R.D. Laing was one of the most controversial and innovative psychiatrists of modern times. In this biography Laing's son tells the story of his father's career, beginning with his unhappy relationship with an emotionally distant and unexpressive mother, which laid the foundation for a lifetime of pioneering work on madness and the family. Laing formulated his unorthodox views on psychiatry while still at medical school in Glasgow, and there began his intense interaction with disturbed patients. In the mid-60s, he co-founded the therapeutic residential community, Kingsley Hall, where he became famous for his experiments with LSD and his treatment of Mary Barnes.