Dedication

To the mentally ill of all ages

"Nothing before had ever made me thoroughly realize, though I had read various scientific books, that science consists in grouping facts so that general laws or conclusions may be drawn from them."

—Charles Darwin, The Autobiography of Charles Darwin

"It's just that we don't understand what's the matter... Why did we lose peace and love and health, one after the other? If we knew, if there was anybody to tell us, I believe we could try. I'd try so hard."

—F. Scott Fitzgerald, One Trip Abroad

"It is only ideas of such colossal proportions that a symbol for them cannot be created that are vague and intangible and brooding, incomprehensible and fearful, that produce madness.

The very fact that a thing - anything - can be fitted into a meaning built up of words small, black words that can be written with one hand and the stub of a pencil means that it is not big enough to be overwhelming. It is the vast, formless, unknown and unknowable things that we fear. Anything which can be brought to a common point - a focus within our understanding - can be dealt with."

—Lara Jefferson, These Are My Sisters