The Life of a Bipolar Child: What Every Parent and Professional Needs to Know

Rating:
Summary: too personal
Review: This book has some good info, but is a very personal perspective of one person's experience--and her child committed suicide!

Rating:
Summary: an impressive source of info about childhood bipolar
Review: This book is a thorough guide to childhood bipolar disorder. It rivals "The Bipolar Child" in that it is an attempt to provide a comprehensive picture of the disorder to parents and doctors. I don't think it's quite as well written or well organized as "The Bipolar Child", but I still recommend that it be read since I think a number of sources of information should be used when approaching a complex subject like bipolar disorder. Avery Z. Conner, author of "Fevers of the Mind".

Rating:
Summary: an impressive source of info about childhood bipolar
Review: This book is a thorough guide to childhood bipolar disorder. It rivals "The Bipolar Child" in that it is an attempt to provide a comprehensive picture of the disorder to parents and doctors. I don't think it's quite as well written or well organized as "The Bipolar Child", but I still recommend that it be read since I think a number of sources of information should be used when approaching a complex subject like bipolar disorder. Avery Z. Conner, author of "Fevers of the Mind".

Rating:
Summary: Where is the editor?
Review: Trudy Carlson has done a wonderful job of describing a bipolar child in this updated version of her earlier book, "The Suicide of My Son". It contains a new chapter on current bipolar disorder research. There is other helpful information on medications, comorbid disorders, screening for depression, ways to anticipate and prevent suicide ,treatment plans and many detailed suggestions for teachers and school administrators. A very thorough book, written in layman's language.

Rating:
Summary: Not Helpful
Review: While this book addresses many important topics related to childhood-onset Bipolar Disorder, it is also very closely tied to the author's personal experience of losing a child to the disorder. It provides one parent's perspective on medical treatment and suicide. It's can be a helpful resource, but could also be somewhat depressing for parents looking for solutions to their daily challenges.--Sheryl Gurrentz, co-author of "If Your Child is Bipolar--a parent to parent guide to living with and loving a Bipolar child"

Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but very personal
Review: While this book addresses many important topics related to childhood-onset Bipolar Disorder, it is also very closely tied to the author's personal experience of losing a child to the disorder. It provides one parent's perspective on medical treatment and suicide. It's can be a helpful resource, but could also be somewhat depressing for parents looking for solutions to their daily challenges.--Sheryl Gurrentz, co-author of "If Your Child is Bipolar--a parent to parent guide to living with and loving a Bipolar child"

Rating:
Summary: A Comprehensive & Understandable Guide
Review: Written by an educator and mother of a bipolar child who died by suicide, this book is written in easily-understood everyday language. While not dwelling on her tragedy, Carlson does a good job of correlating her son's diagnosed bipolar illness with his subsequent death, and offers a great wealth of information on both topics. Covering "behavioral problems," Attention Deficit Disorder, and symptoms of manic depressive illness, Carlson speaks directly to parents, educators and health professionals.

You can find plenty of technically written journals on the market (nothing wrong with those!) but if you want to hear from someone who's been in the trenches; someone who LIVED with this challenge, this is the book for you.

I highly recommend it.