The Lobotomist

by Jack El-Hai

Dr. Walter J. Freeman ranks as one of the most scorned physicians of the 20th century, widely remembered as a loose cannon who worked beyond the boundaries of acceptable medical practice. Yet many of the most important medical figures during his time lent their support to his work, effectively pulling lobotomy--the operation that made him famous--into the mainstream. Many of his patients observed how their lobotomies had changed them for the better. So how is it that both physicians and patients supported a procedure that today seems outrageous, even barbaric? This book takes a penetrating look into the life of a complex scientific genius who defies easy description, a brilliant but flawed figure who tried to rescue people once deemed incurable from permanent institutionalization.--From publisher description.