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Dr. Thomas Szasz discusses his book "The Manufacture of Madness: A Comparative Study of the Inquisition and the Mental Health Movement" and the ways that mental illness has been used to control and maintain the status quo, scapegoat certain kinds of people, and label people as "other." Szasz asserts his belief that mental illness and mental health cannot be defined, that depression and schizophrenia are not diseases, and the distinction between individuals seeking mental health treatment and those who are institutionalized against their will.
Richard Speck, the man who murdered eight student nurses in 1966, is the topic of Jack Altman's and Dr. Marvin Ziporyn's book, "Born to Raise Hell: The Untold Story of Richard Speck -- The Man, The Crime, The Trial". Altman saw Speck's public and private image as being quite different. When asked to smile for the cameras, Speck obeyed authority and was labeled a monster by the press when in reality, he blocked out the murders and was disgusted by his actions. Dr. Ziporyn sees this murderous violence as a disease and not as a monster as the press portrayed it.