One flew over the cuckoo's nest

This book had been recommended by many as a good case-study of sociopathic personalities (people identified their bosses, teachers etc as the Nurse Ratched in their lives). "One flew over the cuckoo's nest" is set in a psychiatric facility with Nurse Ratched, an emotionally manipulative nurse, as the chief overseer. She shames her wards into submission to control them. She goes uncontested until McMurphy, a convict who fakes insanity to escape prison is admitted. McMurphy tries to instigate his wards to stand up for themselves and his efforts catch the eye of the nurse who devises some plans for him. When he learns of them, McMurphy becomes docile and tries to expedite his discharge from the hospital.

But one cannot keep a gambler subdued for too long and soon things escalate - changing everyone's life in the ward.