Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Devil You Know: Stories of Human Cruelty and Compassion by Eileen Horne, Gwen Adshead

13 reviews

epellicci's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark sad slow-paced

5.0

The Devil You Know is an incredibly powerful book. It is challenging - in places almost too difficult to read - and dark, moving and impossible to forget. Dr Adshead gently encourages a more open, empathetic perspective towards some of our most violent offenders by giving a voice to her patients and her practice. The stories she has documented are graphic, heart-breaking, and often difficult to stomach. But they are also in many cases inspiring and transformative. I was left floored by the authors resilience and compassion.
There were moments when I would have liked to see more conversation surrounding policy, especially when discussing the difficulty offenders go through to access treatment and resources. However, the way her writing carefully challenged my thinking and expanded my view mean this book has to be five stars.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

orlagal's review

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.25

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

lozababe's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

This book is a fantastic read into the real life work of a psychiatrist and the struggles that she faces with both the system and her clients. 
Throughout, Dr Adshead tells us of different cases she has dealt with throughout her career but also intersperses it with facts and makes sure that they are backed up with sources too. 
We follow her as she deals with murderers, arsonists, sex offenders and stalkers, and we get a rare insight into why they committed these offences. We also are able to read her own thoughts into the offenders and the difference that extra funding into health care would make. 
This is definitely a book that anyone with an interest into mental health and those currently working in mental health would benefit from, even if it’s just for the reason that someone agrees that mental health services in the UK are completely underfunded and at crisis point, and have been that way for years.
Thank you so much to Dr Gwen Adshead and Eileen Horne for writing this insightful look into the world of psychiatry and mental health and to the team at Pigeonhole for allowing me to read it.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings