide, may have indeed performed a positive service in terms of suicide prevention. The study entitled, 'Role of media reports in completed and prevented suicide: Werther v. Papageno effects', refers to a 'Papageno Effect', which the authors claim may be the opposite of the 'Werther Effect', and happens when suicide rates go down following a particular kind of self-harm publicity. The 'Papageno Effect', the authors explain, is based on Papageno's overcoming of a suicidal crisis in Mozart's opera 'The Magic Flute'. If media reporting has a suicide-protective impact this should now be referred to as the 'Papageno Effect' the authors argue. In Mozart's opera, Papageno becomes suicidal upon fearing the loss of his beloved Papagena; however, he refrains from suicide because of three boys who draw his attention to alternative coping strategies. Thomas Niederkrotenthaler and Gernot Sonneck from the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, led a team who analysed all 497 suicide-related print media reports from the 11 largest Austrian nationwide newspapers, including the term suicide, between 1 January and 30 June 2005. Reporting of individuals thinking about suicide (not accompanied by attempted or completed suicide) was associated with a decrease in national suicide rates. This study suggests that media items on suicidal thinking, perhaps as described by Meghan in her recent interview, formed a distinctive class of articles, which have a low probability of being potentially harmful. The study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry found that in marked contrast, media stories attempting to dispel popular public myths about suicide, in other words articles that you would have thought would be helpful, and were intended to be helpful as regards suicide, were associated with increases in suicide rates. Other articles associated with increases in suicide rates include stories where the main focus was on suicide research, items containing contact information for a public support service and also the reporting of expert opinions. In other words, all the previous so-called expert opinion of how the media ought to report suicide was not actually linked to drops in suicide rates, but instead increases. The authors conclude that the actual reporting of suicidal thinking may contribute to preventing suicide. Therefore, it follows that whatever Piers Morgan may think or believe about the Meghan interview, the latest scientific research suggests she may have performed a public service in drawing attention to suicidal thinking. One theory as to why this might be the case include the suggestion that reporting someone thinking about suicide enhances identification with the reported individual, and thus highlights the reported outcome as 'going on living'. This research suggests a new public health strategy as regards suicide prevention. This may be most effective when articles are published on individuals who refrained from adopting suicidal plans, and instead adopted positive coping mechanisms, despite suffering adverse circumstances. The authors refer to this kind of press story as 'Mastery of Crisis'. One example they quote: 'Before [Tom Jones] had his first hit, he thought about suicide… and wanted to jump in front of an Underground train in London… In 1965, before he made the charts with "It's not unusual", he thought for a second: "If I just take a step to the right, then it'll all be over".' Whatever else you may think of her, or the interview, the key question becomes, did Meghan exhibit 'Mastery Of Crisis'? REFERENCES Piers Morgan stands by Meghan criticism after Good Morning Britain exit https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-56343768   Internet Searches for Suicide Following the Release of 13 Reasons Why. Ayers JW, Althouse BM, Leas EC, Dredze M, Allem J. JAMA Intern Med. 2017;177(10):1527–1529. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.3333   Association between the release of Netflix's 13 Reasons Why and suicide rates in the United States: an interrupted times series analysis. Bridge, J, Greenhouse, JB, Ruch, D, Stevens, J, Ackerman, J, Sheftall, A, et al. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2019; 28 Apr (doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2019.04.020).   Suicide in the Media: A Quantitative Review of Studies Based on Nonfictional Stories. Steven Stack. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior 35(2) April 2005, 121-133   Role of media reports in completed and prevented suicide: Werther v. Papageno effects. Thomas Niederkrotenthaler, Martin Voracek, Arno Herberth, Benedikt Till, Markus Strauss, Elmar Etzersdorfer, Brigitte Eisenwort and Gernot Sonneck. British Journal of Psychiatry, 197(3), 234-243. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.109.074633    

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? The Demon in the Machine HOW HIDDEN WEBS OF INFORMATION ARE SOLVING THE MYSTERY OF LIFE PAUL DAVIES   Physics World Book of the Year A Financial Times, Sunday Times, and Telegraph Best Science Book of the Year What is life? For generations, scientists have struggled to make sense of this fundamental question, for life really does look like magic: even a humble bacterium accomplishes things so dazzling that no human engineer can match it. Huge advances in molecular biology over the past few decades have served only to deepen the mystery. In this penetrating and wide-ranging book, world-renowned physicist and science communicator Paul Davies searches for answers in a field so new and fast-moving that it lacks a name; it is a domain where biology, computing, logic, chemistry, quantum physics, and nanotechnology intersect. At the heart of these diverse fields, Davies explains, is the concept of information: a quantity which has the power to unify biology with physics, transform technology and medicine, and force us to fundamentally reconsider what it means to be alive—even illuminating the age-old question of whether we are alone in the universe. From life's murky origins to the microscopic engines that run the cells of our bodies, The Demon in the Machine journeys across an astounding landscape of cutting-edge science. Weaving together cancer and consciousness, two-headed worms and bird navigation, Davies reveals how biological organisms garner and process information to conjure order out of chaos, opening a window onto the secret of life itself.   Steven Poole | Guardian "Brilliantly vivid. . . . The big idea is that . . . understanding the information flow in organisms might be the missing part of our scientific jigsaw puzzle. The informational approach, in Davies's elegant and lucid exposition, is extremely promising." Timo Hannay | Nature "Boundary-transcending. . . . Davies claims that life's defining characteristics are better understood in terms of information. . . . With apologies to Charles Darwin, there is grandeur in this view of life." Clive Cookson | Financial Times "Important and imaginative." Lewis Dartnell | Times (UK) "Wonderful. . . . Davies is a lucid writer and master storyteller. . . . Truly mind-blowing. . . . This is a cracking read." Bianca Nogrady | Sydney Morning Herald "Fascinating. . . . This book is no lightweight holiday read you can laze through." Richard Joyner | Times Higher Education "A dizzying tour de force." Liz Else | New Scientist "Explaining one of the oldest questions—what is life?—is physicist Davies's quest. . . . He searches for answers beyond the known, venturing into a place with no name." Tushna Commissariat | Physics World "Davies's lucid writing on this emerging scientific area is just what the pop-sci reader ordered. He is the perfect host to this admittedly dizzying journey, as he spins yarns of quantum demons, double-headed worms and everything in-between." Andrew Briggs, University of Oxford "Davies narrates a gripping new drama in science, in which the plot is the story of life and the leading actor is information. With his characteristic blend of erudition and clarity, he brings together some of the most rapidly advancing knowledge in physics and technology to show how information controls biology. If you want to understand how the concept of life is changing, read this." Robyn Williams "This is one of the most exciting books I have read in years. Davies celebrates a significant anniversary with a demonically brilliant investigation of a fundamental question that only the very latest science and philosophy can deal with. Now we have a view from the master that's as thrilling as it is satisfying. Superb." David Deutsch "Davies takes us on a fascinating tour of what is known about what life is. Along the way he speculates interestingly about what may become known. His theme, drawn from Darwin, Schrödinger, Turing, Gödel, Shannon, and von Neumann, is that what separates life from non-life is *information.* But how? Exploring that question illuminates biology by revealing its deep roots in physics, mathematics, and computer science." George F.R. Ellis, University of Cape Town "In this characteristically clearly written and engaging book, ranging from physics to biology and evolutionary theory to neuroscience, Davies strongly makes the case that at its core, life is about information flows." Denis Noble, University of Oxford "Davies is a courageous explorer of the boundaries of what we can know about our world. This book makes his explorations available to all who enjoy pushing those boundaries. Written with a light entertaining touch, even the most abstruse science acquires the clarity of exposition for which the author is justly renowned." Michael Levin, Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University "A tour-de-force. . . . The Demon in the Machine is simultaneously rigorous, state-of-the-art, and highly readable—very hard to put down." Michael Berry, HH Wills Physics Laboratory "Davies always probes the deepest questions in science. Here, addressing the deepest of all—Schrödinger's What is Life?—he tells us what life is: matter plus information—beyond the laws of physics, but compatible with them. To elaborate this thesis, he deploys his trademark talent: getting to the heart of the most abstruse and technical aspects of science (biology as well as physics), without jargon and with down-to-earth analogies." Charles Jencks, author of "The Garden of Cosmic Speculation" "This creative demon shadows DNA and the promise of quantum computing, answering some basic questions. What is consciousness, why is life so good at predicting where it might go next? The bridge connecting fundamental physics, biology, and the most advanced labs of computation is what Davies calls information patterns. He shows how it organizes for top-down creativity, and thereby holds off the grim reaper of entropy. With striking insight, and metaphors that illuminate the landscape of science today, Davies once again becomes our guide to the near future." Mikhail Prokopenko, University of Sydney "The Demon in the Machine encompasses some of the most intriguing and unsolved mysteries of the universe: the existence of an arrow of time imprinted on the cosmos, and the emergence of life itself. Davies's crisp but rich narrative succeeds in untangling various highly complex ideas and processes, while fluently and intelligently setting out its own arrow of argument." J. S. Schwartz, emeritus, CUNY College of Staten Island | Choice "This work analyzes the properties of life from the perspective of atomic physics, arguing that the very nature of living things allows them to defy the second fundamental law of physics: namely, that there is a 'tendency towards degeneration and disorder.'... Along with treating the question 'What is life?' this book explains the fundamental principles of quantum physics, making a very complex subject more understandable." Jim Al-Khalili | BBC Science Focus "This book is really about whether a physicist can define what life is, and the living systems that are far from equilibrium, yet maintain high-order...It's one of those books where you read a few pages, then you lean back and think and go, 'Oh, I hadn't thought of it that way.'" Daily Galaxy "Davies offers a similar message . . . : information, like energy, has the ability to animate matter. 'In each and every one of us lies a message,' writes Davies. 'It is inscribed in an ancient code, its beginnings lost in the mists of time. Decrypted, the message contains instructions on how to make a human being. Nobody wrote the message; nobody invented the code. They came into existence spontaneously.'" ESSSAT News & Reviews "Davies is struck by the way living organisms consistently resist the ravages of entropy that all forms of inanimate matter are subject to and argues that there must be some non-physical principle allowing living matter to defy the Second Law of Thermodynamics. This non-physical principle is information. Throughout the book, Davies explores all the different ways that information is an essential component of biological processes, especially at the cellular and molecular levels." Penn Book Center "For Davies, life is a data processing system. That is his demon from the machine. It is one of the books where you read a couple of pages; you then lean back and go and think, 'Oh, I had not thought of it like that.'"

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223?   https://press.princeton.edu/books/ebook/9780691202020/a-passion-for-ignorance A Passion for Ignorance: What We Choose Not to Know and Why Renata Salecl An original and provocative exploration of our capacity to ignore what is inconvenient or traumatic Ignorance, whether passive or active, conscious or unconscious, has always been a part of the human condition, Renata Salecl argues. What has changed in our post-truth, postindustrial world is that we often feel overwhelmed by the constant flood of information and misinformation. It sometimes seems impossible to differentiate between truth and falsehood and, as a result, there has been a backlash against the idea of expertise, and a rise in the number of people actively choosing not to know. The dangers of this are obvious, but Salecl challenges our assumptions, arguing that there may also be a positive side to ignorance, and that by addressing the role of ignorance in society, we may also be able to reclaim the role of knowledge.  Drawing on philosophy, social and psychoanalytic theory, popular culture, and her own experience, Salecl explores how the passion for ignorance plays out in many different aspects of life today, from love, illness, trauma, and the fear of failure to genetics, forensic science, big data, and the incel movement—and she concludes that ignorance is a complex phenomenon that can, on occasion, benefit individuals and society as a whole. The result is a fascinating investigation of how the knowledge economy became an ignorance economy, what it means for us, and what it tells us about the world today. "A thoughtful, nuanced examination of the social and psychological motivations for—and consequences of—ignorance or denial. . . . At a time when fake news, propaganda, political rhetoric, and dueling experts dominate the media, [Salecl]'s analysis offers a fresh way to think about the decisions each of us make to 'embrace ignorance and denial."—Kirkus Reviews "A book passionately not to be ignored!"—Hanif Kureishi, author of The Nothing "In this pithy, elegant book, Renata Salecl documents and explores today's pervasive passion for ignorance and how it operates at so many different levels of society. Written in an accessible, lively style, the book analyses our efforts not to know through a wide range of examples that touch on most people's lives. Fascinating, illuminating reading."—Darian Leader, author of The New Black: Mourning, Melancholia, and Depression "In these times of information overload, many people seem more keen than ever to close their eyes and embrace ignorance or denial. As the brilliant Renata Salecl shows in her masterful book, A Passion for Ignorance, this tendency is sometimes increased when people confront something that is too painful or hard to grasp—or when they are in the throes of love or feel ignored by society. This insightful book is a treasure to read."—Bernard E. Harcourt, author of Exposed: Desire and Disobedience in the Digital Age

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223?   Scott Newstok teaches literature of the English Renaissance as well as film, rhetoric, education, lyric poetry, and the humanities. In 2012 Professor Newstok received the Campus Life Award for Outstanding Faculty Member and in 2016 he received the Clarence Day Award for Outstanding Teaching. Before joining the Rhodes faculty in 2007, Professor Newstok earned his doctorate from Harvard University, taught at Oberlin College, Amherst College, and Gustavus Adolphus College, and held the Post-Doctoral Fellowship in the Humanities at Yale University Library′s Special Collections. Dr. Newstok has published five books: a scholarly edition of Kenneth Burke′s Shakespeare criticism; a collection of essays on Macbeth and race (co-edited with Ayanna Thompson); a monograph on early modern English epitaphs; an edition of Michael Cavanagh's Paradise Lost: A Primer (CUAP 2020); and How to Think Like Shakespeare (Princeton, 2020). Newstok′s work has been recognized by grants and fellowships from the American Philosophical Society, the Folger Shakespeare Library, the Institute for Research in the Humanities, the Marco Institute, the Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Humanities Center, and the Newberry Library. Newstok is the Founding Director of the Pearce Shakespeare Endowment and is a board member of Opera Memphis, Beth Sholom Synagogue, and the Libertas School of Memphis. He previously served as Co-Director (with Dr. Judith Haas) of Postgraduate Scholarships, Humanities faculty member of the Rhodes Board of Trustees, President of Rhodes′ Phi Beta Kappa chapter, and trustee of Humanities Tennessee, the state chapter of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Prof. Newstok's Website SELECTED PUBLICATIONS Book projects Orson Welles, Shakespeare, and Race, supported by a fellowship from the Folger Shakespeare Library Duluth in Mind, on the place of the Zenith City within the American cultural imagination Twinomials: "Residual Bilingualism and Philological Citizenship in English Renaissance Literature," supported by a fellowship from the American Philosophical Society Books How to Think Like Shakespeare: Lessons from a Renaissance Education (Princeton University Press, 2020). "Insightful and joyful, this book is a masterpiece. It invokes and provokes rather than explains. It reminds rather than lectures. It is different than any book I have ever read. And it works. Drawing on the past in the best sense of the term, it reminds us that we are part of a long tradition. Few books make the case for liberal education as creatively as this one does."—Johann N. Neem, author of What's the Point of College? Seeking Purpose in an Age of Reform "Ranging widely from the classics right up to the present with apt quotations, all in service of ideas we lose at our peril, How to Think like Shakespeare winningly blends respect for tradition with thoughtful steps toward a more equitable society. It is the work of a Renaissance man in both senses."—Robert N. Watson, author of Cultural Evolution and Its Discontents: Cognitive Overload, Parasitic Cultures, and the Humanistic Cure     https://lithub.com/5-shakespeare-scholars-on-the-past-present-and-future-of-theater-amid-covid-19/         5 Shakespeare Scholars on the Past, Present, and Future of Theater Amid COVID-19 In Honor of the Bard's 456th Birthday   By Literary Hub April 23, 2020   It's strange to think that on the day we began contemplating a roundtable to mark William Shakespeare's 456th birthday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo created a containment zone in the city of New Rochelle, formerly the epicenter of the state's coronavirus outbreak. We were on the eve of the pandemic declaration and approaching the day Broadway would go dark for the first time since 9/11. It became apparent that just as the death toll would rise, so too would there be consequences for the social and cultural fabrics that bind us to one another. Briefly, the prospect of a conversation centered on the Bard seemed, at best, like a convenient escape. But the following discussion, between five scholars who have devoted their careers situating Shakespeare alongside issues of performance, education, identity, partisanship and more, feels uniquely primed to our moment. It is an essential guide to the possible futures of our collective engagement with theater.     Scott Newstok (author of How to Think Like Shakespeare) moderated this discussion with Emma Smith (This is Shakespeare), James Shapiro (Shakespeare in a Divided America), Jeffrey Wilson (Shakespeare and Trump), and Vanessa Corredera, who is currently at work on a book about adaptations of Othello. I hope you gain as much from their vibrant dialogue as I did. –Aaron Robertson, Assistant Editor * Scott Newstok: I suppose we have to start with our inescapable moment: social distancing policies have led to cancellations of public gatherings, and we're now all teaching remotely. Artistic companies have gone dark; some worry whether they can survive the coming months. Are there any precedents for this fraught moment in theater history—whether in the UK, the United States, or elsewhere? James Shapiro: If plague closures in Elizabethan and Jacobean England hold any lessons for us, it's that theater is precarious, actors and companies are vulnerable. Many wonderful companies will go under, as talented ones did in Shakespeare's day. Airlines are sure to get a bailout; I doubt that theaters will, though they will need it just as badly.   Jeffrey Wilson: English theaters closed due to plague outbreaks between 1592 and 1594. So Shakespeare, as he was launching a career in drama, took some time to write poetry. That poetry was very dramatic, and his later drama very poetic. A lot of teachers with campuses closed due to the coronavirus are undergoing a different shift. They're wondering how their physical classrooms will transfer into online settings. I'll be very curious to see, six months from now, how our experiences with online teaching transfer back into our physical classrooms.      Emma Smith: It's hard to imagine an equivalent. I've seen people comparing the situation in the UK to the situation during the Second World War, only for our seniors to say that they spent much of the war in theaters and dance halls. I've been interested to revisit the old chestnut about early modern companies releasing scripts for publication when the theaters were closed, in light of the National Theatre London and the Royal Shakespeare Company releasing their live screenings during the lockdown.  Vanessa Corredera: I share concern over the vulnerability of the arts during this time, especially since the powers that be (at least for the moment) do not seem interested in what would be a modern version of patronage—by that I mean extending monetary and structural support to the arts. I also think our current situation continues to spotlight issues of access and theater. For instance, many people (my family included) cannot access Shakespeare on the stage on a regular basis because of prohibitions ranging from locale to time to finances.  All of sudden, out of necessity, artistic institutions are turning to streaming, for which I and others are very grateful. This decision opens up a new audience for these performances. What remains to be seen is not only which institutions will be able to weather the storm, but also, how the effects of   their changes in mode inform their decisions regarding audience and accessibility moving forward.    JS: I'd only add that King James I provided Shakespeare's company with "a gift" in "the time of infection" when theaters were closed in early 1604, and then again in 1608, 1609, and 1610. We'll see if the governments of Donald Trump and Boris Johnson will be as generous to the arts. JW: Vanessa makes such a good point—this difficult episode has shown that artistic institutions have the desire, ingenuity, and infrastructure to use technology to make art freely accessible to people who aren't able to make it to a show in New York or London. And wouldn't it be wonderful to see initiatives like those continue after the current emergency subsides? But that costs money. I suppose the question is: Would it be possible to develop a born-digital version of the Public Theater's Mobile Unit? A Digital Unit?  JS: I work at the Public Theater and am closely involved with the Mobile Unit, which has had to put its upcoming and dazzling production of   Cymbeline on hold. I can tell you that there are no plans for a born-digital version of the production, which tours prisons and other facilities in and around New York. But one thought I've had of late—as odd as it might sound—is to enlist actors who have already had the virus and have developed immunity so they can rehearse and create a taped version of a production and be poised to perform publicly once a vaccine makes it possible for the rest of us to attend shows safely.   JW: Perhaps one historical analogy could be the world wars of the 20th century. A Google Ngram suggests that Shakespeare's popularity declined—along with interest in other arts, I have to imagine—during the wartime years. But then the post-war periods saw big rebounds in interest in Shakespeare. Perhaps some post-war theaters might provide models for how today's theaters can respond to the inevitable thirst for art, reflection, and human connection that will come after social distancing subsides.    ES: That's so fascinating that interest in Shakespeare declined during those periods. I think that streamed theater productions will be wonderful for those who already include Shakespeare in their cultural life. For new audiences, it might not be as easy to make a space for those amid all the other digital offerings.     Most likely begun in the plague-free summer or autumn of 1605, King Lear was almost surely not written during an outbreak of plague. SN: You all have probably seen social media posts along the lines of "When Shakespeare was in quarantine, he wrote King Lear" (some citing Jim's The Year of Lear). There's cold comfort in recalling that some artists have flourished during prior outbreaks. What other kinds of solace can we derive reading Shakespeare now?  JS: It's maddening that my book was misread in that way. Most likely begun in the plague-free summer or autumn of 1605, King Lear was almost surely not written during an outbreak of plague (though Lear horrifically calls Goneril a "plague-sore"). What I actually wrote was that the return of plague in late 1606 led to theater closures, and a remarkable season at the Globe—that included   King Lear, Macbeth, Volpone, and The Revenger's Tragedy—ended prematurely, once weekly plague deaths rose to above 30 or so.    That said, all of Shakespeare's Jacobean plays, from Measure for Measure through Coriolanus, were written during or not long after yet another outbreak of plague, which struck London repeatedly (if not always as punishingly) from 1603-10. ES: It's interesting that "solace" hasn't really been what we have looked for in Shakespeare—or in literary texts more generally—for some time. I remember A.D. Nuttall saying something in the preface to Why Does Tragedy Give Pleasure to the effect that we used to praise work by saying it was comforting, but now the greatest praise is to say it is discomforting, or something similar.      And now that we need solace, perhaps we will need to return to some less disquieting interpretations of the plays. The great solace I think we could get is the solace of concentrating over something knotty and rewarding. Most people I know feel their ability to focus has been really challenged by the current circumstances.  VC: While I love Shakespeare, I don't think his works are particularly unique in their ability to provide solace, at least not any more so than other literature that may speak to our affective needs right now. If we are even seeking solace—which Emma interestingly challenges—the beauty of Shakespeare's language might provide it, but so might the familiarity of the barnyard animals as I read Charlotte's Web each night to my son, or the complexity people experience upon finally reading that long novel they've been putting off.      SN: All of you have worked with digital mediations of Shakespeare, whether Emma's podcasts, Jim's recorded lectures, Vanessa's scholarship on Serial, or Jeff's extensive online resources. What's one bit of advice you would offer about teaching remotely?  ES: It doesn't need to be perfect. And it doesn't need to be synchronous—that adds stress with technology. Recording things people can play in their own time has worked for me.  VC: I agree with Emma. Also, since we lose community by being asynchronous, lean into online experiences that help form virtual communities. Encourage students to engage with these digital meditations of Shakespeare—like Patrick Stewart reading Shakespeare's sonnets—and then participate in an online forum, thoughtful debates in comments, or a Twitter discussion (like #ShakeRace).  JW: Vanessa's point about the possible loss of community is so important. It's been a big challenge for me. I've tried to think very deliberately about how to maintain those connections that students make in the little conversations before class, and the fun we have when we jump into an impromptu performance of a scene. They're called "plays" for a reason: this is supposed to be fun. I've found it vital to spend valuable class time developing those moments and using things like group chats to keep the energy of the course strong.      SN: Parents are improvising schooling at home. Any suggestions for helping children engage with Shakespeare beyond their conventional classrooms?  ES: I admire anyone who is improvising schooling as well as everything else right now, and I'd say, do what's fun. That might be watching movie versions, or acting out scenes with Lego figures, or learning speeches to show off. I think we need to take whatever advantages there are here, but not to be overambitious!  VC: As someone trying to homeschool and work right now, helping children engage with Shakespeare is not really on my radar! That said, my kindergartener is now around my work much more, which gives me an opportunity to explain who Shakespeare is and what he wrote or to pause a movie or clip and explain more about Shakespeare when he asks about what I'm doing.      JS: One of the initiatives we're undertaking at the Public Theater is the Brave New Shakespeare Challenge. Every week a new passage will be posted, and we're encouraging everyone—starting with schoolkids—to share a link with their performance of that speech, poem, or scene. It'll be fun, and a necessary break from the boredom of quarantine. VC: James, this sounds like a great initiative!  SN: Shifting gears, Shakespeare is, exceptionally, the only author named in the Common Core. As secondary school curricula increasingly focus on contemporary prose, Shakespeareans find themselves in a discomfiting position: we teach a figure who is sometimes the solitary pre-20th century poet on the syllabus. Which of Shakespeare's peers do you wish were assigned more often? (I, for one, love assigning Christopher Marlowe's deceptively simple "   Come Live with Me" ballad.)    It's impossible to know what the world will be like in a year or so, once we're all vaccinated for coronavirus. But it seems likely that theaters will suffer, schools and universities too. ES: I also love "Come Live With Me". Texts I enjoy—and my students too—include revenge tragedies by Thomas Kyd (The Spanish Tragedy) or Thomas Middleton (Revenger's Tragedy). John Webster sometimes makes it onto our high school curriculum in the UK—some A Level students here study Duchess of Malfi.  JS: Emma's list dovetails with my own. I'd only add John Donne. VC: Some of my non-Shakespearean favorites to teach are The Spanish Tragedy, almost anything by Marlowe (last term, it was Dr. Faustus), The Duchess of Malfi, and Elizabeth Cary's The Tragedy of Mariam. I wish they were taught more so that we could see the different ways authors in the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras approach the same topics (revenge, race, gender, etc.), as well as identify the ideological and social concerns to which they return.      SN: Vanessa, you're writing a book that examines adaptations of Shakespeare's Othello. How did Shakespeare's "Moor" come to be "American," yet also "Global"?  VC: In an essay on teaching Othello, Francesca Royster notes that it has become the play for thinking about race and Shakespeare in America. I think that's because Othello taps into long-standing American stereotypes about black masculinity that a wide range of scholars on race in America identify. The work of Joyce MacDonald, Ayanna Thompson, and Robert Hornback, for example, shows how burlesque and blackface versions of Othello were key to reifying these stereotypes of black masculinity during Reconstruction. Othello is angry (the Brute), he endangers and then murders white femininity, and by the end of the play, he threatens the white social order (the Nat). I'm interested in thinking about what has to happen to Othello to make it an anti-racist play. In Citing Shakespeare, Peter Erickson also calls Othello Shakespeare's global emissary, pointing to the way the play and character speak beyond America. Issues of race, otherness, religion, and anti-blackness aren't distinctly American problems.   Ambereen Dadabhoy's and Dennis Britton's respective work, for instance, aptly highlights the importance of religion, specifically Islam and issues of conversion, when intepreting Othello. I don't want to suggest that Othello's narrative is universal so much as it's easily adaptable. As Kim F. Hall remarks regarding Othello, "one of the gifts Shakespeare gave us is the ability to use his texts to talk about the modern world," including issues of race, sexuality, and status that appear in the play.    JW: Vanessa, if you were to swap a scholarly hat for a creative one, how might you do Othello to achieve that anti-racist aspect that you describe?  VC: I get asked this question so often, and I think I always provide such haphazard and inadequate answers. My responses reveal my vexed relationship to this play. The most hope for an anti-racist version of Othello, I believe, remains with creators willing to let go of Othello almost entirely. One example is Keith Hamilton Cobb's American Moor. In the play, the unnamed African American actor auditioning for the role of Othello weaves together the threads of Shakespeare and authority, race in America, and the problems with American regional theater (among other topics) into a provocative, hopeful dialogue with the director he's auditioning for, and the audience itself.      SN: Jeff, I know that in addition to your recent book Shakespeare and Trump you've been thinking about Shakespeare and stigma. Where do you find overlaps across your projects?   JW: Literary works create contact zones for conversations spanning the centuries from the early modern period to today. Shakespeare—as both written text deeply shaped by the classical tradition, and living performance often acted and adapted today—is the most obvious example. Under a banner of better living through historicism, I study the past to better understand today's ethical and political questions. Sometimes that means historicizing the modern manifestations of early-modern literature, as in Shakespeare and Trump. Other times it means using modern ideas to unpack early-modern texts and traditions, as in the "Stigma in Shakespeare"   project.    VC: Jeff, could you speak to what you see as at odds between historicism and presentism in Shakespeare studies?  JW: Perhaps it goes back to Ben Jonson's statement that Shakespeare was "not of an age, but for all time." Shakespeare's works—as both very old printed texts and plays often performed today—call for both historicism ("of an age") and presentism ("for all time"). A historicism that doesn't account for the present is as limited as a presentism that doesn't account for the past. And this dynamic, which grows organically out of the multi-temporality of Shakespeare, provides a model for other fields of humanistic scholarship. SN: Jim, you close Shakespeare in a Divided America with a guarded statement about Shakespeare's future, which, you write, "seems as precarious as it has ever been in this nation's history." Have the crisis developments allayed or amplified your fears?  In times of crisis, we tend to neglect Shakespeare's poems in favor of his plays, which (rightly or wrongly) appear more readily amenable to contemporary concerns.     JS: It's impossible to know what the world will be like in a year or so, once we're all vaccinated for coronavirus. But it seems likely that theaters will suffer, schools and universities too. Colleges will close, faculties will likely be downsized. When that happens, the study and performance of Shakespeare will suffer too. It would be nice to imagine people emerging from self-isolation eager for culture, but without government support, it's likely that few companies will be back on their feet anytime soon.   VC: I agree that it would be great if people emerge eager for culture, and I think they might! But if economic resources aren't evenly distributed, and there's no reason to think they will be, then the divide in America may only deepen, and the arts will be affected by that.  JW: Jim, more broadly, could you predict the future for us: "what's past is prologue," etc. How might some of Shakespeare's plays interact with the issues likely to exacerbate partisanship in America in the coming years—climate crisis, automation, tax code, public education, etc.? Any Shakespearean resonances you see?     JS: I recently taught the opening scene of Coriolanus to my Columbia students and I couldn't help imagining, while doing so, a grim future in America in which—given the scarcity of resources—protests and violence were once again a defining feature of our culture. Anyone who imagines higher education and the arts in America won't be diminished for years to come will have to persuade me otherwise.   SN: Emma, Shakespeare's works seem prone to being "weaponized" in the US cultural sphere. Does such weaponization function differently in the United Kingdom? ES: I learned so much from Jim's book, and as I was reading it I wondered whether things would be similar in the British context. It's been interesting to see in recent years the role of performed Shakespeare in ideological debates about so-called "color-blind" casting, or in arguments over casting women in male roles. Because it touches on ideas of cultural propriety, the question of who gets to perform Shakespeare may be our version of the weaponization that Jim interrogates so brilliantly.     SN: In times of crisis, we tend to neglect Shakespeare's poems in favor of his plays, which (rightly or wrongly) appear more readily amenable to contemporary concerns. Let's conclude on a lyrical note: what's your favorite Shakespearean sonnet, and why? What do you cherish about its formal details? ES: Confession time: I find Shakespeare's sonnets alienating. Difficult, yes, but that's not the problem. To me they are just a touch onanistic—solipsistic, rebarbatively masculine. The space I find for myself or for alternative voices in Shakespeare's plays I struggle to find there. I've been rereading Venus and Adonis, and thinking about it as the signature work for Shakespeare during his own lifetime.  JW: I do a PSA in my classes every Valentine's Day: be careful giving your beloved one of Shakespeare's sonnets    because they're a lesson in toxic love. Nowhere is this better captured than in the lines that open Sonnet 138: "When my love swears that she is made of truth, / I do believe her, though I know she lies."    That also captures the follow-the-leader partisanship we see right now in America, and later in the sonnet Shakespeare gives a good gloss of the audience that enables post-truth politics: "Simply I credit her false-speaking tongue: / On both sides thus is simple truth suppressed." The closing couplet is a searing takedown of willful self-delusion—whether it's in love or in politics: "Therefore I lie with her and she with me, / And in our faults by lies we flattered be." VC: At the risk of seeming much more sentimental than Emma or Jeff, I have a soft spot for Sonnets 29 ("When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes") and 73 ("That time of year thou mayest in me behold").  I remember reading these sonnets in one of my first college English classes and being struck by the beautiful language of love and community in Sonnet 29, and the stunning imagery in Sonnet 73. As a novice major, I was excited that I could understand that symbolism! I've come a long way in my training and thinking, but those sonnets stay with me for very affective reasons.      JS: The Public Theater initiative I mentioned earlier just posted Sonnet 29 as its first selection, with Phylicia Rashad reciting it in English, Raúl Esparza in Spanish, and Steve Earle doing a beautiful musical version. If anyone is interested, add your own version!  

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? An invitation to readers from every walk of life to rediscover the impractical splendors of a life of learning In an overloaded, superficial, technological world, in which almost everything and everybody is judged by its usefulness, where can we turn for escape, lasting pleasure …    Lost In Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life is newly published by Princeton University Press. In it I defend intellectual activity–reading, thinking, studying, pondering–as worthwhile for its own sake, and as a key part of human happiness. You can order it at the Press (50% off until June 28), with free shipping. Or, order it from Barnes and Noble or find it at your preferred bookstore. Reviews "The life of the mind", Jonathan Marks, Wall St Journal. "Surviving solitude: Why is quarantine reading so difficult?", Elayne Allen, The American Interest. "Cultivating the inner life in the time of COVID", Flagg Taylor, National Review "Reader with a cause", Sophie Duncan, Literary Review. "The real value of an education", Jennifer Frey, Classical Learning Test blog. "The intellectual vocation", Josh Hochschild, First Things. "Vidas occultas", Daniel Capó, The Objective (in Spanish / en Español) press.princeton.edu/ideas/escape-from-quarantine Escape from quarantine By Zena Hitz  May 12, 2020 Lost in ThoughtAvailable in 2 editions Like many professional intellectuals, books were my original escape. I was a strange child with abrasive manners, and real life was lonely and chaotic. I read ceaselessly, anything I could get my hands on. I read on the bus from school and got off, walking while still reading. My father and I went to the library on Sundays; there was an eight-book limit, so I took eight, and brought back the eight I finished last week. I laid waste to the rotating wire rack that held the young adult section and moved onto the fiction my parents liked. In college I learned to read difficult books, to find a beachhead of clarity in a sea of words and to work my way out from there. Brutal honesty was required: if I didn't understand something, I had to ask. Otherwise I'd be at sea in the classroom, nodding without agreeing, hearing without learning, caught in a pretense for which there was no honorable way out. Voicing uncertainty was the only way to connect. I developed a habit of uncertainty and then a taste for it. I discovered then that I could also get lost in puzzling through something, in finding patterns and parallels, tracking references, analyzing passages. When I began trying to articulate the value of intellectual life, of reading and thinking, I was drawn to stories about the intellectual lives of prisoners. Consider Malcolm X, who was arrested in 1946 for theft and sentenced to eight to ten years in prison. At the time of his arrest, he lived a life dedicated to pleasures high and low: music, dancing, gambling, women, drugs. When he was released in 1952, he was a different man, impassioned and forcefully honest, devoted both to his new Muslim faith and to fighting for a better life for African-American communities. In the intervening six years, he had read most of the prison library: the Bible and the Qu'ran, Kant, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche, and the histories of European and African peoples. He felt his old ways of thinking disappear, "like snow off of a roof." He filled his letters with verse, writing to his brother: "I'm a real bug for poetry. When you think back over all of our past lives, only poetry could best fit into the vast emptiness created by men." He described his time in prison in another letter as "a blessing in disguise, for it provided me with the Solitude that produced many nights of Meditation." There are many such stories: Andre Weil, Simone Weil's brother, undertook a major mathematical proof while in a French prison in 1940; Antonio Gramsci produced voluminous writing, despite excruciating physical suffering, while imprisoned by Mussolini. Irina Rutushinskaya, a Russian dissident imprisoned in the 1980s, wrote poetry on bars of soap with matchsticks and washed it away when she had memorized it. She wrote out the poems on cigarette paper later to be smuggled to the West. The poems, the proofs, the notebooks, and the speeches cast a light that obscures the brutal suffering in which they originated. Through them we share indirectly in the escape that these prisoners found in themselves. Much of the known world is now in enforced isolation, prying these stories loose to the surface. Isaac Newton, we are told, discovered calculus while quarantined, and Shakespeare managed to squeeze out King Lear in similar circumstances. And yet despite my years of intellectual training, and despite having written a book on the value of withdrawn inwardness, like most everyone else these days, I am unable to read seriously or to think. I am anxious and continually distracted. I would give anything to be able to lose myself in thought—but it feels impossible. What accounts for the gap between the determined, thoughtful prisoners and ourselves? I can't be sure, but I can speculate. The difference is surrender. To get to the inner depths, one has to give up on controlling one's surroundings. For that, uncertainty has to give way to acceptance. We have to be able to say: "This is all there is, right now. What can be done with it?" But it is nearly impossible to say such a thing, much less to mean it, when we live and breathe uncertainty, when anxiety about the future is far more salient for us even than isolation. We face an additional challenge that previous generations of isolati did not. Even apart from quarantine, a major sector of the economy is built to profit from our distraction. We live in environments designed in their smallest details to draw our attention, as Matthew Crawford catalogues in The World Beyond Your Head. Those of us (however privileged) who are able to work online have very little margin to escape. Anxiety is the perfect engine to churn the seamless slurry between our metrics-driven work and our chosen distractions. Our screens wall us off from ourselves. T.S. Eliot warns that "human kind cannot bear very much reality", and he is right. Distraction can be medicinal or wise. Nor can we continually punish ourselves for not having the discipline to recover elements of our education that might help us, or for not turning to our own library with the determination that Malcolm X took to his. What then can we do? We can lower our expectations for ourselves, and face our anxious uncertainty with honesty and courage. We can seek out a beachhead, a base of operations, a time of peace however small, and work our way out from there. That said, the surrender that we need is frankly a gift of grace. Fortunately, grace runs in channels. We will run ourselves down. The ultimate moment of exhaustion and despair may furnish the seed that blossoms into a new focus. Beyond the screens lie realms of wonder, truth, and connections with others that reach to our depths. We all know this. Let's face each moment with all the clarity we can muster and wait for the door to open.  Zena Hitz is a Tutor in the great books program at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, where she also lives. She has a PhD in ancient philosophy from Princeton University and studies and teaches across the liberal arts. Website: zenahitz.net Twitter @zenahitz

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223?   Welcome to the website of Professor Chris Bauch. http://www.math.uwaterloo.ca/~cbauch/ I am a professor of Applied Mathematics and a University Research Chair at the University of Waterloo, Canada. My lab's research program is centred on applying mathematics to real-world problems in infectious diseases, ecology, human-environment systems, behaviour, and sustainability. On these pages you will find more information about my research, my lab members, and opportunities to join the lab as a student or postdoc. Chris Bauch is a full professor and a university research chair in the Department of Applied Mathematics.  His research group develops mathematical and computational models of the dynamics of natural systems, such as ecosystems or infectious diseases.  The particular emphasis is on understanding how human systems and natural systems interact with one another, and how this understanding can be used to improve ecosystem health and human health.  His study systems include forest-grassland ecosystem mosaics, forest pest infestations, childhood vaccine scares, and influenza vaccination, among others (see homepage for details).  His work has reached a wide public audience through the media, having been covered in The New York Times, Scientific American, USA Today, BBC News and other sources.  His research has also been published in top journals such as Science and Proceedings of the National Academy of the USA.  His research partners have included the World Health Organization, the United States Food and Drug Administration, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  He is also a recipient of a CIHR New Investigator Salary Award, a MRI Early Researcher Award, and a Marshall Scholarship.

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? The Flagellants Attempt to Repel the Black Death, 1349 www.eyewitnesstohistory.com › flagellants The Flagellants were religious zealots of the Middle Ages in Europe who demonstrated their religious fervor and sought atonement for their sins by vigorously whipping themselves in public displays of penance. This approach to achieving redemption was most popular during times of crisis.   Samuel Kohn's book 'Epidemics' By investigating thousands of descriptions of epidemics reaching back before the fifth-century-BCE Plague of Athens to the distrust and violence that erupted with Ebola in 2014, Epidemics challenges a dominant hypothesis in the study of epidemics, that invariably across time and space, epidemics provoked hatred, blaming of the 'other', and victimizing bearers of epidemic diseases, particularly when diseases were mysterious, without known cures or preventive measures, as with AIDS during the last two decades of the twentieth century. However, scholars and public intellectuals, especially post-AIDS, have missed a fundamental aspect of the history of epidemics. Instead of sparking hatred and blame, this study traces epidemics' socio-psychological consequences across time and discovers a radically different picture: that epidemic diseases have more often unified societies across class, race, ethnicity, and religion, spurring self-sacrifice and compassion. Epidemics Hate and Compassion from the Plague of Athens to AIDS Samuel K. Cohn, Jr. A study of the history of epidemics, stretching from the 5th century BCE to the 2014 Ebola crisis Challenges the dominant hypothesis that epidemics invariably provoke hatred, blaming of the 'other', and victimizing bearers of epidemic diseases Investigates thousands of descriptions of epidemics throughout history, including the Black Death, Cholera, Smallpox, and AIDS Offers a new view of the Black Death and how short-lived were its effects of hate, violence, and division "Epidemics, conceived in the influenza scare of 2009, is in itself a commemoration of all the deadliest plagues to have afflicted our species. ... covering the major infections from 430 BC, through the Black Death (134751) and syphilis (14945), to cholera (1832 onwards), smallpox in nineteenth-century America, plague in India since 1894, yellow fever (Southern USA), and the Great Influenza, with a coda on HIV/AIDS ... Cohn's aim is not just to tell their stories (although there are stories aplenty), but to tell them from a new perspective." - Anne Hardy, Times Literary Supplement "In a number of distinct contexts, Cohn uncovers responses of sympathy and mutual assistance crossing class, religious, gender or ethnic divides. These take very different forms - some grassroots movements and some organized centrally. Here, as in all other parts of the discussion, Cohn establishes that responses to epidemics are complicated by the specific nature of the disease as well as the context in which it develops. The mentalities, memories and manifestations of each varied. By reintroducing a number of complexities and ambiguities into the study of epidemic disease, Cohn illustrates the richness of the comparative history of disease, and his work will likely act as a point of reference and inspiration for many years to come." - Jane Stevens Cranshaw, Oxford Brookes University, European History Quarterly "The historical breadth of this book, with its meticulous attention to varied sources and contexts, is simply breathtaking. ... This book will interest students of the history of medicine as well as anyone seeking a historical and comparative exploration of epidemics. It is dense and detailed reading ... this book will appeal chiefly to specialists at the graduate level and above." - CHOICE Samuel K. Cohn, Jr., Professor of Medieval History, University of Glasgow   Samuel K. Cohn, Jr. is Professor of Medieval History at the University of Glasgow, an Honorary Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities at the University of Edinburgh, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Over the past sixteen years, he has focused on the history of popular unrest in late medieval and early modern Europe and on the history of disease and medicine. Cohn's latest two books are Popular Protest in Late Medieval English Towns (2013) and Cultures of Plague: Medical Thinking at the End of the Renaissance (OUP, 2010). Over the pass seventeen years I have specialized in the history of popular unrest in late medieval and early modern Europe and in the history of disease and medicine. My current project on the emotional histories of epidemics and pandemics from Antiquity to Ebola brings these two interests together. I am now beginning the third year of a three-year 'Major Research Fellowship' from the Leverhulme Trust to complete my project 'Epidemics: hate and compassion from the Plague of Athens to AIDS'. In addition, I have recently collaborated with medical anthropologists on comparative projects on cholera, plague and Ebola, and with geneticists on the Black Death and syphilis and gonorrhoea in eighteenth-century Scotland. I am currently an Honorary Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Edinburgh, an Honorary Fellow of the School of History, Classics, and Archaeology at the University of Edinburgh, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Recent and Current projects I was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Board and other smaller grants to complete two books:  Popular protest in late medieval Europe: Italy, France, and Flanders Medieval Sources Series. Manchester University Press (October, 2004), xxiv+389 pp. ISBN 0 7190 6730 8 hardback; 0 7190 6731 6 paperback and  Lust for Liberty: The politics of Social Revolt in Medieval Europe, 1200-1425 (Cambridge, Ma., Harvard University Press, 2006). ISBN 0-674-02162-2; x+376 pp. Paperback edition (2008) 978- 0-674-03038-1 I have been funded by the Wellcome for three projects from 1998 to 2013, which resulted in the publication of two monographs and numerous articles:  The Black Death Transformed: Disease and Culture in Early Renaissance Europe (London: Edward Arnold, May, 2002 in the UK and Oxford University Press, in the US), xii+318 pp. ISBN 0 340 70646 5 (Hb); ISBN 0 349 70647 3 (Pb) and  Cultures of Plague: Medical Thinking at the End of the Renaissance(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010). ISBN 978-0-19-957402-5; xiv+342 pp. Paperback edition (2010) 978-0-19- 960509-5  with Guido Alfani, 'Households and Plague in Early Modern Italy' Journal of Interdisciplinary History, xxxviii:2 (Autumn, 2007): 177-205.  'The Black Death and the burning of Jews', Past & Present, no. 196 (August, 2007): 3-36.  'Epidemiology of the Black Death and Successive Waves of Plague', Medical History Supplement no. 27: Pestilential Complexities: Understanding the Medieval Plague, ed. Vivian Nutton (London, 2008), pp. 74-100.  'Pandemics: Waves of Disease, Waves of Hate from the Plague of Athens to A.I.D.S', Historical Research, 85, no. 230 (2012), 535-55.  'The Historian and the Laboratory: the Black Death Disease', in Fifteenth Century: XII: Society in an Age of Plague, ed. Carole Rawcliffe and Linda Clark, (Woodbridge: Boydell, 2013), pp. 1- 18.  Plague and Violence against Jews', Early Modern Workshop: Jewish History Resources, Volume 10: Jews and Violence in the Early Modern Period, an on-line publication open access (2013).  'Renaissance hate and disease in European perspective', in Emotions, Passion and Power in Renaissance Italy, ed. Fabrizio Ricciardelli and Andrea Zorzi (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2015). I received a project grant from the ESRC which resulted in a monograph and several articles:  Popular Protest in Late Medieval English Towns (Cambridge University Press, 2012) ISBN 9781107027800; xiv+376 pp.  'La pecularità degli Inglesi e le rivolte del tardo medievo', in Rivolte urbane e rivolte contadine nell'Europa del Trecento: un confronto, ed. Giuliano Pinto and Monique Bourin (Florence, 2008), pp. 37-51.  'Revolts of the Late Middle Ages and the Peculiarities of the English' in Survival and Discord in Medieval Society: Essays in Honour of Christopher Dyer, ed. R. Goddard, J. Langdon, and Müller (Turnhout: Brepols, 2010), pp. 269-85.  'The "Modernity" of Medieval Popular Revolt', History Compass 10/10 (2012): 731-41.  'Paradoxes: Rich and Poor in Western Europe and the Political Consequences, ca. 1300-1600', in Handling Poverty in Medieval Europe, ed. Sharon Farmer (forthcoming 2015).  'Enigmas of communication: Jacques, Ciompi, and the English', in La comunidad medieval como espera publica spacio público, ed. Hipólito Rafael Oliva Herrer, Vincent Challet, Jan Dumolyn, and María Antonia Carmona Ruiz (Seville: Universidad de Sevilla, 2014), pp. 227-47.  'Authority and Popular Resistance', in The Oxford Handbook of early modern European History, 2 vols, ed. Hamish Scott (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015).

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? Isobel Heyman, BSc, MBBS, PhD, FRCPsych Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London; Honorary Professor at the Institute of Child Health, University College London. Dr Heyman has worked at Great Ormond Street Hospital part-time since 1998 and full-time since 2012. Over the same period she has also worked as a consultant at the Maudsley Hospital, where she continues to hold an honorary position. She has a particular commitment to the detection and treatment of emotional and behavioural problems in children who also have long-term physical health problems, such as epilepsy. Dr Heyman received the Royal College of Psychiatrists' 'Psychiatrist of the Year' award in 2015.

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? Covid-19 and Conspiracy Theory - Who To Believe In A Pandemic? Harvard University Professor Nancy Rosenblum talks to Psychiatrist Dr Raj Persaud about the new conspiracism and its relationship to the pandemic and discusses her new book, co-authored with Professor Russell Muirhead, on the subject of Conspiracy Theories and the new Conspiracism. Conspiracy theories are as old as politics. But conspiracists today have introduced something new—conspiracy without theory. And the new conspiracism has moved from the fringes to the heart of government with the election of Donald Trump. In A Lot of People Are Saying, Russell Muirhead and Nancy Rosenblum show how the new conspiracism differs from classic conspiracy theory, how it undermines democracy, and what needs to be done to resist it. Russell Muirhead is the Robert Clements Professor of Democracy and Politics at Dartmouth College and the author of The Promise of Party in a Polarized Age, among other books. Nancy L. Rosenblum is the Senator Joseph Clark Research Professor of Ethics in Politics and Government at Harvard University. Her books include Good Neighbors: The Democracy of Everyday Life in America (Princeton). "Muirhead and Rosenblum have pointed out something genuinely new and disturbing…. [T]his is a book worth reading."—Jesse Singal, New York Magazine's Intelligencer "Timely and insightful."—Lee Drutman, Washington Monthly "[Muirhead and Rosenblum] are convincing in their argument that there is something different afoot in the world of conspiracy and that danger lies ahead if we don't confront it with truth and action."—Kirkus Reviews "If there is one industry that has increased its productivity in recent years, it is the manufacture and marketing of conspiracies. Muirhead and Rosenblum brilliantly analyze how this happened and why it is a problem for our democracy."—E. J. Dionne Jr., coauthor of One Nation After Trump

Plaster cast bust of Thucydides (in the Pushkin Museum) from a Roman copy (located at Holkham Hall) of an early fourth-century BC Greek original Born c.  460 BC[1] Halimous, Athens (modern Alimos) Died c.  400 BC (aged approximately 72) Athens   Thucydides from Ancient Greece - perhaps the first Historian - gives a famous Account of the Plague of Athens from over 2000 years ago - Ancient Greek Literary Scholar Jenna Colclough explains to Dr Raj Persaud the relevance to today's pandemic using her thesis researched while she was at the University of Western Ontario.   You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223?   Thucydides' detailed description of the Athenian plague, which is estimated to have killed from a quarter to a third of Athens' population and led to the breakdown of several social norms By combining elements of personal narrative, literature, and historiography, Thucydides rendered the story of the Athenian plague into an aesthetic representation and thus provides a collective memorialization of the forgotten victims. Jenna Coclough suggests in her thesis while studying at the University of Western Ontario that his vivid description (ἐνάργεια) of the immense suffering enabled his readers to empathetically engage with the traumatic event and thus work through their own trauma.   Here are the links:   Thucydides' plague episode, 2.47-54, Perseus Tufts:  http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Thuc.+2.47&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0200    "The Language of Thucydides' Description of the Plague Episode," by Adam Parry: https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/43646392.pdf?seq=1   Pale Horse, Pale Rider, by Katherine Anne Porter:  https://www.amazon.ca/Pale-Horse-Rider-Library-America-ebook/dp/B00JAUGGEA    Writing History, Writing Trauma, by Dominick LaCapra:  https://www.amazon.ca/Writing-History-Trauma-Dominick-LaCapra/dp/0801864968    And here is a link to Jenna's Academia account, which has her thesis and CV: https://westernu.academia.edu/JennaColclough   

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? In the Pandemic Crisis - where have all the truly great leaders gone? Leadership Expert Professor Alexander Haslam discusses the surprising psychology of what makes a truly great leader with Psychiatrist Dr Raj Persaud, and, how to lead a team at a time of crisis Free Audio Podcast Download   The New Psychology of Leadership: Identity, Influence and Power Alexander Haslam, Stephen D. Reicher and Michael J. Platow Winner of the University of San Diego Outstanding Leadership Book Award 2012! Shortlisted for the British Psychological Society Book Award 2011! Shortlisted for the CMI (Chartered Management Institute) Management Book of the Year Award 2011–2012! According to John Adair, the most important word in the leader's vocabulary is "we" and the least important word is "I". But if this is true, it raises one important question: why do psychological analyses of leadership always focus on the leader as an individual – as the great "I"?   One answer is that theorists and practitioners have never properly understood the psychology of "we-ness". This book fills this gap by presenting a new psychology of leadership that is the result of two decades of research inspired by social identity and self-categorization theories. The book argues that to succeed, leaders need to create, champion, and embed a group identity in order to cultivate an understanding of 'us' of which they themselves are representative. It also shows how, by doing this, they can make a material difference to the groups, organizations, and societies that they lead.   Written in an accessible and engaging style, the book examines a range of  central theoretical and practical issues, including the nature of group identity, the basis of authority and legitimacy, the dynamics of justice and fairness, the determinants of followership and charisma, and the practice and politics of leadership. The book will appeal to academics, practitioners and students in social and organizational psychology, sociology, political science and anyone interested in leadership, influence and power.   MIND The New Psychology of Leadership Recent research in psychology points to secrets of effective leadership that radically challenge conventional wisdom By Stephen D. Reicher, Michael J. Platow, S. Alexander Haslam "Today we've had a national tragedy," announced President George W. Bush, addressing the nation for the first time on September 11, 2001. "Two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist attack on our country." Bush then promised "to hunt down and to find those folks who committed this act." These remarks, made from Emma T. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Fla., may not seem extraordinary, but in subtle ways they exemplify Bush's skill as a leader. When viewed through the lens of a radical new theory of leadership, Bush's 9/11 address contains important clues to how the president solidified his political power in his early months and years in office. In the past, leadership scholars considered charisma, intelligence and other personality traits to be the key to effective leadership. Accordingly, these academics thought that good leaders use their inborn talents to dominate followers and tell them what to do, with the goal either of injecting them with enthusiasm and willpower that they would otherwise lack or of enforcing compliance. Such theories suggest that leaders with sufficient character and will can triumph over whatever reality they confront. In recent years, however, a new picture of leadership has emerged, one that better accounts for leadership performance. In this alternative view, effective leaders must work to understand the values and opinions of their followers--rather than assuming absolute authority--to enable a productive dialogue with followers about what the group embodies and stands for and thus how it should act. By leadership, we mean the ability to shape what followers actually want to do, not the act of enforcing compliance using rewards and punishments. Researcher biography Alex is Professor of Social and Organizational Psychology and Australian Laureate Fellow at the University of Queensland. His research focuses on the study of group and identity processes in organizational, social, and clinical contexts. Together with colleagues, Alex has written and edited 14 books and published over 240 peer-reviewed articles on these topics. His most recent books are The New Psychology of Health: Unlocking the Social Cure (with Catherine Haslam, Jolanda Jetten, Tegan Cruwys and Genvieve Dingle, Routledge, 2018),The New Psychology of Leadership: Identity, Influence and Power (with Stephen Reicher & Michael Platow, Psychology Press, 2011), and Social Psychology: Revisiting the Classic Studies (2nd Ed. with Joanne Smith, Sage, 2017). Alex is a former Chief Editor of the European Journal of Social Psychology and currently Associate Editor of The Leadership Quarterly. In 2005 he won the European Association of Social Psychology's Kurt Lewin Medal for outstanding scientific contribution; in 2013 he won the International Leadership Association's Outstanding Leadership Book Award for The New Psychology of Leadership (with Steve Reicher and Michael Platow); in 2016 he won the British Psychology Society Presidents' Award for distinguished contributions to psychological knowledge; in 2017 he won the International Society for Political Psychology's Sanford Prize for distinguished contributions to political psychology, and the Australian Psychological Society's Workplace Excellence Award for Leadership Development (with Nik Steffens & Kim Peters); in 2018 he won the Australian Psychological Society's Award for Distinguished Contribution to Psychological Science.  

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223?   www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo24660818.html Seven Ways of Looking at Pointless Suffering WHAT PHILOSOPHY CAN TELL US ABOUT THE HARDEST MYSTERY OF ALL It's right there in the Book of Job: "Man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward." Suffering is an inescapable part of the human condition—which leads to a question that has proved just as inescapable throughout the centuries: Why? Why do we suffer? Why do people die young? Is there any point to our pain, physical or emotional? Do horrors like hurricanes have meaning?   In Seven Ways of Looking at Pointless Suffering, Scott Samuelson tackles that hardest question of all. To do so, he travels through the history of philosophy and religion, but he also attends closely to the real world we live in. While always taking the question of suffering seriously, Samuelson is just as likely to draw lessons from Bugs Bunny as from Confucius, from his time teaching philosophy to prisoners as from Hannah Arendt's attempts to come to terms with the Holocaust. He guides us through the arguments people have offered to answer this fundamental question, explores the many ways that we have tried to minimize or eliminate suffering, and examines people's attempts to find ways to live with pointless suffering. Ultimately, Samuelson shows, to be fully human means to acknowledge a mysterious paradox: we must simultaneously accept suffering and oppose it. And understanding that is itself a step towards acceptance.   Wholly accessible, and thoroughly thought-provoking, Seven Ways of Looking at Pointless Suffering is a masterpiece of philosophy, returning the field to its roots—helping us see new ways to understand, explain, and live in our world, fully alive to both its light and its darkness.   Christian Century "A compelling and highly readable assessment of modern and perennial responses to suffering." Times Higher Education, Book of the Week "Excellent. . . . The challenge that Samuelson locates in the philosophical tradition, and which he passes on to the reader, is to reflect deeply on what it means to live with pointless suffering while resisting the temptation to transmute it into meaningful pain, which is something else entirely. . . One of the many virtues of Samuelson's book is that the reader often feels as though she were his student. His wry, self-deprecating and confessional style is both serious and playful--and seriously playful. The exposition of different philosophers and traditions is careful and scholarly without being pedantic. . . . Another great merit of Samuelson's insightful, informative and deeply humane book is that it is a genuine pleasure to read. Herein lies a final challenge to the reader: after luxuriating in his reflections, we must close the book and return to daily life with renewed determination and courage to apply its lessons."   Gordon Marino, author of The Existential Survival Guide "You can keep your gratitude journals, but make no mistake about it: this world is a vale of tears, a world of seemingly senseless suffering. How we understand and relate ourselves to this suffering will shape our lives both morally and otherwise. A gifted author with a feathery writing touch on the weightiest of subjects, Scott Samuelson has succeeded in carefully distilling the wisdom of a wide array of philosophers on what St. Paul called 'the groaning of creation.' Rife with engaging personal stories, Samuelson's meditation is both intellectually substantive and uplifting." Todd May, author of A Fragile Life "In this eminently readable but subtle book, Scott Samuelson opens up new ways of thinking about suffering. Weaving together philosophical reflections with compelling stories of his time teaching in prison, Samuelson shows us the various roles undeserved suffering plays our lives, and indeed in life itself. This book is a necessary read for those of us who want to reflect on the place of pain in human existence."   About the Author Scott Samuelson lives in Iowa City, Iowa, where he teaches philosophy at Kirkwood Community College and is a movie reviewer, television host, and sous-chef at a French restaurant on a gravel road. Visit the author's website: http://scottsamuelsonauthor.com/ Affiliation: Kirkwood Community College

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? New Book: The New Psychology of Health Unlocking the Social Cure By  Catherine Haslam , Jolanda Jetten, Tegan Cruwys, Genevieve Dingle and S. Alexander Haslam ISBN 9781138123885 Published April 24, 2018 by Routledge 490 Pages - 146 Color Illustrations   Why do people who are more socially connected live longer and have better health than those who are socially isolated? Why are social ties at least as good for your health as not smoking, having a good diet, and taking regular exercise? Why is treatment more effective when there is an alliance between therapist and client? Until now, researchers and practitioners have lacked a strong theoretical foundation for answering such questions. This ground-breaking book fills this gap by showing how social identity processes are key to understanding and effectively managing a broad range of health-related problems. Integrating a wealth of evidence that the authors and colleagues around the world have built up over the last decade, The New Psychology of Health provides a powerful framework for reconceptualising the psychological dimensions of a range of conditions – including stress, trauma, ageing, depression, addiction, eating behaviour, brain injury, and pain. Alongside reviews of current approaches to these various issues, each chapter provides an in-depth analysis of the ways in which theory and practice can be enriched by attention to social identity processes. Here the authors show not only how an array of social and structural factors shape health outcomes through their impact on group life, but also how this analysis can be harnessed to promote the delivery of 'social cures' in a range of fields. This is a must-have volume for service providers, practitioners, students, and researchers working in a wide range of disciplines and fields, and will also be essential reading for anyone whose goal it is to improve the health and well-being of people and communities in their care.

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/de... https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-ra... Economics in Two Lessons: Why Markets Work So Well, and Why They Can Fail So Badly book by John Quiggin published by Princeton University Press A masterful introduction to the key ideas behind the successes—and failures—of free-market economics. Since 1946, Henry Hazlitt's bestselling Economics in One Lesson has popularized the belief that economics can be boiled down to one simple lesson: market prices represent the true cost of everything. But one-lesson economics tells only half the story. It can explain why markets often work so well, but it can't explain why they often fail so badly—or what we should do when they stumble. As Nobel Prize–winning economist Paul Samuelson quipped, "When someone preaches 'Economics in one lesson,' I advise: Go back for the second lesson." In Economics in Two Lessons, John Quiggin teaches both lessons, offering a masterful introduction to the key ideas behind the successes—and failures—of free markets. Economics in Two Lessons explains why market prices often fail to reflect the full cost of our choices to society as a whole. For example, every time we drive a car, fly in a plane, or flick a light switch, we contribute to global warming. But, in the absence of a price on carbon emissions, the costs of our actions are borne by everyone else. In such cases, government action is needed to achieve better outcomes. Two-lesson economics means giving up the dogmatism of laissez-faire as well as the reflexive assumption that any economic problem can be solved by government action, since the right answer often involves a mixture of market forces and government policy. But the payoff is huge: understanding how markets actually work—and what to do when they don't. Brilliantly accessible, Economics in Two Lessons unlocks the essential issues at the heart of any economic question. "There is little doubt that Quiggin's Economics in Two Lessons will bean instant classicand feature on university reading lists around the world. It should also be compulsory reading for policymakers and public commentators, who all too often lack a framework for thinking clearly about the costs and benefits of markets. The good news is that Quiggin has one—and he's happy to share."—Richard Holden, Inside Story "This is a highly readable introduction to the intellectual framework of modern policy economics, with plenty of lively examples."—Diane Coyle, Enlightened Economist "His book would be a useful supplement to a principles of economics course, with the advantage of avoiding resort to any graphs or equations . . . . [It] provides an essential completion of the basic story . . . . It is essential reading for anyone interested in the practical side of economic policymaking."—Max B. Sawicky, Jacobin "The themes are complex, but the writing is clear, and the journey is rewarding."—BizEd "Quiggin writes well and [this] book is full of useful erudite information."—Warwick Lightfoot, Financial World "Many economists consider 'opp cost' to be the single most important and fundamental concept in economics, and the discipline's most useful contribution to the betterment of mankind. Indeed, that's the view Professor John Quiggin, of the University of Queensland, takes in his book Economics in Two Lessons, which I recommend as the best book to introduce you to economics."—Ross Gittins, Sydney Morning Herald "Quiggin reckons with the incoherence of markets-only thinking in his masterful 2019 book Economics in Two Lessons, which explores the power, limitations and dangers of using markets to solve our problems in a thoughtful and clear way."—Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing "A brilliant book. People often try to write for readers who know no economics, but they rarely succeed. This book is an exception."—Roger Backhouse, author of The Ordinary Business of Life: A History of Economics from the Ancient World to the Twenty-First Century "This popular, accessible introduction to economics is organized around an idea that is brilliantly simple yet encompassing."—Suresh Naidu, Columbia University "With apologies to Isaiah Berlin, Quiggin is a foxy hedgehog: He knows two big things, and these twin lessons—about the virtues and limits of markets—sustain a pioneering, persuasive, and even passionate case for democracy and the mixed economy. Make room for two lessons in your mind, and on your bookshelf."—Jacob S. Hacker, coauthor of American Amnesia: How the War on Government Led Us to Forget What Made America Prosper "With a confident style, John Quiggin weaves together clear theory and fascinating stories to explain why markets work and why they fail. He makes the case that one-lesson economics, based on the idea that market prices are always right, is as useful as a one-wheeled bicycle. If you want to understand what free-market economics gets right, and when governments need to step in, this is the book for you. My two lessons: buy it, and read it."—Andrew Leigh, member of the Parliament of Australia

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223?   Introduction quoted from: Annual Review of Law and Social Science 50 Years of "Obedience to Authority": From Blind Conformity to Engaged Followership Alexander Haslam and Stephen D. Reicher School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Australia and School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, United Kingdom INTRODUCTION: WHAT WE THOUGHT WE KNEW ABOUT "OBEDIENCE TO AUTHORITY" In early 1961, residents of New Haven, Connecticut, were targeted via newspaper advertisements to take part in a psychology experiment at Yale University. Having been recruited, they arrived at a laboratory where they were asked by an experimenter to administer shocks to a learner whenever he made errors on a word-recall task. These shocks were administered via a shock generator and increased from 0 to 450 volts in 15-V intervals. The study was introduced as an investigation of the effects of punishment on learning, but in fact the researchers were interested in how far participants would be willing to follow their instructions. Would they be willing to give any shocks at all? Or would they stop at 150 V when the learner cried out, "Get me out of here, please. My heart's starting to bother me. I refuse to go on. Let me out"? Or at 300 V when he let out an agonized scream and shouted, "I absolutely refuse to answer any more. Get me out of here. You can't hold me here. Get me out. Get me out of here"? Or would they continue to a maximum of 450 V (long after the learner had stopped responding)—a point labeled XXX on the generator? The answer was that of 40 participants, only 7 (17.5%) stopped at 150 V or lower, whereas 26 (65%) went all the way to 450 V. This finding suggested that most normal, well-adjusted people would be prepared to kill an innocent stranger if they were asked to do so by a person in authority. And in this finding the results appeared to bear testimony to the destructive and ineluctable power of blind obedience (e.g., Benjamin & Simpson 2009, Lutsky 1995). Stephen David Reicher School of Psychology and Neuroscience - Bishop Wardlaw Professor School of Psychology & Neuroscience St Andrews United Kingdom Overview of Stephen Reicher's research interests from St Andrews University website Broadly - the issues of group behaviour and the individual-social relationship. More specifically, my recent research can be grouped into three areas. The first is an attempt to develop a model of crowd action that accounts for both social determination and social change. The second concerns the construction of social categories through language and action. The third concerns political rhetoric and mass mobilisation - especially around the issue of national identity. Currently, I am starting work on a Leverhulme funded project (jointly with Nick Hopkins of Lancaster University) looking at the impact of devolution on Scottish identity and social action in Scotland.

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? Re-reading Camus's The Plague in pandemic times https://blog.oup.com/2020/04/re-reading-camuss-the-plague-in-pandemic-times/ BY OLIVER GLOAG APRIL 2ND 2020 Sometime in the 1940s in the sleepy colonial city of Oran, in French occupied Algeria, there was an outbreak of plague. First rats died, then people. Within days, the entire city was quarantined: it was impossible to get out, and no one could get in. This is the fictional setting for Albert Camus's second most famous novel, The Plague (1947). And yes, there are some similarities to our current situation with the coronavirus.  First, the denials by those in positions of power. Doctor Rieux, the main character (who turns out to be the narrator) confronts the authorities who reluctantly agree to form an official sanitary commission to deal with the outbreak. The prefect insists on discretion, however, for he is convinced it is a false alarm, or as some would say today, fake news! It is not difficult to hear the echoes of the initial reactions in China and in some parts of the US media landscape regarding the coronavirus.   In between patient visits, Rieux reflects that though calamities are fairly frequent historical occurrences, they are hard to accept when they happen to us, in our lifetimes. This is the story of placid everyday lives lived as routines that are suddenly, brutally disrupted by a virus: an existential reminder of the arbitrariness of life and the certainty and randomness of death.  The temptation of denial is a powerful one, both in the book and today with the emergence of the coronavirus.   With the city gates of Oran closing and everyone collectively thrown into interior exile, the gravity of the situation becomes impossible to deny. Families and couples are separated, food rationed and consequently a black market emerges – this reminds us of the run on hospital masks and sanitizing gel in the US, formerly cheap, readily available products, now increasingly sought-after commodities. As we know, Camus conceived his novel as an allegory for the German Occupation of France from 1940 to 1944, during which families were separated due to the division of the country in two zones, one occupied, one nominally free. In short, the plague is the stand-in for the Germans.  Here with the coronavirus, the challenge resides not in decoding an allegory, but rather in finding out what the pandemic reveals. In other words, what can a genuine global medical crisis tell us about what is fictional or hidden in our lives? Paradoxically, in these times of self-imposed exiles, school closings and quarantines, the coronavirus tells us about a different kind of globalization. We have now learned that China manufactures most of our medications and medical supplies – not only our consumer goods – and suddenly emerges in our mind the figure of a Chinese worker making our antibiotics and the like: this leads to the stark realization that our survival depends on hers; it is a collective enterprise. We are in it together. This could be the best thing that comes out of the current pandemic.   Oliver Gloag was educated at Columbia University (BA, honors in comparative literature), Tulane University (J.D.) and Duke University (Ph.D.). His research interests include Francophone/postcolonial literature, political theory, twentieth century French literature and cultural history. His chapter "Sartre and Colonialism" for The Sartrean Mind will be published by Routledge.  He is also working on the Very Short Introduction to Albert Camus (under contract with Oxford University Press). Education Ph.D., Romance Studies, Duke University M.A., Romance Studies, Duke University Juris Doctor, Tulane University School of Law B.A., Comparative Literature, Columbia University Courses Taught French 178: Existentialism French 325: Composition and Structural Review French 340: French Civilization and Literature I French 341: French Civilization and Literature II French 435: Francophone Studies French 460: Master of French Cinema Humanities 324: The Modern World Humanities 414: The Individual in the Contemporary World Cultural Activities French Film Society Weekly French Conversation Table Research and Teaching Interests Colonial and Postcolonial studies Francophonie Twentieth century French literature Political theory Cultural history Sartre and the notion of l'artiste engagé(e) Recent Conferences "Sartre and Camus, Inseparable". 21st Annual Meeting of the North American Sartre Society. East Stroudsburg University. 13-15 November, 2015. "Sartre's Black Orpheus in a Global World: a Resurgence." Thinking with Sartre Today: New Approaches to Sartre Studies? The Oxford Center for Humanities. 30th and 31st January, 2015. Recent Publications Forthcoming: "Sartre and Colonialism". In The Sartrean Mind. Routledge. Under contract: Albert Camus, A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. "Camus et les colonies:  à rebours de l'Histoire." Chapel Hill: Romance Notes, Volume 55/1. 2015.

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? Professor Michael Fontaine discusses his new book with Psychiatrist Dr Raj Persaud. As people turn to alcohol to get through the pandemic can they learn how to drink more artfully and skillfully from a 500 year old text? The Art of Drinking (De Arte Bibendi) (1536), a how-to manual for drinking with pleasure and discrimination. How to Drink: A Classical Guide to the Art of Imbibing Vincent Obsopoeus Translated with commentary by  Michael Fontaine Edited by  Michael Fontaine A spirited new translation of a forgotten classic, shot through with timeless wisdom Is there an art to drinking alcohol? Can drinking ever be a virtue? The Renaissance humanist and neoclassical poet Vincent Obsopoeus (ca. 1498–1539) thought so. In the winelands of sixteenth-century Germany, he witnessed the birth of a poisonous new culture of bingeing, hazing, peer pressure, and competitive drinking. Alarmed, and inspired by the Roman poet Ovid's Art of Love, he wrote The Art of Drinking (De Arte Bibendi) (1536), a how-to manual for drinking with pleasure and discrimination. In How to Drink, Michael Fontaine offers the first proper English translation of Obsopoeus's text, rendering his poetry into spirited, contemporary prose and uncorking a forgotten classic that will appeal to drinkers of all kinds and (legal) ages. Arguing that moderation, not abstinence, is the key to lasting sobriety, and that drinking can be a virtue if it is done with rules and limits, Obsopoeus teaches us how to manage our drinking, how to win friends at social gatherings, and how to give a proper toast. But he also says that drinking to excess on occasion is okay—and he even tells us how to win drinking games, citing extensive personal experience. Complete with the original Latin on facing pages, this sparkling work is as intoxicating today as when it was first published. "[How to Drink] serves as relevant social commentary for today, railing, with wit and humor, against toxic masculinity and overindulgence while providing advice on how to win drinking games. It's a great addition to your bartending library."—Matt Kettman, Santa Barbara Independent "I found this book fascinating . . . I recommend How to Drink for anyone who enjoys history, the social aspects of alcohol, and the fact that some things never seem to change through the ages!"—TheBrewholder.com "Spirited into the twenty-first century in Fontaine's witty translation, these entertaining tips should be savored over your favorite tipple."—Daisy Dunn, author of The Shadow of Vesuvius: A Life of Pliny "How to Drink is a delight—an amusing and at points hilarious book that is also a deeply learned, and occasionally sobering, introduction to ancient drinking customs and their modern parallels."—James Tatum, Dartmouth College "I'm grateful to be introduced to Vincent Obsopoeus and his art of drinking, and I hope many other readers will be too! This is a lively, fun translation."—Julia D. Hejduk, Baylor University "Wine and other fermented beverages have been the boon and bane of human existence from the beginning. 'Barbarian' Europe long had an appetite for bingeing, as the more 'civilized' Greeks and Romans were quick to point out. This compelling book offers timeless advice, inspired by classical wisdom, for drinking responsibly from a Renaissance poet in Germany, where the wine was flowing in the universities and people reveled in the drink, sometimes to their chagrin."—Patrick E. McGovern, author of Ancient Wine: The Search for the Origins of Viniculture

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223? Professor Jonathan Bisson is a professor in psychiatry atCardiff University School of Medicine. His main research interests are in thefield of traumatic stress. He has conducted various studies including twowidely cited randomised controlled trials of early psychological interventions(psychological debriefing and trauma focused cognitive behavioural therapy)following traumatic events and five Cochrane systematic reviews in thetraumatic stress field. His work on early interventions following traumaticevents has shaped thinking internationally.

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223?   Psychology of Coping with Quarantine The latest psychological research unearths some surprising mental effects of quarantine By Dr Raj Persaud   Three years after you have been released from quarantine, you can still suffer from profound psychological effects. Elevated rates of mental health problems, such as post-traumatic stress, depression and alcoholism, can all be traced back to the stress of confinement, three years earlier. These are the conclusions of a group of mental health experts based in the UK (including a psychiatrist who had also served in the army, and who had been deployed to various hostile environments including Afghanistan and Iraq), which has just published an investigation into the psychological impact of quarantine. Their study was published in one of the oldest and most prestigious medical journals in the world, The Lancet, and attempted comprehensively to review the body of previous published scientific research into psychological survival of quarantine. Titled, 'The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence', this investigation also found profound impacts on lives beyond the issue of mental health, long after the quarantine was over. For example, weeks after being released from quarantine, avoidance behaviour in health care workers persisted, such as minimising direct contact with patients and not reporting to work. Other research this study cited found 54% of people who had been quarantined avoided those who were coughing or sneezing, 26% avoided crowded enclosed places, and 21% avoided all public spaces in the weeks following the quarantine period. For some, the return to normality was delayed by many months. This investigation also reviewed evidence that Governments should be cautious about introducing quarantine given some of the effects can be counter-productive. For example, one study argued that travel bans and other 'lock-down' measures may inadvertently spread disease, because the economic hardship induces an unintentional consequence of increasing the migration of potentially infected people from affected areas. One of the studies quoted examined the enforced quarantine of a hospital in Taiwan following a SARS outbreak there in 2003. All 930 staff were ordered into a two-week quarantine, yet expected to perform duties as usual. All 240 patients staying at the hospital were banned from leaving, as were 129 visitors and outpatients. Everyone was imprisoned in the hospital for at least 14 days while the police cordoned off the building. After watching some health care workers die from SARS, some medical staff tried to escape, while others refused to provide care for the ill. Telephone lines and television cables were cut by the authorities citing security reasons, adding to the terror and mental strain of their 'lock-down'. The authors of this particular investigation into the Taipei Municipal Hoping Hospital SARS quarantine of 2003, Donna Barbisch, Kristi Koenig and Fuh-Yuan Shih, point out that the full psychological impact was revealed when on just the third day of confinement a depressed man who was suspected of having SARS, hanged himself in the hospital. This was despite psychiatric counselling. The following day, another suicide attempt was halted when another was prevented from jumping out a window. The Lancet study quoted an investigation into the strain of quarantine following a 2007 outbreak of highly infectious equine influenza in Australia, which found that those with one child had a 1.2 times higher risk of high psychological distress than those with no children. Yet this study, titled, 'Factors influencing psychological distress during a disease epidemic: Data from Australia's first outbreak of equine influenza', also found that having three or more children appeared protective against high psychological distress. Perhaps having more children represents a distraction from the monotony of quarantine, though it's hard to get one's head around the idea that having more children in this circumstance would not be a nightmare whatever the context. One meme doing the rounds on the internet right now is that if the doctors don't develop a vaccine soon, the parents will step in and do it for them. Another possible explanation for this intriguing finding is that having three children simply might be a marker for being older. This study found one of the primary factors associated with high psychological distress during an epidemic was age. Those in the 16–24 age category reported highest levels of psychological distress. It could therefore be that in post-quarantine it is the young who appear to need the most psychological support. Thus we might lose a whole generation, psychologically, not virally, to this pandemic. The elderly may be most vulnerable to physical attack from Covid-19 but it is the young who might be least immune to the longer-term mental effects, once quarantine is over. Another possible explanation for this fascinating finding is suggested by some other research conducted in Pittsburgh USA where the precise opposite procedure to the usual quarantine study being reported here, occurred – people were quarantined because attempts were being made to infect them deliberately. Titled, 'Parenthood and Host Resistance to the Common Cold', this study investigated immune resistance to viruses, by quarantining subjects, then administering nasal drops containing one of four common cold viruses. They were then monitored for the development of a clinical cold. Published in the academic journal Psychosomatic Medicine the intriguing finding is that the more children you have as a parent, the more resistant you are to getting the common cold. One possible explanation is that you have built up immunity over time because of having more children who constantly exposed you to bugs they got. Another reason this might be an important link with psychological resilience during quarantine is that The Lancet review found a major cause of psychological strain was becoming worried if physical symptoms potentially related to the infection were experienced. This fear that the symptoms could reflect having the infection, continued to be related to future mental health difficulties several months later. It might be parents with lots of children having been through the mill with infections being brought home, are better set up for quarantine, because they are already more resigned or resilient or immune, and therefore either shrug off ambiguous or irrelevant symptoms, or just don't get them. We all get physical symptoms quite a lot of the time but usually these just go away of their own accord, and so we give them little attention. During quarantine, in contrast, perhaps we become hypervigilant for signs we have got the very thing we were being quarantined against, and this constant worrying about what the latest symptoms mean, might take a more significant toll on our mental health than previously appreciated. As the physical symptoms of anxiety can look very similar to a viral infection, for example, headache, difficulty breathing or hyperventilation and also a cough, it is possible to enter a panic cycle. Your anxiety makes you believe you have the viral infection you dread, as you detect physical symptoms attributable to rising panic, but mistake them for the flu, you get more panicky and descend into a spiral of ever increasing mental and physical distress. The conclusion of the just published academic investigation in The Lancet into the stress of quarantine, argues that 'altruism is better than compulsion'. The authors contend that superior coping with the mental strain of such confinement could also hinge on whether those quarantined are motivated to comply because of a sense of volunteering, and free choice, seeing meaning in their sacrifice, by assisting others. However, if we are being compelled instead, to endure the many different sacrifices of quarantine, without it being clear exactly why it's necessary, then poorer coping and worse mental health becomes more likely.   REFERENCES The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. Samantha K Brooks, Rebecca K Webster, Louise Smith, Lisa Woodland, Simon Wessely, Neil Greenberg, Gideon James Rubin. The Lancet, Published: February 26, 2020 DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30460-8 Is There a Case for Quarantine? Perspectives from SARS to Ebola. Donna Barbisch, Kristi Koenig and Fuh-Yuan Shih. Disaster medicine and public health preparedness, Volume 9, Issue 5 October 2015 , pp. 547-553. Factors influencing psychological distress during a disease epidemic: Data from Australia's first outbreak of equine influenza. Melanie Taylor, Kingsley Agho, Garry Stevens & Beverley Raphael. BMC Public Health volume 8, Article number: 347 (2008) Parenthood and Host Resistance to the Common Cold. Rodlescia Sneed, Sheldon Cohen, Donald Turner and William Doyle. Psychosomatic Medicine. 2012 Jul-Aug; 74(6): 567–573.doi: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e31825941ff   Professor Neil Greenberg, Professor of Defence Mental Health BM, BSc, MMedSc, FHEA, MFMLM, DOccMed, MInstLM, MEWI, MFFLM, MD, FRCPsych   Professor Neil Greenberg is an academic psychiatrist based at King's College London UK and is a consultant occupational and forensic psychiatrist. Neil served in the United Kingdom Armed Forces for more than 23 years and has deployed, as a psychiatrist and researcher, to a number of hostile environments including Afghanistan and Iraq. At King's College London, Neil is one of the senior members of the military mental health research team and is a principal investigator within a nationally funded Health Protection Research unit which researches the psychological impacts of disasters on organisations. Neil also runs March on Stress (www.marchonstress.com) which is a psychological health consultancy and also Chairs the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) Special Interest Group in Occupational Psychiatry. Neil studied medicine at Southampton University and graduated in 1993. He served as a general duties doctor in a variety of Warships, Submarines and with two Royal Marines Commando units. Whilst serving with the Royal Marines he completed his arctic warfare qualification and the All Arms Commando Course, earning the coveted Green Beret.   Neil provided psychological input for Foreign Office personnel after the events of September 11th 2001 and in Bali after 12th October 2002 bombings. He has also assisted with the aftermath management of number of other significant incidents including assisting the London Ambulance Service in the wake of the London Bombings in 2005.   In 2008 he was awarded the Gilbert Blane Medal by the Royal Navy for his work in supporting the health of Naval personnel through his research work. He also led the team that won a military-civilian partnership award in 2013 for carrying out research into the psychological health of troops who were deployed and was shortlisted for The RCP Psychiatrist of the Year in 2015. He was awarded an RCP Presidential Medal for his work with trauma and veterans in 2017.   Neil has published more than 250 scientific papers and book chapters. He has presented to national and international audiences on matters concerning the psychological health of the UK Armed Forces, organisational management of traumatic stress and occupational mental health. He has been the Secretary of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the President of the UK Psychological Trauma Society and Specialist Advisor to the House of Commons Defence Select Committee. He is the current Royal College of Psychiatrists' Lead for Military and Veterans Health, a trustee with Walking with the Wounded, an independent director of the Forces in Mind Trust and a principal advisor for Hostage International.   Neil has extensive experience of conducting research in military and veteran populations and successfully led the first two ever randomised controlled trials on the effectiveness of psychological health interventions in the UK Armed Forces. He, working with the team at King's College London, is one of the UK's leading military health researchers and has published very widely on a broad spectrum of military health and traumatic stress related topics (www.kcl.ac.uk/kcmhr) and advises the Armed Forces, media organisations (including the BBC and News UK) and UK government regularly about mental health issues.

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223?   The Psychology of the Virus Super-Spreader   Covid-19 like many infections, can produce such mild symptoms, or maybe none at all, in some, so that they don't realise they are infected; they then spread the contagion without realising it. This means that Covid-19 may be particularly prone to the disturbing phenomenon of the 'super-spreader'.   Mary Mallon (1870-1938) nicknamed "Typhoid Mary" Source: An illustration that appeared in 1909 in The New York American June 20, 1909 Officialdom doesn't seem keen so far on disseminating the 'super-spreader' theories over Covid-19, maybe because they don't want the general public to feel 'off the hook' to make mass personal changes. This may happen if they don't feel personal responsibility for contagion; which they won't if they can blame a few 'super-spreaders' instead.   But maybe the opposite is true, if the public better grasped the concept of the 'super-spreader', maybe they would adhere more to public health restrictions? Why can there be such large variability between countries and regions, as to the spread and virulence of a particular infectious disease? It is tempting to see the answers in, for example, differences between varying Government policies, but there are other biological factors which can be in play as well, such as genetic susceptibility, or the age profile of a population.   However, one phenomenon which may not be receiving as much attention as it deserves, given it's potential to explain variable rates of spread of infections, is the idea of the 'super-spreader'. 'Super-spreading' refers to the frightening spectacle when just a single patient infects such a huge number of contacts, that the usual or average rate of spread from more typical individuals, becomes dwarfed.   There is a strand of thinking in epidemiology that the controversial role of 'super-spreaders' needs to be better understood if modelling of epidemics is to become more accurate, and official response better targeted. 'Supers-spreaders' might be out in the community spreading the disease for an extended period of time before being detected by conventional methods.   In a study entitled 'MERS, SARS, and Ebola: The Role of Super-Spreaders in Infectious Disease', the authors point to the role of so-called 'super-spreaders' in past epidemics. Published in the academic journal Cell Host & Microbe, the study quotes the example of the 2015 MERS-CoV outbreak in South Korea, which began from a single case who had travelled from the Middle East. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) emerged as a new virus resulting in severe respiratory disease plus renal failure. The case fatality rate was up to 38%. The authors of this study into 'super-spreaders' were based at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Shenzhen, and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China. MERS-CoV cases typically occur in the Middle East, where dromedary camels harbour the virus.   Between May and July 2015, an outbreak of MERS-CoV in South Korea killed 36 people out of 186 confirmed cases. Twenty-nine secondary infections in South Korea have been traced to a single index patient who travelled from the Middle East. Two of these secondary cases were apparently responsible for 106 subsequent infections, out of 166 known cases at the time.   So, according to this study, the MERS-CoV outbreak in South Korea was driven primarily by three infected individuals, and approximately 75% of cases can be traced back to three super-spreaders who have each infected a disproportionately high number of contacts. This study also documented 'super-spreading' during the SARS-CoV outbreak in 2003. The index patient of the Hong Kong epidemic was treated at Prince of Wales Hospital and was associated with at least 125 secondary cases.   Similar events, according to the study, were observed with the 2014-15 Ebola outbreak, centred in Western Africa. In Sierra Leone, the funeral of a traditional healer that died from EBOV directly infected 13 others and was ultimately linked to more than 300 cases. The authors point out that 'super-spreading' has also been documented in measles and TB outbreaks. The authors contend that initial stages of all of the outbreaks mentioned above involved at least one super-spreading event. Super-spreaders the authors argue, may become the key difference between an infection cluster and an epidemic. In a study entitled, 'Transmission potential of COVID-19 in South Korea', published at medRxiv as a preprint, the authors point out that the epicentre of the South Korean COVID-19 outbreak has been identified in Daegu, where the rapid spread has been attributed one super-spreading event that has led to at least 40 secondary cases stemming from church services in that city.   In another study entitled, 'Spatial and temporal dynamics of superspreading events in the 2014–2015 West Africa Ebola epidemic', published in PNAS, (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences  of the United States of America), the authors argue that had the super-spreaders been identified and quarantined promptly, around 61% of the Ebola infections could have been prevented. The authors argue their findings highlight the key role of super-spreaders in driving epidemic growth.   While there are many factors that may explain the still mysterious phenomenon of 'super-spreading', individual behaviour might play a key role. A classic example that arises from experience of previous outbreaks includes so-called "doctor shopping". This can comprise visiting multiple hospitals to treat the same ailments, even traveling to other countries to visit new clinics. Different health care systems may promote contrasting doctor-shopping behaviours.For example, privatised healthcare lends itself more readily to 'doctor-shopping', as the individual patient can decide to consult as many different physicians as they can afford. Indeed, in non-pandemic times this may be a key advantage used to promote fee-for-service systems.   Yet a more centralised, state-controlled system, like the UK's NHS (National Health Service) is better equipped to prevent this. In the NHS you can't very easily consult any other Family Practice, beyond the one you are registered with. Also, you can't see any specialist you desire, unless you have been formally referred by your General Practitioner.   During normal times these limitations might be irritating, but in a pandemic these restrictions may curtail 'super-spreading'. However, it is not clear that any healthcare system, no matter how well organised, can do much against an extremely determined 'super-spreader', unless extremely draconian powers of incarceration are invoked. This is precisely what happened in the case of perhaps the first documented case, and most famous individual 'super-spreader' in history, an Irish immigrant cook who disseminated Typhoid fever in the New York area, subsequently becoming notoriously referred to as 'Typhoid Mary'.Her story is important as it may be a prophetic foretelling of our own future. It could be many recalcitrant spreaders who refuse to conform to public health advice, may yet find themselves similarly imprisoned.   Between 1900 and 1907, Mary Mallon moved as cook from household to household, infecting some 22 people with typhoid fever. At this time this was a disease with a ten-per-cent mortality rate. Several attempts were made to enlist her cooperation in being tested, and to comply with quarantine advice, which she resolutely ignored. Eventually the authorities concluded that she represented such a threat to the public's health, she had to be incarcerated, and therefore isolated against her will on a quarantine island in the East River.   The police and doctors were involved in the frantic physical chase to capture her. Such was the struggle from the intransigent cook, that the doctor had to be involved in the forcible physical restraint involved in subduing the patient in the ambulance, removing her from her freedom. Mary Mallon was released over three years later having grudgingly promised to comply with restrictions, including promising not to return to cooking, and signing in regularly with the authorities.   However, such was her actual resolution to return to cooking against medical advice, she eventually slipped away again from surveillance, only to resurface 5 years later, when she was discovered to be cooking at the Sloan Maternity Hospital in New York City, where 25 new cases of typhoid fever had just been reported.   One lesson that might be learned from her case was that finding her alternative viable employment might have prevented the second tragic outbreak. Mallon was sent back to her secluded bungalow on North Brother Island, for the rest of her life. She died on Nov. 11, 1938, after more than 26 years of compulsory isolation. In the end, she had infected at least 51 people, 3 of whom died.   Yet as Janet Brooks points out in her investigation entitled, 'The Sad and Tragic Life of Typhoid Mary' published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, by the time she died, New York health officials had identified more than 400 other healthy carriers of Typhoid, yet no one else was forcibly confined.   Was Mary Mallon discriminated against? Was it something to do with being an Irish single woman with no husband nor parents to fight her corner, or did she suffer from some kind of intransigent personality type, or even disorder, which meant she was more prone to conflict with the authorities? Could this personality type identify behavioural super-spreaders today?   Before they imprisoned her, Mary Mallon was quick to wield a carving fork whenever approached by health officials who first tried to reason with her. Once incarcerated she wrote violently threatening letters to her doctors, explaining that if ever released, she would get a gun and kill them. This was not an immediately obviously sensible tactic over securing her freedom, and might suggest the possibility of an undiagnosed mental illness.   Author Susan Campbell Bartoletti, in her biography of Mary Mallon, entitled, 'Terrible Typhoid Mary – The Deadliest Cook in America', points out that she could have been let out of her imprisonment much earlier, if she had just played the politics, and agreed to the terms the authorities demanded, from the beginning.   She could have simply agreed not to cook, and she could then have slipped away from their surveillance, once released. Her problem really was that she was too honest. Paradoxically could extreme sincerity might also be a sign of a psychiatric disorder? It was the key argument many anti-psychiatrists in the 1960's deployed against the incarceration of psychiatric patients, which is that they landed themselves in trouble because they were too 'authentic' or honest when answering the doctor's questions.   This is one of the underlying themes of films like Jack Nicholson's 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'. If it was her persistent personal rigidity, in denying there was anything wrong with her cooking, maybe Mary Mallon could not apparently grasp the concept of being a 'healthy carrier', which trapped her into dogged conflict with the authorities, and left her to languish for the rest of her life in enforced quarantine.   Maybe there seemed to be a pride issue involved in that she may have regarded Typhoid as a disease associated with being 'dirty', with not washing her hands properly after leaving the toilet before cooking, yet she was a proud 'clean' cook. Perhaps the doctors failed in their attempt to explain the science to a scarcely educated kitchen worker because of the cultural and class divide between them?   Maybe they are failing again with the public as they are making the same mistake in not grasping how to bridge the chasm in understanding between the epidemiologists and the public? Or is there, in fact, a little of Mary Mallon in all of us who buck the Government's injunctions? We rebel when attempts are made to prevent us from doing what we love, because we don't see the link between our own personal behaviour, and how it's going to stop a pandemic?   The story of possibly the first documented 'super-spreader' in history, suggests that even today, a failure to grasp the science behind infections and disease, by just one person, could prove deadly to society.   References MERS, SARS, and Ebola: The Role of Super-Spreaders in Infectious Disease. Gary Wong, Wenjun Liu, Yingxia Liu, Boping Zhou, Yuhai Bi, George F.Gao Cell Host & Microbe Volume 18, Issue 4, 14 October 2015, Pages 398-401   Transmission potential of COVID-19 in South Korea. Eunha Shim, Amna Tariq, Wongyeong Choi, Yiseul Lee, Gerardo Chowell. medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.02.27.20028829.   'Spatial and temporal dynamics of superspreading events in the 2014–2015 West Africa Ebola epidemic'. Max S. Y. Lau, Benjamin Douglas Dalziel, Sebastian Funk, Amanda McClelland, Amanda Tiffany, Steven Riley, C. Jessica E. Metcalf, and Bryan T. Grenfell. PNAS February 28, 2017 114 (9) 2337-2342   Typhoid Mary: Captive to the Public's Health By Judith Walzer Leavitt ISBN 0-8070-2102-4, Beacon Press, Boston, Massachusetts   The sad and tragic life of Typhoid Mary. J Brooks. CMAJ. 1996 Mar 15; 154(6): 915–916. 'Terrible Typhoid Mary: A True Story of the Deadliest Cook in America' by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishers.   What happens when a person's reputation has been forever damaged? With archival photographs and text among other primary sources, this riveting biography of Mary Mallon by the Sibert medalist and Newbery Honor winner Susan Bartoletti looks beyond the tabloid scandal of Mary's controversial life. How she was treated by medical and legal officials reveals a lesser-known story of human and constitutional rights, entangled with the science of pathology and enduring questions about who Mary Mallon really was. How did her name become synonymous with deadly disease? And who is really responsible for the lasting legacy of Typhoid Mary? This thorough exploration includes an author's note, timeline, annotated source notes, and bibliography.   Awards: Newbery Honor, Carolyn Field Award, Lamplighter Award, Parents Gold Choice Award, Outstanding Pennsylvania Author of the Year, Children's Book Guild Award for Body of Nonfiction Work Abstract: Susan Campbell Bartoletti was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1958 and grew up in rural Pennsylvania, a place she has used as a setting in her young adult novels and nonfiction books. A student, author, and teacher, Bartoletti uses historical elements as the backbone of many of her works, and she has won many awards for her ability to combine historical facts with her unique writing style. Biography Susan Campbell Bartoletti was born Susan Campbell in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on November 18, 1958. Two months after her birth, her father was killed in a car accident. Her mother later remarried after Bartoletti finished kindergarten, and the family moved to the outskirts of Scranton, Pennsylvania. She loved growing up in the countryside of rural Pennsylvania, and she later used this setting in many of her works. As a young girl, Bartoletti enjoyed reading, drawing, horseback riding, playing piano, and listening to the Beatles. By the eighth grade, she was editor of her newspaper and had discovered her passion for art and writing. She decided to pursue her career as soon as possible, and after her junior year of high school, she left to attend college early. Bartoletti attended Marywood College and majored in art at first. After realizing the stiff competition in the field and receiving praise from her creative writing professor, Campbell switched gears and decided to major in English and secondary education instead. After her sophomore year, she married Joseph Bartoletti, and the couple later had two children, Brandy and Joey. Bartoletti received her BA in 1979 and obtained her first teaching job at the age of 20. She began teaching English at North Pocono Middle School and remained there for 18 years. She also co-advised the school's award-winning literary magazine for 15 years. While teaching, she simultaneously earned her MA in English at the University of Scranton in 1982. Bartoletti became involved in many different activities, including the Children's Literature Association, the National Council of Teachers of English, and the Rutgers Council on Children's Literature. She also found time to write more. Her first picture book, Silver at Night, was published in 1994. This was an autobiographical work about her husband's grandfather, an Italian immigrant who spent nearly half a century in the coal mines. Bartoletti wanted a lot of her writing to focus on historical events, particularly labor history in her native Pennsylvania. In 1996, her work Growing Up in Coal Country was published. This book focused on the working and living conditions of Pennsylvania coal towns and won her numerous awards including the Carolyn Field Award, the Lamplighter Award, and the Parents Gold Choice Award. She remained ambitious, and as she was writing and teaching eighth grade English she became an instructor in children's literature at the University of Scranton. In 1998, Bartoletti decided to stop teaching at the middle school in order to pursue her writing career and earn her PhD in creative writing. She attended Binghamton University with a full fellowship, where she won the Excellence in Research award for her doctoral dissertation. In 1999, Susan wrote a book concerning child labor laws and the hardships children endured as they were forced to work in big industries. Kids on Strike! discussed the problems of child labor and the actions to strike against them. The pictures within the work reveal children suffering from sleep deprivation and missing fingers and showed the world just how tragic child labor was. She also focused on another historical tragedy in 2001 when she finished writing Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1850. This work tells the story of the Great Potato Famine in which one million Irish died from starvation and disease, and two million had to leave Ireland to escape death. That same year, the Pennsylvania Library Association named Bartoletti the Outstanding Pennsylvania Author of the Year. In the midst of all the attention, Bartoletti wrote yet another book titled The Flag Maker (2004). This was a story about Caroline Pickersgill and her mother, Mary, sewing a large-enough American flag for the British to see it during a major battle in the War of 1812. She was inspired to write about it after she saw the 80-pound masterpiece in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. One of Bartoletti's most compelling books was written in 2005. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow is a story about young Germans devoting their lives to Hitler and his Nazi regime. The book also incorporated stories about young people resisting the movement, a dangerous and often fatal move. The photographs in the book put the impact of Hitler's campaign in perspective and are difficult to look at. One of the first photos was a 1934 photo taken during German Youth Day in Potsdam where a young boy is shown raising his hand in the Nazi salute. In 2006, Hitler Youth became a Newbery Honor Book selection. On her website and in interviews, Bartoletti mentions that she is often asked if she writes the works she does, which often delve into difficult and complex topics, "to show kids today how good they have it." The answer is no. She hopes that her works give "readers courage — courage to question and to think critically about history; courage to consider and respond to their social, political, and existential responsibilities; and, most of all, courage to stand up." In 2009, she won the Washington Post's Children's Book Guild Award for Body of Nonfiction Work. Bartoletti also won the Carolyn W. Field Award in 2009 for her novel The Boy Who Dared. The Boy Who Dared earned Bartoletti many more honors and distinctions, including American Library Association Book of Distinction and Best Book for Young Adults, Booklist Top 10 Historical Fiction for Youth, and International Reading Association Notable Book for an Important Society. In 2010, she published They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group, which was a Junior Library Guild Selection. This children's book also earned recognition and was placed on the Best Children's Book of the Year List for the School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Publisher's Weekly. Susan Campbell Bartoletti has served as a professor of children's literature for the Pennsylvania State University's World Campus and, at the time of this writing, lives in Moscow, Pennsylvania, where she continues to write and publish. Selected Works: Nonfiction Growing Up in Coal Country. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1996. Kids on Strike! Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1999. Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1850. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow. New York: Scholastic Nonfiction, 2005. They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2010. (Coedited with Marc Aronson.) 1968. Somerville: Candlewick, 2018. Novels No Man's Land: A Young Soldier's Story. New York: Blue Sky Press, 1999. A Coal Miner's Bride: The Diary of Anetka Kaminska. New York: Scholastic, 2000. The Boy Who Dared. New York: Scholastic Press, 2008. Picture Books Silver at Night. New York: Crown, 1994. Dancing with Dziadziu. San Diego: Harcourt Brace, 1997. The Christmas Promise. New York: Blue Sky Press, 2001. Nobody's Nosier Than a Cat. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2003. The Flag Maker: A Story of the Star Spangled Banner. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004. Nobody's Diggier Than a Dog. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2005. Naamah and the Ark at Night. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2011. Sources: "Biography: Susan Campbell Bartoletti." Scholastic. 4 December 2011. http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/susan-campbell-bartoletti>. Heller, Steven. "Hitler Youth." New York Times Book Review 14 Aug. 2005: 16. Kohlepp, Peg. "History Unfurled; A Kids' Salute to the Illustrious History of the Red, White, and Blue." Times-Picayune 4 July 2004: 4. "Librarians Find Meat in 'Potatoes'" Lancaster Sunday News 17 Nov. 2002: 6. Myers, Alison Green. Faculty Interview: Susan Campbell Bartoletti. Highlights Foundation. 6 September 2017. 12 July 2018. . Susan Campbell Bartoletti. 2010. 4 December 2011 and 12 July 2018. . "Susan Campbell Bartoletti." The Gale Literary Databases: Contemporary Authors Online. 8 Oct. 2010. 4 Dec. 2011.

You can also listen to this interview on a free app on iTunes and Google Play Store entitled 'Raj Persaud in conversation', which includes a lot of free information on the latest research findings in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and mental health, plus interviews with top experts from around the world. Download it free from these links. Don't forget to check out the bonus content button on the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajpersaud.android.rajpersaud https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dr-raj-persaud-in-conversation/id927466223?   Did you know that research has found 40% of rail and bus commuters have faecal bacteria on their hands, suggesting not washing hands after toilet use is... pandemic. Psychological reactions to pandemic information can range from 'monitoring' to 'blunting' and there is even a psychological syndrome referred to as 'Flu Fatigue' when people become so overwhelmed with frightening messages that they start to become exhausted and ignore public health guidance. If you want to learn better how to handle elevated levels of hypochondriasis and anxiety plus the psychiatric and psychological implications of a pandemic listen to this interview of Professor Steve Taylor by Psychiatrist Dr Raj Persaud about Steve's new prophetic book (published a couple of months before the outbreak of the current pandemic).    Given the description of this book below was written before the current pandemic this book is definitely prophetic! The Psychology of Pandemics Preparing for the Next Global Outbreak of Infectious Disease Author(s):Steven Taylor Book Description   Pandemics are large-scale epidemics that spread throughout world. Virologists predict that the next pandemic could occur in the coming years, probably from some form of influenza, with potentially devastating consequences. Vaccinations, if available, and behavioral methods are vital for stemming the spread of infection. However, remarkably little attention has been devoted to the psychological factors that influence the spread of pandemic infection and the associated emotional distress and social disruption. Psychological factors are important for many reasons. They play a role in nonadherence to vaccination and hygiene programs, and play an important role in how people cope with the threat of infection and associated losses. Psychological factors are important for understanding and managing societal problems associated with pandemics, such as the spreading of excessive fear, stigmatization, and xenophobia that occur when people are threatened with infection. This book offers the first comprehensive analysis of the psychology of pandemics. It describes the psychological reactions to pandemics, including maladaptive behaviors, emotions, and defensive reactions, and reviews the psychological vulnerability factors that contribute to the spreading of disease and distress. It also considers empirically supported methods for addressing these pro...read more VIEW EXTRACT Hardback       ISBN-13:978-1-5275-3959-4   ISBN-10:1-5275-3959-8   Date of Publication:01/12/2019     Biography Steven Taylor, PhD, is a Professor and Clinical Psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia, Canada. He received his MSc from the University of Melbourne, and his PhD from the University of British Columbia. His research and clinical work has focused largely on anxiety disorders and related clinical conditions, including fears and phobias, health anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. He has authored over 300 scientific publications and more than 20 books, which have been translated into many languages. His books include Understanding and Treating Panic Disorder, Treating Health Anxiety, and Clinician's Guide to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. He has also served as Editor and Associate Editor of several academic journals, including Behaviour Research and Therapy, Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, and the Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders. He maintains a clinical practice in Vancouver, BC, specializing in mood and anxiety disorders.