Suicide Books

This was one of the best books I have ever read. I could relate so well to her situation as I was also married to an addict. It helped me through a very difficult time. I have read the book several times and each time was very moved by her story.

I bought this book originally because I am a close friend of the author's son. However, reading it was a truly emotional experience, which literally left me crying. This is a beautiful book, one of the top 10 books I have ever read.

What a rare, tragic opportunity to share a uniquely terrible experience - but to share it in away that convinces the reader of how essentially profound human existence is. From one young writer, we are drawn into the depths of rage, bewilderment, loneliness, doubt and love. Yet perhaps the greater distinction of this work is the writer's remarkably objective and intelligent analysis of the events, the causes, the affects and the gripping personal impact of her family tragedy. In the face of whatever horrors - both personal or global - you yourself may experience or fear, you may one day be tempted to decide that human life is essentially meaningless or futile. You may even sometimes feel a certain disgust of human nature. *That* is the time to read this book - when neither God, nor relationships, nor success, nor hope are sufficient. What good is an answer that can not work when life is at its worst? This remarkable book defeats the destructive arguments that despair brings to mind, but without shallow comforts or naive feel-good slogans. This author, at an innocent age, went into the belly of the beast - and has come out with a wise and powerful soul.

This is an inspiring book in that it reminds us how in this temporary life, when we encounter tragedy, we can let that lead us to the ultimate lesson that we need to learn while we are here: to connect with our Creator before we die and merge our will with His perfect and beautiful plan. Katie's triumph in this way can be an inspiration not only to those who have lost someone they love to suicide, but also to anyone who has experienced a tragedy...letting their tragedy cause them to re-evalutate life and look at the most important thing in life, which they might not have been inclined to otherwise look at.

On April 30 my son lost one of his best friends. I have been searching for a way to help him cope with losing his friend to suicide. This book is helping him a lot. So much, that he asked me to order it for another friend, which I did.

October 4, 1999

Book Review - Colleen Sullivan

Living When a Young Friend Commits Suicide: Or Even Starts Talking About It Earl A. Grollman and Max Malikow ISBN: 0-8070-2503-8 Beacon Press

Suicide, especially in children and teens is a subject rarely discussed. Yet since 1980 the suicide rate among children 10 to 14 has nearly doubled, and in older teens is disproportionately high. For every young person who commits suicide, the lives of friends and companions are touched in a way different from that of surviving a natural death.

Living When A Young Friend Commits Suicide addresses the concerns and questions of the young people left behind, sensitively guiding them to understanding and acceptance. From the initial feelings and emotions to the difficult and hard- hitting questions of youth the authors offer sound advice and empathy.

When a friend has committed suicide your feelings are myriad. Shock, grief, sadness, guilt and anger are some of the emotions discussed in this book. Your questions are multiple, most importantly "Why?" and "Was it Really a Suicide?" Did your friend tell you of his suicide plans and swear you to secrecy? Are you carrying a burden of guilt because of it? You need help, understanding and support to face the immediate future and to learn how to cope. You may have heard misconceptions about suicide that you need straight answers for, or you may have religious questions. All of these are addressed in a forthright, easily read and understood manner in this book.

I highly recommend this book for any young person faced with learning to live again after the suicide of a friend. I also recommend it for the parents, counselors and teachers of youth who may be the bereaved young person's first line of defense in recovery.

Addendum: As an adult with Bipolar Affective Disorder suicide has touched my life several times, both in close friends and in my own effort to end my life. It is my observation that loss due to suicide must be dealt with at the time or it may affect a person's life months or even years later. I applaud the authors of this book for removing the secrecy and stigma of suicide and giving it the forthright attention it deserves. Congratulations! An excellent book.

Written by former funeral director Harold Ivan Smith, A Long-Shadowed Grief: Suicide and its Aftermath is a compassionate, serious discussion of the grief and suffering that friends and family endure in the wake of a loved one's suicide. From permitting oneself to grieve and survive, how one can learn to live a spiritual life as a survivor, to praying one's grief, surviving the toll suicide takes on one's assumptions and values, and much more, A Long-Shadowed Grief covers in-depth the emotional dimensions of relearning day-to-day living after a loved one has made the choice to die. True stories of suicide and the words of survivors illustrate this comforting, plain-spoken discussion.

Author Smith has written many books on dying, death and grieving (as a former funeral director) and leads seminars on grief and spirituality. His cousin committed suicide (or suicided, as he terms it)--so he is also a "survivor" of suicide--those left behind. In the past few years, people dear to me had young people suicide.

Every 16.5 minutes there is a suicide (86.7 in the U.S. every day--a million in the world every year), and Smith writes about the days, months, years and even generations the "whys" of suicide affect a family. Often families deny the "truth" of the suicide because of suicide's stigma to those left.

He writes of famous people suiciding (Katherine Graham's and Joan River's husbands, and many famous children) and of average people who come to help of others going through what they have and are still experiencing.

Smith writes about survivors not being able to pray in the "dark despair of the spiritual night. Vance Havner is quoted: "If you can't pray as you want, pray as you can. God knows what you need." Prayer cannot lesson the pain but it can change the survivor.

"Even though I walk through the valley of death," (Psalm 23:4) the author asks survivors to reflect on the word "through"--as on a journey, not staying in one place. "I will fear no evil, for you are with me." (v.4).

Many survivors say suicide grief is like no other grief. For example, the insinuations from people about your parenting (if it was your child)--and he recommends you not allow those kinds of people around you.

The stats on page 17 were sobering. So much about suicide centers on youth (1,000 on college campus suicide each year), but the 65+ age group has the most suicides.

Although 90 percent of people who suicide are mentally ill, there is no "suicide gene," but depression, manic depression, schizophrenia and alcoholism (mood disorders) have a strong genetic base.

Armchair Interviews says: Even if you have not been affected by suicide, the book will give you more compassion and empathy toward others--well worth your reading time.

This is a compelling story of a woman's life and her struggle with various kinds of adversity. I loved that instead of focussing on the pain and the horror of the events in her life, D. Barriere used them to speak about her personal growth and the triumph of her human spirit after much struggle. She was successful in making me think, making me sad, making me joyful for her successes and a book that is able to draw those emotions from me is a rare and treasured thing.

On My Own Terms is a very powerful book! The author had me identifying with her. I was often in tears when I was reading this book. It addresses so many issues that deserve further thought. I truly recommend this book to anyone, as the author sheds a great deal of insight as to how a person is affected by abusive parents. This book left me with a feeling that we can all overcome obstacles, no matter what a person has endured. Darlene Barriere's book is truly inspirational.

I really enjoyed this book.I like the way the book brings you into focus about what was going on and holds you there till the end.There are some good photos in this book and copies of letters that are interesting to read in the back of the book.

Kerns' book gives the reader insight into what it was like to be a part of the Jim Jones cult. His personal experience is moving, and the documents contained in the book make it even more interesting. What a tragedy these deaths were, but by reading this book, one gets a profile of the type of person who is susceptible to this kind of sick cult.

This is a great book on preventing suicide attacks. It covers all the basic information and much more detailed information about suicide bombers. Very readable and very informative!

As a subject matter expert in law enforcement, I often take assignments as a pre-publication technical reviewer for publishing houses. Some weeks ago I was asked to review the law enforcement related portion of an upcoming Administration of Justice text book for Jones and Barlett Publishers. In addition to monetary compensation, I was allowed to choose a copy of any of their titles. Naturally, I choose a book written by a cop and that was listed on [...].

Michael Aman, a detective with the El Paso Police Department (Texas) is the author of Preventing Terrorist Suicide Attacks. Michael Aman's book is a practical look at suicide attacks and the information is squarely aimed at the first responders such as police officers and security officials. While the book is brief, only 90 or so pages, it has an extraordinarily high ratio of words to ideas. That is, there is a ton of information succulently presented in the book.

The book is divided into two sections: the first discusses the terrorist and terrorists groups that use human beings as delivery mechanisms; the second section uses the terrorists' own methodology as a means to explore prevention. As an example, in the first section, Michael Aman covers the objectives of a suicide tactics. This becomes important because by understanding objectives and motivation, the first responder gets a clearer picture on what to look for, beforehand.

In the second section Aman concentrates on presenting the reader with practical means for prevention. As an example, on page 44, Aman provides a simple, yet powerful matrix with which to evaluate potential targets. The section on prevention has checklists, prevention tips, self-assessment questions and clear learning objects.

While the book makes an excellent reference for the first responder, its hidden potential may be to first line supervisors in law enforcement and private security, and those officers involved in bomb disposal units. Michael Aman's book was developed as a result of his teaching a course on the subject. Therefore, the book is a teaching tool. If you are supervisor (in law enforcement or security) you should own this book so that you can teach your subordinates. Michael Aman lays out a clear path for you to increase your knowledge and the discussion questions are perfect for training at briefings, etc. If you are working in a bomb disposal unit, well, you are an expert. But, Michael, again, has given you a tool, already designed to use as a means to share your knowledge and expertise within your organization and community.

About Michael Aman
Michael Aman was a commissioned officer in the German Air Force from 1984 to 1993. Upon immigrating to the United States he joined the El Paso Police Department and has risen to the rank of detective. Michael Aman has served in the Gang Unit, Cold Case Squad, Criminal Investigations Division, Dignitary Protection Unit, and the Patrol Division.

Michael Aman has an MBA from the German Armed Forces University. During his law enforcement career, Michael Aman Developed a course for law enforcement officials called "Defense Against Terrorist Suicide Attacks." Eventually, that course let to the book Preventing Suicide Terrorist Attacks.

About the reviewer
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA is a 24 year veteran of law enforcement. In his retirement he is a university professor and writer. He is the author of Police Technology; Leadership: Texas Hold `em Style; and, is currently working on. From NYPD to LAPD: An Introduction to Policing. You can view Raymond's complete CV at [...].

Get ready to tread through a minefield. Any book like this that focuses on suicide in Japan, especially samurai practices of "junshi" (following one's lord in death) is fated to grapple BOTH with American stereotypes of fanatic suicidal Japanese echoing faintly but discernibly from WWII propaganda overlapping oddly with romanticized fantasies of exotic samurai AND culturally essentialist discourses on "unique" Japanese values courtesy of somewhat creepy right-wingers in Japan itself. I don't envy Doris Bargen as she attempts to navigate this mess. Given the chance, I'm not sure I'd even try. So the fact that she mostly manages to make it through this Scylla and Charybdis with perhaps only a few minor mishaps is definitely to her credit and to the credit of this interesting interdisciplinary study.

And the book is certainly interdisciplinary, primarily a work of history and literary criticism coupled together but also incorporating insights from religious studies, anthropology, and a bit of armchair psychology, among other things. Actual samurai practices from Japan's premodern history are explored in light of cross-cultural comparisons with Ancient Rome and Pre-Columbian Mexico--specifically as these influence, inform, or otherwise shed light on General Nogi's shocking suicide following Emperor Meiji's death in 1912 and THEN the effect of this jolt on two of Japan's great novelists of the time, Mori Ogai and Natsume Soseki.

The resulting discussion is lively and interesting, written in an engagingly straightforward scholarly prose style very rare in literary studies nowadays. That said, the quality is sometimes a bit uneven. The history bit taking up the first half seems pretty solid, though the author sometimes imputes thoughts into her subjects' heads that are impossible to substantiate and kind of neither here nor there anyhow, and sometimes she uses questionable sources uncritically--for instance, information about the Nogi family's native home is gleaned from an English language tourism brochure from 1975, and the reign dates it gives for legendary or semi-legendary emperors are repeated without any warning to the unsuspecting generalist that these are mythohistorical, i.e. objectively bogus. As for the literature bit, the two chapters on Mori Ogai (who knew Nogi personally) are a bit thin on substance, consisting more of plot summary and obvious exposition than analysis (and these have been translated into English anyway in Historical Fiction of Mori Ogai (Unesco Collection of Representative Works Japanese Series)), and the conclusion that Ogai was a cultural curator for his contemporaries seems a tad meager a payoff. The final chapter on Natsume Soseki and his novel "Kokoro" is a good bit more substantial and intriguing, attempting to actually analyze what everyone else merely notes in passing, that Nogi's suicide influences the suicide of Sensei at the end of the novel. While no radical surprises jump out from this, there are quite a few clever insights to be had.

Since my interest and enthusiasm are more for Soseki than Ogai, this balance of quality worked out quite well for me, but those keener on Ogai are bound to feel a bit short-changed, I imagine. Still, there's enough in this book to make the book worthwhile for either party as well as for anyone interested in Japanese literature and history overall. Eminently readable and culling together many existing sources without extensive new archival research, this is a good book rather than a great one, a modest tome that takes a difficult subject and handles it well without a lot of hyped up groundbreaking critical interventions and the like. And there's no dishonor in that.

Doris Bargen's latest book, Suicidal Honor, is an investigation of General Maresuke Nogi's suicide in 1912 Japan. On 30 July of that year, the Emperor Meiji died. On September 13, General Nogi committed an outlawed form of ritual suicide, called "junshi", during the emperor's funeral procession in order to "follow his lord into death". As usual, Bargen delivers a solid work -- deeply researched, and meticulously written and edited.

Emperor Meiji's reign had spanned many changes, most notably the end of the shogunate as well as the beginning of Japan's modernization. By investigating General Nogi's suicide, Bargen intends to analyze "the cultural significance of General Nogi's expiatory act of self-sacrifice in a time of regime change". The first part of Bargen's book compares and contrasts ritual suicide in other cultures and explains the Japanese act of junshi in particular; the second part probes the life and death of General Nogi (as well as that of his wife, who committed suicide with him); and the latter sections, hoping to shed further light on Nogi's anachronistic act, analyze the topical literary works of Mori Ogai (Nogi's friend) and Natsume Soseki.

Suicidal Honor begins by investigating the seed that is Nogi's junshi. By its conclusion, the book has explored the topic from so many angles that it blooms like the chrysanthemum crests that decorate its chapters. General Nogi's junshi is a rich subject; and you will find that you are thinking not only about Nogi himself, but about so many other things as well -- Soseki's and Ogai's characters, Nogi's wife, women in Japan, the Meiji era, the differences between seppuku (or harakiri) and junshi... the list goes on. I recommend this book highly.

For a deeper understanding of Bargen's book, consider reading the following:

* Historical Fiction of Mori Ogai (Unesco Collection of Representative Works Japanese Series)
* Kokoro (Dover Books on Literature & Drama)

Reviewed by Chris Phenis (age 10) for Reader Views (11/07)

"Suicide Bombers" teaches adults and adolescents about suicide bombers and why they do what they do. This book would be an excellent tool for people already in, or going to join, the military. When our military personnel are on the front lines, bombers are a major problem when it comes to their safety. When there's a suicide-bomb attack, they will better understand why the bombers try to kill and wound others while committing suicide.

The author of this book, Elaine Landau, covers two main points to make people more aware. The first point she covers is to teach people why they suicide bomb. The second point is to notice if there is a suicide bomber close to you and warn people around you if there is and take cover before they detonate.

I think this is a good book, because, as a very young reader, it was easy-to-read and it did not have too many hard words. This book contains a lot of pictures that include different types of bombers and the results of the bombings, which gave me a better image of the topic.

I learned that suicide bombers think they have no reason to live. That is because they do not want to marry, live with parents, or life is just too tough on them. I also learned ways the United States is dealing with these types of bombings.

I would recommend "Suicide Bombers" for the military and people who do not understand suicide bombers. I now understand that suicide bombers are not just stupid and crazy, they believe they have a reason to commit suicide.

I couldn't put this book down. Landau, who writes for young adults, takes us on a fascinating journey, dispelling our sterotypes of suicide bombers and citing studies along the way. Some are depressed people who have no hope of a brighter tomorrow. I would read this again.
Pat

I THINK THAT THIS BOOK WAS GEAT IT HEIP ME GET THOUGH AIOT IT WAS SAD WHEN THE DAD DIE WELL THIS BOOK WAS GEAT.

We all know everybody will die someday, but it's very difficult to accept the fact that one of our family died or will die soon, especially for a child. In this work, it's well described how he feels and how he gets over his father's death. Ms.Carrol says that the death is the part of life. She also says we should be accostomed to the death in the life so we should know how to remember and how to look back upon the days when we spent with the dead. That's exactly to live with them in real life.