Everyone knows that antidepressants are wonders of modern medicine. Professor Irving Kirsch knew this as well as anyone. But, as he discovered during his research, there is a problem with what we know about antidepressants. It is not true.

How did antidepressants gain their reputation as a magic "bullet" for depression? And why did it take so long for this story to become known to the public? The answer to these questions leads us to the point where the lines between clinical research and marketing completely disappear.

Using the Freedom of Information Act, Kirsch accessed clinical trials that were hidden by pharmaceutical companies, both from the public and from doctors who prescribe antidepressants. What he found, and documents here, promises to bring revolutionary change to the way our society perceives and consumes antidepressants.

"The Emperor's New Drugs" reveals what we have not seen until now: depression is not caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, antidepressants are significantly more dangerous than other forms of therapy, and they are only slightly more effective than placebos. There are also other ways to combat depression, treatments that do not just include the empty promise of a prescription for antidepressants.

This is not a book about alternative medicine and its irrational claims. It is a book about imagination and desire at the heart of clinical medicine, about the allure of myth and the ultimate stubbornness of facts.

Pages: 240, Dimensions: 13.5x13.5cm