As a leading figure in the ‘Beat Generation’, US writer William S Burroughs prompted many creatives and scientists to experiment with mind-altering drugs. Professor Andrew Lees, a leading Parkinson’s researcher, was among those drawn to Burroughs’ radical thinking – as chronicled in his new book ‘Mentored by a Madman’. In this exclusive review, Susanna Lindvall, vice-president of the European Parkinson’s Disease Association, praises Lees’ “fearlessness” and expresses hope that his example will encourage more doctors and scientists to be “open-minded and free”