by Claudia Kalb
First published 2016
Health and science journalist Claudia Kalb applies contemporary psychological understanding to analyze historic celebrities and cultural icons. She investigates whether Andy Warhol displayed hoarding behaviors, explores potential autism in Einstein, and examines narcissistic traits in Frank Lloyd Wright. Kalb draws from historical documentation and conducts interviews with mental health professionals, biographers, and sociologists to build her cases. The book covers a spectrum of psychological conditions, from Marilyn Monroe's possible borderline personality disorder to Charles Darwin's documented anxiety issues. Through careful research and expert consultation, Kalb connects modern mental health knowledge to well-documented figures from the past. The work offers readers fresh insight into how psychological frameworks can illuminate the behavior patterns of people who shaped our culture.
Genres: biography, science, psychology, 20th-century, non-fiction, health, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-study, expert-analysis
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century, 21st-century
320 pages · Hardcover · National Geographic