Suicide Books

Room For Two is a wonderfully and beautifully written story, about courage and finding peace. After the tragedy of Abel's seven months pregnant wife, Krista's, suicide, he must come to terms with the lose of not only a dearly loved spouse, but the lose of a baby daughter, whom he was able to treasure for such a short short time.

Grief is such an overpowering feeling, then to be mixed with guilt, at missing the possible signs of a mental illness, life may easily crumble around you. Abel, however, comes to realize that he must pick up those pieces and at least try to make his life whole once again. Room For Two is the touching story of how he does just that. It is a story of inspiration and the courage it takes to once again find what a treasure life truly is.

Room for Two is a story for everyone - be it a person who has gone through a horrific experience, or a person who just wants to capture a wonderful and heartfelt story. Be prepared, especially in the first half of the book, to have kleenex nearby. Abel's words will tug at heartstrings and leave an ache of sadness. However, his words will also bring a warmth of triumph, as he is able to find and live life again.

This is a not to be missed story and one that you will be glad that you read.

Review:
"Room for Two" by Abel Keogh is an unusual love story. Keogh has put his heart on the page in detailing his experience in dealing with his first wife's suicide when she was pregnant with their first child.
In sharing his honest emotions of hurt, loss, anger, and love, he speaks to the soul of anyone touched by tragic loss. Walking readers through the deep grieving process and an uncertain search for someone new to love who will fit in his heart, Keogh gives readers hope for recovery.
Through his story, Keogh weaves in advice that applies toward almost every heartfelt relationship. His insights to eternal forgiveness and love will leave a deep impression on any seeking soul's heart.

Interview:
Shirley: Abel, thank you for meeting me at this quiet café in Paris. I think sometimes that removing yourself from the setting where a difficult event took place can make it easier to talk about.
Abel: Thanks for taking the time to interview me, Shirley. It's great to be back in Europe.
Shirley: If you lean just so, you can even see the Eiffel Tower pointing toward Heaven. Do you mind sharing with us which of your beliefs has had the most power to carry you through the difficult time you went through during the time portrayed in your book?
Abel: Knowing that I still could see my late wife and infant daughter again was of great comfort during that time and still is to some extent. So many people lose a loved one and think they'll never see that person again and spend the rest of their lives mourning. It's great to know that if we live right, we can be together again in the next life.
Shirley: One thing you mentioned in your book is the feeling that if you'd followed certain promptings, you may have headed off the suicide. Has this affected your response to promptings you receive now?
Abel: I try to live my life in such a way that I'll be more open and receptive to the promptings. I'm still not perfect and occasionally fail to heed one but I do much better now than I did seven years ago.
Shirley: I know it's not the same relationship as yours, but when my uncle killed himself, I was heartbroken because he didn't know how much I loved him. If he had, he would never have done it. What advice do you have for people who feel guilty over the death of a loved one?
Abel: Learn from the experience, move on, and don't make the same mistake again. In your example, Shirley, if you have people that don't know how much you love them, find a way to let them know how much they mean to you. Do it today if at all possible.
Shirley: That's a very good idea. Oh, here comes the garcon with fresh, warm croissants. Merci. Mmmm, so warm, so simple, yet satisfying. Like good relationships. Pass the butter, please. Do you have any words of advice for those who live with a depressed person?
Abel: Give them the love and support they need. Help them see the problem and make positive changes in their life. If necessary, encourage and help them seek professional help.
Shirley: What would you say to someone who is currently contemplating suicide?
Abel: Reach out to someone and get help. Suicide doesn't solve anything.
Shirley: What made you decide to write this book? Here, let me pour you some grape juice. It's fresh squeezed... or stomped, whatever the case may be.
Abel: There were two motivations to write the book. The first was a lack of any compelling memoir about losing a spouse. I read, or tried to read, a lot of books about people who went through similar experiences and found them to be completely worthless. The second was that a lot of people who were reading my old blog - most of whom had not lost a spouse -- told me I had a story that could help and inspire a lot of people.
Shirley: Thank you, Abel. Your story certainly inspired me. This world is such a beautiful place when you can see beyond the hurt. Your book reached a part of me still sore from my uncle's death, and helped me feel better.
Pardonnez moi, it's time to catch my plane. Thanks to you and your wife for your willingness to share your story.
Abel: Au revoir.

This book touched my heart. I was looking for something to help me understand how a widower feels so I could understand the widower in my life.It was just so honest and straight forward . It gave me hope, peace and understanding.

This is a beautiful story. I'm so impressed with Abel's ability to write his experience with complete honesty and an open heart. Definitely a story that ANYONE and EVERYONE should read - especially if you've experienced a loss of any kind (death of a loved one or even loss of one's self).

Many years ago Abel Keogh's wife, Krista took her life as well as the life of their daughter's Hope. Abel was only twenty-six years old when this sad situation took place. While everyone around Abel was trying to figure out why Krista did it, Abel was grieving his wife and precious daughter. Three months later Abel discovered he didn't want to he alone anymore. He was ready to start dating again. Abel had reservations as it seemed too soon. Abel went out on a few dates with a couple different women but no one he was really interested in. Then one day that all changed. Abel was at church the first time he set eyes on Julianna Taylor. She was so beautiful and she was a marathon runner. Abel asked Julianna out on a date. They got along right away but how would Julianna feel when she discovered how Krista died? Fortunately for Abel, Julianna had no problems with it. The more time Julianna and Abel spent with each other the more Abel realized how much he loved Julianna. Abel had found happiness again.

Room for Two was a very touching and heart-felt book. I found Abel to be sincere, open and honest. This is part of why Room for Two is a good book. It was sad when Abel lost his wife, Krista and daughter Hope but I smiled when he feel in love with Julianna. I imagine it must have been hard for Abel to want to share a part of his life with readers. All I can say is thank you for putting out Room for Two. I don't know what else to say other then Room for Two deserves all the praises it has received.

This book is helpful to understand how suicide happens to people and understanding that there is nothing you can do to catch it, you realize its not your fault.

This is still considered the first book on sociological theory. Not only does Durkheim provide us with a working model to use social statistics to draw very strong inference but if one reads carefully between the lines, he provides us with theoretical rhetoric as well as the afore-mentioned practical design. Durkheim was overall pessimistic; he saw the forces of society as overwhelming to the individual and makes little or no provision for escape (unlike Marx). Suicide, in Durkheim's view, was merely a symptom of a greater sociological ill. But unlike those who had come before him, Durkheim based his sociological assertions on solid empirical evidence and helped create an entire new science, which like the "hard" sciences, was based on the collection of data and research. Next time you read a report which links household income to education attainment, or prison rates among African Americans to a never-ending drug war, remember Emile Durkheim. He was first.

Durkheim sometimes gets a bad rap for his politics, but this is a good book that laid the foundations for much of the sociological work that has followed it. Using the case study example of suicide rates, Durkheim undertakes to show that social structure has a profound and powerful influence on almost everything that individuals do. While the translation is sometimes awkward, Durkheim's work is impressive in its methods, ambitions, and execution. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in the hstory of sociology or just the power of social structure.

Durkheim says at the beginning; the sociology is the current science, but nobody knows what it is. Even now, his words sound contemporary. This study aims at introducing the necessity and importance of the sociology to the public, but not at sophisticatedly professional people.
It matches the orientation of the primary students to study the sociology, because the preliminary knowledge isnft necessary. Actually, I could read this book at the first year of the university without any sociological knowledge. After finishing to read the first part, which proves that the suicide isnft the psychological phenomenon, but the sociological, you can investigate the present situation as he did in the 19th century by using the statistics of the international organization like WHO. You will find the manipulation of the statistics not only easy, but also important with Durkheimfs tutorial. It may be your first experience of the scientific study at the society.
I can recommend it to the youth.

This is the work considered the pioneer of modern sociology, with its author hailed the father of sociology. The innovative nature of the work lies in putting together all the methods of social analysis available at his time and providing a comprehensive view of the nature of suicide in society.

Mixing quantitative and qualitative methods, Durkheim provides the basis for the future development of sociology. He brings science to the study of society, by developing a hypothesis, gathering data and testing the hypothesis. He proves the powerful influence of society on the behavior of individuals, which, though obvious today, was not a clear conclusion at the time.

This is a basic reading for anyone interested in sociology. However, anyone interested in the application of scientific methods to society and other non-traditional fields for science would also find it very useful.

This was the first of John Warmus' books I read and it forced me to quickly work my way through his next two. Now I am eagerly awaiting number 4! The issue of teenage suicide has never been presented in quite such a compelling and suspenseful manner in my opinion. As a voracious reader I am picky about the books I read and this author's are among the best.

The characters kept me enthralled as I read with anticipation to see how they would react as the events would unfold. The story progressed as I thought it would, which brought about a familiarity that was, in a way, comforting. I felt myself comforted, for lack of a better word, to discover my theory was reenforced through the main character's own observations and admissions. There were still many unaswered questions at the end of the book, which would seem to be a deliberate (and well thought out) act on the part of the author. Most importantly, the one question of "Why?" was never truly answered. Or better yet, the concept of it happening will never truly be understood. For how could intelligent, caring individuals do and plan such an act "just because it was something we wanted to do?" To sum it up...it was a book I could not put down. I was truly concerned and enthralled with the main characters...Marge...Frank....Robert. I felt my own emotions being torn, as I am sure Robert's were.

WHILE READING "THE SUICIDE CLUB", I PUT ASIDE EVERYTHING EXCEPT TURNING THE NEXT PAGE. EACH ONE GREW MORE SUSPENSFUL AND MORE INTRIGUING.I WAS SO ADDICTED THAT I CONSIDERED CALLING IN SICK TO WORK. HOWEVER, I COMPROMISED, WENT TO WORK AND READ IT ON MY BREAKS AND LUNCH. THAT EVENING, I STAYED UP TO 3 A.M. IN ORDER TO FINISH THE BOOK. ALL I CAN SAY IS "WHEN'S THE NEXT BOOK COMING OUT?"

This is a well-crafted tale of suspense set in Any Small Town, USA. The characters are 3-D and the storyline moves. It's a quick read but delivers plenty of substance on a topic often neglected in fiction: suicide among teens. Warmus manages to weave the events and characters into a story that is true-to-life without becoming morose. It's a book definitely worth reading--and recommending to friends.

This is a well-crafted tale of suspense set in Any Small Town, USA. The characters are 3-D and the storyline moves. It's a quick read but delivers plenty of substance on a topic often neglected in fiction: suicide among teens. Warmus manages to weave the events and characters into a story that is true-to-life without becoming morose. It's a book definitely worth reading--and recommending to friends.

We first meet Jersey Hatch on the day he comes home after a year in the hospital. Jersey tried to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head. Not only does he not remember pulling the trigger, but he has also forgotten the year leading up to the event. Jersey, who had once been a star athlete and honor student, now struggles with physical and mental difficulties. His old friends shun him and his parents don't want to talk about anything important, lest they upset him.

With the help of the outspoken, no-nonsense Mama Rush and her granddaughter, Leza, Jersey sets out to unravel the mystery of Before to discover why he tried to kill himself. Finally, he is left with a choice that no one can make for him. Is it better to end it all or to go on living in the hope that life will get better?

This is not a happy book or an easy one to read, but it is absolutely stunning. And so realistic that I felt like I was inside Jersey's damaged head. If you're a teen, or if you've ever been one, read this book. Frog farts! Hoochie mama!

Trigger begins as teenager Jersey Hatch is preparing to leave rehab, a year after, so people tell him, he shot himself in the head. Jersey doesn't remember shooting himself, nor does he remember the year leading up to the shooting, but he knows that he and the people around him have been scarred by it. His father is damaged, though a solid, supportive, presence. Jersey's mother isn't coping as well. His parents' marriage is on shaky ground. Jersey's former friends haven't been to see him, and he knows that his lifelong best friend, Todd, can't stand him anymore.

The only people who treat Jersey with any degree of normalcy are Todd's younger sister, Leza, and Leza and Todd's grandmother, Mama Rush. Mama Rush and Leza both try to help Jersey figure out why he shot himself, a mystery that seems to involve Todd, and/or a former girlfriend. The suspense of Jersey's quest for understanding is mixed with scenes depicting his re-adjustment to home and school.

Jersey is physically and mentally disabled, with limited use of his left arm and leg, patchy short term memory, and difficulty controlling his words. Trigger is told in Jersey's first-person voice (as his thoughts, not as something structured that he's written down). Jersey's thought patterns are scattered, and he frequently obsesses on particular words or ideas. He can't keep from blurting out words that are on his mind, often at inappropriate times. It's a fascinating window into what it might be like for an otherwise intelligent person to learn to live with brain damage, and an utterly unique voice for a novel. Here are a couple of examples:

"Pay the driver. Pay the driver. I could do easy math. I could count change and money and stuff. If I remembered to pay the driver. If I walked off and forgot, he'd call the police and send me to jail. Pay the driver. I clung to my memory book and the bills Mom had given me. The plastic bag with Mama Rush's presents felt heavy on my weak wrist. Don't forget to pay the driver. Jail. Don't forget to keep enough money to get home. Jail. Don't forget to pay the driver." (page 44)

"I put my memory book down on the first step and climbed up as carefully as I could. My headache made the hall seem too long, but I ignored that. That was imagining. Halls didn't get longer and shorter. The noon sunlight came out of rooms in weird ways, making patterns on the floor. I walked across the patterns. The gold in my shoelaces glittered." (page 221)

Author Susan Vaught is a full-time neuropsychologist, and I think that her background brings a particular authenticity to Jersey's problems. Her jacket flap bio says that she "has helped many patients with difficulties like Jersey's. The words and struggles of her adolescent patients often occupy her mind and inspire her creativity."

Although the general topic of Trigger is dark, Jersey's inappropriate phrases add some mild comic relief. A favorite phrase that becomes a bit of a catchword, for instance, is "frog farts". Mama Rush also adds some humor, though she represents wisdom, too. She's a wonderful character, this chain-smoking old black woman on a purple scooter who accepts no nonsense from anyone, and is unphased by Jersey's differences.

Jersey is the ultimate unreliable narrator. By surviving his suicide attempt, he ends up in the unusual position of seeing first-hand the damage that he has wrought. His memory loss, and his quest to understand why he did what he did, work well at keeping his problems at a distance. Jersey doesn't understand any more than anyone else does why he would shoot himself in the head. This bafflement makes the book bearable, even suspenseful, for the reader, in a way that a straightforward account of "here's why I wanted to kill myself" might not. In some ways, Trigger is a hopeful book, too. Despite some major flaws, and some bouts with despair, Jersey wants to fix things. He wants to "glue" his broken mother back together, to make amends to people, and to figure out how to live his life now.

Trigger doesn't feel like a "message" book at all, because Jersey is a such a strong, immediate character. However, there clearly is a message to the book, a message about the damage that a teen can do to other people by committing suicide. The book also gives voice to people who have physical and mental difficulties. This is a compelling book about a serious issue, written in an unforgettable voice. I recommend Trigger for high-school students, boys or girls, though I would hesitate to give it to middle schoolers. The book also contains an end section outlining suicide warning signs, steps to take, and listing resources for help. Additional resources are available from the author's website.

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on July 2, 2007.

Trigger is a wonderfully unique tale-- a psychological journey and mystery told in a vivid and unusual voice. After a traumatic brain injury from a bullet, teenage Jersey is on a mission to figure out the circumstances that led to the gunshot to his head. The story holds you enthralled as Jersey uncovers clues about who he was before-- and ultimately, tries to figure out who he is now.

The author, Susan Vaught, is a neuropsychologist who obviously has a deep understanding of the narrator's complex feelings. I felt that I was completely inside Jersey's head as I read this. Reading this book is a fascinating experience-- it really made me empathize with people who have injuries like Jersey's, and feel the frustration of having your mind and body partly out of your control. I have tremendous respect for Vaught's ability to capture this experience and weave it into an engaging mystery with humor and tenderness. A must-read!

I love this book and my thirteen-year-old daughter loves it as well.
It's a positive book and a very nice read for all ages.
I've enjoyed every line of it and I am recommending it to friends.
NH is reading "Fahrenheit 541" and I was asked if I could save only one book ( not counting religious books) which would it be?
"Trigger" was the first book that came to my mind.
Enjoy!

Frog farts.

Santa. Shoelaces. Elana Arroyo.

All these words are a jumble in Jersey Hatch's head.

HOUSE IS FINE MORON QUIT ASKING.

He has to remind himself to do the things that you and I take for granted, like thinking before speaking, and climbing a flight of stairs, or not constantly asking aloud if his parents' house is all right.

He didn't always have to do this. He didn't always need an aide at school, and he used to have a best friend, Todd, and decent grades and a place on the football and golf teams.

That was before he shot himself in the head.

Since the shooting, Jersey has lost all of his recent memory. He doesn't remember any of his 15th year and only recalls a portion of his 16th, the portion not spent in a coma, on a ventilator. Now, just turned 17, he is home from the hospital with three very deep scars and a thousand questions. The most frustrating question, the one neither he nor anyone else can answer, is: Why did you shoot yourself? To answer this question, Jersey will have to go through his book of memories and visit with one of the only people who never gave up on him: Mama Rush, his best friend's wise, sometimes curmudgeonly grandmother.

Mama Rush isn't going to make anything easy for Jersey, though. In order to find the answer to the question of why he shot himself, Jersey will have to make seemingly farfetched lists of possible reasons, contact people who would ridicule him, and try to communicate through the seemingly random words that infiltrate his speech. And the one person who might have the key to Jersey's discovery, his former best friend Todd, wants nothing to do with him.

If you liked THE BURN JOURNALS by Brent Runyon, then you'll be fascinated by Jersey's "upward and outward" climb towards memory and recovery. Like Brent, Jersey will never make a full physical recovery, but in his journey towards learning the answers he needs to fill in the empty spaces in his memory, he finds strange new friendships and unexpected alliances. To come to an understanding with himself, his family and his former friends, he will have to take small steps, speak one word at a time, and do his best not to give up when the words become clutter and his curiosity about the shooting makes him do and say irrational things.

Jersey's recovery won't be easy for anyone he is or was close to. And he will find out quickly not only who cares about him, but how.

--- Reviewed by Carlie Webber.

Out of all of Lurlene McDaniel's books this story is one of her saddesst. This is a truly toching story about what happens when Someone kills themselves. When Shannon's father died she and her mother are left to pick up the pices of their lives. Like all of this authors books I couldn't put this one down. It hed me captive till the last page.

The book is a very exciting book and the young child is always going to her mother for help and trying to find answers to the difficult questions concerning her father's death.

Shannon Campbell seemed to have the perfect life. Her wealthy family owned a ranch, and she was falling in love with one of their ranch hands. But during the summer of her 15th birthday, her beloved father began acting very strange. She tried to identify his problem, but he shut himself off from the family. Unable to deal with tragic memories of his stint in the Vietnam war, her father committed suicide. This was a great shock to the Campbell family and the community. Gradually, Shannon began to heal with the help of her mom, grandma, and the handsome young ranch hand. I loved this book, even though I'm not fond of horses.(obviously, they're prominent in the story) I reccomend it to other Lurlene McDaniel fans and anyone who's lost his/her will to live. It shows how much pain suicide causes for the person's loved ones and may stop suicidal people from killing themselves, or teach others how to recognize their cries for help.

I think that this book really helps people who have lost loved ones to get over the loss.
I'm not going to tell you anything about the book because I want you to read it. Okay I'll
give you a hint. It's about this girl whos' dad comites suiside. That's all I'm saying.

When Happily Ever After Ends is a great book. It's about this girl that lives on a ranch and does horse shows for fun.Her father misses one of the biggest shows in her career and she knows something is wrong. When they come home they find the most terrifying thing.Even though there is this guy that's hanging around she doesn't like she doesn't really try to acuse him of what happened. You'd be amazed at how close they actually got.Lurlene McDaniel put this book together well. She picked the perfect setting a quiet ranch, very peaceful and calm, anything could happen.This book would be a great book to read if you enjoy sad stories with happy endings.I would recommend this to everyone.

I bought this book for a class, and although we were only required to read sections of the book I ended up reading the entire thing, including the extra two essays (Immortality of the Soul & Suicide). The entire thing was extremely well-written and thought-provoking, even to a novice philosopher such as myself.

This isn't a book you can fly through. Hume requires the reader to slow down and really think about what is being said. The main section of the book (Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion) involves four characters, three discussing theories, and one student (technically the narrator) listening and occasionally commenting. By using this dialogue technique, Hume is able to present several sides of each argument in a unique way, and not simply expound his own theories. The method is most effective.

I won't go into depth of what this book discusses, the theory of design, arguments about God's nature and being, the argument from the existence of evil, and whether a posteriori or a priori arguments are best suited for proving God's existence. Overall this book is interesting and exciting, even for a 200 year old publication. Even if you're interested in modern philosophy, this book still offers some interesting theories. And obviously if you're interested in philosophy at all, it's a good book to check out for some history on the subject.

The introduction offers a good deal of information about the essays included in the book as well as Hume himself.

While being a theist I do not accept Hume's conclusions, he is no doubt the finest philosophical skeptic in the West since the time of Sextus Empiricus.

Hume, the philosopher who woke Kant from his 'dogmatic slumbers', takes a very empirical approach to reality and philosophy. In Hume's mind, the pretensions of the human mind to certain truth and knowledge do not accord with the way things are. Many things are believed on insufficient evidence or sloppy thinking or for reasons of emotional need rather than on evidence and reason. The task he set himself was in many ways like that of Descartes, except unlike Descartes Hume did not believe that either the methods of science or God (Hume was an atheist) could give us grounds for certain knowledge.

The dialogues on Natural Religion are one of his supreme masterpieces. Published after his death, this dialogue features a conversation between two philosophers about the nature and existence of God and the proofs for his existence. One philosopher is a skeptic, Philo, and the other is a theist, Carneades. Demea the Deist provides a third interlocutor in the dialogue. Carneades states several popular arguments for God's existence in Hume's time, including the teleological argument, moral argument, and argument from design. Philo responds to this arguments, mostly using the argument from evil as well as appeals to the rule of regular law in nature, to refute ideas about miracles, providence, and evidential design from a supreme 'architect.' Hume states the counter-arguments in extremely powerful terms, essentially completely demolishing the position of Carnedes and concluding that at best, only a very weak inference can be made for God's existence from the structure of the world.

Hume's arguments have been recently re-stated by several atheist philosophers, including J.L. Mackie and Daniel Dennett. For Mackie, Hume was right in arguing theism is philosophical nonsense, and for Dennett, God is a redundant hypothesis when the order and beauty of the universe is readily and clearly explained by science, and at best a kind of Spinoza-style pantheism is where the sacred can enter into the cosmos. While I disagree, the adoption of Hume's arguments by many leading philosophers shows both the power, beauty and logical coherence of Hume's position, which should be read carefully by any philosopher who wants to offer a rational proof that God exists.

For me it is not the order but the beauty of the universe which suggests God exists, but perhaps for others this beauty is marred too much by suffering and evil to come to such a conclusion, and Hume would surely agree.

David Hume, a philosopher of the period often classified as British Empiricism, is the intellectual associate of philosophers John Locke and George Berkeley. Born in Edinburgh in 1711, he attended the University of Edinburgh but did not graduate. He went to France during his 20s, and spent time there working on what would become his most famous work, 'An Enquiry into Human Understanding', first published under the title 'Treatise of Human Nature'. However, Hume was a prolific writer, and dealt with many areas of philosophy, including politics and ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics. He wrote in the area of history as well, and had a politic career as British ambassador to France and a post as a minister in the government for a few years. His final work, 'Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion', was published posthumously in 1779, although work had begun on it as early as the 1750s.

Hume was very concerned about rationality. Hume was never publicly and explicitly an atheist, but his rational mind, concerned about sensory and intelligible evidence, led him to question and doubt most major systems of religion, including the more general philosophical sense of religion and proofs of the existence of God. The primary arguments in his 'Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion' deal with the Argument from Design, and the Cosmological Argument. There is an assumed distinction here between natural religion and revealed religion, an especially important distinction in the Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment philosophical structure.


- Natural Religion and Revealed Religion -

Natural religion is the idea that we come to know and understand God (and, consequently, what God wants or expects of us, if anything) simply from nature and our sensory perceptions, as well as our interpretations (emotion and rational) of this kind of understanding. From very early in his writing career, Hume attacked the idea of natural religion and most of its conclusions, drawing a sharp line between what we can actually know and what ends up being fanciful extrapolations based on other-than-rational ideas and evidence. Revealed religion is primary what most religions base themselves upon - the burning bush to Moses, the resurrection and post-resurrection appearances to the Apostles, the Buddha's enlightenment under the tree - these are examples of revelation. While Hume does take on the idea of revealed religion in his other works, this particular text does not concern itself with that topic, and stays in the domain of addressing natural religion.


- The Argument from Design -

Arguments from Design have always had a strong appeal to believers within religious frameworks; they have often been used as tools of evangelism, as attempts to show that beyond the revealed doctrines, the very nature of things points to a creator. In very short order, the Argument from Design in Hume's newly-industrial time might have read like this:

- Machines are designed by beings with intelligence.
- The world and the universe it is in resembles a machine.
- Therefore, the world must have been created by means of intelligent design.

This is an argument by analogy, and is convincing to some, but often more convincing to those already inclined to believe in the existence of God.


- The Cosmological Argument -

The Cosmological Argument is at once both more subtle and more simple. The most simple way of stating it would be that God is the 'first cause' of everything. If everything has to have a cause (even the whole universe), then that first cause must be God. In the twentieth century era of thinking of a universe that began with a Big Bang, it seemed to some that the Cosmological Argument was confirmed.

Hume would have been familiar with Leibniz's more subtle form of the Cosmological Argument, which argues for a world of infinite contingent causes. However, there has to be something outside of this system of infinite causes that produced the series - thus, even in a universe with no set beginning or ending, there would still need to be an overarching cause.


- Hume's Arguments -

Hume argues on many levels. His first criticism of the Argument from Design is that this analogy (as are most arguments from analogy) is faulty and not exact; we have no idea if the universe is like a machine. Even if it was, machines are often designed and built by several designers - why argue for one God rather than several? How do we know that matter and the universe don't have their own, internal self-organising principles?

With regard to the Cosmological Argument, the argument is a little more strained. Hume argues that, in any series of causality, once one knows about each cause, it makes no sense to inquire beyond the sequence of causes to some other effect. This is a very Empirical argument, to be sure, and while perhaps not entirely satisfying, it still has merit in philosophy to this day.


- Hume's Structure -

This is a dialogue, set up in the classical way of people talking with each other about the subjects. Hume draws primarily from Cicero, whose work 'On the Nature of the Gods' uses characters of the same names. However, whereas Cicero was concerned about the nature of the Gods (their attributes, powers, etc.) and not their existence, it is the very existence of God that occupies Hume's thoughts.

Hume, despite many years of work on this text, probably never quite thought it was finished. He left the work to Adam Smith (the noted economist, and friend of Hume in Edinburgh), who also thought the arguments against the existence of God were too strong, and likely too damaging to Hume's overall reputation. The tug-of-war over the publication makes for interesting reading in and of itself.

These are important arguments, worthy of discussion and dialogue in philosophy classes, theology classes, and among others who ponder the existence of God.

This nearly pamphlet sized book is pretty dense with things to ponder. Hume speaks mostly about how a deity would function as the head of the world. The reviewer is not intent on being cute here. Hume addresses many notions about "God" through a series of dialogues amongst three intellectuals. They are intent on convincing each other of their individual views. Essentially those three have to come to terms with the anthropomorphism associated with the God of Christian belief system. It really is more complicated than that but this is a short review.

In addition to the Dialogues are a short essays on the Immortality of the Soul and the rationality of Suicide. Finally there is a discussion of Miracles. The latter three are well placed with the Dialogues as they address the philosophy of religion in much the same manner but come from Hume rather than the fictional characters of the Dialogue.

This book as short as it is, requires a considerable amount of time to consume. Not only are the concepts that Hume presents detailed and valuable, but the language is particularly arcane and often requires re-reading in order to understand where Hume is going.

The two excellent reviews of this book , one by Kurt Messick and the other by CT Dreyer outline the background to, and the principal content of the work. Hume takes apart the argument from Design as proof of God's Existence, raising objections to the analogy between Machine- design and world- design. I do not believe however that Hume in the work really considers two other major arguments for belief in God. One argument might be called the existensial - personal decision argument , in which the individual out of his own need and will decides for belief in God. This decision can be a rational calculation as Pascal suggests that we should make in order to give our own immortality a chance, or it can be a profound deeply moving conviction something that grows out of our own deepest being and need. Another path to belief in God is through the kinds of mystical experience that thousands of human beings from all cultures have had. William James collects some of these testimonies in 'The Variety of Religious Experience'. Another path is through the path of accepting the Tradition given us by our ancestors.
Now it might be said that these alternative paths to belief in God do not deal with the kind of ' proofs ' Hume is talking about. Hume is really talking about the ' rational way' to God through mind and reason. But I believe that every reader should have these other ways to God in mind , if only not to be devastingly shattered by Hume 's demolition job of the Design Argument.
It is well to remember that there are other ways to God aside from the ones spoken of and questioned here.
I write this as a believer in God who also believes that a very great share of Mankind needs God, needs the belief in God to make their own lives ultimately meaningful. And this when I would also keep in mind the following idea. If the Proof of God were certain and absolute , then there would be no test/ trial / challenge for humanity in its belief in God.
And here I add the idea central in the Jewish tradition, and probably important in others, that God wants our decision for God, our free choice of God, and not a slavish obedience even to an airtight logical principle.

Stites shows an astonishing grasp of the basic human spirit in her touching, often humorous, novel EDGEWISE, a story of two self-destructive women, a white suburban school teacher and a poor black woman, who form an unlikely bond in an inner-city mental hospital. EDGEWISE would create lively discussions in book groups and in clinical settings. I highly recommend it. Madelon Phillips

Edgewise is a timely and compelling story that takes you through the struggles and triumphs of a troubled woman. Her initial denial and then recognition of her problems keep you interested and involved in her story. Her picture of the mental health services, both positive and negative, provides insights that would be of use to anyone suffering from similar problems or anyone who knows and cares about such sufferers. I would highly recommend this book.

Jan Stites' Edgewise is a stark and realistic tale that unfolds in an inner city setting. Simone and Satch are women whose paths cross while in treatment for their life-and-death mental and physical demons. Their dialogue reveals racial and cultural backgrounds unlikely to be bridged by true friendship. Yet, the two learn understanding and empathy that point to a more hopeful future. Brilliantly written with touches of humor as well as understanding of the dark recesses of the mind. I highly recommend this excellent first novel by a gifted writer!

Anna Dabney
Oakland, California

Edgewise is a great read, with lots of humor that pops in at unexpected moments, and it really captures the feel of urban California life, but what I liked best about it was that it moved me. It's great to be entertained, but books that can not only do that but also make you feel something for the characters don't come along every day. I'm hoping for a sequel so I can see more of these great characters!

Jan Stites has superbly crafted a heartfelt and sometimes funny journey from a dark place to one in which there is light and hope. I felt drawn in to identify with the characters and experience their personal travails. It is not only an intriguing and gripping story, but Ms. Stites gives insight into mental illness as well as our health care system. I highly reommend this novel.

What a superb book. Well written and poignant. I'll be looking for more from Marjorie Parker!!

This book is a must read for all ages. Touches the heart, and takes the reader back to long forgotten feelings and memories. Sweet and poignant. Arlene Millman, author of BOOMERANG - A MIRACLE TRILOGY (The tale of a remarkable Boston Terrier).

I read this book while sitting in a veterinarian's office about one month after I lost my thirteen year old golden retriever(a lot like Jasper) that I had had since I was 7 years old. I was bawling my eyes out about 2 pages in, but I just couldn't put it down. Although it was painful to read, it is a wonderful book. I recommend it for all pet lovers. It makes you realise that you are not alone when you lose a beloved pet. There are people that understand.

This box of Kleenex book is about Riley, a young boy who is very attached to his beautiful golden retriever, Jasper.

As Jasper ages, he can no longer romp and play. He also has cancer and is very limited in what he can do.

As the dog's impending death draws near, the boy's family talk to him seriously about having Riley euthanized. I like the gentle and honest explanation of euthanasia the boy is given. I also like the way Riley is made part of that final decision.

Just before Jasper's train makes its last stop, Riley takes him to all their favorite places so they can recapture some happy memories they had together.

A beautiful story that will undoubtedly make you cry, this is a wonderful book for all ages. For anybody who has ever had to make the agonizing decision of having a pet euthanized, this book will provide some comfort.

A good companion to I'll Always Love You]; [[ASIN:0316702781 Saying Goodbye to Lulu; The Rainbow Bridge: Pet Loss Is Heaven's Gain and Old Dog and the Christmas Wish.

If you are a dog lover, I recommend you buy this book. I also recommend you read it in private so you can cry in peace. It is a beautifully written account of the last day of a Golden Retriever who's family is giving him one special day before he must take one last trip to the vet. Written from the perspective of Jasper's "boy", it is heart warming and realistic in dealing with the pain of losing a beloved dog.

The book is very usefull for clinicians, it gives you real good tips about when a person is in real risk to comitt suicide. I think it's a great tool for clinical staff to have in treating people who suffer from any kind of mental health problem, as well as for students that are in training. It's wrriten very clear and it's easy to follow.

This book is very useful for mental health professionals. Even if you're not doing sucide assessment, per se, it's good to know what questions to ask, and how to ask them, of ALL clients!

The book is very well organized and well written. Although I've only read about half of it, I think I've learned a lot, and am looking forward to reading it to the end.

Dr. Shea shares great insights into the interview process for suicidal patients. Too often there is a reliance on demographic or symptomatic factors to determine suicidal risk. Dr. Shea convincingly brings us back to the realization that suicide is an individual choice and the risk of suicide can only be estimated by understanding the individual's thought processes regarding suicide. Theorectically sound and practical book.

This was an excellent guide to suicide assessment and I highly recommend this book to any mental health professional. Beyond that I think this book is valuable for any clinicial who may one day have to talk to somebody about suicide. Well written and organized.

I'm currently in school for addiction counseling and felt this book would be good to read. It is well written and easy to read, with a lot of good advice. As a counselor in preparation I know I will be having sessions with people who are experiencing suicidal ideation, & while I know this doesn't qualify a person to do suicide assessments it certainly gives a good method for drawing out as much information as possible. It makes me feel a little more comfortable about the job I am going to be doing.

A lot goes through your mind when you're precariously dangling upside down from a bridge - blood mostly, but also plenty of vivid insights. You might suddenly, by way of example, realize that your fiancé wasn't all that to begin with and that your best friend is really pretty annoying, so who cares if you caught the two of them sharing a morning-after kiss, and why in the world did you ever set about trying to kill yourself over the whole mess. That's just where Jimmy Gee finds himself, though, as this novel opens. While he doesn't walk away from the situation unscathed - well, actually, he does walk away, just not very far - this brush with death eventually serves as the impetus for a grand scheme that's possibly just crazy enough to work.

While recovering in the hospital, Jimmy strikes up a rather unusual friendship with one of the interns, a bloke named Kevin who can't resist playing rather sick practical jokes on patients waking up in the suicide ward, including Jimmy. A practical joker of some skill himself, Jimmy responds in kind, and a bond is formed. With nowhere else to go when he is finally released from the hospital, Jimmy moves into his new best bud's apartment and it is there - during one of their senseless brainstorm sessions - that the idea for "Quitters" is born. As Jimmy knows from experience, some people are just too timid or downright clumsy to do themselves in properly. After all, if every suicidal person did the job right the first time, there would be no need for suicide wards. Many of these individuals will just keep trying until they manage to kick the bucket properly, so what would be wrong with helping them along a bit? And if you can profit from the deal, so much the better.

Here's the deal. "Quitters" (i.e., Jimmy and Kevin) will offer assistance to anyone seriously determined to commit suicide, as long as the suicide is of a spectacular nature. Each such suicide will be filmed and eventually included on a DVD Jimmy and Kevin intend to release. Knowing full well that there are plenty of weirdoes in the world who would pay good money to watch such a morbid video, the guys expect DVD sales to earn them a right good income. Things go surprisingly well - at first - but the guys can only dance around the Kevorkian Curse for so long before things take a rather nasty turn.

Recycling Jimmy is black comedy at its best - ludicrous yet believable, and consistently funny throughout (which is not to say there isn't a serious moment here or there along the way). Jimmy's first two encounters with a potential love interest are beyond memorable, and the setting for their first official date is uniquely surreal to say the least. The one-upmanship of Jimmy's and Kevin's friendship also offers the reader a plethora of humorous moments, although I must say the increasingly extreme and seemingly non-stop pranks the two play on each other eventually grew a tad tiresome for me. Even the suicides are capable of drawing laughs, especially one in particular that puts one of Kevin's Loony Tunes-inspired theories to the test once and for all. And if you think you know how everything is going to play out in the end, think again - Tilley lays down a pretty mean literary land mine or two along the way.

We all know that the wittiest of writers in the world today tend to hail from Britain, and Andy Tilley would certainly seem to be taking some mighty self-assured baby steps in the sizable shoes of such brilliant comic writers as Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett. This is only his first novel, but his unique voice and acerbically effective brand of humor bespeak a wealth of potential. I for one will be most anxious to see what he comes up with next.

I almost never laugh out loud while reading... I laughed myself into tears several times while reading this book - It would make a great movie (hopefully with British unknowns..), but a movie would miss out on the author's sneakily profound philosophical musings...

Jimmy Gee decides to end it all and jumps off a bridge, but the suicide attempt goes awry and Jimmy awakes in a hospital bed attended by a practical joking orderly. So begins the story of his "recycling".

Jimmy and the orderly eventually become associates in a scheme to make money. They both agreed that committing suicide is not as easy as it looks. Moreover, doing it well; or doing it in a way that it means something is even more difficult. Aha, thought Jimmy, we have found a need and if we fill it, so the adage goes, we make money.

Andy Tilley has done the same in a way. He has found a need, l,e, the craving for rich dark comedy, and he has filled it with his novel Recycling Jimmy. The story is outrageously funny.

Jimmy and Kevin form "Quitters" an outfit dedicated to helping the suicidal but, not in the way you expect. They won't help the suicidal out of their depression. Instead, they will help the suicidal carry out their suicide in a spectacular fashion and on video tape!

Ah, the entrepreneurship of the British. It all works out for the best in the end because Jimmy finally learns that life is more useful than he thought. The reader learns something about that too, but not before pages of delightfully funny reading.

Red Evans author On Ice

Reading Recycling Jimmy, I felt a little like a voyeur--maybe not quite as extreme as those who'd watch a "Quitters" video of someone's suicide, the kind of audience suicide-survivor Jimmy and his buddy Kevin target. Still, I kept reading Jimmy's lively adventures with morbid fascination and appreciation of Andy Tilley's brilliant dark humor.

To say the least, in Andy Tilley's brash novel "Recycling Jimmy", antihero Jimmy's judgment is suspect. He's foolish, irreverent, and passive; just what you'd expect from a bloke whose emotional development got euthanized sometime during his teens. In the opening scene Jimmy dangles from a bridge, eighty feet above ground. Even then, he's hard pressed to do anything, anything at all, right. Still, somehow, he's just likeable enough and the situation just foolish enough, we begin to have our hopes...

Whatever the roots of author Tilley's eccentric humor, he delivers the goods with elan despite a narrative laden with passive form. It works, but repetition of some verb forms might irritate some readers. Fortunately, in the opening he's just getting his dark funnybone warm and before long at all prose issues recede. It's while in hospital after the bungled suicide attempt, after Jimmy encounters kindred spirit Kevin, that the full effect of the author's special form of humor comes to bear. Suffice it to say, in Recycling Jimmy, the unusual is commonplace, the incredible comfy as an afternoon pint at the local pub, and the unthinkable...why of course, the unthinkable is central to the plot.

Will Jimmy change his ways? Will he learn how to take responsibility for his acts? I'm not tipping over the crumpets. You'll have to read to find out. Warning: the laughs get you by surprise. If no one in the family is trained in the Heimlich Maneuver, don't get caught with a mouthful of chips.

Art Tirrell is the author of the 2007 adventure novel, "The Secret Ever Keeps", of which reviewer Joan A. said, "The first book...my significant other...and I have agreed on since 'Kafka on the Beach'." See all the reviews on Amazon at /product/1601640048