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January Reviews (2008)

Sternberg, Eliezer J. Are You a Machine? : The Brain, the Mind, and What It Means to Be Human. Amherst, New York: Humanity Books, 2007.

It’s one of the curiosities of life that once you become interested in a thing, you find it all around you. I’ve been increasingly interested in the idea of consciousness and the essence of being human. Over the past several months, I’ve seen many new works published on various aspects of these complex and amorphous topics. Many recent articles are available discussing philosophical, medical, scientific, and spiritual, perspectives of consciousness. A simple, cogent discussion of these various positions is not easy to find. At least until now. With Sternberg’s small and concise work, there is one place to begin delving into this fascinating area of study.

This remarkable little book is jam-packed with philosophy and scientific fact. It could be used as an introductory textbook in philosophy or psychology or cognitive science courses. Sternberg discusses in clear, straightforward language the thinking of Descartes, the research of Francis Crick, David Chalmers, and Ray Kurzweil, among others. He presents information in short chapters starting with real-life scenarios that develop into broad discussions of the theory or research covered. The chapter called “The Ghost in the Machine” is one of the best. Sternberg describes two scenes that happen only in his mind. First, he imagines himself playing basketball and making a last minute shot that wins the game. Then, knowing his own capabilities, he sees the scene more realistically without as positive an ending.

He proceeds from this scenario to examine the concepts of dualism, the theater of the mind, and hyperdualism. Then the opposing arguments based on idealism and materialism are presented. Each of these theories seeks to explain how the mind works. He writes:

Some philosophers maintain that the mystery will never be solved. The mind has limitations in
understanding its own mechanisms. Maybe we are not yet advanced enough in our evolution to solve a problem like this. (page 46)

Each chapter ends with a shaded box with the heading “Further Readings.” These annotated bibliographies refer to the complete versions of the works from which Sternberg draws in the preceding pages. The annotations are well written and make the items seem highly accessible to any reader. I found myself making notes to follow up on several.

To the question he poses in the title Sternberg’s answer is no, humans are not machines. But his is a personal conclusion and one that he would say is most exemplary of the human mind. Exercise your mind and read this enjoyable book for yourself. It’s guaranteed to make you think.

Pamela Grudzien
Head of Technical Services
Central Michigan University Libraries.

Decker, William A., M.D. Asylum for the Insane – A History of the Kalamazoo State Hospital. Arbutus Press: Traverse City, Michigan, 2008. [ISBN 978-1-9333926-04-9]

Together with works such as Traverse City State Hospital (Miller, 2005) and Disordered Minds: the First Century of Eastern State Hospital in Williamsburg, Va, 1766-1886 (Dain, 1971), this book provides a historical account of mental institutions in America. Medical Superintendent of Kalamazoo Hospital (1974 – 1987) and an institutional psychiatrist for 33 years, Dr. Decker is well qualified to write this chronicle.  The Asylum at Kalamazoo officially opened in 1859, only 22 years after Michigan became a state.  Growing to house 3600 residents by 1953, the institution had only 100 patients by the early 2000’s.  These numbers reflect progress in the development of effective medications for treating mental illness, the development of penicillin to cure syphilis, and shifts in public policy.

The building of these facilities early in this country’s history reflects the work of pioneers such as Dorothea Dix.  Dix lobbied state legislatures to build public institutions where the insane could live in humane conditions rather than in jails and poorhouses. This book, therefore, relates not only the history of this particular Michigan institution, but also the history of the treatment of mental illness over the past 150 years.

Especially interesting are the numerous black and white, historical photos scattered throughout the book. Pictures include the baseball team, the cast of a patient theatrical performance and youthful residents swimming at Pretty Lake Camp.  These photos paint quite a different picture from the horrific images of films such as One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Kalamazoo Hospital was “a leader in the humane treatment of mentally ill patients” (p. 193).  In 1907, the Kalamazoo Hospital was the first in Michigan to stop the use of physical restraints. Also included in this book are drawings, photos and maps of the buildings and grounds, biographies of the Medical Directors from 1854 to present, and a history of Michigan Mental Health Public Acts.

Dr. Decker also gives readers a glimpse into the lives of the attendants and healthcare workers employed by the hospital. Prior to 1904, attendants worked 98 hours per week and were on call an additional 10 hours should they be needed.  Attendants lived on the facility grounds and were required to obtain permission to leave the grounds.  By 1906, the workweek was reduced to 56 hours/week, and to 40 hours by the 1950’s. The first occupational therapist was hired in 1917, a social services department was established in 1921 and a professional librarian was hired in the 1960’s to manage the medical staff library.  Interlibrary loan and Medline searches were available to the medical staff in cooperation with Western Michigan University Library.

In conclusion, the author comments on the current sad state of affairs in the public treatment of mental illness,

“Our journey has taken us nearly 150 years and at its end, we find ourselves back at the beginning, with the mentally ill in the jails, prisons, and perhaps soon many more to join the homeless mentally ill already on the streets” (p.323).

Dr. Decker’s carefully researched book, can help us study the past and learn from our mistakes This book is recommended for libraries that collect historical works relating to Michigan, Medicine or Psychiatry.

Robin Sabo
Reference Librarian/Health Sciences Bibliographer
Park Library, Central Michigan University

Harris, Robert, Imperium.  New York: Simon and Schuster, 2007.

Robert Harris’ Imperium is the fictionalized account of Cicero’s rise to power.  The bulk of the novel revolves around Cicero’s prosecution of Gaius Verres for crimes committed during his governorship of Sicily.  Verres’ crimes are many and well-attested, and so Cicero’s most pressing requirement is not to prove Verres’ guilt, but to break through the layers of bribery and cronyism that Verres counted on for protection.  This foreshadows the corruption Cicero will later face in his campaign for the Consulship. 

The rest of the work is the story of this campaign.  As a “New Man,” Cicero has no ancestors on whose coat-tails he can ride, but must prove himself worthy on his own merit, a difficult task compared to the illustrious family histories of his opponents.  All of these events are told from the point of view of Tiro, Cicero’s slave and secretary who accompanied the Senator throughout his life.  This gives an unusual perspective, and there is sometimes a feeling that Tiro’s work was meant not only as a biography of his master, but as his own memoir as well. 

The work is excellently written, filled with the little details that make the reader truly fall into the story and make the book difficult to put down.  However, this reader had to constantly remind herself  that she was reading, as the cover says, “A Novel of Ancient Rome” and not the latest modern-day legal-political thriller.  There is no doubt that the character of Cicero is well-researched, for one gets the same feel for the great man’s opinions by reading Mr. Harris’ work as one does by reading some of Cicero’s own works.  However, the Cicero that emerges from Mr. Harris’ pages is more easily imagined in an Armani suit and power tie arguing before the Supreme Court than in a toga addressing the Roman Senate.  While Robert Harris is an excellent author, a more Roman experience can be found in the pages of Robert Graves’ classic, I, Claudius or Colleen McCullough’s “Masters of Rome” series. 

Christina Szilagyi
Graduate Student
Central Michigan University

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