Rare and unusual psychiatric syndromes have fascinated people for centuries due to their complexity and undefined nature. Appreciating their clinical importance and relevance to understanding other conditions and experiences, this book provides an authoritative account of the rarest and most unusual psychiatric syndromes. The author, a leading authority on clinical psychopathology, delves into the history of the description of such syndromes, illustrates conditions with clinical case examples, and discusses the causes as well as the underlying explanatory mechanisms. The syndromes described draw attention to the way in which abnormal subjective experiences reflect the intersection of biomedical science, social anthropology, social sciences, evolutionary biology and the humanities. The book covers abnormalities of belief, abnormalities of perception, unusual experiences of the body and self, rare and bizarre impairments of memory, and behavioural disturbance. This is a valuable resource for psychiatrists, as well as researchers interested in the relationship between psychiatry and other disciplines.

'Rare and unusual is often precious. So is this book which contains colourful descriptions of psychiatric conditions and phenomena that are not common in everyday clinical practice but when encountered remind us why we chose psychiatry as a profession and why the study of the human mind is so interesting and challenging.'

Aleksandar Janca

'In Psychopathology of Uncommon Rare and Unusual Syndromes, Professor Oyebode has produced a great masterpiece. Each of the conditions in this book has been comprehensively described and thoroughly researched, each syndrome replete with historical and contemporary case examples, thus enabling vivid impressions to be formed in the minds of the reader. While actual aetiologies are often unclear, the author has integrated philosophical, psychodynamic and biological theories to explain these conditions. What shines through is the author’s immense literary talents, his love for writing, teaching, researching and his enthusiasm in sharing his keen observations of the phenomenology of psychiatric disorders with his readers. This book is destined to become a classic. I highly recommend it as a ‘must read’ for every student and practitioner of psychiatry. I cannot wait to get hold of a copy for myself.'

Leslie Lim - Associate Professor, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist, Singapore General Hospital