The year 1980 marked the end of chaos and the beginning of modern psychiatry. Its architect was Dr. Robert L. Spitzer.
Before the publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Third Edition (DSM-III), psychiatry was a "Tower of Babel," fractured by theoretical conflict and unreliable, subjective diagnoses. Spitzer, a figure defined by intellectual rigor and relentless administrative genius, recognized this crisis not just as an academic problem, but as an existential threat to the entire field.
This is the comprehensive story of the man who forced a scientific revolution. The Measurement of Mind: Dr. Robert Spitzer chronicles Spitzer's decade-long battle against the psychoanalytic establishment to introduce operational criteria-explicit, measurable symptom checklists-that finally made mental illness researchable, treatable, and insurable.
Beyond the manual, the book delves into the complex man: the fierce mentor, the political combatant, and the sharp wit who created the indispensable assessment tools (like the SCID) that govern clinical practice worldwide. It traces his unparalleled influence on everything from global clinical trials to insurance reimbursement and legal proceedings. Approx.145 pages, 28700 word count
