32% Off Discounts: Special Prices for Into the Wild Review

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Into the Wild Review

There is little suspense (in the traditional sense of the word) in Krakauer's Into the Wild, as anyone who reads the synopsis or picks up the book instantly learns that it is the story of a young man, Chris McCandless, who ventures into the Alaskan Wilderness and who never gets out. Chris' body is found in an abandoned bus used by moose hunters as a makeshift lodge, and Krakauer skillfully attempts to retrace his steps in an effort both to understand what went wrong, and to figure out what made McCandless give away his money, his car, and head off into Denali National Forest in the first place.
His book was one of the most haunting, unforgettable reads in recent years for me. I was mezmerized by passages in the author's other best-selling masterpiece Into Thin Air, such as the passage involving stranded and doomed guide Rob Hall, near the Everest summit, talking to his pregnant wife via satellite phone to discuss names for their unborn child. However, I was unprepared for the depths of emotion felt in reading Into the Wild - it literally kept me up at nights, not just reading but thinking about the book in the dark.
Some reviewers criticized the book because they thought McCandless demonstrated a naive and unhealthy lack of respect for the Alaskan wilderness. This is no hike on the Appalachian Trail - Chris was literally dropped off by a trucker into the middle of nowhere, with no provision stores, guides, or means of assistance nearby at his disposal. He had a big bag of rice and a book about native plants, designed to tell him which plants and berries he could eat. "How could he have been so stupid?", they ask.
Well, I certainly didn't feel compelled to give away my belongings, pack some rice and a Tolstoy novel and walk into the woods after reading the book, but the author does a remarkable job of exploring McCandless the person, including passages derived from interviews with the many poeple whose lives he touched in his odyssey as he drove and then hitch-hiked cross country from his well-to-do suburban home. Some of the more touching parts of the book involved tearful reminisces by some of these old aquaintances when they learned he had perished.
Krakauer also throws in for good measure an illuminating passage about a similar death-defying climb that he foolishly attempted at about the same age as McCandless, with little training and preparation, providing insight into what makes a person attempt a dangerous climb or hike. He even tells several fascinating tales, all of them true, of other recreational hikers who were stranded in the wilderness.
By the end of the book, I thought I understood McCandless' character, and I thought Krakauer was probably right in putting his finger on exactly what caused his death. I was moved by his plight regardless of his possible foolishness in venturing into Denali, and the final scenes involving Chris' family were emotionally devastating. You need not be an outdoorsman to appreciate it, and in fact unlike Into Thin Air the book is completely accessible to those who know nothing about the subject. I think this book is destined to become a classic.

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32% Off Discounts: Purchase Cheap Travels with Charley in Search of America: (Centennial Edition) Review

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Travels with Charley in Search of America: (Centennial Edition) Review

In 1960 John Steinbeck decided to reacquaint himself with America after being away because, in his own words, "I've lost the flavor and taste and sound of it. I'm going to learn about my own country." So he set out on a 3+ month journey with his dog to do just that. Along the way, he met people and made conversation, observed the state of the country, and let his mind wander as he made his journey. Then he returned to his mobile cabin at night and recorded the day's events. These journal entries became "Travels with Charley."
Overall, Steinbeck seems to paint a pretty picture. While driving through New England in the fall, he is taken with the brilliant foliage on display. He is much impressed with Wisconsin, and says about Montana, "I am in love. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love." Later, Steinbeck also speaks glowingly of the California Redwoods.
Steinbeck also has nice things to say about the American people - sometimes. He notes that midwesterners are openly friendly, and again praises Montana, for its inhabitants "had time...to undertake the passing art of neighborliness." However, interspersed throughout his journey, Steinbeck encounters many things which are not so delightful. In fact, some were quite upsetting. He talks of waste - "American cities are like badger holes, ringed with trash" - and of miserable people - "(some people) can drain off energy and joy, can suck pleasure dry and get no sustenance from it. (They) spread a grayness in the air about them." (This was his opinion of a waitress Steinbeck had just met in Maine.) And the waitress wasn't the only one.
Along his journey, he met many close-minded, opinionated, bigoted and rascist Americans, and it made for depressing reading. I don't think Steinbeck was quite prepared for it. I believe he had an idealized vision of a great trip, but in reality, it wasn't, and it took a lot out of him. By the end Steinbeck was burned out and wanted nothing more than to get back home. After California he went straight through to Texas, and then to New Orleans, where he encountered rascism at its worst. That seemed to be the last straw for him. After that, he blew off the rest of the southeast US and went back to New York. He had had enough.
Jay Parini, who wrote the introduction, notes this ominous feeling. He states that the book is filled with "whimsical vignettes, charm, etc., but beneath its surface there is a sense of disenchantment that turns to anger." He goes on to say that Steinbeck "is never quite able to bring himself to say that he was often disgusted by what he saw." But there's no question that he was.
Still, this was a very good book. And it's not demoralizing from start to finish. There are many humors adventures as well - his discussions with border guards near Canada being the most memorable. But one can't help but feel that Steinbeck was sorry he'd gone. He had a pre-conceived notion of what America was, and when it didn't meet his expectations, he was crushed. "Travels with Charley" brilliantly captures what Steinbeck reluctantly learned - that you can't go home again.
Four stars.

Travels with Charley in Search of America: (Centennial Edition) Overview

With his dog Charley, John Steinbeck set out in his truck to explore and experience America in the 1960s. As he talked with all kinds of people, he sadly noted the passing of region speech, fell in love with Montana, and was appalled by racism in New Orleans.--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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45% Off Discounts: Purchase Cheap On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction Review

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On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction Review

I usually only write reviews for books I can praise. I actively avoid giving criticism about books that have, as this one does, a large and enthusiastic following. I feel compelled to write now because I think that many will not be as well served as they imagine after reading these reviews.
I think this book is popular for many understandable and, in themselves, good reasons. The writer is up-beat and optimistic. He supplies simple formulas for complex problems. He has both wit and charm. He supplies many funny stories. He makes fun of pompous academics and pedagogues. He is empathetic and warm. His instructions are personal, not distant or abstract. He requires little of the reader and avoids pesky formalities. For all these reasons, one should be attracted to a non-fictional book of reminiscence about writing. However, all these virtues are not those of a book teaching writing.
Indeed, many dislike books that try to teach writing because the majority are rigorous, boring, and impersonal. So, it is no wonder that against those demanding and dry texts this humane presentation appears as an oasis. However, it is a mistake to think that those emotional values make this a good writing text.
This book's relation with writing is much like a movie's relation with its topic: a narrative about a thing more than an instruction. For instance, "Field of Dreams" may make us happy, but it hardly is likely to make us better baseball players. Here most of Zinsser's time is expended in context, quotation of others, and folksy tale. These are topped off with a brief commands - "Go to it" - that have a cheerleader's enthusiasm and lack of content. He celebrates one style, his own, which is short and informal to the exclusion of the hundreds of others that have graced our language. He gives little help with formal discourse. He feels free to judge -- for instance scientists -- outside his field and beside the point. He makes numerous grammatical errors and seems to recognize the dash as the only punctuation. He generalizes egregiously about topics that are enormous and yet undefined, for instance "the human element."
In short, he is less an instructor and more a coach.
As I said, his many strengths have understandably broad appeal, but this book would be inadequate for the college classes I teach. You may not need such formal help and that is fine as long as you do not think it appears here.

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45% Off Discounts: Purchase Cheap Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations Review

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Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations Review

I've often reflected on something I experienced when I was studying in college. With a busy semester ahead of me, I decided to take "Death and Dying," an elective that had the reputation of being an exceptionally easy course (a "bird course" we called it back then). On the first day we arrived in the lecture hall, the professor handed out a reading list and what he assured us were the lecture notes for the entire course. With these in hand, we were told, there was little use in showing up for the rest of the year unless we were really and truly interested in the subject matter. It was not a difficult course, he said, and we could probably do fine if we just turned in the assignments and showed up to write the exam. Needless to say, most of us took this as an opportunity to have an evening to ourselves each week rather than actually sitting through long and boring lectures on a subject that was of little interest. Also needless to say, most of us earned very poor grades. I've contrasted this in my mind to courses where the professor challenged us on the first day that his would be an exceedingly difficult course and one that would require the best we had. With such a challenge, many students rose to the challenge. Knowing that expectations were high and knowing that we faced a long and difficult fight, we reacted by putting out more effort and ultimately by doing better.
High expectations, it seems, often results in greater performance. Tragically, we live at a time where we expect very little of teenagers. The teen years, we seem to think, are a time where we can and must expect little. If our teenagers manage to avoid dangerous drugs, manage to avoid pregnancy and manage to avoid completely derailing their lives, we consider these years a success. We maintain low expectations and are not surprised when teenagers deliver very little.
Do Hard Things is a book for teens--and a distinctly different kind of book for teens. "Check online or walk through your local bookstore. You'll find plenty of books written by fortysomethings who, like, totally understand what it's like being a teenager. You'll find a lot of cheap, throwaway books for teens, because young people today aren't supposed to care about books, or to see any reason to keep them around. And you'll find a wide selection of books where you never have to read anything twice--because the message is dumbed down. Like, just for you." But this book is a challenging book, and one written by teens and for teens. It is written by Brett and Alex Harris, whose greatest claim to fame (other than being the younger brothers of Joshua Harris) is being the minds behind The Rebelution--one of the internet's most popular sites for teens and now a series of conferences. This book continues the message they've been communicating in every other forum.
That message is simple but far too often overlooked in society today: rebel against low expectations. They cast a vision of a better way of doing the teen years in which so many teens have been "conditioned to believe what is false, to stop when things feel hard, and to miss out on God's incredible purpose for [the] teen years." They look at five kinds of hard--five different kinds of hard things that can challenge the expectations of those around them: things that are outside of your comfort zone, things that are beyond what is expected or required, things that are too big to accomplish alone, things that don't earn an immediate pay off and things that challenge the cultural norm. They describe each of these through stories and examples drawn primarily from their lives and from the lives of other "rebelutionaries" who have shared their stories with the authors.
Though this book is targeted squarely at teens, I can't deny that the message rubbed off even on this reader whose teen years are far behind. There is something inspiring in watching teens shake off the low expectations that plague their lives and there is something in it that makes me want to examine where I may also have fallen prey to low expectations. Writing as the proud older brother of these authors, Joshua Harris says truly that "Every former teen needs this book, too. I know I do. There's no age-limit on the Rebelution. It's never to late to do hard things."
For too long our expectations of teens, and their expectations of themselves, have been far too low. In Do Hard Things Alex and Brett Harris rebel against low expectations and encourage their peers to meet the challenge of doing tough things for God's sake and for God's glory. I wish I could have read this book when I was a teen. I'm glad that my children will have the opportunity. I pray it will stir them and stir a whole generation of young people, to use their teen years to do the hard things God calls them to do. And I pray that the teen years are only the beginning, only the foundation, of lives lived to the glory of God.

Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations Overview

A generation stands on the brink of a "rebelution." A growing movement of young people is rebelling against the low expectations of today's culture by choosing to "do hard things" for the glory of God. And Alex and Brett Harris are leading the charge.Do Hard Things is the Harris twins' revolutionary message in its purest and most compelling form, giving readers a tangible glimpse of what is possible for teens who actively resist cultural lies that limit their potential.Combating the idea of adolescence as a vacation from responsibility, the authors weave together biblical insights, history, and modern examples to redefine the teen years as the launching pad of life. Then they map out five powerful ways teens can respond for personal and social change.Written by teens for teens, Do Hard Things is packed with humorous personal anecdotes, practical examples, and stories of real-life rebelutionaries in action. This rallying cry from the heart of an already-happening teen revolution challenges a generation to lay claim to a brighter future, starting today."Most people don't expect you to understand what we're going to tell youin this book. And even if you understand, they don't expect you tocare. And even if you care, they don't expect you to do anything aboutit. And even if you do something about it, they don't expect it to last.We do." – Alex and Brett

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42% Off Discounts: Best Buy for The Freedom Writers Diary : How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them Review

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The Freedom Writers Diary : How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them Review

I saw the movie, then went out and bought the book. I sat down and read the book cover to cover in one sitting; I couldn't put it down. It's true that this book has not been prettied up. There is harsh language, there is sex, and there is drugs. But the writers don't glorify sex or drugs. They speak honestly about their lives, including their struggles with addictions, abuse, pregnancy, and above all, violence.
The book works because it is real. Erin Gruell's teaching worked because she allowed the students to be real, to be honest, and to be themselves. If anything, the movie downplayed Erin Gruell's accomplishments. From the book, one learns that she started her efforts to reach out to the students, including working a second job, when she was still a student teacher, a time during which most teachers, even in "safe" suburban schools, are just trying to survive day to day. The book also points out that there were 150 "freedom writers" in five classes, not the one small class shown in the movie.
I have been teaching at the high school and college level for ten years. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is honestly interested in making education a more meaningful experience for the students. It's true that parts of the students' lives are not pretty. But that is exactly the point.

The Freedom Writers Diary : How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them Overview

Straight from the front line of urban America, the inspiring story of one fiercely determined teacher and her remarkable students.As an idealistic twenty-three-year-old English teacher at Wilson High School in Long beach, California, Erin Gruwell confronted a room of "unteachable, at-risk" students. One day she intercepted a note with an ugly racial caricature, and angrily declared that this was precisely the sort of thing that led to the Holocaust—only to be met by uncomprehending looks. So she and her students, using the treasured books Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo as their guides, undertook a life-changing, eye-opening, spirit-raising odyssey against intolerance and misunderstanding.They learned to see the parallels in these books to their own lives, recording their thoughts and feelings in diaries and dubbing themselves the "Freedom Writers" in homage to the civil rights activists "The Freedom Riders."With funds raised by a "Read-a-thon for Tolerance," they arranged for Miep Gies, the courageous Dutch woman who sheltered the Frank family, to visit them in California, where she declared that Erin Gruwell's students were "the real heroes." Their efforts have paid off spectacularly, both in terms of recognition—appearances on "Prime Time Live" and "All Things Considered," coverage in People magazine, a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley—and educationally. All 150 Freedom Writers have graduated from high school and are now attending college.With powerful entries from the students' own diaries and a narrative text by Erin Gruwell, The Freedom Writers Diary is an uplifting, unforgettable example of how hard work, courage, and the spirit of determination changed the lives of a teacher and her students. The authors' proceeds from this book will be donated to The Tolerance Education Foundation, an organization set up to pay for the Freedom Writers' college tuition. Erin Gruwell is now a visiting professor at California State University, Long Beach, where some of her students are Freedom Writers.

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38% Off Discounts: Buy Cheap Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster Review

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Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster Review

I first read "Into Thin Air" right after it was first published five years ago. It haunted me at the time, and it continues to do so today. By now, the story has been told so many times and by so many different people that it hard to remember that Krakauer's original account is the one that made it famous to begin with. Were it not for his incredible abilities as a storyteller, it is doubtful that anyone outside the world of mountaineering would remember what happened at the peak of Everest in that fateful May of 1996.
Krakauer's account is so compelling because it reads like a book length confession, which it is in a sense. The author worked through his very considerable feelings of survivor's guilt in the book's pages. His descriptions and not inconsiderable opinions have become legendary. For example, how many people read of AOL Chairman Robert Pittman's recent outster from the company and remembered him as the husband of Sandra Hill Pittman, who personified the rich amature climber who buys their way to the top of the world's tallest peak and who has no business being there? Krakauer's descriptions of Mrs. Pittman on the mountain are an example of his simple but devastating observations.
Krakauer's highly readable prose make the book read like fiction, probably another reason why it was so popular. He signed on for the Everest climb intending to write a standard mountaineering magazine article. That he chose the fateful May 1996 climb is simply a rare case of someone being at the wrong place at precisely the right time. Though it caused him plenty of personal torment, it also allowed him to write a story for the ages.
Overall, "Into Thin Air" fantastic storytelling make it one of the best non-fiction books published in the last decade or so.

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45% Off Discounts: Lowest Price Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life Review

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Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life Review

This is not a how-to book. This is not a New Age manual for freeing your creativity in ethereal ways. This is Anne Lamott, for heaven's sake...and that means it's funny! As in, laugh- till-you-can't-read-the-words-through-the-tears-in-your-eyes funny. (Some call this therapy, and I'm inclined to agree.)
Though aimed at writers, this book is full of sage advice and razor-edged honesty for the average joe. If you're a writer--and I claim to be one--it's more than a few anecdotes and good advice; it's a lifeline in the thrashing seas of rough-draftdom, a foothold on the sands of jealousy and vain ambition. Anne makes it clear that writing must be pursued for something other than mere publication. (Though, to be honest, I know she's just trying to let the majority of us down easy.) Writing is about letting go, growing, facing truths, and holding on.
I'm hooked on Lamott. She slaps me in the face with her startling revelations, nudges me in the ribs with her unpredictable humor, and prods my frozen little writer's hands back into action with warm compassion. This book won't solve the mechanical aspects of my writing, or lead me on the path of structural excellence, but it will spark my creativity, free my characters to be true to themselves, and, ultimately, shake me from my doldrums back into the writing mode.
In a society addicted to mindless facts and information, "Bird by Bird" reminds us--writers or otherwise--that it's all about heart. Heart and mind and soul dancing together, even if they step all over each other's feet.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life Overview

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34% Off Discounts: Buy Cheap 1,000 Steampunk Creations: Neo-Victorian Fashion, Gear, and Art (1000 Series) Review

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1,000 Steampunk Creations: Neo-Victorian Fashion, Gear, and Art (1000 Series) Review

I just received my copy of 1000 Steampunk Creations today and I love it. For the price you can't beat it. It's 320 pages in a stiff paperback/hardback with quality printing (no printing issues noticed).
The book is divided into the following chapters:
Modified Technology
Fine Art and Sculpture
Home Decor
Hats and Accessories
Jewelry
Inventions and Contraptions
and includes and image directory, artist directory and resources.
There is a very very short introduction, and the rest of the book is nothing but pictures and captions. So, at 320 pages this gives you an idea of the amount of material presented (1000 creations as the title mentions).
It's a must for Steampunk enthusiasts, and at this price I'd say if you are an artist or other creative type I would pick this one up. Highly recommended.

1,000 Steampunk Creations: Neo-Victorian Fashion, Gear, and Art (1000 Series) Overview

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38% Off Discounts: Buy Cheap A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier Review

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A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier Review

While I did find this book painful to read, I am very glad I stayed with it. Ishmael tells his story in casual language, almost as if he were sitting next to you, sharing his experiences over (many cups of) tea.
He relays his life to us chronologically, beginning in his home village. He and some friends took a several day trip to a neighboring village to show off their hip-hop skills at a talent show. Little did they know, that little trip probably saved their lives. For while they were away, the rebel army attacked their home village.
From there, we follow Ishmael and his friends as they try to find their families (all had had to flee the village, literally running for their lives) struggling to meet the barest of necessities. It is a long, dangerous road they walk, and they suffer countless difficulties as they try to find somewhere safe to stay. A tunnel with no light. You really feel the desperation, the loneliness and despair that descended upon this poor little boy. Much of the book is about this time of wandering, going hungry, being ill-met by other villages who suspect these young, homeless friends of being a wandering squad of rebel child-soldiers. They are met with suspicion at best, hostility at worst.
It is actually understandable when Ishmael is manipulated into fighting with the government army. He is finally in a village that feels safe, he is eating, there are soldiers protecting the village, that is until the rebels surround the village, leaving no path for escape. All males (even 6 or 8 year olds) must fight for their lives, or die.
It begins as such, fighting for the "good side," the ones who did not kill his family, and fighting to defend himself. But, as this brief portion of the book tells us, he quickly descended into the much darker side of warfare, where the good and bad guys are not so easily discerned. When did he cross the line and become someone who kills some other little boy's family? It is so painful, so sad.
But Ishmael does not delve too deeply into the emotions behind his motivations and reactions. Nor does he tell us much about how he has come to reconcile with himself. He tells us some, and maybe this is my psych degree, but I want to know more, I hope he is able to go deeper within himself. I don't need to read about it, but I hope he can because I want him to truly be alright now. You will, too, because no feeling human can read this book and not find themselves truly caring about this young man.
And now I think of the other children still out there, still being coerced into fighting the wars of horrible adult men. I want to help them, which is, I imagine, part of Ishmael's hope.
Don't wait for the cheaper paperback, this is a book to read now - you will want to talk to people about it. Prepare to be stirred.

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier Overview

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45% Off Discounts: Best Buy for Cracking the AP World History Exam, 2012 Edition (College Test Preparation) Review

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Cracking the AP World History Exam, 2012 Edition (College Test Preparation) Review

After looking at several different brands of review books for this past year when I took AP World History, I decided on this one. It was more concise than other review books (more big picture, some detail but not as much) and it was recommended by both my teacher and other students. I like it because it focused on the big ideas instead of tiny little details. This was so helpful because if you only know lots of small details, they may not even be on the test. If you understand the big picture that connects all those details, you'll do a lot better because it will help you on the essay section (which I was most scared about) and help you figure out detail-oriented multiple choice questions.
I bought the 2011 Edition of this book, and I'm sure the 2012 one is only better. The author has a sense of humor and explains in normal, everyday talk to simplify what the textbook says. The practice tests are very helpful because they're harder than the actual exam was, so if you can work through them you'll be really prepared for the exam.
I got a 5 on the AP world exam, and I know I would not have been able to do it without this book. I learned a lot in class, but this book helped pull it all together. I only wish I had bought it earlier because I think it would have been loads of help to prepare me for each unit test throughout the year (there are 5 units) as well as the actual exam.
If you're taking AP world, GET THIS BOOK! you won't be sorry!

Cracking the AP World History Exam, 2012 Edition (College Test Preparation) Overview

If you need to know it, it's in this book. Cracking the AP World History, 2012 Edition, includes: • 2 full-length practice tests, fully updated for the May 2012 Exam • Comprehensive review of all topics from prehistoric times to the present • Timelines, summaries, and key term lists in every chapter • Helpful strategies for writing high-scoring DBQ and free-response essays • Advice on how to use Process of Elimination to maximize your multiple-choice section score • Updated strategies which reflect the AP test scoring change • Detailed explanations for every practice question


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32% Off Discounts: Special Prices for As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl (P.S.) Review

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As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl (P.S.) Review

This is a wonderfully written book and a fascinating look into the debate of nature versus nurture in the area of gender assignment. Intelligent and insightful, the author draws a compassionate portrait of a family who, faced with a decision in the wake of a tragedy, relies upon the advice of a well-respected doctor, which reliance turned out to be misplaced. The book details the aftermath of the family's fateful decision and the impact it was to have on them all.
In August 1965, Canadians Janet and Ron Reimer gave birth to identical twin boys, whom they named Brian and Bruce. When they were about eight months old, they arranged to have them circumcised due to a medical condition that caused them pain during urination. Circumcision was to remedy the problem. Little did they know that the circumcision for Bruce would be botched, resulting in the loss of his penis.
A plastic surgeon with whom the Reimers had consulted in connection with the catastrophe that had struck Bruce had spoken to a sex researcher who had recommended that they raise Bruce as a girl. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic had suggested that they ought to get a second opinion with regards to that suggestion. The parents then consulted with a doctor affiliated with John Hopkins Hospital, Dr. John Money, a renowned doctor in the area of gender transformation, who had been the driving force behind the then controversial surgical gender re-assignment procedure for which the hospital was becoming known.
In 1967, the distraught parents met with Dr. Money and shortly after, Bruce became Brenda and clinical castration followed. Thus, their child, who genetically and anatomically had been born a boy, was for all extent and purposes now deemed to be a girl. Brian was now on the other side of the gender divide of his identical twin brother, the twin formerly known as Bruce.
Moreover, Dr. Money now had a dream scientific experiment, because he had a set of twins for which the unafflicted twin could act as a control by which to measure the afflicted one. In 1972, Dr. Money disclosed his "twins case" to the medical world, giving a slanted version of the experiment that made it appear to be an unqualified success. Unfortunately, his analysis of the situation did not disclose the difficulties that Brenda was having and her seeming inability to adjust to being a girl.
Apparently, though Brenda had no idea as she was growing up that she had originally been born a boy, she never felt that she was a girl. Years of follow-up visits with Dr. Money for both twins proved to be unsettling for them, as Dr. Money employed somewhat bizarre methods and procedures. Moreover, as Brenda grew older, she would resist additional surgeries and initially resisted the hormone therapy that was introduced on the eve of puberty. Even when confronted with a totally rebellious Brenda, Dr. Money, however, remained in denial about the failure of his experiment. He would continue to tout his treatment of Brenda as an unqualified success.
It was not until March of 1980 that Brenda was finally informed by her father about what had happened to her years ago and what had been decided in light of the circumstances. It was a revelation that was to dramatically change Brenda's life. What followed was a repudiation of Dr. Money's assertions with respect to his treatment. The book details the changes that Brenda was to make in her life, changes that would find her living the life she was originally meant to lead. Brenda would now become David and live the life of a male. Unfortunately, happiness would continue to elude him.
This is a simply wonderful, intimate look at a family that survived a hideous tragedy. It also sympathetically and sensitively details the personal journey of one family through the labyrinthine differences in opinion surrounding the age old debate over nature versus nature. I would certainly assert that nature, and not nurture, controls. This is a very well thought out book on the issue, grounded in the tragic experience of one family. Bravo!

As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl (P.S.) Overview

In 1967, after a twin baby boy suffered a botched circumcision, his family agreed to a radical treatment that would alter his gender. The case would become one of the most famous in modern medicine—and a total failure. As Nature Made Him tells the extraordinary story of David Reimer, who, when finally informed of his medical history, made the decision to live as a male. A macabre tale of medical arrogance, it is first and foremost a human drama of one man's—and one family's—amazing survival in the face of terrible odds.


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Best Buy for Freakonomics Rev Ed: (and Other Riddles of Modern Life) (P.S.) Review

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Freakonomics Rev Ed: (and Other Riddles of Modern Life) (P.S.) Review

This is an excellent, very readable book by a couple of guys who like to go against the grain.
Steven D. Levitt is the economist who teaches at the prestigious University of Chicago school of economics, and Stephen J. Dubner is the talented wordsmith. They come off a little on the self-satisfied side here, but who can blame them? They have a surprise best seller in a new edition.
What really powered this book to national attention was their argument that the sharp nation-wide drop in crime starting in about 1990 was not due so much to having more cops on the beat, or smarter, better policing, or to having so many criminals in prison--as most of us thought--but instead the reason the crime rate dropped is that Roe v. Wade became the law of the land in 1973!
Arguments about this unintended (to say the least) consequence of making abortion legal raged as soon as this book hit the stores (or maybe before) and are raging still. Personally, put me down among those who find the argument persuasive. But I don't want to rehash all that now. Instead let me point to some other topics in the book.
Most interesting is the chapter entitled "Why Do Drug Dealers Still Live with Their Moms?" The authors tell the story of Sudhir Venkatesh who was working on a PhD in sociology at the University of Chicago. He was sent to do some sociology in Chicago's poorest black neighborhoods and ended up spending several years learning about the crack business at the street level complete with--oh, how the economists loved this!--spiral notebooks with four years worth of the crack gang's financial transactions. Venkatesh discovered that the gang worked a lot like "most American businesses, actually, though perhaps none more so than McDonald's." (p. 89) The drug dealers still lived at home with their moms because most of them were making less than minimum wage. Why do a dangerous job for such low pay? Answer: like basketball dreams, the upside potential and the glamour of it! The middle level manager, "J.T.," a university educated dude, was making tax-free about $100,000 a year while the gang board of directors each earned about half a mil per. After J.T. reached his level of incompetence as a member of the board of directors, the gang got busted and he went to jail.
Also fascinating is the information on the socioeconomic and racial status of parents as revealed by their choices in first names for their children. Whitest girls names: Molly, Amy, Claire, Emily... Blackest girls names, Imani, Ebony, Shanice, Aaliyah, Precious... Most common names given to girls of high-education parents: Katherine, Emma, Alexandra, Julia... Boys: Benjamin, Samuel, Alexander, John, William... Low education boys names: Cody, Travis, Brandon, Justin...
But it'll change, as Messrs. Levitt and Dubner explain. Names go in and out of fashion and sometimes come back in. "Susan" was the most popular girls name in 1960. It didn't make the top ten in 2000. "Emily" led the list followed by Hannah, Madison, Sarah...
Interesting is the tale of Robert Lane who named one of his kids "Winner" and another "Loser." Winner Lane went on to become one of life's losers, and Loser Lane (called "Lou" by his friends) graduated from Lafayette College, Pa. and went on to become a police sergeant in New York City. So much for the effect of names--or maybe it's like "a boy named Sue": you overcome your name or you fail to live up to it.
There's a chapter on parenting that also raised some eyebrows, but again I think our clever authors got it right. Basically parenting skills are overrated. What really counts is who your parents are, not so much whether they read a lot to you or bought you Einstein tapes or even if they sent you to Head Start. In the "nature vs. nurture" debate, clearly nature is in the ascendancy.
This, the revised and expanded edition contains a New York Times Magazine article about Levitt written by Dubner before this collaboration, seven columns from the New York Time Magazine, and some entries from the Freakonomics blog on the Web.
Bottom line: an irresistible read and a book biz phenomenon.

Freakonomics Rev Ed: (and Other Riddles of Modern Life) (P.S.) Overview

Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? Why do drug dealers still live with their moms? How much do parents really matter? How did the legalization of abortion affect the rate of violent crime?

These may not sound like typical questions for an econo-mist to ask. But Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He is a much-heralded scholar who studies the riddles of everyday life—from cheating and crime to sports and child-rearing—and whose conclusions turn conventional wisdom on its head.

Freakonomics is a groundbreaking collaboration between Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, an award-winning author and journalist. They usually begin with a mountain of data and a simple question. Some of these questions concern life-and-death issues; others have an admittedly freakish quality. Thus the new field of study contained in this book: freakonomics.

Through forceful storytelling and wry insight, Levitt and Dubner show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives—how people get what they want, or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing. In Freakonomics, they explore the hidden side of . . . well, everything. The inner workings of a crack gang. The truth about real-estate agents. The myths of campaign finance. The telltale marks of a cheating schoolteacher. The secrets of the Klu Klux Klan.

What unites all these stories is a belief that the modern world, despite a great deal of complexity and downright deceit, is not impenetrable, is not unknowable, and—if the right questions are asked—is even more intriguing than we think. All it takes is a new way of looking.

Freakonomics establishes this unconventional premise: If morality represents how we would like the world to work, then economics represents how it actually does work. It is true that readers of this book will be armed with enough riddles and stories to last a thousand cocktail parties. But Freakonomics can provide more than that. It will literally redefine the way we view the modern world.


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32% Off Discounts: Best Buy for Regression to Times and Places (Meditation Regression) Review

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Regression to Times and Places (Meditation Regression) Review

Brian has the perfect voice for this kind of thing. This CD is part of a series of 3. I have all 3. I love them all.
Brian is a graduate of Columbia University and Yale Medical School. Part of his private practice is in hypnotic regression therapy. Brian begins by guiding you into a very relaxing state of consciousness, then into a protective bubble of light, so you feel "safe" enough to let yourself go. He releases your mind from the time/space limitations so you can remember "everything". You then walk down a long staircase to a beautiful peaceful garden where your body goes into a deeper relaxation state so it can heal and rejuvinate. You then see a beautiful building, ascend its steps, and meet a beautiful being (spirit guide), enter the building to receive healing there, in a special room, covered in light reflecting on you through the crystals. You can even adjust/tune the crystals to direct specific colored light beams into specific body parts. This is really quite nice and if you are already familiar with energy concepts/healing with color and crystals/and advanced visualization techniques, this CD will be especially precious to you. This is an excellent treat for your inner and outer self. As you absorb the healing rays, you can ask questions of your guide and review the possible origins of your illness/problem/symptom, etc. (so you can recognize and analyze it/them and then release them). He encourages you to let go of negative emotions of fear/anger/sadness/anxiety/tension/etc. that affect your health and encourages you to feel the positive emotions of peace/love/harmony/joy. You then say goodbye to your guide and return to the garden and rest in a very peaceful state while you kind of set the healing in place. Then you awaken gently.
I usually zonk out and my subconscious takes over.) With meditation or subliminal programming CDs, I believe that they work on the subconscious level, even if you fall asleep. Even if you think that is baloney, then at least I had a very peaceful sleep. What is it the former Bionic Woman says on the Sleep Number Mattress commercials?--"recuperative sleep" or something like that. Sleep really does provide a great opportunity for your mind to help you recognize problems and consider solutions, and also to just shut down and relax. So, if you use this CD for nothing else than a good night's sleep, that alone is worth the price of the CD, especially in these high-stress times. Think of this as a mini-vacation that you can take any time for the cost of lunch or dinner.
There is a second relaxation and meditation experience where you again go deep into la-la land, first by relaxing every cell in your body and relaxing the peacefulness in your heart and filling yourself with a healing light to rid yourself of illness and restoring every cell to its perfect state. Again you go into a protective light bubble and go into a deep state of relaxation where you are beyond the space/time limitations. You return to the garden for healing and peace and go into a journey to your past through a reflective mirror. You move through the mirror to reexperience the past or the future and look for answers for your current lifetime. You are encouraged to just enjoy the experience and not worry about if it is real or not. Of course, Brian brings you back when the experience is over, to feel well rested from your mini-vacation and very peaceful.
You will likely have no problem waking up if there is ever a need to. My experience has been that you are deep enough to completely experience this mini-trip but somehow stay available to the current world if you need to be.
I recently attended a conference where Dr. Weiss was a featured speaker, along with John Holland and Candy Diaz. All 3 of them were great. That conference was actually where I bought the 3 CDs, but they are less expensive at Amazon. I continue to be very pleased with the HayHouse authors I have found. Brian Weiss is one of several.

Regression to Times and Places (Meditation Regression) Overview

The MEDITATION REGRESSION Series . . .
helps you discover and learn meditation and regression techniques. The meditations utilize powerful imagery to promote physical, mental, and spiritual healing and renewal; profound relaxation; and deeper self-understanding. The regressions provide different techniques for retrieval of memories from this lifetime and prior lifetimes, as well as methods to access spiritual states and inner wisdom. (The other two CDs in this series are: SPIRITUAL PROGRESS THROUGH REGRESSION and REGRESSION THROUGH THE MIRRORS OF TIME.)

REGRESSION TO TIMES AND PLACES uses several visualizations to access the mind-body connection for healing; for releasing negative thoughts, feelings, and emotions; and for replacing them with positive energy, peace, wisdom, love, and joy. Dr. Brian L. Weiss uses a technique of recounting different historical time periods and suggesting the visualization of geographical places to trigger past-life memories.



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34% Off Discounts: Purchase Cheap The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Review

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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Review

Wow. This book should be required reading for scientists and students of life. The true story of Henrietta Lacks and her family has finally been told, beautifully, in this book. The book encompasses science, ethics, and the story of a family who was terribly wronged in the pursuit of scientific research. I could gush about this book for pages but I'll try first to hit the main points of why this book is so remarkable in list form for the sake of brevity:1. The author clearly developed a strong relationship with the Lacks family, which was absolutely critical to ensuring the story was told accurately and with the respect to Henrietta Lacks that was so deeply deserved.
2. The storytelling is amazingly moving despite the need to convey a lot of scientific information. It reads like fiction.
3. Ms. Skloot's research into the science is impeccable.
4. The book is FAIR. It presents the unvarnished truth, obtained DIRECTLY from as many prinicpal people involved in the story as is humanly possible. It would have been easier to simplify the story into heroes vs. villians, but Ms. Skloot deftly handles all sides of the story.For some detail: I have worked with HeLa cells in the past, but did not know even the barest information about the story of Henrietta Lacks until a few years ago. It simply was not common knowledge, until a few less ethical folks released her name and medical records to the public. This obviously should not have been done without the express permission of the Lacks family, which Ms. Skloot obtained. In the past, others have not been as ethical. The book covers Ms. Lacks' early life, how her cells came to be harvested, and what happened to both the cells and her family afterward.
The contributions of HeLa cells to science are absolutely staggering and cannot be over-stated. The sections where the science was described were clear and accurate. With the story of Ms. Lacks' family interwoven, this book was fairly close to perfect. I found myself moved to tears several times because of the fate of the Lacks family and Henrietta's daughter's indomitable spirit. I do not think anyone but Ms. Skloot could have written this book. She worked with the family for over a decade in order to get the story right. This was critical, as the family had been wronged too many times in the past.
Thank you for this astounding work of art. I will be donating to the Henrietta Lacks foundation in honor of the entire family, and I hope many others will read the book and be similarly moved.

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43% Off Discounts: Best Price An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness Review

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An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness Review

Over the past 20 years I've had several friends who suffered from manic-depressive illnesses. It's abundantly clear to me that the disease is primarily biochemical and "not their fault." But I had trouble understanding why these people refused to take their medication (or stopped taking it after they started) and otherwise engaged in massive denial. Jamison's frank and well-written book was a revelation: now I feel I have a better sense of the seductiveness of mania, and why creative, intelligent people are often willing to risk the lows of their illness for the sake of the highs. As Jamison points out emphatically, however, the long-term effects of bipolar disorder can be devastating mentally and physically (not to mention the financial and personal fallout) -- hence her crusade to understand the basis of the illness, and learn how to fine-tune the medication so that the sufferer achieves equilibrium without deadening the sensitivity and creativity that often accompany this disease. I'd already read "Night Falls Fast," which is also excellent, but this book set out the personal story behind Jamison's research interests. While she insists that love alone won't cure the disease, it's also clear that, without the love of her loyal friends, this intelligent, talented, and articulate woman might never have made it through the more difficult years, let alone become a respected authority in her profession. Anyone who suffers from bipolar disorders, and those who love them, should read this book.

An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness Overview

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Buy Cheap Man's Search for Meaning Review

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Man's Search for Meaning Review

The first section of this book (which makes up over half of the text) consist of Victor Frankl's account of his experiences in the concentration camp. This section seems unique among the Holocaust accounts that I've seen and read because Dr. Frankl approaches the topic from a psychological perspective. He discusses the ways in which the different prisoners react to their (note: men and women were seperated at the camps, so Frankl is mainly disscussing his experiences with the men in Auschwitz) imprissonment. He writes about the psychological effects of being completely dehumanized; of losing even your name, and becoming simply a number. Also he disscusses the effects of not being able to contact loved ones, or even know is they are still living. Another issue that Dr. Frankl talks about in this book is the idea that none of the prisoners of the concentration camp had an idea as to when there imprissonment would end (if ever). Thus, they were faced with the thought of living the rest of their lives as workers at the camps. Dr. Frankl discusses how people can find meaning to life in these conditions. He also describes how finding meaning in life, or a reason to live, was extraordinarilly important to surviving the camp.
One of the most interesting, and disturbing, issues in the book was the idea of the Capo. These were were people put in charge of their fellow prisoners, in order to keep them in line. Dr. Frankl describes these people as, often, being more harsh than the actual guards. This seems to be a disturbing lesson in the abuse of power. This also goes along with Dr. Frankl's discussion of how the camps brought out the true personality of the people within it (after all the social trapping had been stripped away): The cretins, the saints, and all of those in between.
The second half of the book is made up of two sections "Logotherapy in a Nutshell," and "The Case for Tragic Optimsism." These two sections basically describe Dr. Frankl's theory on as to how to conduct therapy (Logotherapy). The idea behind this therapy is that man is driven by his search for a meaning in life. This differs from the psychoanalysis perspective (driven, at this time, by the ideas of Sigmund Freud) in that the psychoanalytic school believed that humans were driven by their unconscious desires. For Frankl, the need for meaning seems to outway the unconscious. In fact, he goes into detail about the negative effects that the abscence of meaning, or what he calls the "existential Vacuum," has on people. To illustrate many ideas, he often uses his experiences in the concentration camps, as well as various cases for treatment (which help to solidify his view of life, and therapy).
I would recomend this book to almost anybody. I feel that it's interesting, and worthwhile. I would especially recomend this to people interested in psychology, as well as those who wish to learn something about the experiences within the concentration camps.

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34% Off Discounts: Buy Cheap Where You Left Me Review

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Where You Left Me Review

a touching tribute to her late first husband, Jennifer Gardner Trulson's account of loss and new love is touching, poignant, and relatable. i recommend it for anyone who likes a phoenix-from-the-ashes story.

Where You Left Me Overview

Lucky—that's how Jenniferwould describe herself. She had a successful law career, met the loveof her life in Doug, married him, had an apartment in New York City, ahouse in the Hamptons, two beautiful children, and was still madly inlove after nearly seven years of marriage. Jennifer was living the kindof idyllic life that clichés are made of.Until Doug was killedin the attacks on the World Trade Center, and she became a widow at agethirty-five—a "9/11 widow," no less, a member of a select group bound bysorrow, of which she wanted no part. Though completely devastated,Jennifer still considered herself blessed. Doug had loved her enough tolast her a lifetime, and after his sudden death, she was done with theidea of romantic love—fully resigned to being a widowed single mother . .. until a chance encounter with a gregarious stranger changedeverything. Without a clue how to handle this unexpected turn of events,Jennifer faced the question asked by anyone who has ever lost a lovedone: Is it really possible to feel joy again, let alone love?Withunvarnished emotion and clear-eyed sardonic humor, Jennifer tells anordinary woman's extraordinary tale of unimaginable loss, resilience,friendship, love, and healing—which is also New York City's narrative inthe wake of September 11. Where You Left Me is an unlikely love story, aquintessentially New York story—at once Jennifer's tribute to the citythat gave her everything and proof that second chances are possible.

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36% Off Discounts: Buy Cheap Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson Review

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Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson Review

This book is a best seller and continues to stay on the best seller list because in my opinion most people down deep understand the truth of Morrie's basic philosophy that people living exclusively in a materialistic world generally do so to replace what they feel is missing from their lives even though they may not be consciously aware, at the moment, of what precisely is "missing." What is missing ? I found part of this answer in a general sense in this book. I found even more precise and concrete answers in the book An Encounter With A Prophet. I highly recommend both of these books to anyone seeking to find out why they seem to continue to feel something is missing from life.

Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson Overview

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Best Buy for The Glass Castle Review

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The Glass Castle Review

I grew up in Welch, WV and was acquainted with Jeanette and Brian(Lori was older and Maureen was younger). I can attest that her harrowing account of growing up with an alcoholic father and mentally ill mother in the coalfields of WV was as she says. This was a compelling read, all the more so, because it was about people and places I knew so well. As I read, I was filled with sorrow and shame because I was one of those people who didn't want to have close association with them because they were so different from me. I try to asuage my guilt by telling myself I saw things from a child's maturity level. I wish I could apologize and find myself wondering what would have happened if I had befriended Jeanette. She could have enriched my like tremendously. For those of you who doubt things could not have happened like it was written, don't. I knew it and I saw it, and to a degree, lived it. And as tragic as it was, it was true.

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Best Buy for Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness (Open Road) Review

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Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness (Open Road) Review

William Styron is perhaps best known for his bestselling novel, Sophie's Choice, which was converted to screenplay and released as an Academy award-winning motion picture starring Meryl Streep. Many critics acknowledged Styron's seemingly natural ability to evoke a sense of bitter, submerged despair through subtle understatement. The reviewers who lauded his work had no way of predicting that Styron would eventually become afflicted with a more personal misery, a depression so severe it would drive him to suicidal obsession.
Styron's harrowing struggle with clinical depression is the subject of his non-fiction bestseller, Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness (Vintage Books, 1992). In a mercifully brief 84 pages, Styron eloquently demonstrates how the most brutal and debilitating stages of psychotic depression often hurl patients into an existential nightmare from which the only perceived escape is death (and according to Styron, this misperception constitutes one common, potentially lethal distortion of thought in depressed patients).
Darkness Visible opens with a pointed epigraph from the book of Job. This reflects Styron's perception that like Job's trials, depressed patients are beset by something inexplicable and powerful that threatens to destroy the fruits of their life and labor, the relationships they hold dear, and their very understanding of spirituality. Like Job, depressed patients struggle to find cosmological meaning in their suffering. And like Job, depressed patients who petition God to provide this meaning for them may only receive partial answers or worse yet, a silence that reverberates from an expansive, ominous void.
For people who have never experienced the devastating depths of major clinical depression, it may be difficult to empathize with the life and death struggle these patients wage from within the depths of their spirits. Well-meaning friends and family members may mistakenly attempt to encourage the depressed patient by offering preachy platitudes and pleas that lack depth of perception and compassion, such as, "Life is hard sometimes, you can't let it get you down," or "It can't be as bad as you think," or "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps," or "Everybody gets the blues from time to time." These mistaken "helpers" often confuse clinical depression for situational depression (which is less debilitating, usually temporary, and often explicable through environmental factors, such as the recent death of a loved one). For professional caregivers and loved ones who may be struggling with their own responses to a patient's depression, Darkness Visible provides invaluable personal insights, and therefore plays a significant role in dismantling those experiential barriers that allow the "healthy" to separate themselves from the "sick."
Depression is an insidious disease. It gradually robs patients of their ability to experience pleasure. The insidious disease launches an attack on biochemical, cognitive, and emotive aspects of being. Depression may even manifest as a spiritual crisis, as it deteriorates a patient's ability to experience meaning in life. Styron conveys this quality of depression through dreamlike trains of thought reminiscent of Franz Kafka's fiction.
The disease invades the delicate, temporal realm of the empirical and sensual. The subjective lens of the depressed patient distorts shades of vivid color, fading them to washed-out grays and browns. Sensitivity to touch is often drastically reduced, and many depressed patients describe a sensation of feeling like they are enmeshed in gauze, mummified, unable to touch the world, others, or even themselves. Styron describes an associated sense of "drowning" or "suffocation."
Interpretation of sensation is another factor in depression. A warm home is perceived as a cold prison. The softness of a comfortable bed is experienced as the earthen padding of a silent, beckoning grave. And in William Styron's case, an internationally prestigious award ceremony may become an arduous exercise in endurance.
Depression assaults the emotive experiences of patients, as joyous and even celebratory events are transformed into harrowing exercises in futile endurance. In the opening of Darkness Visible, Styron describes his journey to Paris, where he was scheduled to receive a much-coveted award for his lifetime literary achievements. Despite the immense prestige and recognition, Styron was unable to enjoy the experience, and nearly collapsed in exhaustion and stupor before the conclusion of the ceremony. Worse yet, Styron is befuddled by the inexplicable nature of his gloom. He can find no demonstrable cause for his catastrophic reaction to this pinnacle event.
Depression is a psychiatric disease with social implications. When a patient goes through a sustained period of depression, well-loved friends and family members can become alien and suspect. This is compounded by the frustration of loved ones who genuinely wish for the depression to cease and for life to resume as "normal." These loved ones may add insult to injury by offering emotional encouragement that lacks empathetic understanding. When a loved one tells a depressed patient to "get over it", the effect is similar to a situation in which a gym coach screams the words, "Walk it off, sissy!" to his lead athlete, who happens to be nursing a compound fracture.
Styron makes no pretense of being a qualified physician, but he does recommend that clinically depressed patients exercise caution when utilizing pharmaceutical remedies. He focuses his concern on Halcion, a benzodiazepine that has been correlated with anxiety, amnesia, delusions, hostility, and suicidal ideations. Styron adds his name to the list of critics who claim that Halcion may exacerbate depressive symptoms in some patients, essentially reducing the therapeutic process to a cynical game of psychiatric Russian Roulette in which the only guaranteed winners are the pharmaceutical companies and their stockholders.
While medication can provide short-term relief from depressive symptoms, it should never be administered without careful oversight from a qualified physician. Many of the modern serotonin-oriented remedies for depression cause a plethora of eclectic side effects ranging from blurred vision and nausea to lethargy and sexual side effects (as if lack of ability to achieve orgasm would not in and of itself become a depressing factor). Additionally, pharmaceutical therapies should most often be supplemented with psychological therapy. Medications can provide symptomatic relief for qualified patients, but drugs cannot teach those patients the cognitive, emotional, and social coping skills necessary to prevent a relapse of depression.
Darkness Visible sheds light upon its dreary subject, but all is not gloom. Styron actually manages to convey a comedic sense of irony through his prose. This irony is subtle, attitudinal, submerged in his account and descriptions. This attitude is betrayed when he lists the names of several writers (Virginia Woolf, Albert Camus, Sylvia Plath, etc.) who have suffered from depression, himself numbering among them, as if to recount the roster of a truly elite group - melancholic writers - of which Styron is proud to be a member. By surviving to write this book, Styron is an active participant in shaping and extracting his own meaning from the experience of depression.
Depression is a disease that can produce the bittersweet fruit of lasting fellowship among those familiar with the hidden blessings of wisdom resulting from living through madness and despair. This esoteric, intimate knowledge can only be obtained by wrestling with "the dark beast within" and by working out one's own salvation (with fear and trembling, no less). Depressed readers who peruse Darkness Visible may find a valuable sense of community (in fact, the book could very well serve as a valuable therapeutic supplement for specific patients in recovery). And readers who have been fortunate enough to skirt the yawning abyss of depression will find themselves one step closer to dancing, though ever so briefly, with the specter of madness.
On a personal note... I struggled with clinical depression thirteen years ago, culminating in a suicide attempt and subsequent hospitalization. I can attest that Darkness Visible is the deepest, most subjectively accurate description of this disease that I have ever read. Though the subject matter and style of the book are gloomy, I feel an extraordinary sense of optimism in the experience of completing this book. It's as if the articulation and elucidation exercised by Styron has managed to demystify, and thus disempower, the darkness he sheds light upon.

Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness (Open Road) Overview

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