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celestelipkes's review against another edition
4.0
It is with great relief that I finally finished this book. In addition to its monstrous length, both the timing of my reading and the content between the book's covers made completing it difficult. But! I am glad I did. Though I found the second half of the book more compelling than the first, often grew annoyed at Solomon for not better curating his interviews (huge walls of quotations are common), and wished he had directly addressed more issues of psychiatric ethics, I do think a lot of this book is masterful and important. Though I dog-eared many pages, I think the section that struck me most was an interview at the beginning of the book with a woman who set up a refuge camp for orphans and depressed women in Khmer Rouge. She describes the process of rehabilitating women who, though they survived war, would now likely die from their depression and incapacitating PTSD. She distracts them with music, teaches them to work, and encourages community. The key to overcoming, she says, is knowing "these three skills--forgetting, working, and loving." In writing this book about his own depression, the depression of others, and the tangled issues of depression at large, I think Solomon allows himself to remember his own suffering in order to forget it. And, as he says at the end, "is that not a rare joy?"
alicetheowl's review against another edition
4.0
A comprehensive view of depression, from personal anecdotes to history, philosophy, psychology, pharmacology, sociology, and anthropology. It even proposes an evolutionary reason for the existence of depression. Not a happy read, but an interesting one.
I recommend against the audio version. The author reads in a nasally half-whine that nearly made me give up at several points.
I recommend against the audio version. The author reads in a nasally half-whine that nearly made me give up at several points.
danmeier's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely fabulous. This book moved me to my core and helped me understand myself better.
mallott's review against another edition
2.0
Especially after "Far From the Tree," I was expecting to get more out of this book, another extended personal/journalistic essay of a medical/social nature.
Maybe it's having grown up with an awareness of major depression from family history, a psychiatrist parent, or my own personal history with it, but the book didn't feel that revelatory. It is a well-written account of the author's experiences, with a few interesting explorations of different aspects of depression (the cross-cultural chapter's visit to Greenland Inuits is particularly good), but it's a bit dated at this point, and I didn't feel like my overall understanding of depression was advanced that much.
There's nothing egregiously wrong with this book, and I'm sure others will find it more helpful and affirming, but it didn't do that much for me as a whole.
Maybe it's having grown up with an awareness of major depression from family history, a psychiatrist parent, or my own personal history with it, but the book didn't feel that revelatory. It is a well-written account of the author's experiences, with a few interesting explorations of different aspects of depression (the cross-cultural chapter's visit to Greenland Inuits is particularly good), but it's a bit dated at this point, and I didn't feel like my overall understanding of depression was advanced that much.
There's nothing egregiously wrong with this book, and I'm sure others will find it more helpful and affirming, but it didn't do that much for me as a whole.
gohnar23's review against another edition
4.0
This and "Night Falls Fast" are literally twin reads regarding this topic of suicide and depression :)
northbailey's review against another edition
3.0
I did not like all the chapters equally, but the first four and the last one would be recommended for anyone who would like to learn more about depression. The amount of support that Solomon got during some of his breakdowns was striking to me and I am jealous.
marilianadir's review against another edition
5.0
Livro incrível! Traz muitas informações sobre os mais variados aspectos da depressão e traz várias histórias verídicas.
elizgeise's review against another edition
3.0
“Antonin Artaud wrote on one of his drawings, "Never real and always true," and that is how depression feels. You know that it is not real, that you are someone else, and yet you know that it is absolutely true.”
lael_007's review against another edition
5.0
Whether you've struggled with depression (or bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia, or other type of mental "issue"), or just know someone who has, this is a fascinating and extremely thorough book written by a man very much on the inside of the world of mental health. It chronicles his struggles and various attempts at healing, while offering cultural and medical viewpoints along the way.