Bush on the Couch: Inside the Mind of a President is a 2004 book by psychoanalyst Justin Frank. The central premise of Frank's book is that President George W. Bush displays signs of poor mental health which makes him ill-suited to rule the U.S. Frank suggests Bush suffers from megalomania, that he is probably incapable of true compassion and shows signs of sadism, and that as an untreated alcoholic, is in constant danger of a relapse. Further, in Frank's opinion, Bush manifests the symptoms of a dry drunk, principally irritability, judgmentalism and a rigid, inflexible world view. Frank also analyses, amongst other things, Bush’s tendency to mix up his metaphors and concludes Bush has substantial problems with abstract, flexible thinking.
An updated version of the book was released in October, 2007, including a new introduction and a new afterword.
Robin Bush
Frank argues that the death of Pauline Robinson "Robin" Bush and the way the family handled it greatly affected her elder brother's personal development. Thus, despite Robin's short life, Frank believes that she had a major impact on the world both through her father and through her older brother.
At the time she became ill, Robin was the future president's only sibling (Jeb Bush was born eight months before she died) and a favorite playmate. His parents never told him that she was sick, although he was asked to stop playing with her when she became weak. Only after her death did they disclose to him her illness, which had lasted longer than doctors expected it to and had led the Bushes on a frantic quest back East to find a specialist who could treat her. These efforts kept them away from their son for long stretches of time, and he was not present when Robin died nor was he permitted to attend her burial.
Critical analysis of the book
Bush on the Couch has received endorsements from such distinguished professors of psychiatry as Irvin Yalom of Stanford University and James Grotstein (UCLA), who calls it a "remarkable – and frightening – piece of careful scholarship."
Frank's book also has its detractors. Irwin Savodnik, a psychiatrist who teaches at the University of California, Los Angeles, described Frank's book as a "psychoanalytic hatchet job" and said that "there is not an ounce of psychoanalytic material in the entire book." The code of the American Psychiatric Association, of which Frank is not a current member, states that "it is unethical for a psychiatrist to offer a professional opinion unless he or she has conducted an examination and has been granted proper authorization for such a statement." Although Frank had in the past written for Salon.com , the online magazine reviewed the book unfavorably, arguing that it included "dubious theories" and that Frank had failed in his avowed intention to distinguish his partisan opinions from his psychoanalytic evaluation of Bush's character.
However, in interviews Frank freely admits his partisan affiliation, but claims his book is in a tradition of psychological assessments of leaders frequently undertaken, for example, by the CIA. Frank also claims that some of his readers have reacted to his book by gaining increased sympathy for Bush; for example, Joan Baez admitted this to Frank.
Reviews
- History News Network Review
- Shrinking the President: A mind is a dangerous thing to psychoanalyze, The Weekly Standard , September 19 , 2004
- The inner W, Salon , June 16 , 2004
- Book Review – Bush on the Couch, by Justin Frank, a review - Political Affairs , October 3 , 2003
References
- ^ Shrinking the President: A mind is a dangerous thing to psychoanalyze, The Weekly Standard , September 27 , 2004
- ^ The Principles of Medical Ethics: With Annotations Especially Applicable to Psychiatry
- ^ The inner W, Salon (magazine) , June 16 , 2004
- World Internet News : Interview with Dr. Justin Frank, April 2006.
- Bush, George W., A Charge to Keep , William Morrow, New York, NY 1999. ISBN 0-688-17441-8
- Frank, Justin, Bush on the Couch , Regan Books, New York, NY 2004 ISBN 0-06-073670-4
- Gould, Lewis L. (editor), American First Ladies: Their Lives and Their Legacy , Garland Publishing, New York and London, 1996 ISBN 0-8153-2585-1
- Lardner, George Jr. and Romano, Lois, July 26, 1999. "Tragedy Created Mother-Son Bond," The Washington Post .
- Minutaglio, Bill, First Son:
Interview: Dr. Justin Frank: George Bush: 'A Puppet Who Chose His ...
This interview appears in the August 20, 2004 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. INTERVIEW: DR. JUSTIN FRANK George Bush: `A Puppet Who Chose
Amazon.com: Bush on the Couch: Inside the Mind of the President ...
In Bush on the Couch, Dr. Justin A. Frank, a well-respected Washington, D.C.–based psychoanalyst and professor of psychiatry, unwraps that mystery, assembling a comprehensive ...
Dr. Justin Frank |
_your description goes here_ ... Dr. Justin Frank. Psychoanalyst, Author. Previously Aired On: May 10, 2006 - Listen to this Show!
Justin Frank - Los Angeles, CA | Facebook
Sign up for Facebook to connect with Justin Frank.
Justin A. Frank, M.D. from HarperCollins Publishers
Justin A. Frank, M.D. Justin A. Frank, M.D., is a clinical professor in the Department of ... of the Greater Washington Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility. Dr. Frank ...
Dr. Justin Frank: George Bush Is a Very Destructive Man; He Needs To ...
This interview appears in the April 7, 2006 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. INTERVIEW: DR. JUSTIN FRANK George Bush Is a Very Destructive Man;
Dr.Justin Frank at Talk radio with Meria - the mouth that roars
Meria offers Internet talk radio for the alternative thinker and truth seeker.
Dr. Justin Frank Interviews on Eye on Books
Bill Thompson's Eye on Books is free! Listen to interviews with authors of current and bestselling books. Get our daily podcast! ... and if you're a novice writer:
An Interview with Justin Frank - Watch Plum TV
An interview with psychoanalyst Dr. Justin Frank, author of the book "Bush on the Couch," a comprehensive study and psychoanalysis of President George W. Bush. Dr. Frank discusses ...
Meria With Dr. Justin Frank “Bush On The Couch” at Talk radio ...
Meria offers Internet talk radio for the alternative thinker and truth seeker.