This is an interesting and extremely well-documented account of the sociology of mental illness from the time of ancient Palestine to contemporary cultures. Dr Rosen discerns and discusses with lively erudition the processes within the community framework that at the time defined the character of madness and mental illness in that society. The bizarre range of what passes for madness and insanity at different times in different communities makes a fascinating and harrowing narrative indeed in terms of our contemporary values. This book is a valuable and instructive contribution to an area of research which has been strangely neglected by historians.