Book excerpt: This volume had its origin in a stimulating seminar series devoted to historical perspectives on gender and class in the history of psychiatry. The papers presented outlined a number of important perspectives on the place of gender and class within the history of psychiatry and, more broadly, medicine and society. There were also considerable inter-relationships between the various thematic strands developed in the papers - so much so, that organisers, speakers and participants alike were keen to see a published outcome.