It's hard to imagine that Cold War skulduggery such as brainwashing experiments could actually take place, let alone take place in Canada with CIA funding, but take place they did, at the Allan Memorial Institute in Montreal. This book tells the victims' stories, the treatments they received and the horrifying effects. The events are also placed in context to provide a broader picture and show how Dr. Cameron came to develop his treatments. The last few chapters chronicle the victims' fight for justice by suing the CIA itself, a section that feels incomplete, mainly because the book was published in 1988. However, it, like the rest of the book, is written clearly and contains extensive details.

There is also a TV movie called "The Sleep Room" based on the events told in this book. It is very good and, since it was released ten years after the book was published, contains a bit of an epilogue that elaborates on the fates of the victims and the outcome of their lawsuit. Both forms of the story are illuminating and chilling and should definitely be explored. ( )