Depression Books

This book is more important than the DSM and the ICD when it comes to Bipolar. It's mostly for professionals who have to deal with diagnosis and need to understand the illness. The writting style is overly accademic and cumbersome however it is the most useful and informative book around by a long shot. At around 1200 pages long, this is not a cover to cover quick read unless you have several months with nothing else to do.

This book is very thorough and gives an in depth look into the most recent research surrounding manic depressive disorder and depression. Starting with the history surrounding mental illness, moving along to diagnosis, prognosis, course of the illness', physiological, biochemical and anatomical changes that occur along with up to date research in it's genetic component, this book gives great insight into mood disorders.

This month's long-awaited second edition recently hit the streets, and is well worth the wait. At more than 1,200 pages and with an impressive list of collaborators shedding light on all manner of matters melancholic and manic, the book represents a virtual Manhattan Project on mood disorders.

With our recovery riding on being as smart, if not smarter, than our treating professionals, it pays for patients to read what their clinicians are reading, especially a work of this magnitude. Don't let clinician-speak intimidate you. The authors went to great lengths to organize their subject matter into a meaningful and comprehensive whole, with clear transitions from one topic to the next. A few pages into the text, and one quickly becomes habituated to the polysyllables. Then it's clear sailing.

At $99, sales resistance is understandable. My two cents: You cannot afford NOT to have this book. Each day you struggle with this illness costs you money, already. The cost-benefit is a no-brainer. Stop paying your cable bill, if you have to, and make what could prove to be the best investment of your life.

Although a huge book along with a hefty price tag, this is probably the most up to date information on bipolar disorder (manic depression) available today. It offers a wealth of information that is usable to the clinician as well as the patient. In fact, I think this should be required reading for any clinician who deal with people with this condition.

I strongly urge the purchase of this book esp. for the consumer as self knowledge will be such an asset when communicating with your doctor. This book covers most everything from the most basic to the most complex information to date on this vexing condition. Though I am constantly searching the internet for the most up to date information on bipolar disease, I find the authors of this book to be the leading authorities presently.

I bought this book because someone I know has just been diagnosed with "Soft Bipolar" disorder. This is a "shadow" form of bipolar disorder. While I've dealt with people with bipolar disorder before ( I'm a retired minister), I never heard of "soft bipolar" or "bipolar spectrum" disorder before. This book is the classic text on Bipolar disorder. The only problem is that it is a little old ( about 10 to 15 years old) and discoveries about "soft bipolar" disorder are just coming into the literature now. If you are depressed or diagnosed as depressed, as the person close to me was, you might have soft bipolar disorder. It is much more common than you think. The problem with it is that it needs different medications than regular unipolar disorder does. As an example, if you take one of the SSRI's (such as Prozac or Zoloft) and have soft bipolar, the chances are very good that you will end up with hypomania, which is a mild form of mania. It feels good for a long time--just like alcohol. But at some point in time, it will begin to backfire on you as it did on my friend. She kept getting more and more hyper and angry. Finally, her therapist decided to try out this diagnosis on her. He switched medicines, and it made her mood much more stable. This book would also be excellent for someone who wants to know about bipolar I disorder--manic depressive disorder. The problem with the book is that it is very technical, but everything is there even if it could use a little updating.

I highly recommend this book to anyone suffering with PPD, be it for the first time or a re-occurance. Dr. Bennett uses her own experience as well as those of her patients to connect with the reader. You'll feel a sigh of relief when you realize you're not alone and you're not crazy!

This book is by far the most thorough, comprehensive, easy to understand and follow, helpful book available on the subject of PPD. From recognition of symptoms, understanding the different forms of PPD, seeking/receiving a diagnosis, treatment options (including conventional and complimentary) and much more, it lays out an easy to follow road map to recovery.

Since PPD has many different contributing factors and they vary from woman to woman, this book offers great advice on how to approach it from all sides, including how to improve nutrition, the importance of taking breaks, ways to change negative thought patterns, how to utilize the help of support people, and the importance of sleep. Dr. Shoshana Bennett is an expert in the field of PPD and has dedicated her life to helping other women. I started seeing an immediate improvement in my symptoms after putting some of her strategies to work, and I was suffering from very severe PPD/PPA.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who thinks they (or someone they love) may be suffering from PPD, and also any healthcare professional that may encounter patients who are dealing with PPD. This illness is so frequently unrecognized, undiagnosed, and misunderstood, and Dr. Bennett sheds a guiding light on what is such a dark, confusing time for so many mothers. I've read so many books on the subject of postpartum depression since my journey with this horrible disorder began, and I only wish I'd found this one sooner. If you only buy one book about PPD, make it this one!

This book is a must have if you are suffering from postpartum depression. I am in recovery from this illness and believe me I read a lot of books on this subject as soon as I was diagnosed with severe postpartum depression. But Postpartum Depression for Dummies gave me more detail on the subject than the others. It helped me to understand the illness, what my options were, and how to deal with my feelings. It also helped my family know how to help me. It guided me step by step and encouraged me not to give up and that these awful roller-coaster of feelings I had were going to pass. And they did.

Thank you to Dr. Shoshana Bennett for writing such a helpful and informative book. PPD is a very real and serious illness but most people don't know much about it. Brooke Shields thankfully brought it briefly into the public eye but unfortunately so many women have or will experience it. If you think you or someone you know is suffering from PPD, this book will absolutely help you in your recovery. It is packed with useful information, helpful, reassuring advice, and inspirational personal anecdotes. The book covers everything about the illness and also offers tons of relevant and important resources. This book helped me immensely and I recommend it for every mom to be!

I literally breathed in every word of this book! It is absolutely the most informative, up to date, thorough and readable book I have read thus far on postpartum mood disorders. As an RN who has worked with postpartum moms for 15 years, and as a mom who suffered from severe ppd, I am always eager to research new literature on this subject. This book reached my soul deeply on both levels - the clinical RN and the vulnerable mom. Thank you, Dr. Shoshana.

Ginger Law
Registered Nurse, Speaker

Ms. Day and I have a few things in common. We both had our major crisis at age 32. We both had to fight for our child. I fought to keep mine alive. She fought to keep custody of hers. Both single mothers raising our child. She is correct when she says that crisis can be positive. However, over the many years, (I'm 66) I have seen women deny, deny, deny and end up, in a few cases, homeless.

I am not an intuitive, but am a sensitive. All my life I was able to 'see' things and have them turn into reality. I 'saw' some very strange events coming in my life that could not possibly, in a thousand years, occur. Yet they all did. Every one of them. Very few things surprise me now.

Trying to help people when you see their crisis coming is not always successful. Unlike Ms. Day, I do not work with rich clients, companies, etc. I have, over the years, warned my employers about events coming down the pike. Some listened, some didn't.

I have had clients over the years and still do, but I do not charge for my services. It is a pact I made with the Spirit World long ago. They will help me 100 percent if I do not collect money for their help. If I do, I chance losing my ability to see. It doesn't bother me that I am not wealthy or live the kind of lifestyle Ms. Day does. The Spirit World has kept me whole, healthy and happy all these years.

I would like to see her write a book that is current that speaks to what is happening now with regard to housing losses, job losses, gas prices, and what the future holds. She needs to take the gloves off and really lay it on the line. She doesn't sugarcoat things, but she needs to get down and dirty about people taking responsibility for their lives. Her stories are very interesting. I just wish we knew what happened to the father in San Francisco. Did his wife return and take their daughter back?

I did very much enjoy her book. I just wonder, if she was such a powerful intuitive, why she didn't save money over the years she was married to her millionaire husband. Why she didn't see the divorce and child custody battle coming.

I may have to break down and write my own book soon. Of course all proceeds from the book would go to charities. My clients, over the years, have begged me to do this. Maybe it's time.

Laura Day narrates her own journey out of a crisis ... first through the tragic loss of her mother at 14 ... and then the devastating divorce that left her life in tatters ... to its gifts of healing and intuitive ability and career as a writer and speaker. Laura Day has been there herself ... a crisis ... and the stakes have been high ... but she pulled herself out of it ... and now shares the tools that became her lifeline. Day addresses the unique response styles and how you can make them work for you in a crisis. Best of all she has set up a website for this specific book with resources and group support so you need not go through this alone. I first met Laura Day at a Circle workshop on the East Coast in 2002 and returned to her work when she published the Crisis. More than any other self-help book on the market, this is stunning in its brilliant simplicity. No New Age blame game, no woo-woo, no magical thinking. A great tool to have in a self-help tool kit that keeps you empowered with YOURSELF.

Day emphasizes the gift of a crisis because you cannot go back to the past. This is the best advice in the book. It is like an old episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation where Captain Jean-Luc Picard is given a chance to return to his youth and change destiny. Instead of having the trauma of a fight in a bar that lead to his receiving an artificial heart, Jean-Luc averts the disaster. Good? Not really because when he returns to the present he discovers that his life has been mediocre rather than stellar. In fact, he is a low-level ship mate who is not seen to have any leadership ability! The gift of his crisis was the development of impeccable judgment and calculated risk taking. Jean-Luc opts to go back and claim his sacred wound and returns again the Star Fleet legend and Captain of the Enterprise. This old storyline depicts Laura Day's wisdom on why the rock bottom of a crisis can actually be starting point of a brand new life that outshines the old.

When a disaster directly affects us--an earthquake, a hurricane, a car accident on the freeway--we respond in different ways. Writing as a widely consulted expert on adapting to change and crisis, author Laura Day explains four different reactions to crisis: denial, anxiety, rage and depression. Most of us experience one or more of these typical reactions as we respond to the sudden setbacks and unexpected difficulties of our lives.

Yet instead of these largely negative reactions, Day believes we can train ourselves to respond to a crisis with positive energy, transforming what might have seemed disastrous into a life-changing experience that fills us with hope, vision, and fresh energy. The difference is not the depth or difficulty of the experience, but rather our attitude as we encounter it.

Counselor to the star and guest on major TV shows, Day believes instead of fearing change, she believes, we should learn to expect change and be empowered by it. The worst of circumstances can be transformed if we are willing to adjust our perspective.

As Day writes on page 77, "To be effective in your life...you need to grow from your experiences, rather than being derailed by them." This is the primary thrust of Welcome to Your Crisis, as the author teaches us that even a major disaster can become a stepping-stone to personal growth.

Many of her ideas are not new, yet she explains them with a fresh voice. Readable and easy to understand, her prose keeps you moving forward, turning the pages and continuing to learn.

Decide who you want to be, Day insists, rather than letting the difficult moments of life define you and limit your future. Transform the negative thoughts, attitudes and feelings
that you encounter into warmer, more confident beliefs and values.

"Good lives are not easy," Day writes on page 219, "they require daily acts of adaptation, courage, and love." Clearly, the author supports the idea that all of us can learn to face our challenges in these ways--and by doing so we can improve our own lives and the lives of those we encounter.

Armchair Interviews says: Thought-provoking information.

I felt guided to this book by a higher power -- and boy, am I glad I listened to that voice. (Or rather, to those Voices!) For so long, I was burning my candle at both ends, to steal a line from Edna St. Vincent Millay. And nothing seemed good enough, until my own personal crisis arrived. Well, needless to say, this book was -- as you can tell from the cute little life preserver on the cover art -- a lifesaver! Many blessings to you, Laura.

Life Changing.

Crisis or not, this book will help you find a new path if you let it. Your true path. The simple tools and ideas in the book provide immediate direction. Hope. Energy. I'm a big fan of this author, I absolutely adore "The Circle" and "Crisis" takes her work to great new heights.

It is personal and practical and immeasurably powerful.

Thank you, Laura Day.

Nothing mattered anymore, my grades went down, i didn't care about life, i wanted to die. so i attempted suicide, my wrist is scarred and mutated, everyone said i was insane. then i heard from the family circle magazine about this book, and i swear this has helped me, and i'm so glad that not everyone thinks depressed teens are insane or stupid. and i'm glad there are people like lisa hurka covington that are talking to teens how valuable life is, and helping them sort out their problems.

This book combines compassion and empowerment with accurate information.

The author, a cousin of singer Curt Cobain, wrote this book to help make sense of her cousin's suicide. It is readable, knowledgeable and thorough. It helps adolescents understand what they might be feeling when they are depressed. It discusses how to interrupt the downward spiral and find a way out. The book covers both social and biological aspects of depression.

I felt that the author had a good intuitive grasp for how an adolescent might feel when he was in the depths of a depression. She reflects back the sense of isolation and hopelessness so that a depressed person feels understood. She provides information on how to get help when you don't feel that anyone out there is trustworthy.

She empowers teens by providing good information about the causes of depression and well as the treatments. For those who want more detailed information, she provides a resource list. I especially liked her section on how to stay healthy once you have recovered from the initial depression.

I have recommended this book to several teens. They felt that it made sense and was helpful

This tome is organized extremely well; one can start at the beginning or jump directly into any chapter. The background information is helpful and lucid for parents and the stories from the teens themselves tells it like it is but at the same time gives hope and tells of "the light at the end of the tunnel" for depressed teens, that things do get better. Highly recommended!

In When Nothing Matters Anymore, Bev Cobain offers a teen-friendly reference guide to adolescent depression, complete with self-help suggestions, counseling resources, and case studies of teens who sought help for their illness and now lead "normal" adolescent lives. Cobain is a credentialed author: a certified registered nurse, a mental health professional, and a recipient of the National Mental Health Association's Green Ribbon Award for efforts on behalf of teen depression awareness; however, the book reads like Cliff's Notes of a more comprehensive text - as if Cobain simply compiled the bullet-point lists, sidebars, and quick-reference statistics from an American Psychiatric Association web listing for teen depression. When Nothing Matters Anymore relies little on Cobain's personal observations and extensive experience, and too much on peppy, inspirational messages from its case study teens.

The book is structured in two parts: What's Wrong? and Getting Help and Staying Well. What's Wrong? is primarily diagnostic, providing a checklist for the reader to determine whether he or she is depressed, explaining the varieties and causes of depression, and outlining the correlations between depression and chronic illness, sexual abuse, sexual identity, drug use and addiction, eating disorders, and "perceived differences" from peers. Getting Help and Staying Well highlights treatment options, suggests ways to seek help from family or trusted adults, and lists self-help activities for readers undergoing treatment. Both sections include "Survival Tips" that a health professional might suggest to any teen: Get Exercise, Have Fun, Eat Good Food, etc. There are some practical suggestions, like journaling and creating mood charts, and there is a chapter dedicated to the important topic of teen suicide, but the book as a whole rarely digs below the surface of the illness and underestimates its audience's desire (and perhaps ability?) to understand depression more fully.

One aspect of the book that seems borderline inappropriate is Cobain's ad nauseam referencing of her cousin Kurt, the popular lead singer of grunge band Nirvana, whose suicide shocked the MTV youth culture in 1994. Perhaps this approach is an effective way of securing "street cred" amongst teen readers, but this hook feels opportunistic at times, particularly in "A Letter to Kurt Cobain," a three-page, sappy, metaphor-heavy eulogy in which Cobain rues that Kurt's handlers wouldn't give her the access that could have prevented his suicide. I understand the intent is to show the readers that she cared for someone they cared about and saw the beauty of his music and the tragedy of his death as they did, but to a non-teen reader, it rings hollow. Had Cobain been close with Kurt, a reader might not bawk at this inclusion, but she mentions that she did not know Kurt "personally," a fact that makes the multiple, casual mentions feel like name-dropping.

For the last year or so I had a few questions for myself. Why am I here? Whats my pourpose in life? Cant I just be dead? Dang do I wish I could give my life for some one else. This is really good book for any teen...

Not only is the author a good writer, it has a lot of good examples of other peoples life situations so you can auctly say "wow someone can really relate to my struggle".
Anyways, again its a good book and if you have any questions about it my hotmail address is [...]

My girlfriend told me about scary experiences in her childhood. I thought I came from a dysfunctional family. Hers was really bad. By all appearances, hers seemed like a decent family. You never really know the whole story. It was hard for her to tell me the details, so she asked me to read this book, Beyond the Tears: A True Survivor's Story. This book opened my eyes as to what harm can be done to a child. And how the child takes it all in. What I liked most about the book is that the writer is real. She helped me to understand my girlfriend's past. My girlfriend had been in counseling, which helped her a lot. The writer of Beyond the Tears talks about her own therapy, so I got a glimpse of what my girlfriend was going through. I also liked the way the author moves through the memories of the abuse to find a better way of living. I would not have picked this book off the shelf. I'm glad my girlfriend asked me to read it because I feel like I have more insight and information.

Beyond the Tears: A True Survivor's Story by Lynn C. Tolson is a brave, brilliant, and beneficial book. As I was reading the story of a traumatized child, I could not help but to think how brave the author is to speak up. She had been silenced not only by the ones who abused her, but also by the society that stigmatizes such abuse. There was no one she could talk to about incest. She blamed herself, and took the ugliness out on herself. This story is not just another memoir about growing up in a dysfunctional family. The book is also an intelligent exploration of society, which generates and perpetuates abuse by keeping it silent. Another element that makes this book different from other auto-biographies is the way it reads like a novel. The author uses prose, poetry, metaphor, and memory to keep the reader hooked. You don't have to be a victim of sexual abuse and/or domestic violence to read this book. Although the author's true-life descriptions of abuse are tough to take in, I appreciated the benefit to anyone who happens upon this book. A reader will find insight, inspiration, and information that lasts a lifetime. In the epilogue, the author reveals how she was going through cancer when finally publishing this book. Even if the book is the last thing she did with her life, she has done us all a favor. We, the reading public, need to know what trauma and survival is really about.

This book is very difficult to read at times, but it's an inspiring story of courage in the face of horrendous obstacles.

The thing that strikes me the most about this book is how honest and thorough Lynn Tolson is when she describes her thought processes during her downward spiral. This book really gets into her head and allows you to experience her mental illness. She also describes in detail new ideas from therapy that helped her overcome her past, leave her abusive husband, and create a life for herself.

This book paints a frighteningly vivid picture of Tolson's father's paranoid scizophrenia, as well as her brother's and mother's defensive, rigid thinking. I think that anyone who has experienced mental illness in the family will identify with Tolson's story.

However, the descriptions of the abuse that Tolson suffered were pretty upsetting to me. I think it's courageous and inspiring that Tolson has told her story, but it's not easy reading. I found myself absolutely furious at Tolson's mother, father, and brother at times. The subject matter of this book is devastating, and it's not for the faint of heart.

If I had one complaint about this book, it's that it seems to be self-published (I think?) and there are some places where it could have definitely been improved by a professional editor. However, the important thing is that the voice and the story are all the author's own. I do recommend this book to people struggling with trauma and/or mental illness. It's a story of hope and authenticity.

Lynn Tolson brings truth back into the American Family. She releases an inspiration that uncovers this very truth; the loss, betrayal and dysfunction as well. In her book, 'Beyond the Tears'; Lynn expresses how her family's dysfunction, her understanding of personal childhood demoralization, and the bases for keeping it in for years and burring it with addictions hightened something she didn't know until her eyes were opened through the gift of therapy. She finally knew that she had been suffering from P.T.S.D. (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and sever depression which manifested itself in a suicide attempt at the age of twenty five. Lynn has made a tremendous recovery in her healing and has inspired so many in spite of the turmoil she's had to endure. She is now on a mission to educate survivors and supporters about the effects of sexual abuse and suicide or suicide attempts, and how the two corrilate. This is a subject that needs more research and her dedication to finding the answers is encourageing and enduring. She has thrived above it all and has breathed life back into women and men across the world. She has shown us that the world is much bigger than our own back yards and that sometimes we have to start coloring outside of the lines or stepping over stones to get where we need in our healing. Her book was written in personal narrative; which gives the reader a sense that she is there with you as she discusses her life in detail and her eventual light at the end of the tunnel. Her courage is paramount, as is her story, which resonates with everyone who has the blessing of reading it!

Sincerely Yours, Haullie Free

This book was referred to me and from the moment that I opened it, I could not put it down. A captivating true story of a young woman ready to end it all and her struggle to survive and overcome. As a survivor myself, reading this book taught me a lot about who I am and the choices that I have made throughout my life. I would definately recommend this book to anyone that has been affected by abuse.

This book was fantastic and helpful! I have read many motivation books and this one was the first that offered strategies you can easily use each day. I suffer from seasonal blues and find it hard to get motivated in the colder months!! This book definitely offered valuable information on how to get up and get things done on a daily basis!!

this book was helpful for me because it offered very hands-on, tangible solutions to managing my depression. fast emphasizes the fact that tasks will not necessarily be the most enjoyable to complete while depressed, but it is the feeling of satisfaction you receive after "just doing it" that is the great reward...after all, you will only feel worse doing the alternative, which is nothing.

great format, highly recommended for those dealing with depression.

*****
This book is incredibly helpful because it helps you to learn practical methods for coping with depression. The subtitle is "50 Strategies for Keeping Your Life on Track", and each strategy is thoroughly explored. First it is explained, then there is a short exercise you can do to apply the strategy to your life. Next the strategy is illustrated in a story from someone's personal life. Lastly, the author shares a story about applying that strategy in her own life.

For example, one strategy I found very helpful is "Accept the Limitations Caused By Depression". I expect way, way too much of myself every day and then feel bad when I can't accomplish what I want to. This strategy (and the book in general) helped me to see that I will feel better and get more done in the long run if I don't beat myself up about what I can't do, and if I work the other strategies diligently to do what I can.

It really helped that the author is successful and accomplished despite her depression, and the stories show how many, many people work with their illness to make valuable contributions with their lives instead of just giving in to depression and using it as an excuse for failure. It truly made me feel like I wasn't alone---that many others feel this way, and that they organize their lives so that they can still succeed.

I have to say that it's the most practical book I've ever read for actually coping with depression.

Highly recommended.
*****

I was quite impressed with this little book. I think that some people will relate to the 50 different strategies more so than others. But I can't imagine a depressed person NOT taking something valuable away from at least ONE of the 50 methods.

What I liked even more than the specific strategies was Julie's clear and honest explanation of what it is like to have depression. She does a great job illustrating how the depressed brain operates differently. She includes personal examples from her own life for EVERY strategy.

I did think her personal stories became a bit whiny and annoying by the end of the book, but I understand why she included them. I figure any frustration I have with her is the same frustration I have with my own depression. No-one wants to be whiny and self-absorbed, but when you're depressed, it happens.

This is one of the better books for depression out there. Even if you aren't depressed, it's a great read because it will help you interact with and understand those who are.

Depression doesn't have to completely shut down people's lives - part of overcoming it is not letting it take over the sufferer's life. "Get It Done When You're Depressed: 50 Strategies for Keeping Your Life on Track" is an encouraging and helpful treatise to help sufferers overcome clinical depression to keep them going and get over it so they can continue leading healthy, productive lives in spite of it. Inspiring readers to continue creativity, overcome their own mind, and allow for time to pass to get what they want, and dozens upon dozens of other tips to getting through day to day life under depression, "Get It Done When You're Depressed: 50 Strategies for Keeping Your Life on Track" is highly recommended to self-help community library collections, for those who have been in the unending funk with the intimidating news that life still needs to be lived.

The book starts out with, "Don't read this book if you are pregnant" (or something like that). I was six months pregnant with my first child, yet steamed ahead anyway. I am glad that I did. The description of the insanity, temporary or otherwise, that can be brought on brought on by modern motherhood that Ingman paints is exactly what a parent-to-be like myself needed, because it prepared me for the worst, and let me off the hook from the overambitious expectations that I had (elaborate birth plan that did not go as planned? check. Dreams of cooking my own organic baby food now making way for Gerber jars? check). The writing had a way of taking me to the absolute depths of her experience while at the same time injecting humor and compassion that made me feel like everything was going to be all right. I didn't expect to laugh out loud, but I did many times while reading.

This book is WAY more complex than any review can possibly hope to convey. It's personal, and political; funny, and sad. While reading, you realize that a lot of the problems Ingman faces are not just parents' issues, but women's issues. Are the mothers crazy or is the world crazy? Read and decide for yourself.

I think pretty much everything that the author has to say can be (and is!) said in the first 30 pages or so. After that, it's bits and pieces, loosely strung together but without a goal in sight. Neither a great resource for those dealing with PPD nor a good comic relief.

"Inconsolable" is smart, funny, and heartbreaking. This book should be required reading for any woman considering motherhood--it rips off the layers of Hallmark sentimentality and reveals exactly how agonizing post-partum depression can be. Frankly, it made me want to send my mother a bouquet of three dozen long-stemmed red roses.

This is a brave book written by an astonishingly talented writer Whether or not you're considering having a child, this book will change the way you think about motherhood, pregnancy, and mental health long after you've put the book down. I will never play Nine Inch Nails without thinking of Marritt ever again, and man, I play a lot of NIN.

Thank you for this book, Marritt.

When I suffered from debilitating depression after the birth of my 2nd daughter, I searched everywhere for something to grasp onto. Anything to grasp onto. Somehow I found this book. All of a sudden, here was someone like me - someone else who wanted to drive off a bridge. I felt like I had finally made a connection and I wasn't alone in this anymore.
I can honestly say that this book was pivotal in my (LONG) recovery. It is what ultimately encouraged me to push through, connect with others and reclaim motherhood. Marrit's accounts of early motherhood are real, moving, poignant, and honest. I highly recommend this book to any new mother - if you aren't suffering from PPD yourself, you might be able to understand and reach out to someone who is.

If you are a mom and you think you are loosing your mind, read this book!! You'll find out that you are not alone. I think all moms feel this way at times but most are too worried about what people will think if they admit it. Props to Marrit for being brutally honest.

It's been a long time since a book for teens has touched me as powerfully as Bad Girls Club, Judy Gregerson's emotionally-raw debut novel for young adults. In it, the author, a childhood victim of abuse and neglect herself, explores the devastating impact of a parent's mental illness. As her mother descends into madness, teenaged Destiny becomes caregiver to both her Mom and her little sister, and fights to keep her family intact. It's a gripping tale, written with the authenticity of experience.

With mental health issues being so prevelant in society I was very intrigued by the premise of this book. Let me tell you that as hard as it was I read it in one sitting - it grabbed hold and would not let go.

All Destiny wants is to get a job and try to have a semblance of a normal life. Instead she is burdened with the responsibilty of taking care of her mentally ill mother and trying to protect her younger sister Cassidy from the violent rages and outbursts that have become more common than not. Destiny's life has never been anything but that of a constant caregiver and mediator...especially since the incident at Crater Lake. She loves her mother, and even though she knows that this is not a normal family life she is willing to do what her father asks and help keep her mother in their home, for better or worse.

As this book unfolds you watch this family go on such a downward spiral that my heart was literally breaking. As much as I hated to turn to the next page for fear of what was going to happen next, I was compelled to do so in hopes that a ray of light would be found and something positive would happen to change some of the bad to good. At first I was unsure if this could really happen - how could both parents let their children go through this living hell? I then thought of my own life, and the lengths I may go to keep my family in tact. Love is a very powerful emotion, and nothing is more powerful than the love between a parent and their children. As Ms. Gregerson points out in her Author's Note, children that come from abusive families are even more loyal to their parents than children who don't. They seem to constantly be searching for a way to gain acceptance and love from the parent(s) who neglects or abuses them.

This book is a true eye opener, although it is fiction we can't turn a blind eye to the fact that there are families like this in every town in America. I am hopeful that this book will give some of these families the strength they need to get the help so desperately needed before it is too late and the children are damaged to a point of no return. It will hopefully also make people think closely about some people they know and maybe will give them the strength to intervene in situations they know are not healthy for the family involved. The author has done a true service by writing about an issue that should not be ignored.

Questions for the author:

What made you decide to write the story from the perspective of the oldest daughter?

Well, it was personal really. I was a parentified child, meaning that I was one of those kids who took care of my mother and my older sister when my family was spiraling out of control. I was the one who felt responsible to hold everything together because no one else would. And I believed that multitudes of people all around the world experience that same thing -- they become the savior of their families because no one else will. I wanted to shine a spotlight on that problem and what it does to a kid. And on another level, this is a cautionary tale: beware what you do to your children. When 5 children a day die in this country because their mother, a family member, or someone who knows their parent kills them, we're in deep trouble. We are allowing the ruin of our children and then we wonder why these kids can't learn in school or why they turn to crime, or why they're depressed. This book tells why, in some cases, our children are lost.

What was your inspiration for the story?

There were several things that inspired me. And in some sense, it was reaching critical mass and feeling that I had to say something about this problem. I tell everyone the story about meeting a man whose mother set their house on fire after locking him and his little brother in. There was Susan Smith and Andrea Yates. I thought they were anomalies, but I found out that they aren't. I started studying this issue and realized that 500 mothers a year kill their children. I started wondering what it would be like to live in a family like that. What if every day, your little sister's life was on the line and you couldn't do anything except be the one who stood between her and your mother? What if you knew your life was on the line and you had to live with one eye open so you could survive? These are the things I thought about, they're the questions that horrified me, as I wrote this book.

Do you have any books currently in the works?

I currently have one book in the works about a girl whose mother deserts her at the local grocery store, leaving the girl with her eccentric extended family and the question, "Why did she leave me?" I'm about a third through that and may get back to it soon. I also have another book finished about a girl in a trailer park who's the underdog and can't seem to find her way.

What hobbies do you enjoy?

Oh, I'm an odd one. I love to research. That is really relaxing to me. I pick a topic and then I search it out. I travel a little. We have a summer place on a beautiful glacier fed lake and I love going there. I hang with my daughters who are almost 18 and 21. They're my greatest joy. I read some, mostly nonfiction. I have a few favorite TV shows like CSI and Ugly Betty. Other than that, I just hang and try to find things to laugh at. The absurdity of life amuses me.

[...]

From the opening pages where Destiny's father tells her that her job is to help her mother, June, to the final pages where Destiny must make a tough decision about her family, we see a girl torn between love for her mother and facing the reality of her mother's illness.

As her mother sinks deeper and deeper into her world of darkness, Destiny attempts to hold the family together. She remembers earlier times, when her mother was kind and gentle and showed her how to paint. But those days have long passed, and now Destiny is the only protector of her younger sister, Cassidy, who has imaginary friends and bruises and bald spots where she's pulled out her hair, and who talks to no one except Destiny. Their dad, Bob, lives in his own world of denial, defending his wife, saying she'll get better. Destiny wants to believe him, so she does.

In bits and pieces throughout the story, Ms. Gregerson reveals what happened that awful day at Crater Lake, the day their mother changed their lives forever. The only person Destiny can confide in is her best friend, Chloe, who urges Destiny to come stay with her family. But Destiny cannot leave: Her mother needs her, Cassidy needs her, even her father needs her. Finally, Destiny's grandmother recognizes the hopelessness of the situation and gives Father an ultimatum: Put June in the hospital or the girls go home with her.

Bad Girls Club portrays a realistic look at a family in crisis and what happens when the truth is denied. Have a box of tissues handy. You may need it.

Listen to the Ghost
Secrets I Have Kept

Like any teen, Destiny just wants a normal life. She'd love to get a summer job, hang out with her best friend, Chloe, and her boyfriend, but she can't. Instead her life is spent caring for her younger sister, Cassidy, and insane mother. The father uses guilt and fear to manipulate Destiny, mentally keeping her a prisoner.

The darkness of this mental illness was so strong in the story that it manifested itself. At first, Destiny thought she was imagining things until the shadows started to follow her mother around, fueling her madness. When she finds her sister taking to an imaginary friend with black wings who flies and plans to cut their mother up into pieces, she realizes this madness is spreading like a disease. Slowly, this darkness tries to take her away too.

As the story unfolds, I begin to wonder why their mother isn't in a mental health facility and then memories of Andrea Yates hit. Do you know that the American Anthropological Association stated in 2005 more than 200 women kill their children in the US every year? These are the cases where a death has occurred and therefore is news worthy. What about those children who aren't killed and have to live through this mess? "Bad Girls Club" is a work of fiction, but it's definitely not a far fetched story.

Kudos to Judy Gregerson for bringing a story like this to the surface where it can be discussed.

Review by J. Kaye at http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/

The Bad Girls Club is a riveting look at a family ravished by mental illness. The first chapter pulls you into Destiny's crazy world and won't let you go. Gregerson uses flashbacks to the mysterious Crater Lake incident, revealing bits and pieces, and making us ask ourselves--do I really want to know what happened? And when we finally do learn the truth, we don't think it can possibly get any worse. But we're wrong. A heart-wrenching, eye-opening story that you will never forget.

Rabbi Harold Kushner is best known for his book When Bad Things Happen to Good People, but this work is in my judgment his greatest contribution to the philosophy of the spiritual life, Kushner's pièce de résistance. Using my favorite Hebrew Bible text, Ecclesiastes, as a springboard, Rabbi Kushner writes about the "ultimate thirst of our souls": the need for "meaning," for "the sense that we have figured out how to live so that our lives matter." Rabbi Kushner offers readers his wisdom -- born out of years of study, struggle and life experience -- about how to live a life that matters.

READ this BOOK! Rabbi Kushner hits on so many relevant and pertinent topics that you will be amazed how you see yourself in the anedotes and examples used to illustrate Kushner's point. Rabbi Kushner uses the Old Testament story of Ecclesiastes to illustrate how man's search for happiness is eternal and not unique. I could not believe how similar Ecclesiaste's view on life and search for happiness are so similar to my own. I found myself stopping on many occasions and telling my wife "READ THIS!"
I have been on a self-help book crusade for the past several months. Reading a bunch of these books have helped in finding some understanding to the search for happiness I have been after. After each book, I can say one or two of the points explained in the book have made sense and have some good practical applications to dealing with everyday situations that arise in my life. Kushner's book is by the far the best. He gives you straightforward and understandable examples of the negative behavior that conflict in man's search for happiness.
From the opening pages Kushner had me! He hits the nail on the head when he says the lines "If you ask anybody what is more imporant - work or family? - without a doubt they answer family. But then ask them how much time they spend away from family by putting work ahead of family and making work more important than family obligations." (paraphrased) He has many of these observations that help the reader get some insight into how destructive these behaviors are towards our supposed goal of happiness. I highly, highly recommend this book - READ this BOOK!

A great book and one the everyone should read at some time in their lives!

Thanks again for getting me the book so fast and in such good condition!

Gary

A thoughtful, spiritual examination of why fame and fortune do not produce happiness, and why "average" and "successful" people often feel emptiness in their lives. Many brief anecdotes are used to illustrate the author's observations, which are linked to the book of Ecclesiastes.
Read by the author. You will read (or listen to) this more than once!

Kushner is a sage and this book is a classic. As always Kushner's knits together wonderful stories, quotes, and historical observations that are always on the mark and move his thoughts forward. The disease that plagues our age is overconsumption and Kushner invites the reader to step away from the table of materialism and instead search out the things that really matter.

Fathers Troubles is a wonderful read and Carter Taylor Seaton knows how to tell a story. Her main character, Lawrence Burgher, manages in his short life to acquire and lose a fortune in the boom and bust years of the 1920's and 30's. Much of the story takes place in the coalfields of southern West Virginia that she describes well and in fine detail.
But Lawrence Burgher's troubles affect his wife, children and their families well into the century. The tale Carter Seaton tells is how those generations deal with or fail to deal with his legacy.
The author says, "Fathers Troubles is neither classical memoir nor pure fiction". This reader finds Father's Troubles to be a story of a time, place and people the author knows well.
Ren Parziale

I found the story engrossing from the beginning because of the way Carter focused on details of how life was lived in 1891 all the way through the 1930's. I was able to imagine daily life and get a better grasp on how Mr. Burgher's decisions might have affected his family. It is a sad tale for the Burghers, but found Maggie's reconciliation and self-realization regarding her mother touching and perhaps the most important lesson of the novel.
Since Carter is a family friend I was very excited to read her book. That it took place mostly in Huntington, WV was a bonus as it is my hometown, and I have a lot of fond memories from there.

I picked this book up at Tamarack on the West Virginia Turnpike in the WV books and music section. I was totally mesmerized from the opening page.If this is an example of her first novel, sign me up for an advance copy of number two!! This is a must read!! Frances Case

What a wonderful and easy read for the summer or any time. Carter brings you carefully into her story and keeps you there with intrigue and passion for her story.
Being from Huntington, WV and knowing several members of the family but not the story, the descriptions brought the story up close and personal for me. How excited I was to figure out Eileen was my mother's good friend.
Hope there is another book in Carter's horizon.

This book is a must read for everyone. It combines all the elements of a wonderful story with historical and local information that is facinating.

The story combines the past showing how an intelligent man, Lawrence Burgher, driven by the love he had for his wife and children and the ambition to "be somebody" can end up making choices that are clouded by that ambition. Even though he had no intentions of embezzlement, he was caught up in a web of lies that he just could not untangle. The present aspect of the book shows how Maggie's mother let the tragedies of her youth dictate how she lived her life and how she treated others.

There are many lessons to be learned from this book and Carter Seaton has woven all the lessons into a remarkable and enjoyable read.