Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Life Beyond Diagnosis: "A Hidden Madness"

A Hidden Madness
James T. R. Jones
ISBN: 978-0615571546
Publisher: James T.R. Jones
Date of publish: Dec 29, 2011
Pages: 336


There's an old traditional saying that to know someone you have to walk a mile in their shoes. James T. R. Jones, in his autobiography, “A Hidden Madness” takes us on precisely such a journey, lasting from his high school days through becoming a tenured law professor.

Most of us understand that being a law student is one of the most demanding of academic tracks (the old TV show “Paper Chase” did a fair job of showing the pressures), academically, socially, and, for those lawyers who qualify to teach, politically, challenging. Focus, self-confidence, long hours, and good social skills are critical.

But what if a student had a secret? What if he had an illness that was so stigmatized that simply letting anyone know he had it would jeopardize his chances for a successful career? If he had a broken arm, or was in a car accident, or developed cancer, there would be some degree of understanding, but this was different.