Rating: 
Summary: Understand multiple personalities by seeing them.
Review: An excellent book that must have been a great deal of work for both the author and the subject. If you want to understand multiple personalities(Dissociative Identity Disorder) better you can read this book. It would be helpful for any medical personnel working with DID's, as well as those who have a relative who has it or for those who are just curious about this most mysterious of maladies. Very compelling read as well as being very informative.
Rating:
Summary: Understand multiple personalities by seeing them.
Review: An excellent book that must have been a great deal of work for both the author and the subject. If you want to understand multiple personalities(Dissociative Identity Disorder) better you can read this book. It would be helpful for any medical personnel working with DID's, as well as those who have a relative who has it or for those who are just curious about this most mysterious of maladies. Very compelling read as well as being very informative.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding! I am so glad it is back in print.
Review: I am a psychiatrist who subspecializes in working with patients with dissociative disorders. I read this book several years ago gave my copy to a colleague -- never to see it again. When I tried to replace it, it was out of print. I was crushed.I loved it the first time and I love it even more this time. The author does such a fine job of using all of his skills to bring out the experience of multiplicity. It is a tremendous contribution to both professionals and the public. Just as in the story there were many people who didn't "believe" in the diagnosis -- even now, over 20 years later, there are still psychiatrists who are saying the same thing. It is a disgrace that people are so ignorant. I couldn't help wondering at the end of the very sad story, "where is Billy Milligan today?" Dr. David Caul has died -- may he rest in peace. What an incredibly courageous soul he was to accept the challenge of steadfastly standing by Billy against harassment which would have brought almost anyone else down. This book is so educational that no one should miss it.
Rating:
Summary: At The Top Of My Best List
Review: I finished the book, and in so many ways I wish it hadn't finished. Unfortunately, the book doesn't have the triumphant ending that "Sybil" had, although the book is just as great if not better. The author did an awesome job of enabling you to know and understand each individual personality. As far as the book as a story, it was absolutely fabulous. However, I was surprised at how many typos there were. I don't think I've ever come across a book with as many typos.
But anyhoo, the book is so great that you really feel it. We actually get to see a vision of his entire life, including the days leading up to the rapes. This book left me angry and disgusted with the law and society in general. Several times, Billy would go to court with significant evidence that he was not being properly taken care of, and over and over the judge would rule for him to remain where he was which would eventually lead to a total fragmentation and corruption of any progress that was made at previous hospitals. The book provides insight into maximum security facilities, specifically in Ohio.
After years of torture and abuse in a max. security hospital, Kevin (one of Billy's antisocial personalities) wrote in a letter to the writer, speaking of how the personalities had decided on a total block of the outside world: "We know that a world without pain is a world without feeling... but a world without feeling is a world without pain." I simply hope that things have changed since the early 80's.
One of the things that I totally loved about the book was the mention of scientific research in studying the minds of multiple personality. By comparing EEG's of multiple personalities to those of ordinary people who were told to create multiple personalities and practice alternating them, doctors found significant differences between the true multiple personalities and the ordinary people. The book goes more into depth about this, but I'm not going to bore anyone here.
In addition to the EEG's, doctors have also studied the IQ tests of multiple personalities given to the same bodies at various times. From Billy's test alone, doctors were amazed by the unbelievable differences between the IQ scores of the various alternates. And the doctors specifically stated under oath that "this could not have been faked."
But I guess I'll end this with a quote from Dr. Frank Putnam - a quote which closes the book:
"The study of multiple personalities has something to offer the rest of us in terms of control of the mind and the body. I think multiples may, in fact, be one of those experiments of nature that will tell us a whole lot about ourselves..."
Rating:
Summary: Reads like fantastic fiction, but isn't
Review: I first picked up this book because the author wrote "Flowers for Algernon." I figured it couldn't be bad. And I was right. This is one of the few books that I can actually call, "fascinating." Milligan, who was the victim of severe child abuse, shattered and became a multiple in order to deal with his unbearable emotional pain (multiples are actually very, very rare, contrary to what the media portrays today). What he went through is just astonishing. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Read it! You'll enjoy it, I promise.
Rating:
Summary: Reads like fantastic fiction, but isn't
Review: I first picked up this book because the author wrote "Flowers for Algernon." I figured it couldn't be bad. And I was right. This is one of the few books that I can actually call, "fascinating." Milligan, who was the victim of severe child abuse, shattered and became a multiple in order to deal with his unbearable emotional pain (multiples are actually very, very rare, contrary to what the media portrays today). What he went through is just astonishing. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Read it! You'll enjoy it, I promise.
Rating:
Summary: where is billy milligan?
Review: i read the book about billy milligan and was totally facinated by it.daniel keyes has done a tremendous job of letting the lay man know what goes into the mind of a person suffering from multiple personality disorder.although billy was accused of severe crimes ,i cant help but feel enormous sympathy for him after reading the book.i feel it was sad the way some doctors and judge treated him ,but i guess it was their ignorance about his disease that made them do so.nevertheless i wonder WHERE IS BILLY MILLIGAN NOW?what happened to him ?if he is now living a normal life?or still struggling with his 23 personalities.?
Rating:
Summary: The most disturbing book I've ever read
Review: I worked at a hotel long ago, and I found "The Minds of Billy Milligan" in unclaimed properties. Parts of the book were very unsettling, but I couldn't put the book down. I almost felt guilty for intruding into the mind of a person so viciously abused that he became what he is. The book ends in the year 1981. Since then, Milligan has had a failed marriage and more legal problems. He is also reportedly unfused. A sequel to "The Minds of Billy Milligan" called "The Milligan Wars" was released, but only in Japan. Unless the film is produced and released here, according to the author, Daniel Keyes, the book probably won't be released here. A film of his life has been in the works for many years, and it appears to be an on again/off again project. Milligan himself helped Leonardo DiCaprio in preparing for the role in an adaptation called "The Crowded Room". Disturbing and engrossing. What else is the mind is capable of? If Billy Milligan and Sybil are any indication, the answer to that is truly frightening.
Rating:
Summary: The most disturbing book I've ever read
Review: I worked at a hotel long ago, and I found "The Minds of Billy Milligan" in unclaimed properties. Parts of the book were very unsettling, but I couldn't put the book down. I almost felt guilty for intruding into the mind of a person so viciously abused that he became what he is. The book ends in the year 1981. Since then, Milligan has had a failed marriage and more legal problems. He is also reportedly unfused. A sequel to "The Minds of Billy Milligan" called "The Milligan Wars" was released, but only in Japan. Unless the film is produced and released here, according to the author, Daniel Keyes, the book probably won't be released here. A film of his life has been in the works for many years, and it appears to be an on again/off again project. Milligan himself helped Leonardo DiCaprio in preparing for the role in an adaptation called "The Crowded Room". Disturbing and engrossing. What else is the mind is capable of? If Billy Milligan and Sybil are any indication, the answer to that is truly frightening.
Rating: 
Summary: Is it true?
Review: My mother in-law was actually responsible for Billy Milligan while he was in the Athens State hospital in Ohio. I've had a chance to read this book, and although very good, what my mother-in-law tells me is much, much different.
She cared for him during his entire stay there. She said that he had more psychology and parapsychology books in his room than she could have ever imagined. She also said that his IQ was off the charts. She believes (and she has a doctorate in psychology) he only has FOUR distinct personalities. Raven being one of them. Billy had the abilitiy and knowledge to manipulate his condition, making it appear much more severe.
Of course, she can't write anything about this, because Billy's publicist made everyone caring for him sign a waiver saying they wouldn't. Yes... Billy Milligan has a publicist.
He also was a millionaire (because he exploited his disease) and drove a corvette on the weekends they let him go home.... yep... they let Billy Milligan have weekends.
This book is a very good interpretaion on what could possibly been going on in Billy's head. However, after talking with someone who was actually there, and knew him well.... makes me second guess the validity of it.
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