 [Larger view] | Night Falls Fast : Understanding Suicide (Vintage)
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Average user rating:  | |
 Well Done | |
| Jamison writes from both the heart and the brain, so-to-speak. It is obvious that she empathizes with the suicidal and their families, on many levels.
She is quite knowledgeable when it comes to the studies using PET scans, MRIs, blood tests, etc. showing the role that neurotransmitters play in depression and possibly suicide. She also survived a suicide attempt. I would put more faith in what she has to say about the implication of youth suicide, about the feelings leading up to it, and the devastation experienced by the survivors, than I would in just any PhD. She uses many statistics and studies, cites observations from Emil Krapelin and Robert Burton, and includes suicide notes left behind. This makes for a very interesting and in-depth read. I don't recommend it for those who currently have suicidal ideations though. It is hard enough to stomach if you have personal experience with the subject, but to read it while dealing with your sorrows and SIs can be dangerous. Overall: Great book. Thoroughly researched. Many examples and evidence to support thesis. | |
| A book that captures the yearning for suicide | |
| How many have wept inwardly, unable to take that final step but so loathing the world in they never chose to exist? How many grapple with the blackest feelings of despair that constitute their hopeless personal prison? Such readers will find guidance and wisdom in this work by a master scholar who herself has understood the relief that suicide can offer -- she tried it herself. She describes the history of suicide, through case histories and the poignant notes that the literate have left behind to explain their dreadful act. Those of us who yearn, who strive, for some measure of peace or for the courage to take that leap into eternity will understand ourselves and our world better after reading this book. | |
| A good book; Slightly bloated | |
| It is obvious that the author has a very good, active mind (as she has told us in a book that described her experience with manic depression).
The good points: Extensive reading went into writing this book, and it shows. Most people don't think about the social perception of suicide over 10 years ago, let alone 1,000 years ago. But Jamison has done this and done it well. She also captures the feelings of despair and pointlessness that go along with suicide. Toward the end of the book there is too much speculation/ philosophizing and not enough concrete evidence. It is as if she is trying to generalize on experiences that she may have had but without giving us the specific details. All in all, she could have done the same thing with about 50 pages less worth of writing. |
