Free Thinking: Will Self, R. D. Laing and Mandy.

Phone is a novel by Will Self that delves into the lives of characters like Dr. Zachary Busner and Jonathan De'Ath, exploring themes of technology, identity, and human connection. The book is part of Self's modernist trilogy, following 'Umbrella' and 'Shark', and offers a complex narrative that intertwines personal stories with broader societal issues.

The Epic of Gilgamesh tells the story of Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, who is two-thirds god and one-third human. The gods create Enkidu, a wild man, to counterbalance Gilgamesh's oppressive rule. Enkidu and Gilgamesh become friends after a trial of strength and embark on several adventures, including the slaying of the monster Humbaba and the killing of the Bull of Heaven. Following Enkidu's death, Gilgamesh sets out on a perilous journey to find Utnapishtim, the survivor of the Babylonian Flood, in search of the secret of eternal life. Despite his efforts, Gilgamesh learns that death is inevitable and returns to Uruk, reconciled to his mortality and appreciative of the enduring achievements of humanity.

Ulysses is a groundbreaking and complex modernist novel that chronicles the experiences of three Dubliners over a single day. The novel is loosely based on Homer's epic poem 'The Odyssey', with Leopold Bloom paralleling Odysseus, Stephen Dedalus paralleling Telemachus, and Molly Bloom paralleling Penelope. It explores themes such as antisemitism, human sexuality, British rule in Ireland, Catholicism, and Irish nationalism. The novel is known for its innovative use of language and narrative techniques, including stream-of-consciousness and multiple literary styles. It captures the essence of early 20th-century Dublin, providing a detailed snapshot of the city's social, political, and cultural landscape.

In the tradition of Too Big to Fail and Liar’s Poker, author Leah McGrath Goodman tells the amazing-but-true story of a band of struggling, hardscrabble traders who, after enduring decades of scorn from New York’s stuffy financial establishment, overcame more than a century of failure, infighting, and brinksmanship to build the world’s reigning oil empire—entirely by accident. The book explores the lurid culture of Nymex traders, their activities rife with cheating, overindulgence in drugs, prostitutes, and illegal gambling, and how the price of oil is determined less by OPEC and more by a few hundred speculators in Manhattan who are exempted from regulation by several loopholes.

No specific information available about a book titled 'Shark' by Will Self and Tony Lacey.

Umbrella is a modernist novel that follows the story of Zachary Busner, a maverick psychiatrist, as he treats a patient named Audrey Death who has been in a vegetative state since 1918. The novel interweaves narratives across different time periods, exploring themes of consciousness, memory, and the impact of technology on society. It is known for its experimental style, lacking chapters and traditional narrative structures.

In this influential book, Thomas S. Szasz challenges the legitimacy of psychiatry, arguing that the concept of mental illness is logically absurd and has harmful consequences. He contends that psychiatrists absolve individuals of responsibility for their actions by diagnosing unwanted behavior as mental illness. Szasz also critiques Freudian psychology as a pseudoscience and warns against the overreach of psychiatry into modern life. The book includes a new preface on the age of Prozac and Ritalin and the rise of designer drugs, along with two bonus essays in the 50th anniversary edition.

R. D. Laing's "The Divided Self" is a seminal work in existential psychiatry. Laing challenges traditional psychiatric approaches, arguing that schizophrenia is not a disease but a response to a dysfunctional social environment. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the patient's subjective experience and the role of interpersonal relationships in mental illness. The book is a complex and challenging read, but it offers valuable insights into the nature of mental illness and the importance of human connection. It's a significant contribution to the field of psychiatry and continues to spark debate and discussion.