Depression Books

This is a must have for any parenting library. Well researched advice and various options for depression. I wish I had this book before the birth of my son. This could literally be a lifesaver for someone!

Depression is a common and normal response to major life stressors (including pregnancy, birth, and becoming a mother). This common illness has many negative consequences for the development and well-being of both mothers and their children. Because up to 20% of women will become clinically depressed in their first year postpartum, it is imperative that health care providers be able to identify women at risk of developing postpartum depression and refer them to the treatment they need and deserve. Thoroughly referenced and filled with the experiences of real women, Dr. Kendall-Tackett's excellent book, Depression in New Mothers, provides exactly the information needed to do this. As a mental health care provider who is also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

This book is a "must" for any health care professional who works with new mothers. Dr. Kendall-Tackett cites research to back up every statement she makes. One might think that this would lead to a useful, though dry, book - but this is not the case. Depression in New Mothers is an interesting and valuable read. Highly recommended to anyone who helps new mothers in any way.

This book perfectly fills a gaping hole in the professional literature regarding depression in new mothers. Dr. Kendall-Tackett's exploration of the topic is comprehensive, well-cited, and recognizably accurate. Professionals and clinicians who work with new mothers will be exceptionally well-served to have this tremendous resource on their bookshelves. It is of such immediate practical usefulness that they are likely to find that their copies are well-thumbed and dog-eared in short order.

Diana West, IBCLC

If, like me, you work with women during the perinatal period, this book is an essential resource. As an expert in the field, Dr. Kendall-Tackett has the experience, the familiarity with the research, and the perspective to explain clearly to the rest of us what we need to know, and she does it in a clear, easy-to-understand format. In this book, she debunks common myths (for example, that postpartum depression is mostly hormonal), explains risk factors, assessment tools, and treatments--including both prescribed and herbal medications and their compatibility with breastfeeding. She also discusses possible long-term effects of both negative and traumatic childbirths and provides specific approaches for helping women process these experiences so that they can learn from them and move on. This is a book I will turn to often in my work. I highly recommend it!

Best book I have read on depression. Simple to read and understand. Even my Psychiatrist when I showed her the book, said it was an excellent book. Covers so much information

This book describes depression, its signs, symptoms, and treatments in simple layman's terms. No mumbo-jumbo - just simple and concise. This book is perfect for patients, families and clinicians alike. I will be keeping a copy of this book on my office bookshelf as well as lending it out to family and friends!

I LOVED this wonderful, practical guide to what so many people, including myself feel, experience and don't know what to do with it all. Everything is spelled out in plain english regarding what depression looks like, feels like and how to understand it all. There are many helpful descriptions about what treatments are available and what specific medications might be helpful with all the uncomfortable feels we might have during an acute episode or a long term depression. MANY, MANY, MANY THANKS for this clear and concise guide to help for a long standing problem for thousands of people. Finally!

This sweet and useful compendium was very helpful in teasing out the best treatment direction for my depressed son. Until reading this simple and handy book, our family was at a loss to decode all the treatment options. This book laid it out clearly, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone struggling to manage depression.

i finally understand what my friend is going through with her depression.this book is an easy read yet manages to cover so many aspects of depression. i recommend it to all those effected by depression....and that includes family and friends. i plan on giving this book to several people. thanks so much!

Paradoxically enough, Lisa's book on teenage depression was quite uplifting! While recognizing and validating the severity of the increasing levels of depression and suicide attempts in teenage girls, Lisa's book also offers hope. The theme of her book is nicely summarized in her introductory comment of: "No matter how despairing [teenage girls] may feel, there is always a spark of hope with them, and the energy to make their troubles visible to themselves and others."

The book focuses on how we can keep our eyes and ears open to the language of teenage depression, and ultimately help the girls find their "spark." Lisa illustrates how teenage girls are especially at risk for depression when they silence their inner core of self in an attempt to conform and belong with others. Empty inside, these girls crave genuine connections to bring them back to life. This book helps to pave that road from isolation to connection.

The Disappearing Girl also offers a look into the cognitive, societal, and developmental contributors of teenage depression, as well as tools and resources to help these girls develop coping strategies and healthy relationships to help them in their struggles. Whether you're a parent, friend, teacher, or therapist of a teenager who is depressed, or are a depressed teenager yourself, Lisa's book offers a lifeline worth reaching out for.

If you're a parent of an adolescent girl, then you need to read "The Disappearing Girl" by Dr. Lisa Machioan. With it being written specifically for depression in teenage girls, it is a very helpful resource for parents, friends and even the disappearing girl herself to use when a teenage girl you know or you yourself are experiencing signs of depression. It uses real-life stories told by girls who have been in all kinds of situations involving depression and even suicide attempts to give the reader an honest look at the many different things that may spark depression in the teenage girl. It also gives helpful suggestions on what to do to keep depression from ruling young girl's lives. I highly recommend this to everyone involved in a depressed girl's life, or even to all mothers with a young daughter who may fall victim to depression.

A must read - for all Moms of adolescent girls.

Excellent tips on the signals teenagers give out that parents often overlook and how to tell the difference between typical adolescent behavior and signals of real trouble.

Numerous tips and practical advice to solve the issues that all teenage girls go through.

Whether or not you think your teenage girl is depressed, this is a valuable resource. The author's perspective is so down-to-earth, her advice so accessible, and her care for the girls so evident, that this book is a must-read for any parent of a depressed teenage girl, and a should-read for any parent of any teenage girl.

For anyone who liked "Silencing the Self" by Dana Crowley Jack -- that was research about depressed women -- this is a very similar book about depressed girls. What makes those two books so valuable is that they are based on counseling actual women and girls--not on theoretical psychology derived in the vacuum of an ivory tower.

I was molested as a young child, until I was 12. I have never read ANY book that hit home like Dr. Machoian's The Disappearing Girl. I wish my Mom had read it. Thanks for this wonderful book. I loved it.

I picked this book up at random and was quickly drawn in. This is a poignant and powerful memoir, told with style. The narrative is haunting and as stirring as anyone could expect when the subject is the author's own son. I was impressed with both Morris' story and with her strength and persistence. I thought the telling was very good; the story is so intense, it makes me wonder how I might have held up under such circumstances. Let's just say, you really get drawn in to a marvelous read as the events unfold.

This is an unsentimental yet heart rending account of a nightmare decade one family lived through. Any one of the agonising episodes described would be too much to bear for most but, in an almost unsettlingly calm voice, Ros Morris describes the unrelenting nature of bi-polar disorder coupled with drug abuse and the ripples it sends out. Highly readable and beautifully written, I cried and laughed whilst I raced through it in two sittings. Don't Wait for Me: How a Mother Lost her Son to Bipolar Disorder and Drug Abuse
If you're dealing with or have ever dealt with a mental health or drug abuse issue, you should read this book. If you are a spouse, parent or sibling to someone with a mental health issue, you should read this book. If you have any interest in mental health issues or drug abuse, you really should read this book. If you have a heart and an interest in how human relationships can survive and overcome the most terrible tests, then read the book.

I thought I would find this book hard to read and that I wouldn't want to see it through to the end, but to my surprise, it made for compelling reading. It is a heart-breaking look into the life of both the sufferer and the impact it has on the family members who have to deal with him. Ros Morris is braver than she knows.

I would recommend this book not just to people who have a similar family situation, but to the wider society at large so that we might have a better appreciation of the torment of mental disease.

Dont Wait for Me provides a painful and heart-rending window into the lives of a family struggling with their loved one's mental illness and drug addiction. Morris is able to write about this saga with real grace and insight that made it an amazing read. She is a talented writer, and while the subject matter can at times be hard to deal with, this book was well worth the read.

Times Literary Supplement, London
"More than a misery memoir, this book sheds light on responsibility, friendship and what it means to be human. What resounds most in this book is not abnormality, but the persistent friendship and compassion shown to a youngster who frequently rejects it. Although her subject matter is dark, Morris's overriding tone is one of hope about humanity."

Daily Record, Scotland
"An informative and eye-opening book. Will give you an invaluable insight into the world of the sufferer's family."

Michael Palin
"I really hope the book does well."

Trisha Goddard
"I thoroughly recommend this book... gripping reading."

Andrew Loog Oldham
"Ros Morris has written a very brave book. She opens her front door and painstakingly and eloquently lets you into the heart and soul of her family."




'A lucid, searingly compelling book that lays bare, in all honesty, the highs and lows of Bipolar Disorder. Beautifully written, it is a shocking account of the tragic state of mental health organisation in the twenty first century.'

'A powerful and moving description of the effect of this debilitating and misunderstood disease.'

'Written with a sensitive, heartfelt sincerity.'

'A compulsive read for all those working in mental health.'

'It took several days before I had the courage to open the first page and started reading but I soon found that I could not put it down which, to tell the truth, is very rare occurrence.'

This is an outstanding book -- captivating, extremely well written and thoroughly researched. It's a story that George Bush and John McCain should have read before our current financial crisis set in. The parallels to today's politics are uncanny and too frequent to mention.

The book should serve as a cautionary tale for all our leaders. One of it's messages should be that taking care of the corporate fat cats at the expense of the average guy (as did Hoover as the Great Depression set in) is a sure-fire route to political oblivion. Since Mr. Ritchie is the associate historian of the U.S. Senate, I hope he's managed to get his fine book into the hands of every member of Congress.

More than anything, it's just a great story about how one of our greatest presidents came to power.

Across the decades, I've been fortunate to accumulate (and read) shelves full of books on FDR. This one, I'm recommending vigorously to all my friends. Much as people might believe they know about the issues of 1932, this book is a fact-packed booster shot that brings it all back in a thoughtful electrifying package.

Curiously enough, some of the most fascinating material is about Herbert Hoover, putting facts on long-held perceptions ... and confirming the perceptions in the process. This is the rare sort of book that when you've finished with it, you'll not only feel a little smarter; you probably will be. Excellent, accessible writing, fascinating anecdotes, just the right balance of analysis.

However, since perfection is never in the cards, there is one disconcerting feature. The footnotes appear only at the end of a paragraph. Nothing wrong with that, of course, except that virtually EVERY paragraph has a footnote. If it weren't for the fact that the book is so riveting, those footnotes could create a sense of "read by the numbers." Bothersome, yes, but compared to the book's mutliple virtues, a small annoyance. A splendid, triumphant book.

"Electing FDR: The New Deal Campaign of 1932" is an unassumingly titled volume, but it's one of the best political histories I've read. Ritchie has a very pithy writing style, and the narrative sails along with ease. Though probably political liberal, Ritchie manages to present the political controversies of the time in a well-balanced manner. One of his major points is that FDR's nomination in 1932 was by no means inevitable, and he makes a good case for this view. The last fifth of the book is a tour de force of historical synthesis. He covers the lame duck period before FDR was inaugurated, then moves on to an overview of FDR's twelve years in office. Popping up and down during this whole period was Herbert Hoover, who apparently thought he could make a political comeback. He moves deftly up to the present day with an apt appraisal of FDR's legacy. Even after the election of Reagan, who mimicked FDR's style and political savvy, FDR's political legacy has remained essentially intact. It's a remarkable achievement, and this is a remarkable book.

Donald A. Ritchie's description of the 1932 Presidential race is one of an election more interesting than I had assumed. Political insiders failed to recognize the landslide the Depression would bring. Franklin Roosevelt had to survive a convention battle to receive the nomination. President Roosevelt campaigned on sometimes contradictory pledges, and main points of the New Deal were solidified only after the election.

The first quarter of the book is an excursive background covering the election of 1920 and Herbert Hoover's early career among other things. Dr. Ritchie spends comparatively many pages on President Hoover's press relations and surprisingly few on the economics of the Depression. The middle half focuses on the 1932 election. The final chapter covers Hoover's post-election attempts at collaboration, Roosevelt's presidency and later elections, and the legacy of both men.

Dr. Ritchie's writing is clear and quickly readable. The book contains both interesting antidotes and important points. It draws on a large number of sources, though many are press accounts or secondary histories.

Much has been made of the fact that 2008 is a "change" election year, a rarity in our nation's history. "Electing FDR", a terrific and revealing look at the election of 1932, is a good comparison to today...it ushered in the most profound transformations of the twentieth century, many of which are still in evidence. The passing of the baton from Herbert Hoover to Frankin Delano Roosevelt has almost no equal and author Donald Ritchie captures it wonderfully.

Ritchie begins with the reminder that on the eve of some presidential elections, national polling pronounces the race very close, only to have voters witness a landslide, as was the case in Reagan v. Carter in 1980. He then goes on to offer up a crisp and well-paced narrative, largely contrasting the personalities and views of Hoover and Roosevelt. Clearly, Ritchie sides with history as the feckless President Hoover can do no right, not only during his four years in office but for years afterward. If "pariah" could ever be used so successfully as a description of a former president, Herbert Hoover owned it and he bore that moniker for the three decades he lived after leaving the White House.

Not only is the 1932 campaign covered diligently here, but Ritchie has a flair for describing the times. Hoover's administration was truly the last one before "big government" entered the picture, never to leave again. Indeed, President Hoover long fought any attempts by the government to ease the country's financial burdens, believing that the private sector and the natural ebb and flow of the economy would, in time, correct itself. Hoover's dour personality, his bad relations with the Washington press corps and his rigidity all lead to a catastrophic failure on Hoover's part, paving the way for the New York governor to roll up his sleeves and begin to fix things.

Roosevelt, for his part, had more than a few enemies...many within his own party...who thought he was somewhat of a "dilettante". The simmering feud Roosevelt had with former governor and 1928 presidential nominee Al Smith, is one of the highlights of the book. If Hoover was colorless, Al Smith was just the opposite and Roosevelt had to negotiate a path between each of them, from time to time. One other aspect of this change election, Ritchie points out, is historic...in 1932 three out of four African-Americans cast their vote for Hoover. Four years later the same number voted in the reverse...for Roosevelt. That shift has remained true to this day, of course.

Ritchie finishes with a chapter on the ramifications of the Roosevelt presidency and the legacy that he left. That politicians of today still invoke Roosevelt's name as good and Hoover's as bad, underscores the depth of depression-turned-prosperity, which began over the course of the 1932 election cycle. "Electing FDR" is a superb book and I highly recommend it for its historical depth and its excellent narrative style.

This is truly one of the best and balanced health books out there today. Dr. Campbell-McBride has seem to target a real pivotal health issue in our culture today. On top of being very informative, her writing style makes is very easy to understand and grasp the concepts. Even though this book focuses on certain illnesses, it's really a health book for all. It seems to really target the central cause of many illness that for the most part have remained a mystery and it not only provides help for these illnesses but is filled with a wealth of information for people who just want to be healthy. The Gut has been a crucial aspect of health that has not been well understood nor well approached. Dr. Campbell-McBride does an excellent job not only giving an overall understanding of how it works, its importance but an appreciation of some of the specific players in maintaining and rebuilding your gut health. It's just an excellent book that I recommend highly to everyone!

Product came in the expected time, was in perfect condition as described, and I had no problems whatsoever.

If I had to chose 1 book for understanding my body better and how to heal my autoimmune diseases (of which I have MANY) and gluten issues, this would be it! Although it is not yet easily available in the US, I would recommend hunting it down. It would be really nice if Amazon started carrying it, as I know numerous people who are trying to get copies of this book (published in the UK). HINT HINT HINT

I would have to agree with the previous review that the author does do a disservice to the book by listing only a few of the major diseases or problems that this book can help. Autoimmune issues are huge and becoming more and more common and so are food allergies. They should most definitely be listed on the front cover as well, as they are explained in the book too!

The book explains how to determine if your body is digesting fats appropriately and what to do if it isn't. It explains about good fats and bad fats, how your digestive system works, why we need probiotics (what kind and when to take them), digestive enzymes and who needs them and why, why some people get brain fog, or can't digest glutens and foods with casein, lists of good foods and bad foods for changing your diet, and so much more.

It is written so that anyone can easily understand it and the diagrams/sketchs are most helpful in getting the visual of the processes! As I read it, I just couldn't believe how often she was describing me and all of my health issues. Excellent Book!

When I first saw this book, I had no interest in reading it. After all, I wasn't dealing with any of the conditions listed in the subtitle and neither was anyone in my immediate family. However, I briefly heard Dr. Campbell-McBride speak at a Weston Price Conference and realized that it might be more applicable (and interesting) than I thought. I'm so glad I ordered it. This has to be one of the best books I've read on health and nutrition.

I think the author has done a disservice in choosing the subtitle as she did. The reality is if you are concerned about your health and how to stay healthy, this book is relevant. And for those that eat a western diet and are exposed to environment toxins, this book may very well be an answer to prayer.

She does an incredible job explaining how the digestive system works and how it can become damaged by the foods we eat and the environment we are exposed to (and it's passed on to future generations). She also explains how different illnesses and conditions occur and why, as well as what can be done to help repair the digestive system and improve overall health.

This is a must read book for ANYONE concerned with their health and how to stay healthy. It's also an important book for all parents, regardless of the health of their children, especially given the diet that is acceptable in today's world.

I found this book very helpful in explaining more clearly the relationship between leaky gut and food/chemicals/toxins. My daughter is trying the Specific Carbohydrate Diet it recommends with her autistic son Matthew who recently had the allergy/sensitivity blood test which showed his casein sensitivity is 'off the charts' -- we're excited and hopeful that we'll see results.

My daughter is just 3 and she is loving the American Girl series. She likes getting to know the girls through the books and we enjoy reading them together.

Kit's tenth birthday is quickly creeping up, and while she would love to have a Robin Hood party like the one she saw in the newspaper, she knows that the Depression has left her family strapped for cash, and decides to put her party out of her mind. That is, until Aunt Millie shows up. Aunt Millie is an eccentric, thrifty woman, who helps to stretch the Kittredge budget quite far. However, within a few days of her arriving, Kit's mother becomes quite embarrassed by Aunt Millie's money-saving ways. Kit is unsure of what is embarrassing her mother. That is, until Aunt Milie shows up at her school, and announces to Kit's entire class that they are all invited to a Penny-Pincher Party to celebrate Kit's tenth year. Soon Kit is just as embarrassed of Aunt Millie as her mother, and wishes the kind old woman had never come to Cincinnati.

While many of the previous books in the KIT series have been quite happy-go-lucky, and haven't exactly pin-pointed how badly the Great Depression affected families, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KIT does just that, showing the reader how families and their children felt during the Depression, and the changes they had to make in their lives. Kit, as always, is a delightful character, whose sour disposition at some of Aunt Millie's penny-pinching tips are uite understandable given her age and position, and readers will identify with her take on things. Fans of the previous books will also be quite excited by the arrival of two new characters: Aunt Millie, and Grace - a clumsy dog. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KIT paints a wonderful picture of the tragedy revolving around the Great Depression, and will keep the reader turning the pages, until the very end. A wonderful piece of historical fiction for the young reader!

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

This is another in the American Girls Short Stories series about Kit Kittredge, a nine-year-old girl living in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is 1934, and Kit and her family are struggling to make ends meet as the Great Depression deepens. With her birthday approaching, Kit secretly dreams an impossible dream, that she could have a large, wonderful birthday party. Aunt Millie, Kit's father's adoptive mother, makes a surprise visit to the family turning their lives upside-down. With her country, make-do way, Aunt Millie seems to work miracles, but a large, wonderful party is out of the question, right?

As with the other Kit books, this one gives a frank look into life during the Great Depression, while also teaching a lesson. In this book, Kit learns about making do with what you have, and even having a good time while doing so. The final chapter is about life during the depression, and making do. This is another wonderful book, and my daughter and I recommend it to you.

Kit knows her birthday will not be like other years as the family is short on money and barely getting by. She wishes to have a grand birthday like the one in the newspaper but knows that won't be possible. However a surprise visit from her Aunt Millie brightens her hopes. As everybody in her family knows Aunt Millie is a person who knows what to do out of anything. Kit can't believe how many ideas Aunt Millie comes up with such as turning corn sacks in bloomers, planting gardens, buying cheap things from the grocery store, picking dandelions to make salads, and a bunch of other ideas. The ideas are so plentiful that Kit, Ruthie, and Stirling start an Alamac on all Aunt Millie's money saving ideas. However when Aunt Millie suddenly shows up at her school Kit feels embarrassed at how her aunts idea of a penny pincher birthday. Kit also feels embarrassed as the kids laugh at her Aunt's ideas. However surprises are in store for Kit on her birthday! Read this book to find out!

This was another great addition to the American Girls Collection! I have been reading them since I was 7 and even though I am much older and these books are much too easy for me I still enjoy them as if I were 7! I highly recommend all the books!

This book is about Kit, a girl growing up in the Great Depression. In this book, it's almost Kit's birthday! And when Aunt Millie, Kit's father's foster mother visits, Kit knows it will be fun. Aunt Millie is called that because they didn't know what to call her and Aunt Millie said,"Call me anything but late for dinner!"
But when Aunt Millie has an idea for a Penny Pinching party, Kit isn't too sure. Especially when her Aunt Millie comes to school to share the news of Kit's birthday party and embarasses Kit in front of her whole class. Now Kit's really mad and yells at Aunt Millie that she shouldn't have done that and that she didn't want a Penny-pinching party. But now Kit has caused her Aunt Millie's feelings to get hurt and also causes Aunt Millie to almost go back to her home.
Kit didn't mean to? In the mean time, Aunt Millie brings two chickens so Kit can deliver eggs and earn money. One day while she and Howard (a kid in the boarding house) go to deliver eggs door to door, they find a Basset Hound with a note on her collar reading: Can't Feed Her Anymore. So Kit brings her home and names her Grace. Will everything be alright for Kit's Birthday Party? Will Kit be able to convince Aunt Millie to stay? And will Kit have a Penny Pinching party and love it? Find out! Read this book!

I found this book to be very informative and highly recommend it to anyone concerned with how "sad" or withdrawn their child is.

Although adult depression has been recognized for decades, childhood depression has only been considered since the 1980's. Previously, it was simply thought that children couldn't be depressed. Perhaps this is because (as is learned from this book) the lethargy and weepiness that adults and adolescents experience during depression, in children is often expressed as hostility. The depressed children may in fact be the troublemakers and the discipline problems.

This book reports on few case histories, but because only twenty years of research are behind this subject, that isn't surprising. Most of the descriptive text looks at the stages of childhood depression, and what to expect from various treatment options. The authors do suggest that while several stressful situations such as parental divorce, or placement in foster care can lead to childhood depression, in most cases, there will be no single, obvious, precipitating factor, and parents should not look for one.

More than once, the authors state that depression is not the fault of the parents, or the result of bad parenting. Of course, what are they going to say, if they want parents to buy their book? Parents don't want to be blamed. At any rate, if they are voluntarily looking for help, the family is probably at a point where placing blame will not solve anything, so the authors are undoubtedly correct in this approach. The problem is that this approach appears to slant the book toward physiological causes of depression almost to the exclusion of environmental factors.

Nonetheless, the information presented is readable, clear, and written in a soothing narrative voice. Just reading the book may give relief to parents who are concerned about a child.

The book neatly describes external symptoms of childhood depression, offering a great deal of help to parents and people who work with children in identifying children who may be depressed. Much of the book is given over to choosing a therapist. This is so thoroughly commendable, I don't know where to begin, because it is not uncommon for people to walk into a therapist's office, and immediately turn over all their power. This book will help families hold onto themselves until they are certain they have the right person, not just for the child but for the whole family.

I would recommend this book over most of the others addressing this topic.

This is a very valuable book for families of depressed children, and I highly recommend it. It contains essential information, thoroughly and clearly covered. One section I particularly liked discussed the effect a depressed child has on family members and family dynamics.

"Help Me, I'm Sad" first addresses diagnosing depression in a child, including what I had never seen before: symptom lists specific to children at different stages of childhood, infants to teenagers. Companion illnesses that might indicate depression are also discussed as part of the diagnosis section.

The treatment section covers how to find effective treatment, whether therapy, medication or both, including questions to ask a potential therapist. The last section, on preventing depression, contains suggestions on how to raise an emotionally resilient child. All in all, a complete, compassionate resource for parents and others who have a depressed child in their lives.

Dr. Fassler and Miss Dumas do an amazing job at organizing this book in the most efficient manner. The doctor with utmost clarity lists the symptoms of depression for each age group up to and including young adulthood. He does justice to new research revealing that symptoms may be dependant upon the patient's age. Moreover, he highlights the long-avoided fact that even toddlers can suffer from clinical depression. He also briefly examines the various related affective disorders common among young people and how they can be detected also. The chapter on suicide and suicide recognition and prevention is well-written in that it provides all the vital information without going into graphic details. In addition to discussing all forms of treatment types, schools of thought, and classes of mental healthcare professionals in an easily understandable manner, the doctor offers pragmatic advice on seeking help for the child and the child's family. All too often the devastating effects of depression on other family members are ignored with tragic consequences. Dr. Fassler makes sure that this point is stressed. He also helps the reader choose a good therapist and treatment plan for his/her child. Finally, he discusses ways in which depression can be prevented, and how good parenting can affect the child's chance of growing up to become a healthy adult. The only thing I found disappointing was Dr. Fassler's bias towards the physiological nature of affective disorders. Understanding the biochemical aspects of depression is crucial in effectively treating the illness for much of the symptoms are linked to somatic disorders in the brain.

If you're the parent of a depressed child -- or think you might be -- this is a must-read. It's a reassuring, gentle but completely informative guide to all aspects of childhood depression. The part I liked best? How to get help for your child. It includes the best discussion of medications and other treatments I've ever read. This book makes an extremely sensitive, scary and complex subject easy to understand.

This book is a must have for anyone who is concerned about environmental toxins and the negative impact they have on human health. The author has performed a great service in writing this book which is obviously the result of intensive research. Topics covered include hidden household toxins in foods, pesticides, "worrisome water", electromagnetic fields, vaccines and more. While the information is fairly technical, the author has presented it in a very easy to read and easy to understand manner. Her message is a good one - the only way that manufacturers will stop making toxic products is if consumers stop buying them. Nearly every reader and every mom and head of household will want to heed Holler's call to "Shop Smarter" and make your world and our shared world a safer and healther place. Please read this book and share it with your friends and family - their mysterious health problems may improve dramatically if they follow the roadmap recommended by the author to reduce their toxic exposures.

Holler for Your Health: Be the Key to a Healthy Family is a wealth of wonderful, in-depth knowledge that everyone needs to arm themselves with in order to live a healthy, happy life. Author, Teresa Holler is a Physician Assistant with a masters degree in Primary Care Medicine. Within the pages of this book you will discover interesting facts about every day house hold items and how they can affect the human body and not for the best. Mrs. Holler helps explain how just changing simple habits can ensure you can decrease doctor's visits.

Even wonder what all those words on food and product labels mean and I don't mean just counting calories or carbohydrates. Well now you will be able to speak this new foreign language. In Holler for Your Health: Be the Key to a Healthy Family, you will not only know what you are reading but also what your food is actually made of. You will never look at a label the same way again. I was aware of some of the topics discussed in this book but there was still a lot that I was surprised to discover that I didn't know. You can bet I will put what I learned about to good use in my every day life.

Many diseases are not inevitable, but rather preventable. "Holler for Your Health: Be the Key to a Healthy Family" is a family-oriented guide about maintaining good mental and physical health, from nursing infants to preventing obesity to tips on buying safe and proper toys. Scientific evidence supports the recommendations of this seminal guide to promoting health within one's own immediate family. "Holler for Your Health" should be read by anyone in charge of younger people's health, as well as those who are planning to be.

When I picked this up, I wasn't sure what to expect so I thought I'd write a few lines here... This book is very informative- lots of simple but effective strategies to help protect yourself and your family from disease by avoiding toxic chemicals and getting proper nutrients. I was surprised to read how many products that I thought were safe are really dangerous to my health. I'm still amazed at how hard it is to find this kind of information and how uninformed most doctors are about environmental causes of disease. Holler for Your Health: Be the Key to a Healthy Family, contains information that everyone needs.

The author has done a very good job at explaining the strong links between diet and our environment and various ailments including stress and diabetes that makes for very interesting reading. I always felt the genetic link to obesity to be hogwash, but the author did a good job at convincing me the biological reason for the linkage. After reading this book I was sufficiently convinced to buy hormone free milk for my children and certain organic produce for the family, utilize a water filter for the home, and cease applying traditional lawn fertilizers on my lawn in favor of more natural, organic alternatives.

Dolores Brandon has written a jewel. Using poetry, oral history and prose she communicates with depth and tension the joys and travails of her life with her family, most notably her father. Before manic depression or bi-polar disease was part of our collective vocabulary, Dolores experience spanned her father's ups and downs from everyday victories to down right fear. However, in this book Dolores manages to give each character a clear and resonant voice. She allows us to read her father's poetry and listen to her mother lullabies. She has also been able to forgive her father and understand her mother, which is something that eludes many of us. I was particularly fond of the way she brought to life the whole experience of growing up in the 50's. I was close to tears when I finished this book. Not from sadness but from that sense of communion that we always share but seldom tap into. It took courage, insight and understanding to write this book. I hope there will be more from Dolores Brandon.

Because the illness Delores Brandon describes in her memoir appears in my family through the generations, I have read several books to help understand the experience, and to connect with others going through it, and as a social worker to broker this knowledge to others, both sufferers and helpers. Kay Jamison has written an autobiography dealing with manic-depression, and Jackie Lyden described life with her mother who suffered the same illness. Because so many of us in my family were afflicted I have approached each of these writings with the eagerness of an 'insider'. Ms. Brandon describes how it is possible to both be horrified by and love a parent at the same time, something that is difficult to communicate to people who have grown up in more 'normal' families. It is possible to enjoy and celebrate people who are also really demonic and complicate the lives of their children. This kind of love and optimism combined with a realistic view of the destructive rage of the afflicted person is a rare combination that seldom finds expression in any media, and is especially clear in Brandon's spare and poetic style. It is immensely encouraging to those of us who live with the illness and I would ask people in the helping professions to use it to further their understanding of such families and persons so as to avoid simplifications and reductionisms. There are blessings and curses in these mostly genetic inheritances that beg to be appreciated, and must be lived with in any event. Though we are farther along in the humane treatment of manic-depression than we were in the time when Ms. Brandon's father was careening about, there is still much lacking especially in the so-called 'objective' approaches of 'treatment' that this book is a corrective for, and that makes this literary approach not only an adjunct to medicine and rehabilitation, but perhaps even a higher form of communication about the illness. Thank you for this wonderful work, Dolores Brandon!

Dolores Brandon has written a memoir of clear-eyed courage and enormous compassion. In a vivid, organic style that brings together poetry and monologue, memories sweet and bitter, Ms. Brandon tells an often harrowing tale of growing up with a father in the grip of mental illness and a mother incapable of protecting herself or her children from the devastating fallout. In a unique narrative rich with evocative images and finely tuned, lyrical passages, the author unfolds for the reader the shifting, volatile world in which she grew up and from which she emerged with the passionate need to create, to act, to write, to dream. It is an arduous but heartening birth out of chaos and pain, much like that experienced by Brandon's mentor, Anais Nin. In the Shadow of Madness is remarkable for its perception and candor; that candor invites her readers into the very inner corners of her life, and by example, frees them to explore disturbing areas of their own psyches.

IN THE SHADOW OF MADNESS, a memoir by Dolores Brandon, Published by Sky Blue Press, Sterling Heights, Michigan

IN THE SHADOW OF MADNESS is a powerful book, a poignant tale of a young girl coming of age in the shadow of her beloved father's insanity. Although I love poetry, this is the first time I have been able to read a 200 page story without being slowed down. Long poetry always seems to call me to notice the exact choice of words, the similes and metaphors.

Dolores' style is unique in that it reads as smoothly as any prose I have ever read. In fact the poetry seems to rush the story along and the images make the action come alive on the pages.

This book is as captivating and memorable as A TREE GOES IN BROOKLYN. All of the characters are many faceted. We have mixed emotions, changing feelings towards all of them.

Anecdotes capture our thoughts. Speaking of a man who used to fall asleep smoking in his bed, Dolores wrote," a front page news story reported Bob was one of two found dead on a fire at Queen Elizabeth Hospital He was a patient there. Seems he wandered off his Ward to visit a woman in Intensive Care. She was on oxygen. He lit a cigarette. She and he, the whole room, all blew to smithereens!'

Of her father's poetry she wrote," It's not that his poems weren't half good. They all sprang from the heart. But, they were written as the wave crested in a grandiose fury. And the call they put out for harmony stood in stark contrast to the aggressive force he asked us to indulge."

The photos are like the ones we all keep hidden away and seeing them we know for sure this book is about our family, our friends or the people down the road. This compelling story, beautifully told will stay with its readers forever.

From the title alone, one might assume that Dolores Brandon's memoir, In the Shadow of Madness, could be an arduous, emotionally wrenching journey. But however difficult it may have been to grow up under the control of a gifted but mentally ill father who was so often out of control himself, Brandon has not come to the reader with unresolved grievances. She asks neither for compensation nor pity for the anguish her family endured; she does not let blame or bitterness intrude. Instead, from the calm center of the storm that was her upbringing, with the distance that comes only with the passing of time, she weaves together the memories, voices and artifacts of her youth into a compelling, multidimensional narrative. It takes courage to tell such a deeply personal story so openly and honestly, and skill of the highest order to do it so well.