"A unique and compulsively readable book by a distinguished social historian and historian of medicine. Through his access to the records of the Kennedy Foundation, Shorter illuminates the Kennedy Family's philanthropic interests in a way that no one has done before, despite all that has been written on nearly all aspects of the Kennedys. And he tells us a great ... Read moredeal about America's public and private responses to mental retardation. This book deserves the attention of political historians, historians of disability, philanthropy and medicine, and the general public alike. It represents a singular and quite impressive achievement." -Edward Berkowitz, Chair, Department of History, George Washington University, and author of Disabled Policy: America's Programs for the Handicapped "Marshaling an impressive array of organizational records and archival sources, including Kennedy family records never before seen by historians, Edward Shorter presents the intriguing story of how one family truly made a difference in the struggle to educate Americans and redirect our research agenda regarding Mental Retardation. "A lively, wonderfully engaging account of the momentous contributions of Eunice Kennedy Shriver to the Mental Retardation movement, the book is also a deserved tribute to the families of the mentally retarded. Moreover, Shorter details the chilling history of how the treatment and perception of the mentally retarded only recently evolved from the barbarisms to commonly practiced in prior decades. Shorter's unique professional perspective adds cachet to the deft sensitivity with which he tells this compelling story. A fascinating study, it will resonate with many audiences." -James W. Hilty, Professor of History, Temple University, and author of Robert Kennedy: Brother Protector (Temple) "Shorter has given us an excellent, critical study of the impact of the Kennedy family on the care of the retarded. It is an important scholarly contribution to the historical literature on mental retardation." -Journal of History of the Behavioral Sciences "...provides insight into a time when society began to question the orthodoxy of the notion that persons with retardation could not learn and had to be institutionalized. ...Shorter reminds us that, at least in the case of mental retardation policy, the legacy of the [Kennedys] remains solid and enduring." -ISIS Show Less