Schizophrenia

Chase notes, in his final reflections, that the shifting social perceptions and acceptance of schizophrenia have improved the situation for sufferers and families alike—a change that will only be bolstered by this sensitive and compassionate read.

The book Schizophrenia: A Brother Finds Answers in Biological Science is a period piece. It is a combination of personal recollections spanning the second half of the 20th century and an extended pedagogical discussion of some of the research on schizophrenia during that period.

It's more than a professor of biology's coverage: it blends his own family story of his brother's life and affliction with a review of the latest scientific literature on the issue, making for a guide especially user-friendly to families struggling with the result of a diagnosis.

I do not know of another book that gives an account of the course of schizophrenia across an entire lifetime. Chase's technique of alternating chapters between the science and the personal to tell the story of his brother's illness uniquely melds two equally important but very different perspectives on this terrible illness. The result is a book that is compelling, heartbreaking, and hopeful all at the same time.

Dr. Chase asks the fundamental questions about schizophrenia and, in exceptionally clear language, explains the technical obstacles to answering them. The chapters about his brother are poignant, often achingly so, making it clear why answers are needed so urgently.

Many scientists and physicians could have written this extraordinarily insightful book, but few choose to share their compassion and anguish for their brothers who have experienced schizophrenia. Ronald Chase describes his efforts to understand an un-understandable brain disease in a way that compels the reader to join him in a plea for more research and less stigma.

Schizophrenia is a physical disorder mainly affecting the brain and profoundly afflicting life as a human being. In this book—a perspective on hope for the future—Ronald Chase elegantly interweaves a subjective family story of his brother’s life with schizophrenia and an objective review of the scientific literature on this condition.