Daniel Bergner is a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine and the author of five books of nonfiction including the New York Times bestseller Sing for Your Life. He joins the National Writers Series LIVE at the City Opera House on Thursday, June 2nd for a discussion of newest book, The Mind and the Moon.

The Mind and the Moon is an important—and intimate—interrogation of how we treat mental illness and how we understand ourselves. It raises profound questions about how we understand ourselves and the essential human divide between our brains and our minds.

Why is it that we still don’t understand how the mind works? What is the difference between the mind and the brain? And given all that we still don’t know, how can we make insightful, transformative choices about our psychiatric conditions?

This is a book of thought-provoking reframings, delving into the science—and spirit—of our psyches. It is about vulnerability and personal dignity, the terrifying choices confronted by families and patients, and the prospect of alternatives.

In The Mind and the Moon, Daniel Bergner beautifully explores how to seek a deeper engagement with ourselves and one another—and how to find a better path toward caring for our minds.