Madness Invention of an Idea is EASY to read. Madness and Civilization is not that easy. Thats the whole reason why i read Madness Invention of an Idea. I read the whole thing because its short and easy to read. he keeps that one in laymans terms. Invention of an Idea is only under 150 pages. Madness and Civilization is NOT. its around 320 pages. they are two different books by the same author. Civilization covers the history of madness - Invention of an idea goes into the psychoanalysis of psychoanalysis of psychosis (if you got that) and includes a (old) case study of a woman with psychosis and depression and breaks down her thinking and her psychosis.