The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions

Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 2023

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Study Guide

Before You Read Beta

Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapters 1-8

Part 2, Chapters 9-19

Part 3, Chapters 20-28

Part 4, Chapters 29-35

Part 4, Chapter 36-Epilogue

Key Figures

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools Beta

Discussion Questions

Essay Topics

Michael and Jonathan are represented as foils in the memoir. How is each one characterized? What do they have in common, and how do they differ?

Trace the evolution of Michael and Jonathan’s friendship over the years. How do the dynamics between them change? How do their dynamics reflect the memoir’s key themes and ideas?

Analyze the impact of Michael’s paranoid schizophrenia on his life and those around him. How do Michael’s experiences differ from mainstream cultural depictions of schizophrenia?