In Two Minds

In Two Minds is a memoir by Dr. Sohom Das, a forensic psychiatrist who has spent fifteen years treating mentally disordered offenders. These are the people the tabloids might call the criminally insane, and many of them have assaulted, robbed, raped or killed. His work takes him into high-security prisons and locked hospital wards across the country, and into courtrooms, where he gives evidence as an expert witness.

The book is built around real patients and cases. Dr. Das describes a young woman who smothered her two-year-old nephew during a psychotic episode, and a teenager who set fire to his house with his mother locked inside. In each case his task is to explore the offender's mind, identify the symptoms of mental illness, understand what led to the act and help prevent future tragedies.

Dr. Das writes candidly, and at times with humor, about some of his most extreme, heart-breaking and bizarre cases. He also writes about how he has learned to live with his own mistakes when the worst happens.