Home :: Books :: Health, Mind & Body  

Arts & Photography
Audio CDs
Audiocassettes
Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Investing
Children's Books
Christianity
Comics & Graphic Novels
Computers & Internet
Cooking, Food & Wine
Entertainment
Gay & Lesbian
Health, Mind & Body

History
Home & Garden
Horror
Literature & Fiction
Mystery & Thrillers
Nonfiction
Outdoors & Nature
Parenting & Families
Professional & Technical
Reference
Religion & Spirituality
Romance
Science
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Sports
Teens
Travel
Women's Fiction
The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression

The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression

List Price: $16.00
Your Price: $10.88
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 3 4 .. 9 >>

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: If you think you suffer from depression, read this book
Review: This is one of the two best books I have seen on depression, the other being "Night Falls Fast" by Kay Jamison.

I suffer from both clinical depression, and profound suicidal ideations. Contrary to the assertions of a previous reviewer, Solomon points out the difference between depression that is a chronic mental illness, as opposed to being a little weepy about "Sex & the City" ending its run. This is not a "psycho-babble" book. Solomon is critical of the ignorant view that people suffering from depression need to just "get over it" or "cheer up" or "think positive." Depression is much more than that: It is an illness. Telling someone who is clinically depressed to "cheer up" is like telling someone who is near-sighted to just concentrate harder, and you will see clearer. While both are possible, do not bet on either working.

Solomon also attacks those irresponsible authors who contend that medication to address mental illness is not necessary. While certainly there may be some mild forms of mental illness that can be treated with "potatoes, not prozac" (to coin a phrase), to say that medication is not necessary is not only wrong, but insulting.

Still, while mental illness does has its origins in biochemical reactions, the "disease" model is an imperfect fit. That is where Solomon's book really provides a service: People suffering from depression do need medication. Nevertheless, your doctor is committing malpractice if you only take medication, and do not pursue a program of talk therapy.

About two years ago, I had a significant tumble. A friend read a review for Solomon's book, and encouraged me to read it. I did. From Solomon's careful, and helpful explanation of the different medications, and their history, I was able to sum up the courage and strength to talk to my doctor about my suicidal urges. Still, I was afraid--afraid that my doctor would either scoff at me, and tell me to "grow up" and "stop being such a baby." Or the other extreme: Call the police, and have me dragged away to a padded room for the next five years. Fortunately, neither of those things happened. Instead, I got a perscription, and sought out a counselor on a friend's recommendation. Today, I still struggle with my depression, and have to be careful--but it is not as consuming as it was before.

Suicidal ideations and depression are not exactly the same, but connected, like the rails of a railroad track. If you are suicidal, I urge you to find something--anything--you would miss if you were no longer here: blue sky, good food, your favorite song, a relative who loves you. Hang on that. Then remember that you are not alone: Many other people feel the same way. You are not weak, or strange. But you do need (and deserve) help. If you don't trust or feel comfortable with your doctor, then find another doctor you do trust. But do something--You don't need to suffer alone.

This book is a good place to start. Begin with the introduction, and skip to the chapter on suicide.

Another book that helped me (in addition to the above mentioned book by Jamison) is "The Savage God: A Study of Suicide" by A. Alvarez. Both are available through Amazon.com, but should also be available at your local bookstores--if you need help right away.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF DEPRESSION
Review: Who, at least at one point in their life, has not been mildly depressed? As a counsellor, if you were to tell me that not once, ever in your entire life did you ever feel down or depressed, I would probably want to make sure you were still breathing. However, for many, depression can be a severe, chronic battle each and every day, and one of the biggest setbacks in an individual's life. It can be a family's nightmare, hinder careers and personal relationships, and play havoc with a person's self-image. For some, just getting up in the morning can take evey ounce of willpower. There have been many books written on depression, some are excellent self-help books, others ARE depressing to read. This book, however, is an insightful look inside depression in personal, scientific and cultural terms. The author also takes a look at the biological aspects of the disease which, for many, can be a controversial issue.

Solomon has battled depression for much of his life. Through his research and studies, he has gained valuable knowledge on the subject which he openly shares with his readers. Of the vast number of books written on depression, "Noonday Demon" is definitely one of the most complete, accurate and informative ones to be found. I also enjoyed his easy manner, occasional wit and positive approach to an affliction that for a multitude of individuals can be a disabling, life-long illness.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: rambling but still worth reading
Review: What I found the most valuable in this book were the personal stories and accounts of the author's experimentation as he attempted to find a cure for his depression. He did what very few books on mood disorders do, which was interview a broad spectrum of people and let their stories be heard. We hear from spoiled yuppies who can afford every trend under the sun, but we also hear from people for whom you can't help but think - "no wonder they're so depressed, they have no money, their meds don't work, and they can only get partial help." Solomon also examines how race, sexual orientation, and gender can shape one's depression. I have read widely on mood disorders, and his was the first I have seen that addressed the relationship between homosexuality and depression for more than a token paragraph.

I think sometimes the author's reach exceeded his grasp, and the book could have been trimmed without losing its impact. It's a good book to dip into rather than plow straight through, if you're depressed that is.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: brief comments
Review: This book has already been extensively reviewed by others, but I would like to respond to an earlier, negative review by LostBoyinNC. Contrary to his opinion, virtually all mental health professionals consider psychosocial factors to be highly relevant to depression. The author of this book mentions them, but he certainly does not overemphasize them, as the reviewer suggests. The author does not "intellectualize." He gives a vivid, readable account of the inner world of depression.

The second problem with this review is nothing less than a mistake. The author does NOT get a cingulotomy, he simply writes about another person's experience with this procedure. Indeed, the matter is mentioned on perhaps three pages in the whole book. I'm not sure how the reviewer came to this conclusion, but perhaps he was bored and reading quickly through a book that he unfairly depicts as "psychobabble."

Solomon's book is admittedly lengthy, and somewhat simplified in certain technical matters, but it is beautifully written and does a great job conveying the subjective experience of depression. He also gives plenty of practical information on etiology and treatment. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is either dealing with depression or trying to cope with a depressed family member. Do not be deterred by erroneous reviews.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One critical insight
Review: There is much more than that in, "The Noonday Demon" but for me, when I read the book and was struggling with how to cope with my own depression, one insight was enough.

Depression is a progressive disease. If you don't treat depression with medication or therapy it can get worse. That was enough to get me into treatment.

I also thought Solomon did an amazing job of showing how devastating severe depression can be; vertigo, throwing up and delusions yet he did not make people like myself with chronic though not severe depression feel slighted.

The overview sections were less effective but allowed the book to claim its title "An atlas of depression." It felt jarring to go from the intimate, personal account of a serious disease into a more abstract discussion of the various aspects of depression and yet I believe that was the point. Its not enough to see depression as the devastation wrecked upon a single life but as a widespread illness that fingers its way through so many aspects of so many lives.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Pure Narcissistic Trash
Review: I'm getting a refund. As a young academic and life-long sufferer (since about age 14) of depression, this book to me comes across as whiny, self-absorbed, "Omigod, I've had everything in my life and can't deal with reality!" narcissism of the worst kind. As asked above, how the hell did this win any kind of award?

That such a piece of garbage has won acclaim is an indictment against the NYC literati who claim Solomon as one of their own: the self-absorbed privileged whose bell-jar weltshmertz finally has a name: depression. Once labeled, people like Solomon can use it as an excuse to continue their self-serving, narcissistic behavior- or better, write a saucy pseudo-intellectual "memoir", make a pile and plug daddy's drug company at the same time!

By throwing in words like "odium" and "citing" academic articles, he hopes to come across like he knows what he's talking about with literary flair. The book as a whole is an orgy of self-satisfaction that actually does the author, and depressives a la "guilt by association," a disservice.

I don't doubt this man has suffered, but it is my belief, as one who has had and always will have depression, that true responsibility goes a very long way in keeping the disease at bay. For this reader, the author manages only to strike a totally unsympathetic character devoid of credibility.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Another book that intellectualizes depression
Review: Many people seem to really like this book. Im not one of them however. The reason I didnt like it was because of how the author broods about depression in an intellectual type way. To me, severe depression is nothing but a horrible medical disorder that is brain based and destroys lives and families. This book vastly over discusses all the psycho-social aspects of depression, whereas the emphasis should be on the neurolological underpinnings of depression. The root cause of depression...which is brain dysfunction.

In the end the author decides to undertake an extreme and very very rare treatment. He decides to undergo a cingulotomy, which is a modernized, high tech form of psychosurgery that is purely voluntary and very rarely done. This desperate last stand truly clarifies the bottom line, hard to accept fact that severe depression is a brain illness and not a "mental illness." The author could have left out a large portion of the book and instead focused more on the biological aspects of depression.

While this book does describe the "hell" of severe clinical depression, it also intellectualizes something that is basically a medical problem. I find this endless intellectual, "psychobabblish" rumination of a serious medical disease as distastful. Although unfortunately this is very common.

This book, while very readable and admittedly interesting, does a disservice to all severely mentally ill individuals by heavily discussing the overemphasized psycho-social aspects of depression.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Andrew Explores the Depths of the "DEMON"...
Review: Wow--the 1st phrase to come to my mind after consuming this beast of a book. But, it was 500+ pages that went down easy, if that's possible. Andrew Solomon is an intellectually engaging, and tirelessly thorough, author.This volume tackles depression from all angles--anecdotes, mythological beliefs throughout the ages, scientific analysis, and real-life (and very often disturbing) stories of real life people, and their various sufferings. The most unique, and "refreshing" aspect of the work, though, is Solomon's ongoing, in-depth analysis of his own frightening battle with the "demon". Andrew takes us deep into the ugliness he dips into far too often: his family tragedy, and how it has shaped him (for better or worse); his own battles with his sexuality, and how that contributes to the chaos; his circle of friends that play a huge role in his evolution as a manic depressive, and much more. Another positive about this book is that while it gets quite somber throughout, there are also many rays of hope and strength that emanate from the text--Overall, this is literally a helpful companion for those who might be suffering day in and day out with a heaviness of the heart, mind, and soul, as Andrew has an impressive knack to convey his suffering so that the reader might find a friend. You are not alone.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Andrew Explores the Depths of the "DEMON"...
Review: Wow---the 1st phrase to come to my mind after consuming this beast of a book. But, it was 500+ pages that went down easy, if that's possible. Andrew Solomon is an intellectually engaging, and tirelessly thorough, author.This volume tackles depression from all angles--anecdotes, mythological beliefs throughout the ages, scientific analysis, and real-life (and very often disturbing) stories of real life people, and their various sufferings. The most unique, and "refreshing" aspect of the work, though, is Solomon's ongoing, in-depth analysis of his own frightening battle with the "demon". Andrew takes us deep into the ugliness he dips into far too often: his family tragedy, and how it has shaped him (for better or worse); his own battles with his sexuality, and how that contributes to the chaos; his circle of friends that play a huge role in his evolution as a manic depressive, and much more. Another positive about this book is that while it gets quite somber throughout, there are also many rays of hope and strength that emanate from the text--Overall, this is literally a helpful companion for those who might be suffering day in and day out with a heaviness of the heart, mind, and soul, as Andrew has an impressive knack to convey his suffering so that the reader might find a friend. You are not alone.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Whine, Whine, Whine
Review: "I must have all of my wishes filled; whine, whine, whine." From reading this book, Andrew Solomon comes over as a spoiled rich brat, who looks for answers to his depression everyplace but inside himself. This is typical of immature people who want a pill to do it all for them, but refuse to do the hard work of confronting their own mistaken attitudes and beliefs. All of Andrew's whining is merely symptomatic of his resistance to therapy. If he went to a good cognitive therapist, he could be cured in 5 - 6 sessions.


<< 1 2 3 4 .. 9 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates