Reviews (2)

Great frame of reference for intro to debate on euthanasia!
Father Manning does a wonderful job describing the historical background of euthanasia and developing a frame of reference for the discussion of euthanasia in today's society.In exploring the concepts ofself-determination, compassionate care for the dying and the importantdisctinction between killing and allowing to die, Father Manning quicklybrings the reader up to speed on the subject.The author goes further intothe ethics of euthanasia by presenting the slippery slope argument and theprinciple of the common good.The book has an extensive bibliography andcitations from varied sources that include leading ethicists, as well asCardinal Bernadin and Pope John Paul II. Father Manning's intelligent prosedraws the reader into serious contemplation of this complex topic.Filledwith many points-of-departure for thought and prayer!

Physician priest shares his views
The author of this book launched a second career as a priest. He now serves as pastor of St. Gregory the Great Parish in Hamilton Township, NJ. Manning comments :"There's a sense of fatalism that can seize peopleof good will. That's why it's so important that we talk about it."Manning brings a unique and knowledgeable perspective to this crucialissue. As a physician he speaks from experience. As a priest/ethicist hebrings moral/spiritual depth to the discussion. The whole issue ofeuthanasia brings tomind the easy accommodation that Nazi doctors reachedregarding their horrendous experimentation on the "expendable"Jews and other victims in the Holocaust. What looks like a humane issue atfirst glance, yields disturbing portents upon further examination. ReadManning's book ! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Assisted suicide    2. Catholic Church    3. Ethics    4. Ethics & Moral Philosophy    5. Euthanasia    6. Medical    7. Medical / Nursing    8. Physician & Patient    9. Psychology    10. Religion And Medicine    11. Religious aspects    12. Suicide    13. Christian moral & pastoral theology   

Reviews (1)

Authors are extremely verbose
These authors wrote as if they were paid by the number of words. The gist of the book is that suicidal patients should be treated with Cognitive Behavior Therapy.Change a few words here and there and the book could be CBT treatment for just about any Axis I diagnosis.They spend a lot of time reviewing literature on CBT.They repeat the same ideas over and over again throughout the book. What little they had of substance on suicidal behavior would be best presented in a small pamphlet rather than a book. The book also seems to assume that the client is high functioning, and articulate. In my opinion, this book is written to impress rather than inform.I bought the book because David Barlow is listed as the editor.I am greatly surprised that David H. Barlow would allow his name to appear on such a poorly written book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Clinical Psychology    2. Psychology    3. Psychotherapy - General    4. Suicide    5. Psychiatry    6. Psychology & Psychiatry / Clinical Psychology   

Reviews (13)

Don't DO IT
I've read some peoples reviews about how suicide can be an alright decision some of the time. That's perhaps the stupidest thing I've ever heard, suicide is nothing more than a copout no matter how you look at it or what. The reasons that people try to explain why someone commits suicide or wants to commit suicide aren't nessarily so black and white as 'someone not being happy with their body or just a general lonelyness. The fact is that suicide is an entirely selfish act whether you admit to it or not.
Patronizing Psycho-Babble
I bought this book, hoping that it might offer me some intelligent and persuasive help, but was dismayed by its banal psycho-babble.It may be a helpful book for someone who is new to therapy or who is not struggling with agonizing circumstances, but not for the self-reflective or truly pained.

Not a great book... Look elsewhere
A good number of suicides are financially related and people that are stuck in catch-22's.We have excessively rich people in our society that do jack all to help eliminate suicides that are financially related, yet they can line the pockets of politicians with millions.Yet everyone and their mother can spend a few bucks on lottery tickets that the lotto collects to give to the lucky winner(s).We live in a sick society, the only way anyone is going to solve suicide is to acknowledge there are many causes of it and that in some rare circumstances suicide is a rational and final option after all avenues have been exhausted.
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Subjects:  1. Prevention    2. Psychological aspects    3. Psychology    4. Suicide    5. Death & dying    6. Practical & applied ethics    7. Religion / General    8. Self-Help / General   

Reviews (1)

Intense & Fascinating
Reaktion books are exceptionally high quality both in their art reproductions and in the well researched content. Ron Brown, the author, is an academically-oriented suicidologist and although this can make for a difficult read, it was not a dry one and he did an excellent job of explaining his subject without pretension. Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Death & Dying    4. General    5. History - General    6. Multicultural Education    7. Suicide    8. Art / General    9. Art styles not limited by date    10. Art treatments & subjects   

Editorial Review

This sensitive, restrained memoir searches for answers to the most painful of questions: Why would a bright, athletic, seemingly well-adjusted boy like Kathleen Finneran's 15-year-old brother want to take his own life? Sean Finneran's 1971 suicide is the pivotal crisis in Read more

Reviews (16)

It will move you.
This book reveals the emotional upheaval that only a suicide survivor can put into words.Ms. Finnerman's story of the suicide death of her brother was unfortunalty a subject I can relate to. It is a well told and sensitive book which shines a light on the topic of losing a sibling in such a tragic manner.

Extremely Moving
I recently read The Tender Land and loved it.I admit that I was somewhat hesitant to read it because of the suicide subject matter.But it turns out to be more of a book of how a family copes with sudden death and the grief that follows.I think anyone could relate to this story.Ms. Finneran is a descriptive author that brings the reader into the story to experience it yourself.I will be looking for more of this author's work.

Truly unforgettable
This memoir is one that I will never forget - it affected me in the way that The Lovely Bones did - it's left me with a profound feeling of heartbreak and poignancy.Read more

Subjects:  1. Age Groups    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Case studies    5. Family relationships    6. General    7. Psychology    8. Sociology Of The Mentally And Physically Challenged    9. Suicidal behavior    10. Suicide    11. Suicide victims    12. Teenagers    13. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs   

Reviews (9)

Manditory for survivors
A most helpful book for survivors, counselors, clergy.This book addresses every aspect of the aftermath of a suicide and provides survivors with information they desperately need to cope with this devastating loss.The book is concise, specific, and cuts directly to the issues by which survivors are overwhelmed.I have given copies to several people who needed it and will continue to recommend it.

It did help me.
My son's suicide was 17 years ago.After all of these years I still have my copy although the pages are yellow and full of highlighter.Everyone is different, especially at a time like this but, I do recommend this book.
Not Much Help
This book is clinical, short, emotionless, outdated, and it reads like a college research paper.In dealing with the suicide of a loved one, this book won't be much help. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity    2. Christianity - Church Administration - General    3. Death, Grief, Bereavement    4. Moral and ethical aspects    5. Psychological aspects    6. Religion    7. Religion - Ministry & Pastoral Resources    8. Religious aspects    9. Suicide   

Subjects:  1. Counseling - General    2. Education & Training    3. Educational counseling    4. Prevention    5. Psychology    6. Psychotherapy - Child & Adolescent    7. Students    8. Suicidal behavior    9. Suicide    10. United States    11. Psychiatry    12. Psychology & Psychiatry / Suicide   

Reviews (2)

this book is so timely, it's frightening how much so
The relevance today of this book is uncomfortably urgent.
the price of war
With heart and intelligence, this books explores the multigenerational fallout of many veterans' experience of war. The shrapnel still flies.
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Subjects:  1. Mental health    2. Military - Vietnam War    3. Neuropsychology    4. Post-traumatic stress disorder    5. Psychological aspects    6. Psychology    7. Psychopathology - General    8. Psychopathology - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder    9. Suicide    10. United States    11. Veterans    12. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    13. Coping with stress    14. Psychology & Psychiatry / General   

Reviews (2)

A Reason To Live
"A Reason To Live" not only helped save my life, it set in motion several major - albeit, gradual - positive changes. Melody's personal life experiences and insights involving pain, loss and survival gave me some much needed assurance that I was not alone in this world. I admire Melody's strength and courage. I've learned I can actually use pain to become a deeper, more creative, honest and loving person. This book is non-judgemental, insightful, and ultra-practical. Please make more copies available. Thank you!

This book is the only reason I am alive today.
When my boyfriend committed suicide I felt I wasn't worth sticking around for. This book changed that feeling. I was lucky it did. About 6 months after his death I found out it was murder made to look like a suicide. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Helping behavior    3. Prevention    4. Psychological aspects    5. Religion - Contemporary Issues    6. Self-Help    7. Self-help techniques    8. Suicide   

Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Psychology    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    4. Juvenile Nonfiction    5. Juvenile literature    6. Prevention    7. Psychological aspects    8. Social Issues - Suicide    9. Suicidal behavior    10. Suicide    11. Teenagers   

Subjects:  1. Diagnosis    2. Medical    3. Mental Health    4. Prevention    5. Psychiatry - General    6. Psychology    7. Suicidal behavior    8. Suicide    9. Treatment    10. Psychiatry   

Subjects:  1. Philosophy    2. Psychology    3. Suicide   

Reviews (13)

An Intriguing Literary Look at Suicide
I haven't read any other studies of suicide, but like many introspective people, the subject is familiar and even, ever present. Being also a huge student and aficionado of literature, A Savage God made for a pretty soothingly delightful read.
Both literary and scholarly.
The Savage God is scholarly, aesthetically aware, and an important contribution to a relatively narrow collection of work on suicide and suicidology.
The next best thing to actually killing yourself
THE SAVAGE GOD is a masterpiece despite the fact that it reeks of the english department. And despite the fact that Clive James was right when he accused Alvarez of being guilty of "full frontal solemnity". And like James also said, Alvarez was ludicrously portentious to claim that modern life is far more suicide-provoking than ancient life. The world has *always* been a hellhole.
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Subjects:  1. Psychology    2. Suicidal Behavior    3. Suicide    4. Suicide in literature    5. Crime & criminology   

Reviews (1)

Most excellent for teachers and student personnel spec.
Very practical text with case studies that embellish on points. Excellent for counselors, school social workers and school psychologists who assess ar risk youth. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Developmental - Adolescent    2. Family/Marriage    3. Prevention    4. Psychology    5. Psychotherapy - Child & Adolescent    6. School Psychology    7. Student assistance programs    8. Suicidal behavior    9. Suicide    10. Youth   

Reviews (1)

Suicide and the Life Span
Stillion and McDowell have developed a solid informational book on suicide. Their organization moves the reader from an understanding of the historical factors relating to perspectives on the natue and causes of suicide. Then, using a life-span developmental model, they present the issues of suicide in chiildren, adolescents, youung and middle adulthood and the elderly. each sectiioin has a model that reviews psychological, cognitive and environmental risk factos for that age group as well as wrning signs, triggering events and behaviors. Material relating to prevention, intervention and ostvention are presented in a cleare manner. They conclude the book with a discussion of contemporary issues including the right-to-die debate and assisted suicide. An extensive reference list adds to the value of the book. The only detraction is that the statistics are out-of-date, but that can be managed by a visit tothe CDC site. I recommend this book for the general public, teachers and professionals. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Death, Grief, Bereavement    2. Life cycle, Human    3. Mental Health    4. Psychological aspects    5. Psychology    6. Sociology    7. Suicide    8. Self-Help / Death, Grief, Bereavement   

Subjects:  1. Adjustment (Psychology)    2. Bereavement    3. Counseling    4. Mental Illness    5. Psychology    6. Suicidal Behavior    7. Suicide    8. United States    9. Alcoholism    10. Drug addiction & substance abuse   

Subjects:  1. Mental Health    2. Psychology    3. Reference    4. Suicide    5. Health systems & services    6. Neurology & clinical neurophysiology    7. Psychology & Psychiatry / Suicide    8. Psychotherapy    9. Psychiatry    10. Law   

Reviews (3)

a classic example of bad research unchallenged or edited by an adult
This book is a classic example of how inconvenient facts can be ignored in order to support a thesis which promotes a political agenda instead of actually examining the data available to reach a proper conclusion. Is there a suicide and mental health crisis among African-Americans? If you read this book, it is beyond repute. Is it caused by the racism that the authors find under every rock? Absolutely, according to them. Do the authors look at historical facts that refute their premise? Absolutely not.
A must read for all African-Americans
My mother died by suicide when I was 9 years old. What I find most amazing till this day is how my family (we are African-American) refused to talk about her mental illness and the circumstances that lead to her death. For years, I would rather lie about her death and her illness, than admit that she was mentally ill.
Very healing
I work with people with mental illness and substance abuse.I have shared this book with many of my African American clients and everytime I do I get such positive reinforcement that the authors of this book have given them their dignity back.It has answered ages old questions about the the black experience that everyone should know.This book should be a must read for all our children. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. African Americans    2. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General    3. Mental Health    4. Psychology    5. Social Science    6. Sociology    7. Suicidal behavior    8. Suicide    9. Social Science / African-American Studies   

Reviews (3)

On Suicide: A Discourse on Voluntary Death
There are other options, other possibilities. If you like this book, you will probably like the poetry of Sylvia Plath (I do) - although defined by her suicide attempts and her final "success" - it has meant that Plath's work has been mostly "defined" by her actions, rather than letting the work define itself - so this has limited the potential reading of her workand has limited the reader's perspectives of it , which is a real shame.If all roads lead to loss of life through choice, then you have not looked at other routes. I would urge readers to look at this as just an intellectual debate, rather than as a self justification for self-annihilation/destruction. Suicide is selfish, no matter how you dress it up. It is the ultimate selfish act. There is always hope, it is just sometimes very hard to see - something worth remembering when reading this book. Life is a choice and it is hard work - but there are benefits longer term. Don't give up, you are needed here - you might not really believe it but you are. You have yet more to achieve.

The Kirkus Review is not-so accurate. But still...
It could be worse, like the hatchet job below that prompted me to write this. First things first: anyone who is pretentious/affectatious enough to quote Nietzsche solely in his original German- a quote that is all the more obscure for its reference to 'Seneca and his ilk,' (the title) and its borrowing of a Latin coin of phrase- has already demonstrated his bad faith. I'm talking about the next reviewer. You see; he's not assuming that you will posses a working knowledge of German so that you will catch his all-too-coy reference. He simply wants to intimidate you with his high and mighty linguistic flourishes. "I CAN QUOTE NIETZSCHE IN THE ORIGINAL AREN"T I SO FRIKKIN SMART NOW YOU HAVE TO SUBSCRIBE TO MY INTELLECTUAL OPINIONS!!! He seems to scream.
how suicide actually feels...
Finding myself an unwilling survivor of suicide in 1991, I resigned myself to making a more strenuous effort. At the same time, I began a rigorous study of the literature of suicide in order to gain some understanding of what I found happening to me. The situation was simply bizarre beyond words.Read more

Subjects:  1. Death & Dying    2. Death And Dying (Sociological Aspects)    3. Death, Grief, Bereavement    4. Ethics & Moral Philosophy    5. Gerontology    6. Judaism - General    7. Psychology    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. Suicidal Behavior    11. Suicide    12. Western philosophy   

Reviews (1)

An excellent intro. to help for newly grieving survivors.
This booklet, short, clear, easy to read, is good for someone newly grieving loss of a loved one to suicide.It offers comfort and hope that we can heal; it 'normalizes' the grieving and healing processes of post-suicide, letting many know that what they're experiencing is normal.Reference to spirituality is in a gentle, non-invasive way which I find even many atheists haven't felt was offensive, and those with spiritual beliefs can identify with it.The raw honesty of the author sharing her experience of losing her son to suicide humanizes the experience and again, can be comforting. It's more than a pamphlet but not a whole book; a nice introduction to the subject.It isn't trying to promote anything in particular except that help, peer or professional, is effective and available.As a professional, when working with survivors of a loved one's suicide, I strongly recommend it as the first reading to do. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Christian Life - Suffering & Grief    2. Death, Grief, Bereavement    3. Religion - Christian Life    4. Self-Help    5. Suicide