The Geography Of Madness: Penis Thieves, Voodoo Death, and the Search for the Meaning of the World's Strangest Syndromes

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Why do thousands of African men become convinced-despite what doctors tell them-that their penises have, simply, disappeared. Why do people across the world become convinced that they are cursed to die on a particular date-and then do? Why do people in Malaysia suddenly orun amoko? In The Geography of Madness, acclaimed magazine writer Frank Bures investigates these and other oculture-boundo syndromes, tracing each seemingly baffling phenomenon to its source. It's a fascinating, and at times rollicking, adventure that takes the reader around the world and deep into the oddities of the human psyche. What Bures uncovers along the way is a poignant and stirring story of the persistence of belief, fear, and hope. From the Hardcover edition.Why do thousands of African men become convinced-despite what doctors tell them-that their penises have, simply, disappeared. Why do people across the world become convinced that they are cursed to die on a particular date-and then do? Why do people in Malaysia suddenly orun amoko? In The Geography of Madness, acclaimed magazine writer Frank Bures investigates these and other oculture-boundo syndromes, tracing each seemingly baffling phenomenon to its source. It's a fascinating, and at times rollicking, adventure that takes the reader around the world and deep into the oddities of the human psyche. What Bures uncovers along the way is a poignant and stirring story of the persistence of belief, fear, and hope. From the Hardcover edition.
FRANK BURES's stories have appeared in Harper's, Esquire, Outside, Bicycling, and Wired, and have been included in a number of Best American Travel Writing anthologies. They've also been selected as Notable picks for Best American Sports Writing 2012 and the Best American Essays 2013. He lives in Minneapolis.