Crazy: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness

Why do you think the author chose to braid Mike’s story throughout the book, as opposed to giving us his story all at once?

Analyze the first paragraph of the preface. Why does the author give us so much of his autobiographical expertise up front? How does this affect your reading of the text?

Choose one of the Miami-Dade County Pretrial Detention Center inmates that Earley follows over the course of the book and analyze their story’s trajectory. Why does he choose these specific inmates, and how does their narrative create a microcosm of Miami’s criminal justice system?