The author is a clinitian who, after noticing some remarkable transformation in patient taking the medication, investigates the clinical, ethical and philosophical issues surrounding Prozac (or similar medication). For instance, how does new medication influence clinical practice? If medication can trigger deep changes in patients' personality, then what is the "self" and how are we to distinguish the "essential self" from mood and transient characteristic. What is personality, temperament or character. In a broader sense, the author revisit the nature-nurture debate. If Prozac influence a cluster or personal traits in patient, this would indicate that a number of these traits are biologically based. The author also discusses moral issues surrounding the administration of drugs such as Prozac to generally healthy patient. How moral is it to try to use drug to give patients characters' trait that are valued by society.
While the author does use Prozac in his practive and does hide the fact that he finds its use benefitial in many cases, the book is not an apology of Prozac but rather a discussion of deeper issues surrounding the medication.
My only criticism of the book is that I would have like to see the author spend more time in unsuccessful use of Prozac. I have a mood disorder and I have been on most types of anti-depressant known to mankind and I have met a number of patient using Prozac or similar medication. My own experience of SSRIs medication is far from being all positive. Unlike many patient he describes who find that they are "better than well" and "really themselves" on Prozac, I find myself being transformed into somebody I am not while on medication. Medication works in so far as it makes me less depressed. Everybody likes me better on medication but I don't "feel myself".
At any rate, my personal experience with AD medication made me think about such issues (Who am I? What part of me is just a reaction to a mood I am in and what part of me is essentially me? Are these medication transforming me into somebody else? Who am I taking these medication for? Is it for me or to make me a better partner, worker and consumer? I am less creative on meds, is neurosis essential to creativity, etc.). This book gave me insight and different perspective into these topics.