Hacker News Reader

""...popular paperback, written by some Rockefeller-financed psychiatrist, when I was trying to figure out..""

https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Mind-Brainwashing-Evangelists-...

"In 1938 Sargant was awarded a Rockefeller Fellowship" says author's wiki. I think this book fits the bill.

It does indeed seem to be the book. Thanks.

The author seems to be controversial. The Wikipedia entry on him [1] says things like "his reliance on dogma rather than clinical evidence have confirmed his reputation as a controversial figure whose work is seldom cited in modern psychiatric texts.", and others "described him as 'autocratic, a danger, a disaster' and spoke about 'the damage he did'".

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Sargant

Reply on news.ycombinator.com