The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness

Elyn R. Saks is an esteemed professor, lawyer, and psychiatrist who serves as the Orrin B. Evans Professor of Law, Psychology, Psychiatry, and the Behavioral Sciences at the University of Southern California Law School. Despite her professional accomplishments, she has lived with schizophrenia for most of her life and continues to experience major episodes of the illness. This memoir chronicles Saks's life from adolescence, when she first heard voices, through suicide attempts in college, to adulthood. She describes her experiences with paranoia, difficulty distinguishing imaginary fears from real ones, and voices commanding her to harm herself and others. The book documents the significant obstacles she overcame to build a respected career while managing her condition.