1) How does the picture of profound mental illness presented by Kay Jamison differ from its stereotypical representation in popular literature and in films?

2) Did the fact that the author is, herself, part of the mental healthcare system help or hinder her coming to grips with her manic-depressive illness?

3) Why did Kay Jamison feel the need to keep her condition confidential for so long and what prompted her to finally "come out" and write this book?

4) What issues specific to a woman with a career in the mental health field arise for Kay Jamison, and how does she handle them?

5) Why does Jamison resist taking the one drug, lithium, that can help her and what finally causes her to change her mind?

6) Jamison intersperses her book with quotes from well-known writers and poets, most of whom also had manic-depressive illness. What is the connection between...