Suicide Books

Edwin Shneidman, one of the keenest minds on suicide, offers an outstanding "autopsy" of a suicidal mind, Arthur, a miserable physician-attorney. Arthur, it seems, had a knack for having to be perfect and for communicating his pain in letters. Given his suicide letter (and many drafts that preceded it), Shneidman and a team of suicidologists interview several people who knew Arthur well (they thought) to try to figure out just why Arthur chose death over life.

The book is outstanding. It is hard to stop reading as each expert and interviewee offers his or her own unique views of Arthur's life and death. Unfortunately, if you're looking for one correct answer, it's not in this book. Shneidman does an excellent job of showing how ultimately all psychological questions can be answered with just two words: "It depends!" Depending upon your own perspective, you could argue convincingly that Arthur kills himself because he was, for example, mildly autistic (and untreated), clinically depressed (and inappropriately treated), selfish and narcissistic (attention seeking), controlling and dominant (had to have the last word through his own death), or traumatized as a child by rigid, unloving parents that divorced young.

Overall, if you want to see first hand how some of the premier suicidologists in the world can honestly, yet amicably, disagree, check this excellent, quick read text. It won't give you the answers, but it sure will help you understand better that suicide and psychological health are complex matters that we may never truly understand.

This is an excellent book. I would recommend it to anyone interested in psychology - especially the suicidal aspect of it. At points the writing may be above the average person, but I think almost anyone can read and understand this book.

I bought this book after reading a delightful article about the author, Schneidman, in the Los Angeles Times a couple of weeks ago (GREAT article, too, if you can find it!) The book is thorough, to say the least. I think probably everything that could be said about Arthur, the man who committed suicide, has been said. I would like to see a picture of him -- or would I? Turns out he was very self-centered; in fact, it's hard for me to believe all these people adored him as they seemed to. I don't mean to pass judgment on the man, but just wanted to let readers know this is an excellent, fascinating primer on suicide, and even of human nature. It is not too technical, and it is very touching in parts, not to mention educational. If you have ever known anyone who has committed suicide, or even know of someone (like Sylvia Plath, the poet), this book will hold your interest all the way through.

"I have just finished reading Autopsy of a Suicidal Mind. It is a wonderful piece to celebrate a kind of finale to a remarkable career in suicidology, a spectacular set of interviews and a remarkable set of commentaries by major figures in suicidology. And the case itself is fascinating. It is an amazing achievement." M. Brewster Smith, Ph.D. (Former President of the American psychological Asssociation)

I had a chance to personally meet the author and have her sign my copy of her novel. Sara Shai is an incredible person, strong, beautiful and gifted. Her story is truly inspiring... The book is an easy read and I believe that great stories should be told the way she told hers - simple, unpretensious and candidly.

This is one of the best books I've read in awhile. It is a true story about the author's life and how her husband's suicide affected her. Really an inspirational message to anyone who has suffered a loss.

The thing I really like about the book though, is the way it is written. It is attention grabbing and easy to follow. The author, Sara, writes in a way so that you can really feel and understand her emotions and thoughts. The book brings attention and awareness to the fact that suicide is a problem. It also sheds light on how suicide affects the people who are left behind: the loved ones, the family, and the friends. Finally, it sends a positive message that it is possible to overcome losses in life.

I really couldn't put the book down... It deals with the serious topic of suicide, and to be more specific; the author's husband's suicide. Sara's writing is so engaging that you find yourself "living" her life, and feeling the same emotions she did as you read. Most of all I loved the absolute extreme of Sara's will to overcome life's challenges and LIVE, while her husband was unable or unwilling to struggle with life's challenges and his ultimate wish was to END his LIFE. With very similar backgrounds they still had a different view of life and very different attitudes which led each one of them somewhere else in life. Sadly, her husband chose death but it wasn't the end for Sara... She would still have a way to go in dealing with guilt, shame and blame but only to come out of it a stronger person, a mature woman and a gifted artist. you gotta read it to believe it :) ENJOY

Sara Shai writes with sincerity and bares her soul as she recalls the events in her life, before and after her husband's suicide. She is prolific and eloquent, as she discusses the pain and challenges which she faced throughout her entire life; yet she manages to keep the content positive and uplifting.

I was drawn to the book because I have been intrigued with suicide throughout my own life and never acted upon my impulses;
knowing what it would do to my loved ones. The book clearly
states that it is those that are left behind that suffer and I always intuitively knew that. I found it difficult to put the book down because it is written with such an intuitive, compassionate and realistic style.

This book is well written and delicately handles the issue of suicide. I feel that this is very timely as it seems that it is increasing in our world and the awareness of the occurence of suicide needs to be broadened.

I believe that Sara Shai is a wonderful new author and we will be hearing from her again. This is just one of many stories that she has to tell and I believe she will touch the world with her sensitivity and honesty.

i was very much so surprised it came with the other book of core concepts and that i got both of them for that price thank u!...

I read this as an undergraduate while taking a course in medical ethics. I later went on to medical school, and I read a few other texts and many other sources for most of the same material. This book is by far the best of all of these that I've seen. It's almost perfect in the scope it covers and in its readability. It gives a good overview and raises intriguing questions in each section. It almost perfect. I can't recommend it enough. It is well worth a look.

Biomedical Ethics is a wonderful introduction to bioethical issues. The authors' styles of writing are (usually) easily understandable, and the inserted case studies make for interesting reading. More of a textbook than a "quickread".

This is an excellent overview of the myriad of issues that fall under the term "biomedical ethics". This was used as one of the texts for my health care ethics graduate course, and I could actually read this. Although Childress and Beauchamp may be considered the "standards" in the field, they are also when known for being very difficult to read (my prof warned us on day one that their "Introduction" would be very heady, and the warning rang true the moment I opened their book).

This book brings together writings from numerous excellent authors that are all very easy to digest, particularly in light of other "introductions" available. I enjoyed this book immensely. Not only did it help me greatly in my studies, it has also helped me greatly in navigating my own health care. Whether you are reading for academic pursuits, or are otherwise interested enough in the field to buy a book about it, I highly recommend THIS ONE!

The writing of this book, Blessings in the Mire was a painful and positive experience, simultaneously. It was brutal to re-live many of the experiences written within, but it was also liberating. It is my sincere desire that reading this book will heal the readers' own wounds. With the help of the angels and spirit guides we may surprise ourselves as to the great strides we can make. EVERY situation has a positive side. The key is to find the blessing in the mire and give gratitude for the event no matter how darkly disguised. May all readers benefit and thrive as a result of contemplating the existence of miracles and angel powers.

On 07-07-07, I lost my daredevil son in a fatal falling accident. He was a gifted young filmmaker and a sensitive, caring soul, beloved by all who knew him. But when he partied he sometimes over-did it, and partying or not, he took awful risks with his safety. He was not proactively suicidal, but the Russian-Roullette games he played with his life indicated something akin to it.

After my unbearable loss, I was driven to seek out the gifted among us who can communicate with the dead. Offered along with George Anderson's books, I found Blessings in the Mire. In my desperate desire to gather to myself anything written that could help me traverse "the veil", I ordered Deelstra's book, too.

I was not disappointed. She showed me her copious blood runnels on the same path I've almost bled to death on. And she showed me that she knows what I was learning: that we follow wherever our children go, and if our child dies, well, we're halfway there, too, just because that's where he's gone, and at that lonely windswept point, that free-fall through the darkness, not rendered into spirit like our child is, yet not tethered here anymore, we can make our loss a spiritual knowledge.

The thing that made me give her one less than five stars is that her disclosures, though expressed with articulate, moving prose, are sometimes just a little too much. As an author, myself, on another heavy subject, I've had to learn to lighten up, to add a little humor, or else I'll be burdening the reader too much with the weight of my own self-revelations, the weight of my own self-empowerment.

But just the same, buy this book! Its torturous beauty and beautiful torture is worth it!!!

This book came to me at a perfect time, not so much for the dealings with the issue of suicide and coping with loss, but for the author's thoughtful and cynical take on her journey through life and all of it's unexpected and seemingly impossible experiences. Beautifully written and easy to connect with, Deelstra finds a way to make some sense of an ever present test of trust and faith in the universe. With wit and a keen sense humor she will share how she finally surrenders to it.. I love your story. Thank you for sharing.

Yes, it is painful. It is difficult to get through the first chapter without stopping to catch your breath. If you have lived through the excruciating pain of losing a loved one, especially to something as abrupt as suicide, then you can relate. But the book opens up a new perspective, a fresh outlook that allows the reader to heal through the pain. It leaves one feeling uplifted and renewed, and really wanting to LIVE again. It heals, plain and simple.

I really like the information provided in this book. It gave a great insight into Borderline Personality Disorder. I think that all in the medical field, including teachers, would benefit from reading this book. Thanks for offering this opportunity in your selection of literature. It was easy to read and understand.

I was recently diagnosed with BPD and am just starting to research it and found this book. I looked at a couple others but compared to this one, this one was by far the best. I especially liked the part talking about common myths with BPD, it was very encouraging.

I was preparing for a presentation for NAMI and was asked to help clients, family members, and other professionals understand BPD. I found this to be an important task due to the negative information that is out there on BPD. This book was published just prior to the date of the presentation and I used it as a main source for the presentation and recommended it to all who attended. I also highly recommended it to my consultation team as something they may benefit from reading as well as to recommend for their clients. I found this book to be very informative, describing BPD from the model used within DBT therapy. The book was hopeful and inspiring to me in working with clients with BPD and I hope this book is read by many. I thank the authors for writing a book that is so user friendly. Several of my clients have benefited from this book already!

As someone diagnosed with BPD, I have done a lot of research on the condition, both online and by reading any book written on the subject. Many of those books (except for BPD Demystified)are extremely outdated, even if they're only a few years old. And many of them were disappointedly irresponsible, being quite negative and insisting that the prognosis was always dire and/or perpetuating the huge myth that those diagnosed with BPD are basically manipulative.

I say this because this book is different. It has the latest information on BPD, from what it is, how it may come about, what therapies are out there, if medication helps, and, quite important, speaks about new research on the brain and how this research shows actual physical differences in those with BPD. The book succeeds most in 2 particular ways: (1) In the way it is organized. Well-written chapters, clear headings and subheadings, easy for anyone and everyone to understand, and comprehensive summaries at chapter ends to note the main points. The books is also divided into Parts I and II, to make the focus and direction even clearer. For this alone, it is a book I would recommend to anyone interested in BPD, whether a professional, consumer, family member, friend, student, etc.

And furthermore, (2) The Survival Guide does not take one position and stubbornly adhere to it. It recognizes that there are many differences among those diagnosed with BPD, even as the similarities in how they "match" the criteria kinda puts us all in the same group. Of all the information out there, it presents the most "open" view, meaning that it is informative and hopeful and recognizes that this is a complex condition but that it is indeed treatable. And the authors cite many studies to back up their points. They don't pretend to have all the answers, but instead create an opening for real dialog and discussion.

I recommend this book wholeheartedly, without any reservation whatsoever. It will educate you, let you see the individuality of people diagnosed with BPD, and present you with the latest in therapy and in research, without prejudice. I am thankful for this book. It is honest and impartial. And perhaps above all else, that's what BPD literature presently needs the most.

But I Didn't Say Goodbye is an innovative approach and tool for parents, teachers, and professionals to help children cope with the trauma of losing a loved one to suicide. By reading the story of Alex, a ten-year-old boy whose father died by suicide, adults can learn the perception of a child suicide survivor and children can relate to Alex and therefore open up about their own grieving process. Everyone can learn from this book.Crossing 13

This book is an invaluable tool and resource! As a Therapist, I highly recommend its straight forward approach to helping child suicide survivors. Ms. Rubel has included at the end of each chapter easy to read worksheets and exercises. No Counselor and/or Therapist should be without it.

This is a really, really great book to go through with any child, even if you're not a therapist. The book has REALLY short chapters. You're supposed to read the chapter with the child, and then there're questions at the end of the chapter. An example would be, Chapter 1 talks about where the child in the story was when his dad killed himself. Then the questions ask things like, where were you when your special person died, etc.

It doesn't have to be suicide survivors, it can be for any child dealing with death.

Parents, teachers, social workers, siblings, everyone should have this book, for when they have to talk to a child about death.

But I Didn't Say Goodbye was easy to read and very helpful. The story of this child survivor and the adults in his life will empower any child survivor. I know this book will help parents find the answers they are looking for.

This book is good, yet it is just like any other ordinary mystery book. It has a boring start, but as the story progresses it gets more intense. It starts off like a mystery book. The detective meets with a lady. They get to know each other and later on the lady is found dead in her home. Murder? or Suicide? --The detective is on the search for answers.

A chance, flirtatous encounter between Inspector Morse and a friend of a friend provides the context for Inspector Morse's interest in a tawdry suicide. The brooding Chief Inspector contemplates what might have been as suicide turns to murder, and murder again ! Sergant Lewis and Coroner Max Bell provide a delicious counterpoint to a puzzle with a light literary undercurrent. A good read !

In the beginning of the story, it was just like another typical mystery story. After a while, the story was getting really exciting. The ending was smashing and the characters was great.I highly recommend this to everyone.

Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse series is a must read for mystery fans. Notice that I say the series, not just a specific book. They are all equally good and each one is unique in it's mystery and puzzle. In this book a woman that Morse had met at a banquet is found hanging in her kitchen. Did she commit suicide or was she helped. Morse needs to find out because the woman had left an impression on him six months before at the banquet. By the time the reader gets to the end of the book there is another death that is most certainly a murder in the Jericho section of Oxford (in fact next door to where the woman was found). Morse knows that the two deaths are connected, but what a convoluted puzzle for him to figure out. Everyone involved is lying and that doesn't make it any easier for him, but the irascible Morse figures it out in the end. These books are extremely well-written, and a real joy to read since they are so well-written. The plots are always extremely clever, and they keep you guessing right until the end.

Chris Cannon explains why so many of our young men get into trouble starting at early ages, and writes a prescription on how to stop this epidemic. People who are appalled at crime and incarceration statistics will be shocked to find out in this book that prisons in America are big business, encouraging the incarceration of young men, and discouraging rehabilitation and correction. Anyone interested in the future of our children, our educational system, or our society in general will not be able to put this book down.

Chris Cannon has created a great tool to help in the daily battle of men teaching boys to become productive young men. As a employee in an Urban School District, it is plain to see the factors that contribute to young men taking the wrong forks in the road. Chris brings to light the numerous factors starting from childhood that lead to the mental, emotional and physical destruction of our young men. On a personal level, I was forced to deal with some of my very own personal feelings and the reasons I had them. This book is also a great tool for not only identifying and understanding problems, but it also provides answers and root causes. I think every man who works with young men should read this book. Not only to assist and understand, but also to grasp the reasonings behind our own insecurities about being productive men in todays world.

It is rare that I read an entire book in one day. However, I could not put this book down. It communicated vital information in such an interesting and powerful way that I was compelled to not stop reading it until I reached the end. Mr. Cannon puts forth a plethra of facts that are completely sobering regarding the forces that are against youth today. The good news is, he does not stop there, he shares useful tools that any parent can immediately put into practice with their children. It is easy to be a bearer of what all is wrong with the world, but it takes a man of courage to challenge you and convey what you can do about it. I must mention, I do not have any children, yet I was still deeply impacted by this book.

No Child Left Behind is yet ANOTHER in a series of serious failures of our government to attempt a rescue of the educational system. NCLB does NOT teach the material, nor touch the applications or implications of the literature, math and social science skills required. Chris's book goes point by point over our social history pre- and post-NCLB. He also points out serious deficits from his own personal classroom teaching experience, penal system counselling, and current ministry. The real issue, he points out, is the "slavery" social system in this country that ENFORCES (and therefore literally FEEDS) a steady stream of failed children and young adults into programs to keep social workers, special ed teachers, law enforcement, the penal system, pharmaceutical companies and the doctors who prescribe those meds to our children busy in their jobs, productive, in power and in full control. Immigrants, lower/middle class minorities and the poor of all stripes don't stand a chance ... unless we ALL wake up and demand truly revolutionary change. I enjoyed the current research, his energetic speaking style, and the urgent, though not strident, tone. After reading this book, I was asking myself: "How do I get OFF this bus?"

i am not much of a reader myself, and purchased this book upon meeting Mr. Louis. the book was FANTASTIC. i finished it in 3 days, because i just couldnt put it down. the plot twists and turns kept me THOROUGHLY intrested in what would happen next! ill be online the day the sequel comes out to order it with overnight shipping!!

This book was very smart and interesting.I love the way the author brought the characters together kept me on my chair waiting for the next move. This would make a great movie with all the different people A great story. Well all I can say the author out did himself. It's a wonderful book, I could not put it down. I can't wait for the sequel.The dons was cleverly written and should be considered to be a future clasic.

I'm typing this review with one hand' the other is combing down the hairs on the back of my neck. Couldn't help liking Ricky. It made me feel as I were chased by the hearse. Powerful stuff. Awaiting the sequel.

A friend of mine told me this book was a great read, so I decided to purchase it. I could not put the book down, I read it in two days. I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next, and before I knew it I completed the book. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. If you enjoy suspenseful and exciting novels, then this is one that you must read. I am looking forward and cannot wait until the sequel comes out. Do yourself a favor, and buy this book immediately. You will not regret it. I promise.

Very enjoyable, loving, entertaining and a definate for cat lovers. I just need to know where I can purchase the book?
Please email me that information. Thank you.

My brother and I fell on the ground laughing hysterically at the illustrations and captions--although this was 9 years ago
we still get a good laugh out of it. We almost got kicked out of the bookstore for disturbing the others.

As a life-long cat LOVER, I was suprised to find myself laughing hysterically at nearly every page in this book. The pictures and the light-hearted text are too cute and silly to be taken as malicious. The best advice - wait.

I got this book up at a used book store, I love it! It's hilarious, and I have to keep telling my mom not to let our siamese cat see it. It's one of my 3 books I always have on hand, and I read it all the time. My fave exits are turkey and microwave. Makes a good coffee table book, and a good gift, cat-lover or cat-hater. Just DON'T get any ideas! Have fun!