The Madness of Adam and Eve: How Schizophrenia Shaped Humanity

David Horrobin argues that, as long ago as 3 million years ago, early man - homo erectus - lived close to and off water - rivers and lakes - and his diet contained a fair amount of fish as well as bone marrow from captured animals (who in turn lived off the water). This fish - and animals living off fish or other aquatic organisms - in turn contained so called fatty acids which allowed our human brains over time to become much more creative. Modern human brains consist to a large extent of fat. Hence also, why humans are so much "fatter" then our closest relatives, the chimps. The essential fatty acids in our diets enabled our existing brain cells to better communicate with each other. But a side effect of this evolution was the emergence of schizophrenia. At some point around 150,000 years ago, someone must have been borne with a genetic mutation which we now call schizophrenia, although his or her behaviour was more what we now would call schizoid, i.e. light schizophrenia. Horrobin argues that throughout human history schizophrenics were often very gifted people, who were creative, held very strong dogmatic beliefs and had an ability to do whatever it took to get to the top. All qualities that made schizophrenics ideal candidates for dictators, priesthood and artists. As such, schizophrenics played a vital role in human evolution. One of the many fascinating facts described in Horrobin's book is that there is a strong correlation today between highly creative thinkers - say Nobel Prize winners - and schizophrenia. For many highly gifted people, there is a close relative suffering from schizophrenia Unfortunately, first the agricultural revolution, with its move away from a diet containing abundant fish oil, and our modern diets, full of saturated fats, the wrong fats for our brains, have turned a condition which had possibly more positive than negative effects into one where the patient is often a danger to himself and others (often the mother). This book has some amazing implications, such as, the world is not black and white, with 99% being normal and 1% completely abnormal, but many of us are a little abnormal (and few may be "completely normal" ?), or, that mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, manic depression or even dyslexia are all related and people affected by them are paying the evolutionary price for the creative brains of other, normal people, to the extent that there is a strong correlation between such illnesses even within families and the existence of highly gifted family members.

Those with axes to grind or with vested interests (pharmaceutical industry execs, autistics or child-abuse "victims" apparently) will find this book not their cup of tea.But for every other person who wishes to understand the dice-toss of genius vs. madness, this is just the book to get started.

This book covers new ground in linking genetics, environment, diet and history with not only various mental illness' like schizophrenia, bi-polar,and dyslexia, but also with the genius and creativity that run in families through out history. The first half lays the basis for his thesis and the second half, which is more readable to the lay person applies his theory to modern life. Anyone dealing with mental illness in any form should read this book for a new and hopeful take on an important subject. The book was originally published in England in 2002, and very favorably reviewed by the London Times. ...

Very insightful look at schizophrenia. It changes one's perception of 'mental illness'. The author suggests that schizophrenia is something essential to humanity and without it we would still be animals.Everyone out there...read this book!