I read this book about 10 years ago, and it began a healingprocess in my own life. I have ADD but had been diagnosed ManicDepressed and Bi-Polar for 20 years due to the sub-characteristic symptoms that ADD/ADHD has...they are the same as a manic depressed person but not to the severity. It is an exceptional book of insight into this disorder, and an incredible biography of an incredible peer of the baby boomer generation! And a MUST after reading Patty Duke's (Anna) autobiography is to read her sequel which gives even more encouragement that those of us with any mental disorder are "not freaks" but can live healthy, functional lives and be of great help to our whole society. The sequel is "A Brilliant Madness" also by Patty Duke and Gloria Hochman, originally published by Bantam books.

This was a wonderful book! Patty writes about her bizarre childhood as an actress. Three failed marriages. She writes about Lucy Ball and how she hated Patty for dating Desi. She goes into detail of her wild rampages and about being diagnosed with the Bi-Polar disorder. This was extremely interesting as her life was never dull. This was also extremely informational and a great read!

I read this book after watching the TV movie and because I liked the movie so much I just knew I had to read the book. I know someone who has Bi-Polar disorder and this book helped me understand it more and I must say that a lot of reviews here have been positive but I have read some nasty reviews by ignorant people who obviously do not understand the illness and their comments that Ms Duke was just a spoiled tempermental actress among other comments just prove that these people obviously need to get educated about Bi-Polar Disorder and they also need to take a sensitivity class as well!