Classifying Madness

This book is about the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (D.S.M.). The D.S.M. aims to list and describe all mental disorders, and is extremely influential in the US health system, international research and the pharmaceutical industry. The D.S.M. is important, but it is also controversial. The book offers a sustained philosophical critique of the D.S.M. that addresses concerns about its scientific basis, pressure from big business, and conceptual issues. The author sheds new light on longstanding problems, taking a critical but not antagonistic approach.