Depression Books

I'm a journalist, a sports fan, amateur historian and the fourth great-granddaughter of the amazing Peter Sides, a Revolutionary War Veteran who was killed at the bloodiest battle on Texas soil, the Battle of Medina in 1813.

You don't believe me? Look it up!

I first read this book years ago and loved it. I've recommended it to others who have loved it. It's a fabulous read and rollicking adventure. It's the kind of book I keep re-reading and buying any copy I can find and passing it on to people I love.

Please excuse the passive voice in the previous paragraph. I know better ; )

Fast Copy is a lot of lively fun!

A native Texan myself, I found myself laughing all through this book. I caught continual glimpses of friends and relatives (and, yes, even myself!) in this wonderful little novel that explores Texas, football, and Texans.

However, it is not just a comedy that pokes fun at Texans. Nosiree! It deals specifically with Depression-Era Texas and makes us take a disturbing look at ourselves. How can someone callously believe that other humans are "just hobos"? Do we truly believe that appearances are more important than reality? What will one do for Love; is it ok to hurt others to pursue one's own pleasure?

This is a most thought-provoking work and well worth the time to read.

This story has a great setting: a cluttered antique and curio shop in Evergreen, Colorado. It's refreshing to read about a family that is not picture perfect. The mother is raising her teenage son and daughter alone because the father abandoned them five years ago.

This woman is trying to raise a son who has never been diagnosed as having ADHD. Some of his behavior is so outrageous it's comical; at other times it makes you grimace and hold your breath. What will this young man DO NEXT! It can't get worse, but with each turn of the page, it does.

The descriptions in the book are economical but vivid; you are pulled through the story as a reader by the proverbial "other shoe" that's ready to drop. The story addresses a horrific problem and I hope that teenagers with ADHD manage to stop fidgeting long enough to read it. They just might see themselves and accept help.

I love stories that work to change things for the better (without a heavy hand).

Fidgets is one of those books that will keep you reading till the end. I found my heart going out to little Jack. The sister side of me wanted to just smack him but the mother side wanted to fix him. In these times, I am so glad that there was a happy ending for Jack. Fidgets is a great family story with an important message for young readers. If you need up lifting or some renewed hope check out Fidgets!

This is a must-read, in part because this is just a brilliant work that doesn't fit in our normal intellectual history. It is also truly American in its way of thinking and the combination of radicalism and every-dayness. George demonstrates that ownership of land is the key to inequality; along the line he considers and sheds light on a number of other theories. He also makes predictions regarding the general development of the United States that have been very perceptive.

At the same time, he isn't afraid to wax poetic. Why shouldn't one? We know why Cain killed Abel--because the farmer requires fencing off land, and calling it his, and his crops will be watered with the blood of his excluded brother. Isn't that where we still are--sacrificing human beings for property? And can we even determine who is in the right and who is in the wrong? George sets out a way of formulating the problem that allows us to get beyond things. It is still worth thinking about, since these problems have grown. And we can't run away from them...as Cain found out all too well. [32]

Progress & Poverty is the missing puzzle piece for those of us who look around at the combination of magnificent and accelerating technological progress and the increasingly distorted distribution of income and wealth in America, with many people lacking sufficient income to meet their most basic needs, and wonder what went wrong in a country which professes to be dedicated to the proposition that we're all created equal.

The book's subtitle -- An Inquiry in the Cause of Industrial Depressions and of Increase of Want with Increase of Wealth... The Remedy -- describes it beautifully: why we have the ups and downs of our economy, which cause incredible human misery, and why we have increasing poverty at the same time that there is hugely increasing wealth.

And Henry George provides a logical and workable -- even elegant -- remedy, one which will untangle many of the perverse incentives we cope with today: we say we value work, but we tax it. We say we want to promote sales, but we tax them. We say we want to encourage entrepreneurial effort, but we allow huge barriers designed to discourage the person with an idea from being able to execute it. We say we want a society that naturally creates more jobs, but we allow a relative few of us to pocket the funds which would create those jobs. We say we value initiative, but we reward the "dog in the manger" far more than we reward the laborer. We say that urban blight is a bad thing, but our tax code encourages it. We say we dislike urban sprawl, and long commutes, and low wages -- but we've failed to implement the simple tax reform that will correct these ills. We work longer hours than our counterparts in other countries, and have less to show for it. We allow a relative few to own our airwaves, and resell them at higher and higher prices, collecting advertising revenues from all who would run for public office or advertise their products.

If we truly mean to end poverty, to reward initiative, to ensure that the next child born in America is truly the equal of all who are here today, to ensure that our environment is protected for the common good, George's framework for understanding provides the missing puzzle piece.

And as we consider what sort of country we'd like Iraq to be, it is worth considering that if we only give them a constitution without giving them an economic system that considers all people equal, truly equal, we've not accomplished much with the American lives we've lost there.

If we can figure it out for Iraq, with all its oil wealth, maybe we can figure out how to share America justly among Americans, too.

George lays out simply and elegantly what the underlying problem is and how to solve it.

He dedicates the book "To those who, seeing the vice and misery that spring from the unequal distribution of wealth and privilege, feel the possibility of a higher social state and would strive for its attainment." Might you be among those who see and feel, and would strive, if only you could see the source of the problem?

Churchill, Twain, Huxley, Shaw and many others came to see what George was pointing out. Will you?

This one is worth your time!

Get a copy for yourself, and send one to your favorite legislator, be he/she local, state or federal. Then start looking for other Georgists, also known as Geoists. You'll find them a lively group with a vision that might inspire you, too. And it is refreshing to be with people who seek a finer society, not more advantage or privilege -- "private law" -- for their own benefit! --

Written by Navy veteran and licensed private investigator Shawn Smith, Find Happiness: How to Fill the Void in Your Life by Looking, Feeling, and Living Better is an uplifting blend of self-help suggestions, Christian spirituality, and inspirational autobiography. Chapters teach the reader how to identify the symptoms of depression and act to prevent it, avoid harmful habits and vices, improve one's eating and exercise habits, find truth in the Word of God, and much more. Smith does not claim to be a saint; he confesses to the sins of his life, and tells the true story of how he succeeded in turning himself around from the brink. A deeply spiritual and reverent guide steeped in unwavering faith.

This book is a valuable, fascinating biography and self-help book rolled into one. I have read many self-help books but have never seen one that does such a good job of describing the spiritual *and* physical responsibilities we all must undertake for a rewarding, satisfying life. For example, in addition to describing the moral and psychological forces at work in our lives, the author includes information on "How to Look and Feel Better," including healthy eating, nutrition, exercise and weight training.

Author Shawn Smith, a self-proclaimed "Knight for Christ," is a Navy veteran and graduated with high honors in Criminal Social Justice from Lewis University. In the book he shares the lessons he learned during his own 36-year search for peace and fulfillment. As you read the book, he shows how to find the tools and the will to fight anxiety, depression, anger, dependency, and low self esteem, and how to apply this to your own life.

Throughout, this book is clear, easy to understand, and motivating to the reader. I recommend it highly.

A few years back, my wife Leah and I decided to swing by a ranch I once managed for my father. The ranch is located in a remote part of West Texas between the tiny town of Bakersfield and McCamey. We turned right at Bakersfield after exiting I-10 and began driving north.

A few miles up the road, I saw a large object in the distance on the left hand side of the road. As we neared the object grew in size and I noticed it was moving. Barely moving, but moving.

I pulled over when I realized that the object was human; in fact there were two humans. It's quite uncommon to see hitchhikers on this desolate stretch of highway. There's very little traffic and the country is so harsh and forbidding that a person on foot faces the very real risk of losing his life to the elements. Paul Speir stands six and a half feet tall and weighs closer to four hundred pounds than three. He had a huge backpack and sleeping gear on his back; alongside stood a young man about a third his size. Both grinned. They obviously were out of place in the Bakersfield Valley of Texas.

Fate placed us on that road at the same time. Paul told me he was a writer on a spiritual quest. I confessed that I too write and had written a book about farming and dope smuggling set in that area. As it turned out, Paul was at that very moment trying to break an addiction to marijuana.

Paul's well-written and heart-felt depiction of his trip made me laugh, but also taught me a thing or two about life from his unique perspective. We live in a time when the young teach the old. When I read how Paul arrived at that spot in the road at the same moment I did, I realized that it was more than fate that put us there; we had been moved by the hand of God.

Allow me to introduce the writer, Paul Speir. This book may be his first, but it won't be his last.

Your desires can lead you to either the road of destruction or the road to a meaningful life. A desire for the wrong thing can ultimately bring you to a life of despair. One must first have the desires for a positive life and then let them prevail over any other desires. As a young man, Paul Michael Speir had struggled between opposite forces of desires as he dealt with drug addiction; even as he fell victim to negative desires, somewhere deep inside of him desired for a good and meaningful life, and in the end, his desires for positivity fired, leading him to achieving the good. Finding Pecos is his spiritual journey from an addict to a wise man whose heart has embraced God and the treasures He has to offer. Finding Pecos is much more than a memoir, it's a journey down a promising but rugged road of a young heart whose only quest was true happiness; it's about making mistakes and learning from them, of finding the value of life and listening to one's heart. Do not be fooled by the author's easy-to-read writing style; hidden behind the simplicity are words of wisdom to gently but firmly empower other souls to find the positive and the beautiful in life just as he has. The road to the good may be the harder of the two on which to travel, but it is the only road where the traveler can reap gold. Recommended for anyone who wants a gentle hand to lead them down their own road to a spiritual transformation.
--Shirley Cheng, blind and physically disabled award-winning author and motivational speaker, [...]

The author tells it like it was. Having been raised in the same time period and under similar circumstances, I appreciated the honesty and straightforward writing style. The very accurate portrayal of the Amish/Mennonite farming community with lack of hyperbole was refreshing.
While the author does not expound greatly on his philosophy, his love of nature and the environment is evident. Also evident is the way his love of nature was nurtured by his early life in a farming community.
A good read for anyone interested rural living as it used to be and a little bit about present farming practices.

I loved it. This book should be read by the light of a kerosene lamp next to a potbelly stove that's heating water for a Saturday night bath. Will Troyer transports the reader to a simpler time. His descriptions of life in Amish and Mennonite communities resonate with anyone who grew up in rural America in the 1930s and 1940s. From his colorful commentary about a stubborn horse to the pranks he and his friends played at Halloween, the author skillfully portrays his boyhood. By describing the old swimmin' hole, the excitement of turning on a wall switch and seeing electric lights illuminate the family's home for the first time, and the hardships and good times of his boyhood, Troyer offers a magic carpet ride into the past.

Hi Uncle Bill. I loved the book. I had it read it within 3 days. I could not put it down after I started it. I can not wait for the next book to come out that you write. Love, Lori LaFollette (Rensberger)

This book is fantastic! I love how it is written in short stories/memories. It makes for an easy read leaving you with anticipation for the next memory. I borrowed it from the library (Cicero, Indiana). I loved it as I stated before but am going to buy a copy for my Father-in-Law who also grew up during the depression on a small farm in northern Indiana. I'm sure he will enjoy it much, much more than I and will recall fond memories for him as well. He is in his 80's and is still living in the house where he was born and farming the farm. The author is brilliant is his writing!

This book by author Rupert Butler is a fairly quick read (185 pages of text) revealing the barbarity of members of Hitler's Third Reich in carrying out executions of millions of individuals. Numerous photos of the infamous characters both in their heyday and death add to the book's interest. Incidents such as the assassination of The Butcher of Prague, Reinhard Heydrich, and the July, 1944 bomb plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler are given detailed attention. I'm sure the text of this book can be found in many other volumes, but the photos chosen for the book are exceptional. Examples are the sinister Heydrich cuddling his youngest daughter, the destruction of the village of Lidice in reprisal of the death of Heydrich, Judge Roland Freisler showering venom onto a pathetic defendant at the People's Court, the ruins of the inside of the conference room at Rastenburg following the attempt on Hitler's life, close up pictures of Hitler's henchmen, some of them shown in death, and the ruins inside Hitler's bunker. These and many other photos make this book a keeper in the library of World War II buffs.

This is an excellent book which reads easily and never bores. The format of the book is well thought out, with many pictures, quotes, and sub-stories. The author's writing style is engaging and I could not put the book down once I started. The book's main focus is on the leading figures of the Gestapo to include Goring, Himmler, Heydrich and Kaltenbrunner and on the interagency politics between the Abwehr, SD, SS, and the Wehrmacht. Butler certainly pulls no punches, revealing the brutality of the Gestapo and the depravity of the mass murderers who led this twisted organization. While this book is well done, it is not an authoritative work and does not address Gestapo activities in areas such as the eastern front, the Baltics, and the Balkans. However, what the book does cover, it covers well. If you want a solid foundation on the Gestapo's activities in WWII then this is the book for you. I am glad I bought it and will retain it in my collection.

In the classic book THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE by Strunk & White, arguably the best book about writing, one of the principles espoused was terseness. They kept the book at under 100 pages. Yet they managed to create the best book on writing style -- more useful, I found, that the 500 page CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE. Likewise, this book by Louis Birner, a psychoanalyst, employs terseness and simplicity to advise about depression and creativity. Over the years, as a successful businessman, I had several bouts of depression. I read every book on depression I could get my hands on. Yet this book, in my judgment, turns out to be the best -- and the easiest to read. It spells out useful principles tersely and simply. Very highly recommended.

Clear, Concise and easy to read. It show many ways to use time well and to organized both thought and action. Quite good for students as well as adults.

Dr. Mintle has done a through work in this book, "Getting Unstuck." She effectively deals with many problems that not only women but also men face this day and age.

It is obvious in the way this book is written that the author has applied her twenty years of studies, training, research, clinical and personal experiences in a positive and helpful way.

One can tell from reading that this preparation has given "substance" to the book which shows that the author has demonstrated abilities to recognize and analyze emotional, physical and spiritual problems.

The excellent value of these qualities above shown in Getting Unstuck is that Dr. Mintle shows practical ways on how to properly deal with these emotional, physical and spiritual problems.

The book clearly shows not only that changes need to be made but WHY and HOW those changes can make a positive difference in modern life today.

The book and author is straight forward in the approach to "getting unstuck." The positive points are clearly made, it says what the author means and means what she says.

From the tone of the book it appears that all is done from a heart of genuine love and concern for anyone in need that will be reading the book.

This book affords a totally positive approach to seemingly impossible situations that daily face both men and women.

"Getting Unstuck" could be of tremendous help for people who are involved in helping in such places as drug rehabilitation programs, Crisis Pregnancy Centers and other such institutions for the care of hurting people.

The book to me was the very best and most helpfully written that I have ever read on such important issues of today.

This Dr.Mintle certainly has a handle on the issues women deal with everyday. What an honest, loving and open approach. She's like a Dr.Laura, only nice. Dr.LINDA obviously truly cares about the women in her practice, but at the same time knows how to get right to heart of their problems - and mine! Thank God for Dr.Linda. She certainly helped me get UNstuck!