Suicide Books

An okay read, nothing great. Gardner once said of himself, "I am the greatest writer since Chaucer." Gardner died in the 1980's and most of his books are now out of print. Chaucer died in the 1300's and we're still reading THE CANTERBURY TALES. Gardner hasn't really lived up to Chaucer, has he?

This is a great book, sadly hard to find, and a lovely fable, gracefully told. If you can find a copy, buy it, and read it when you need perspective. I can't say the writing is particularly luminous, but it is about what is true, and who we want to be, and who we become. Its one of the few books I keep extras of to give away.

This a good reading. Good, not great, not bad. Deverell's writing is clear and concise, and she keeps your attention. The only problem I have with this book is that there is too much emphasis on other books. She spends a great deal of time referring to other authors and experts in the field, and I would have enjoyed her spending more time on her own story.

Dore Deverell has written a remarkable book describing both her and her son Richard's transformtion and healing after he committed suicide. This book shows how, through diligence and faith, spiritual darkness can be transmuted into wisdom, energy and new life. An eloquent and straightforward narrative tells a story in two parts: a painful, oppressive life in suburban Los Angeles spanning decades, and, after a turning point coinciding with Richard's tragic death, a spiritual path, realized and fortified through anthroposophy, the modern wisdom and spiritual-scientific methods hearlded by Dr. Rudolf Steiner (1861 - 1925).

Marked for Mercy is a good solid mystery with compelling, likeable characters. It also treats the issue of euthanasia fairly, showing both pro and con perspectives. The author and main character are prolife, as am I, so I was happy that the prevailing thought was that euthanasia is wrong.

Since reading A Ship Possessed and Vanished by the same author, I hurriedly ordered everything Gansky has written. Normally I do not particularly care for mysteries. I have to admit, when you apply Gansky's talent to the genre, you can't lose.

The first two books of his that I read (mentioned above) were centered on religion and had a strong Christian message. Marked for Mercy was more of a mystery where the main character, a very ethical female physician, happened to be a Christian. If you're looking specifically for Christian fiction, this might not enthrall you as much as Gansky's later books, but if you like mysteries and good writing, this will do very nicely!

If you can ignore a few typos, including one on the first page, the story is surprisingly good. The volatile subject matter (euthanasia) is examined with respect and intelligence on both sides, and drama builds when the two opposing factions clash and must rethink their positions. Excellent characters, good dialog, very creative situations, entertaining, and personally challenging.

I purchased this book for my 12 year old daughter. Together we had read WICKED and Son Of a Witch by Gregory Maguire so I knew she enjoyed his literature. I was looking for a book she could read to complete a required book report at school. I found Oasis. While she said it started out a bit slower than she had anticipated when it did pick up she was mesmerized. She enjoyed it very much and found it to have strong characters with interesting lives, just as the books we had read together. Oasis was an easier read, great for her age group. She found the mix of mystery and fantasy entertaining. She received and A on her book report and highly recommended it to her peers.

I really loved this book from the moment I laid eyes on it ... The Oasis is so real that it could be any old motel off the side of the road. Each character has an important part to play in the story, from the poetic Ms. Fernald to the secretive Uncle Wolfgang. Hand, the boy in the book, is trying to get the truth of how his father died, and trying to accept his mother after 3 years of never knowing where she was or how she was. This definitly counts as one of my favorite books. The author has a terrific mind for making everything come together into a nice circle, everyone playing a part, everyone making a difference.

One in Thirteen is a great mix between solid (and often scary) statistics and the voices of troubled teens, who often give their own opinions on what could be done to help them. I highly recommend it for anyone trying to find some of the root causes of the third highest killer in the nation.

The issues presented in this book -- feelings of isolation, anger and confusion among teens that too often result in suicides or attempted suicides -- are of the utmost importance in being able to effectively deal with teen depression, violence and suicide. Parents and counselors will find the statistics and anecdotes eye-opening. I only have a couple of quibbles: I wish the book had taken one chapter to talk about specific things individuals could do to combat teen suicide. Also, there were a few spelling and grammar errors.

The first reviewer on this page, by the name of Dhouma Gupta Boobsies, summarizes my book as follows: "Auster shines the heated truth on the immigration industry--an odd assortment of businessmen, marxists, minority-politicians, and Jews--and how its relentless singlemindedness and insulation from the qualms of most Americans are driving America to the very brink of extinction."

The Path to National Suicide has nothing to do with the "immigration industry," but explains how, due to liberal ideology, our borders were opened in 1965, and how the resulting transformation of America's ethnic composition helped fuel the ideology of multiculturalism which ultimately means the end of America as a nation. The book says nothing about "businessmen, marxists, minority-politicians, and Jews." The word "Jew" does not even appear in the book, and my only reference to Jews is where I mention various figures of Hollywood's Golden Age as examples of successful cultural assimilation.

Dhouma Gupta Boobsies has fantasized his or her own book, but has not read mine.

For those pessimistic about America's future, its declining educational standards, its listless culture, and its open border policies that are redrawing the whole fabric of our society, then you now have a saviour. In this brilliant treatise, Auster shines the heated truth on the immigration industry -- an odd assortment of businessmen, marxists, minority-politicians, and Jews -- and how its relentless singlemindedness and insulation from the qualms of most Americans are driving America to the very brink of extinction.

The ideological-financial elite have varied but common interests in ensuring a future stream of immigrants, but for the majority of Americans who lack access to money and the media the immigration story is all together different. When immigrants flood into this country, schools fill up with people who can't speak English, taxes must rise to pay for this, and the increases in spending are not furthering the educational attainments of native Americans, but are wasted trying to instruct English to people who shouldn't even be here. If you think America is just a world-wide charity and you get up to go to work every morning just so immigrants can free ride off your labor, then maybe you have a reason to support immigration. However, if you believe in personal responsibility, and not financing the invasion of your country in support of a radical and inferior minority then banning immigration needs to be a top priority. Wars, after all, have been fought over much less.

Lawrece Auster's slashing expose of the immigration-industry is so penetrating and fullproof, that we are now at a point in our country where there is no "immigration debate," but but an open borders agenda that uses invidious historical comparisons and fallacious arguments to give their case life. The much-abused argument that immigrants are coming here to do jobs Americans refuse to do is so specious and perverse it shows the profound dishonesty of the debate. All jobs in America were being done just fine before immigration commenced in the 1960's and 70's. Our lawns were mowed. Our tables were cleaned. Our motels didn't have messy beds. Immigrants are simply increasing the supply of available labor and lowering wages for those poorest Americans who have trouble advancing in our economy. Liberals have no shame if they claim they care about the poor and fight tax-cuts, but then support a huge immigrant invasion that takes away American jobs, lowers wages, lowers educational performance, increases crime and taxes.

The elites are doing America a huge disservice. If more peole read Auster and took his arguments to heart, we could have a revolution in this country, throw out the elite traitors, and have a manageable society again.

Recurrent dreams trouble Emma's sleep. A haunting familiarity draws her into a romance with Steve, resulting in their marriage. They relish their time spent together in Alaska, until their mentor dies, beginning a series of changes with devastating consequences. First their best friends move from Alaska to California and Steve is transferred to Vermont. Then tragic events erode trust and soon Emma finds herself choosing between either repeating the mistakes of the distant past or boldly forging a new path.

Meanwhile, Emily of Victorian New York offers glimpses of her life in Emma's dreams. An independent businesswoman, Emily lives quietly until a new customer and her husband James enter her shop. A startling electrical connection between proves irresistible, but leads to tragedy when Emma discovers her pregnancy. Her story foretells the challenges her modern counterpart will face as their stories interweave.

Authors Donna Vail Jones and Randy Jones combine their poetic voices in PEBBLES IN A POND. More than a romance, PEBBLES IN A POND examines the intricacy of relationships when viewed over more than one lifetime. Reincarnation allows two stories to overlap in a tale of haunting beauty. While the tale is occasionally bogged down with an overabundance of exposition, the overall effect is at once mesmerizing and entrancing. Further, the authors' combined background in psychology and environmental studies deepens the reading experience with a sophisticated and knowledgeable undertone, even as their extensive travels and dream experience likewise combine in a fascinating background that lends the novel a touch of reality touched by the supernatural. Highly recommended.

Recurrent dreams trouble Emma's sleep. A haunting familiarity draws her into a romance with Steve, resulting in their marriage. They relish their time spent together in Alaska, until their mentor dies, beginning a series of changes with devastating consequences. First their best friends move from Alaska to California and Steve is transferred to Vermont. Then tragic events erode trust and soon Emma finds herself choosing between either repeating the mistakes of the distant past or boldly forging a new path.

Meanwhile, Emily of Victorian New York offers glimpses of her life in Emma's dreams. An independent businesswoman, Emily lives quietly until a new customer and her husband James enter her shop. A startling electrical connection between proves irresistible, but leads to tragedy when Emma discovers her pregnancy. Her story foretells the challenges her modern counterpart will face as their stories interweave.

Authors Donna Vail Jones and Randy Jones combine their poetic voices in PEBBLES IN A POND. More than a romance, PEBBLES IN A POND examines the intricacy of relationships when viewed over more than one lifetime. Reincarnation allows two stories to overlap in a tale of haunting beauty. While the tale is occasionally bogged down with an overabundance of exposition, the overall effect is at once mesmerizing and entrancing. Further, the authors' combined background in psychology and environmental studies deepens the reading experience with a sophisticated and knowledgeable undertone, even as their extensive travels and dream experience likewise combine in a fascinating background that lends the novel a touch of reality touched by the supernatural. Highly recommended.

I thought that this book was very good. It was a story of a girl who found out that her brother might be considering suicide. It tells of her relationship with her brother, parents and her boyfriend. In this book Carla (the girl) seems to be the only one who understands her brother. In the story it shows how she tries to make everyone understand that they're putting to much pressure on her brother and it's driving him to death.

I thought that this book was very good. It was a story of a girl who found out that her brother might be considering suicide. It tells of her relationship with her brother, parents and her boyfriend. In this book Carla (the girl) seems to be the oly one who understands her brother and it shows how she tries to make everyone understand that they're putting to much pressure on her brother and it's driving him to death.

As with most things in life I know entirely rely on Amazon to tell me what I like, and what I will read next. Once again I was not let down.

This was a book I had to put down and come back to many times. It is written almost like poetry the pours from that saddest places in every person's spirit. John Hawkes is a brilliant and deep writer. My only complaint is that he isn't necessarily captivating. I struggled in the beginning to find my footing in the endless lamenting. Eventually I was tempted to shelf the book indefinitely but one day I found myself woven into the tapestry of this world, and desiring to know more.

I recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind "working for it" (if you know what i mean).

Second Skin is a lyrical, difficult but ultimately rewarding novel. It focuses on Skipper, the narrator, who simply tries to survive a series of life tragedies ranging from being the victim of a mutiny to losing his wife and daughter to suicide.

To say these things is not to give away the plot. Because Skipper does not tell his story in a linear fashion, we know what will happen from the beginning. The pleasure is in listening to the narrative voice tell his "naked history" (as Skipper calls it).

John Hawkes is an under-appreciated writer and a brilliant prose stylists. For anyone who loves to read beautiful sentences, this book is highly recommended.

Dr. Montgomery is a respected teacher with a formidable intellect. Unfortunately, in this work he seems so enamored by the capacity of human reason to have survived intact from the fall that he appears to ignore the obvious. Equating Barth's fideism with presuppositionalism, he insists on the paramounce of human reason over all things thus negating his stated belief in Jesus as Lord of all. The result of this mindset is a fair defense of evidentialism but not good enough to win the debate in the end. It is an important work, however, to see how the evidentialist attempts to ignore the effects of original sin in order to justify a rather shakey position. There will be some who find Dr. Montgomery's work profound and there is indeed much to provoke thought in it. However, again, it is still far short of its mark-despite the valiant and learned effort.

Montgomery covers a wide array of subjects dealing with challenges upon Christiaity, specifically on the historicity of Christ, God-is-dead theorists, the sufficiency of Scripture for today, and anti-God arguments based on feelings and "I think..."

Not for remedial readers; not for cowards; not for closed-minds.

Definitely for serious scholars; a must for pastors; necessary for apologetics.

A big book with lots of material that might be considered esoteric if read as "light" reading. Definitely take your time with this one.