Product Description
"An extraordinary book that is a must for all people who have suffered or those who wish to support and counsel the bereaved." -Ari Kiev, M.D., J.D., author of A Strategy for Daily Living.

Beginning with her own story of coping with her husband's suicide, Eleanora Betsy Ross takes the reader beyond the silence and shame often associated with suicide and shatters some of the most pervasive myths surrounding this common tragedy. By examining the dynamics of after-suicide bereavement and using dozens of real-life case histories, After Suicide offers hope for the survivors and helps them maintain their sanity and poise during this most difficult time.

Backed by years of research and the author's extensive work with survivors and support groups, this book is a valuable guide to coping with a suicide for both survivors and those who work with them. Capped by a comprehensive resource guide, After Suicide stands as an important resource for anyone who has to deal with this loss. ... Read more

Product Description
Jean Amry (Auschwitz survivor and author of At the Mind's Limits) thought of On Suicide as a continuation of the kind of reflections on mortality he had laid down in On Aging. But here he probes further and more deeply into the meaning of death and into the human capacity for suicide or voluntary death. ... Read more

Customer 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.

He comes not to discuss but to brag and condescend- he doesn't give an accurate rendering of Amery's book, he merely reveals the depths of his own extremely beknighted 'Weltanshaaung.' Here is the translation of said piece, from "The Joyful Science," (a wonderful book and one deserving of a better reader) It is the 34th song,

"They write and write their intolerably sagacious Larifari,
As if it 'gaelt primum scribere,
Deinde philosophari.' (meaning 'first to write then to philosophize.')

IMHO, the statement applies far more readily to the reviewer employing it than the book he reviews. Yes, Amery attempted suicide before writing this and then ended up succeeding some time after. Yes, Amery does employ a pseudo-existentialist vocabulary in order to make sense of his predicament. But he has no pretense that he speaks for mankind. He simply dislikes the various ways in which society seeks to make sense/marginalize/cure the phenomenon of suicide, and he espouses a different tact, in understanding it. He believes that the act is one a person can approach and commit with dignity and clear-mindedness. Make what you will of that. It calls to mind the opening chapter of Camus, "The Myth of Sisyphus," which is, at heart, another mediation on suicide, albeit from a different perspective again.

His suicide in no means destroys or stains his observations and ideas. I have all three of Amery's books, and I unhesitatingly recommend each one. I'm not planning on killing myself, and my feelings on the subject are ambivalent. Still, I find J. Amery to be refreshingly clear, immediate and concise. He avoids jargoneering and tendentiousness, and never stoops to pathos. He writes in a persuasive and at times subtly humorous fashion. He isn't trying to get the world to kill itself en masse, and he's not trying to get your child to put its head in an oven. He simply wants to discuss and examine, as objectively as possible (though he admits that it is not) the idea that life (under certain conditions) may not be worth living. This is one of the few books on suicide that actually had a great deal of profundity. Worth the read.

The third reviewer is also spot-on... I would also recommend A. Alvarez' "The Savage God," for a book that seeks to confront artistic self-destruction, among other things. "In Darkness," by James A. Wechsler is another book that approaches the phenomena from a familial point of view.

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.

Subsequently, I have plowed through mountains of "expert" opinion and sampled all the various available treatments with the unavoidable conclusion that no one can help me understand what is happening. And I really ought to finish my suicide before madness incapacitates me. The urgency is extreme.

Here the author at least exposes the missteps of psychotherapy with regard to suicide in such a frank and compassionate way that I finally have some semblance of hope that I can make my peace with the problem. Here is a human who has thrust himself beyond the edge of life and was involuntarily thrust back into it. So he knows what he's talking about. And his manner of discussion is so soothing and articulate and artistic that it reintroduces some dignity into my own life that has been cast aside, even by myself, as a horrific failure. Yes, dignity at least appears to become resurrected as a possibility to me now.

And the friendly talk here is infinitely satisfying on so many different intimately personal levels. The author's experience is one that comforts by way of confirming the unspeakable fact that we who long to die are NOT really mad. We would not REALLY want to die if the world were really a sane place. And he scratches a possibility of hope onto the surface of the world that says--Let those of us who know this feeling reach out in sane comfort to each other. No particular way...just some way. Not much sanity...just a little...just enough to get by on.

And that's precisely what I'm doing with this review. I am bearing witness that this man knows how suicide feels...so that his words have substance and profound depth and comfort.


October 11, 2010 update:

I am pleased to offer these books as useful tools:

The Rise and Fall of Soul and Self: An Intellectual History of Personal Identity

Consciousness: The Science of Subjectivity

Inner Presence: Consciousness as a Biological Phenomenon

The Pleasure Instinct: Why We Crave Adventure, Chocolate, Pheromones, and Music

The Brain and the Meaning of Life

This last book makes all the necessary connections. It may be difficult to obtain the background information necessary to a good understanding of how the brain works. I can tell you that the effort needed is worth making.

Good luck with your own efforts.
... Read more

Product Description
Updated and Expanded Edition

Provides information on suicide statistics and gives advice on how to recognize the warning signs of a potential suicide attempt, how to intervene when a suicide has been attempted, and how to comfort families and friends who have lost a loved one to suicide. This updated and expanded edition contains a discussion of euthanasia and living wills and a list of crisis centers around the United States. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (15)

A remarkably one-sided polemic
It is remarkable that a Professor of Classics, that is, someone accustomed in the scholarly process of peer review and also trained in the ancient Greek dialectic, has written a book like this. I had much higher expectations in terms of critical examination for this work.

Unfortunately, the author does not make even a rudimentary effort to examine any argument of a side other that his own. Most of the books consists of citing sources and saying of others out of context that supposedly prove the authors point of view. The best part of the book are those where the author offers a conservative critique of current European decadence, as he sees it. At least this part conforms to some minimal academic standards. The rest of book is a polemic against Islam and against the way European states treat their problems posed by it within their midst. This polemic is severely one-sided and shallow. The author does not make an effort to look at deeper causes of the phenomena he examines. Besides, he presents only the way European leftists and liberals are handling the issues he considers, and the errors he finds in them. Other European approaches to the same issues, and the errors that one could find in them as well, and a comparative corss-examination of all those, do not enter the author's radar.

Even more disappointingly, the author does not seem to distinguish between a defense of European civilization per se, on the one hand, and a submission to the geopolitical interests of the USA, on the other. It seems that this Professor, despite his academic credentials, is not capable of making this very simple distinction that ordinary Europeans are making indeed. The book would have been better if the author could also acknowledge this distinction.

The book is also full of inconsistencies deriving out of the author's parochial view of the world. For example, for this author, if a US soldier fights against Muslim extremists, then he is defending the values of his civilization; if a Serbian soldier does the same, then he is committing a violation of human rights. Such inconsistencies do not even appear in other books of the genre. For example, "America Alone", a similar book, albeit written by a journalist and not a academic, consistently avoids this kind of inconsistency by treating all Muslim extremists, regardless if they target Americans, Russians, or Serbs, as the same. It would behoove Dr. Thornton, even if not capable of acquiring a truly academic and less parochial mindset, at least to learn something from authors of the same genre as his, who can at least be less inconsistent in their proclamations.

A short well written sombre book.
A short well written sombre book.The author is a classisist, who has an impressive academic background.

(From the UK description)Despite the utopian promises of the EU, conditions are ripe for fulfilling Islamic scholar Bernard Lewis's prediction that in fifty years Europe will be an Islamic society, which is to say Europe will culturally disappear. In this penetrating and provocative book, the classicist Bruce S. Thornton shows how Europe reached this pass andanalyzes what Europe's decline means for the United States.

My lesson learned is that by turning away from its spiritual roots in Christianity (Through an Eloi-like pursuit of personal satisfaction) Europe is leaving itself open to a gradual Islamic assimilation. Compound this with the relative ease for immigrants to be caught in the EU social safety net,but continue to deny them upward mobility into the better schools, jobs and full integration into EU society and you have a breeding ground for anger, crime, terrorism and isolation from society.

The author traces this disconnect to deeply held national prejudices in Europe. He points out what N. America is doing well in this regard but hints that the US just may get tired of bailing Europe out with money and troops. AlthoughEurope desires to solve all world conflicts with diplomacy vs might they have been ineffective in all cases - resulting in Canada, the UK and the US puttingtroops and funds in play. The Islamic nations see Europe as having no world wide power to affect them. They just expect them to accommodate, apologizeand give way to Islam. (The population growth of immigrants is incredible.)

He asks the question, "When will the US decide that NATO is an ineffective use of largely American funds and pull the support? "That is a good one.

Whose fault is it?
Yes, well, it's no big surprise that Europe/Western world has given up. They've been dragged through two devastating world wars, reduced to virtual economic slavery and then flooded with immigrants who, through no fault of their own, we are now being encouraged to slaughter because the policymakers at the top are getting uncomfortable with all these brown people that they can't control. Thornton should be asking the thorny questions as to why people have given up on Christianity, not why Islam is flourishing . Maybe it's because those who appoint themselves as leaders of the flock evidently do not follow Christ's teachings when it comes to matters of self-aggrandizement? Everyone hates a hypocrite, Bruce, especially when they are murderers. It was very clear to nearly everyone after WW2 that those who made a motza out of it had no commitment to rebuilding their societies with decent education and wage policies. So the 'little people' decided that they didn't want to breed any more slaves and cannon fodder. It's as simple as that.

A Fabulous, Concise read of how the world is changing
This book is possibly the best concise book on the subject of the major coming changes in the 21st Century. Much of what we imagined in the future is already in serious question, and this book concisely explains how the West is in serious trouble. Bruce Thorton explains that the future of Europe is likely to be something like H.G. Well's The Time Machine, albeit in a much more imminent and realistic way.

Many books on terrorism and Islam deal with the idea that radical Islam is the problem and that if radical Islam is defeated, things will be great and get back to "normal". What the book shows is that we have created a "normal" that is out of touch with long-term reality.

This Book explains that when traditional religion waned (in terms of its cultural influence) in Europe, many religion substitutes arose to attempt to fill the vacumn. Two of the current ones are Post-Marxist multiculturalism and romantic enviornmentalism (Western Culture is the scourge of the earth and non-western cultures are oppressed by it). These two ideas are progressively and greatly enfeebling the West. At the same time, Islam is being fueled by these Western trends to become increasingly conquest-focused, because it looks increasingly good compared to the West, and its atonishing cowardice and self-betrayal.

This book is a superb summation of -- While Europe Slept-- ,-- Londonistan--, and America Alone. Get it and check it out.

Terror really does work - in Europe.
Civilizations that are running out of people inevitably must import others to keep their economic machines running and growing.America was built on just such a principle, with Latin America the current chief source of new population.
America assimilates.Americans may proudly declare their ancestral origin, but almost all live the American life, speak English, and eschew violent creeds from their country of origin. It is expected of them.Americans do not live in fear of the Mexican immigrants within their midst.
The European intellectual elite(!) know better.They believe that if they follow the dictates of Arabia they will get an assured supply of oil and immunity from terrorism. Hence the influx of millions of Muslims, most with no intention of assimilating.Europe has welcomed its own "enemy within".
The member states of that other European chimera - the European Union - have surrendered to this same elite the power to dictate how every country should behave:Avoid offending the newcomers at any cost.This would work well if it were reciprocated, but it isn't.Hence Europeans obsequiously remove piggy banks from the lobbies of banks and silence the church bells of Rome; and in exchange, any criticism of Islam is met with riots, murders and terrorism.
Mr. Brewer convincingly and disturbingly argues that Europe is dying, while the rest of the world looks on in horror. ... Read more

Product Description

Relating to Self-Harm and Suicide presents original studies and research from contemporary psychoanalysts, therapists and academics focusing on the psychoanalytic understanding of suicide and self-harm, and how this can be applied to clinical work and policy.

This powerful critique of current thinking suggests that suicide and self-harm must be understood as having meaning within interpersonal and intrapsychic relationships, offering a new and more hopeful dimension for prevention and recovery. Divided into three sections, the book includes:

• a theoretical overview
• examples of psychoanalytic practice with self-harming and suicidal patients
• applications of psychoanalytic thinking to suicide and self-harm prevention.

Relating to Self-Harm and Suicide will be helpful to psychoanalytic therapists, analysts and mental health professionals wanting to integrate psychoanalytic ideas into their work with self-harmers and the suicidal. This text will also be of use to academics and professionals involved in suicidal prevention.

Product Description
A guide to the assessment of adolescent suicide risk in clinical and non-clinical settings by two experts in the field, Peter M. Gutierrez and Augustine Osman


Suicide and suicide attempts among adolescents are significant public health problems. Consequently, identifying at-risk youth in time to provide intervention not only helps to prevent suicides and suicide-related injuries but improves young persons overall quality of life and increases the chances for healthy and productive lives. Believing that adolescent suicide can be prevented, Gutierrez and Osman have developed a set of tools for assessing suicide risk, designed especially for adolescents. In contrast to the most common assessments that focus solely on risk factors, these tools measure both risk and protective factors in order to predict more accurately the probability of suicide and suicide-related behaviors. This guide is designed to enable nonspecialists as well as professional clinicians, researchers, school psychologists, and other school-based professionals to select appropriate assessment tools and to evaluate the results.

Recognized experts in suicidology, both Gutierrez and Osman have published numerous specialized articles. This book synthesizes their work in a manner accessible to all practitioners responsible for identifying and working with at-risk adolescents. Included is an appendix of five assessment tools that can easily be photocopied for repeated use. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (7)

This is the book I was looking for.
If you were a child when you lost a parent to Suicide this book will be a great help to you.It talks about how suicide effects children as young as toddlers.The book is divided by the age the child was when they lost their parent.

Very Informative
This book is very informative.I would highly recommend it to children that are left behind.The stories in the book are very relatable and give one insight into this difficult subject.

Sons and Daughters of Suicide Speak Out
This book is a manual, a dissection of the anatomy of a most painful, shameful, silent trauma, which affects generations--suicide. I cannot imagine a book that would be more challenging to read and, at the same time, as healing. The validation of thoughts, memories and experiences has given me the courage to speak to my own family members.

Judy Fox and Mia Roldan have studied suicides from the years before the suicide through the years beyond. Their book is written from the voices of those who have experienced it their own lives, engaging the devastation of silence--speaking out is a way to break the cycle.

As a survivor of my own suicide attempts, my parents' attempts and a family member who succeeded in the suicide, I found that Voices of Strength tells the stories that have been unsaid. The book offers suggestions for survivors, clergy, therapists, family members, friends and those that may be facing the thought that suicide is an option. Judy and Mia end the book to say, "This book is one of our ways of creating something positive from our own tragic events." Speaking out is a way to break the cycle.

I recommend this book to anyone who has been affected by suicide.

by Carol Waid
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

Thoughtful and Useful Book
Voices of Strength, Sons and Daughters of Suicide Speak Out fills a void in the literature available for the survivor of suicide community.As a 15 year survivor of my father's suicide, I found this book revealing as I learned new things myself from the commonalities and experiences of others described.The survivor stories, combined with practical and professional input from both Judy and Mia and others make this book a great resource for a diverse audience including survivors, families, friends, mental health professionals, medical professionals and anyone with an interest in learning more.I strongly recommend it.

Exceptional Resource for Survivors of a Parent's Suicide
Having read many books on the subject of suicide since my mother's suicide over 19 years ago, I can say, without hesitation, that "Voices of Stength" is an exceptional resource. I was particularly touched by themulti-dimensional and comprehensive treatment of the experiences shared by surviving sons and daughters. I noted so many parallels in the tender feelings that I experienced and continue to experience at times. It is also heart-warming to know, as Mia and Judy have so ably demonstrated, that we can not only heal from our grief, but also thrive and live with joy again! ... Read more

Product Description

Every 18 minutes, there is a suicide attempt somewhere in the United States, with some 30,000 of those resulting in completed suicide each year. Worldwide, there are more than 1 million suicides annually. We know the basic facts: Most of the people were depressed or suffered another mental illness, and many were facing stressful life events with which they could not cope. But is there no way to prevent the tragedy? Author Kristine Bertini, a clinical psychologist, says one of the most effective means may be to understand first how suicidal tendencies and thinking develop, how environment, biology, culture, and societal factors all play a role in predisposing some people to give up hope and see death as the only way to end their suffering. In this book, Bertini explains the development of suicidal thinking and, through patient vignettes, illustrates the ways this thinking develops. She also describes and illustrates signals friends and loved ones as well as professionals can watch for pointing to such thinking, which may be kept secretive by the person at risk, as well as approaches that can be used to alter tendencies and thinking for the person at risk.

Product Description
In 1994 William Ritter's adult son committed suicide, sending Ritter and his family on a journey no family wants to take. Part of Ritter's own process of healing the loss of his son was to preach about it occasionally from the pulpit. This book is a collection of the sermons he preached, the first one just three weeks after his son's death, and the final one nine years later. Through them, we get a glimpse of a father and a family struggling honestly with their pain and gradually—over the years—coming to grips with their loss.

Take the Dimness of My Soul Away will be a welcome companion to anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide, as well as to pastors and counselors who work with those who are grieving. Ritter offers no easy solutions, no rosy pictures, and no silver linings, but speaks honestly instead about the difficult emotions and confusion of this kind of loss, and ultimately, about a sense of hopefulness for the survivors of suicide. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Comforting book
I was glad to have read this book after losing my friend to suicide. I liked the format of the book as printed sermons and it gave much comfort to my grief and hope.

healing resource
This is an extremely honest revelation of the range of emotions and the gradual healing of the soul that the author experienced following the loss of his son.After reading this because I know the author, I have have given a copy, or recommened it, to many people who had experienced a suicide in the family.Without exception each person has thanked me and told how helpful - how healing it was for them.

Parents of Suicide
We lost our son to suicide and I found this a very comforting book.You can read it in one night but the message is great.All I can say it can happen to any family.

Very helpful
This book has been very helpful to my family since my brother's suicide, in fact so helpful my mother and stepfather ordered multiple copies for the extended family and I have ordered copies for church and friends.Having lived through the suicide death of his son, the author is able to put into words the horrible grief such a loss generates.This is a spiritual, not a clinical, perspective on suicide. Rev. Ritter is very open and honest in sharing his feelings and thoughts. I found comfort and hope for healing in this book.Between us we have read several books and the consensus is this is the best.

For All Who Have Suffered Loss
Although Reverend Ritter bases his book on sermons given after his son committed suicide, his words are relevant for anyone who is experiencing the agony of loss and at any stage of the journey.This small book is honest, powerful, comforting, and hopeful. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Meditations for Survivors of Suicide, by Joni Woelfel
Joni Woelfel wrote Meditations for Survivors of Suicide from her own personal experience of having lost a beloved son to suicide. She has drawn beautifully from the long journey she trod from her early shock and grief, to the place she has arrived at today - a place of knowledge and empowerment - which she is now using to help others deal with their own losses. This book is the perfect tool for anyone needing support to map out their own path through the many phases of grief.

More Than Meditations!
Meditations For Survivors of Suicide, is much more than a companion manual to a grief journey and it is not a compilation of grief cliches. This book takes the reader on a thoughtful spiritual journey that flows from the heart of a mother that refuses to be crushed by her son's suicide.
It is much more that her lamentations about her son's premature death due to depression at age 18. It is a story of hope, faith, recovery and a touch of the mystical, as Woefel relates some of her dream thought in pointing out how she is " still connected to her son by eternal bonds of spirit and love"

Reflecting her unquenchable sprit, Woelfel says,"it has come as a shock to me that it is possible to feel fully alive and in love with life after knowing such tragedy...." "Even though we carry this sorrow we awaken each day knowing there is a choice that can be made between despair and faith"

Yet survivors of suicide will find practical value in the chapter on "The Ten Gifts of Grief" as well as advice on how to celebrate birthdays. Of inestimable value is the resource at the end of the book on the FAQ's of suicide which is a guide to the recognition and prevention of this life-robbing, but often hidden, disease.

Meditations is a must read for anyone whose life has been touched by suicide, but it is also a good read for contemplative persons who have more than fleeting thoughts about life, love, living, and dying and are seeking unique insights of an author who has much to share.

Candid, helpful essays on coping with suicide of loved one
This collection of essays is beautifully-written and a true godsend to anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one through suicide.Spiritually driven but factually supported, the book combines the author's heartbreaking narrative of the suicide of her youngest son, Mic, with her painstaking journey to rebuild her own life, her outlook, and her faith.This small but powerful volume offers candid insights and gentle advice to those who must face this unthinkable tragedy and move forward. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Ghosts of the past
"Sometimes late at night I'll hear them, my dead. My mother, Tommy, my father. Perhaps their voices are part of some acid flashback, remnants of my brief psychotropic college days. Certainly, I don't believe in heaven or an afterlife. Tommy might say they were speaking from another dimension, some alternative universe where the history of our family unfolds in another direction, as a new, unexplored possibility.

At any rate, I know they're close by."

- from Famous Suicides of the Japanese Empire: A Novel by David Mura



I wonder if I'm particularly insensitive, or just life-focused, but I find myself largely inured to death. Having had it strike close to me a few times, it loses much of its power to frighten me. That's not to say I don't feel sorrow when a loved one dies. I do, but I've grown so tired of being frightened of it, so resigned and even jaded to its inevitability, I look at it as a long period of rest after the wretched mess that is life.

The fact remains, butting our heads against the wall, hoping to receive some sign from beyond, is futile. This I've learned, too.

I don't visit cemeteries, as a general rule. Not those containing the remains of anyone I've known, though I do enjoy wandering through old cemeteries, taking photos and stopping to wonder about the people whose names are on the stones. When I see a string of infants from the same family, dying within a couple years or less of each other, I think of the heartbreak that family knew, wondering if each new pregnancy was celebrated after experiencing so much loss. Or, maybe their hearts had turned to stone, of necessity. So they couldn't be broken again.

I was 25 when I lost my oldest brother. He was eleven years older, meaning we'd had much less in common than if we'd been closer in age. Though I'd had legitimate issues with him, reasons I could have justified feeling less of a loss, it hit me very hard. It just wasn't supposed to be that way. There was no happy ending.

In a way, he was responsible for his own death. In another way, my parents were. I don't mean directly. He wasn't murdered; it was more like a slow suicide, committed over the course of 36 years. Like a lightning storm, you could see it coming, but were powerless to prevent it. The only choice was to weather it.

In many ways, David Mura's book reflects my own experience losing my brother. His "people," the family who left him, were each in some way fractured, but the loss of them still couldn't be neatly packaged and put away on a shelf, like a treasured memento. Having legitimate reasons for feeling resentment against someone can't prepare you for their loss. Once the end is signalled there is no more, ending any potential opportunity to repair broken bridges, or to have that familiar grudge to lean on, as an excuse for your own failures.

And, when death happens within a family, especially if it leaves just one person behind, it's like an echo reverberating in an empty room. There may be others in your life, those with whom you have satisfying relationships, but nothing quite fills the void left by such loss. Nothing is the same as losing those of your blood.



"The more I go over my past, scraping up memories and moments, the more often I feel like I can't remember much at all, that it's all - or the most crucial parts of it - slipped away. That I have no memories. It's like I'm someone other than who I'm supposed to be. Or that I've just woken up and found myself inside the life I'm living, and I've got to use what surrounds me to surmise what my past might be."



Famous Suicides of the Japanese Empire is an exploration of the hollowness left after loss, the burden bourne by those left behind. None of the losses in this book are "clean." None of them end with the comfort of having been prepared for, allowing for what some call "closure." Strings are left untied, and questions unanswered. The edges are as ragged as a wound sutured inexpertly, leaving an ugly scar behind as a constant reminder of the violence.

Main character Ben Ohara tries filling the emptiness of his loss by writing a mammoth work that can never be finished - a history of all Japanese figures who have committed suicide in the course of history. This acts both to fill time, and to occupy his mind in a way partially explainable because he is a historian. Yet, the darkness of the subject only serves to keep the curtain of loss enclosed around him, to contain the grief he can't completely let go of.

His absence is felt by his wife - Grace -, and the reader may assume to some extent his children. Though it seems Grace has been patient, at a certain point her anger takes over. She begins to feel some resentment toward Ben for his mental absence, for the feeling he's only going through the motions of being a husband and father:

"But even though I was aware that both she and the boys were tugging at me in their own ways, I couldn't respond. I felt enshrouded by a buble, through which I could barely see them. I couldn't whether the bubble was enclosing me or them, but I knew that membrane, invisible, palpable, and surreal, now seemed to me impenetrable."

Obviously, Ben is very deeply depressed. Becoming easily overwhelmed is - I know all too well - a symptom of this condition. Throughout this novel we see Ben struggling with the ghosts of the past, trying to be there for his family, while at the same time desperately trying to work through his issues as the sole surviving member of a family, one in which two have committed suicide.

Ben is a compelling character, and this story a sensitive take on how difficult it is to come to grips with post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition ruled over by depression. Getting through it on your own is theoretically possible, but the road is long. The strength required to do so is monumental, and as the novel progresses we see this illustrated over and over as Ben combats this uphill battle.

A beautiful, often heart-rending novel many will identify with. Yet another example of the very high quality coming out of Coffee House Press.

... Read more

Product Description

Because I chose to create change in my mind, I now live an amazing, full life. Yes, I get sad and angry, overwhelmed and depressed, but I no longer wish to die. . . . Read on, and know you can stay alive when your brain is trying to kill you. I’m with you every word of the way.

Customer Reviews (24)

Brave Author With Information to Offer
On the jacket of the hardcover, Susan Rose Blauner writes, "I searched for a book like this, but found none, so I wrote one." The first edition was printed in 2002, when there were few books about suicide. What was available lacked a story of recovery, and Ms. Blauner filled that void. Making oneself vulnerable by writing about one's own suicidal thinking takes courage.

It's brave for an author to state that she has borderline personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and major depression. It's difficult to continue the cycle of life under these conditions. Blauner says that she was a victim of sexual abuse. (Rape victims are 13 times more likely to have attempted suicide than their non-assaulted counterparts.) Blauner shares her personal journey from suicidal thinking to hope and healing.

The premise of the book is that most people who think about suicide don't want to die; they want relief from emotional pain. Blauner was responsible to the readers by doing her homework. Included in her book are notations from specialists who study suicide, thereby offering research as a foundation for her statements. (Those who experience the suicidal thoughts are also experts on the topic.)

In the "Tricks of the Trade" section, Susan shares sources of help, as well as skills developed in therapy. Blauner explains the difference between statements such as "I am depressed" versus "I feel depressed." She uses analogies to illustrate the "Neuron Superhighway," simplifying a complex neurological pattern. She offers numerous suggestions for the reader to explore. Sometimes, when one is suicidal, there are no other options. She encourages the reader to explore an activity, such as journal writing. It's not the answer, but each bit of information is a step toward life.

If you are looking for a book that will help you help someone with suicidal thoughts, How I Stayed Alive has specific instructions, including how to listen well and respond appropriately.

Blauner put an enormous amount of work into this book. Part Seven includes hotlines, websites, and resources. There is a sectioned bibliography, references to citations, permissions, and an index. It takes effort to convey this helpful information to readers.

Susan Blauner structured her intangible journey into a book that has substance for therapists, suicidal thinkers, and those around them. A portion of the proceeds of the book go to the National Hopeline Network 1-800-SUICIDE. If you are in crisis, call
1-800-273-TALK (8255) Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Helped me through a tough time :(
This book and "Choosing to Live" helped me through some really DARK days. I ordered this book, and even having it on hand helped me feel better and more reconnected to the real world. I read A LOT of reviews about these books, and this one stood out. It's written in a down to earth style and written in a way that you can identify with. I didn't read it all the way through, I was only able to get the emotional strength to read a few pages here and there. While not reading the whole book it helped me to 'see' through my immediate pain and to look forward. I'd recommend this book if you are having 'ending' thoughts or you know someone is. This book is much different than most in that it's not written in a clinical perspective. It's written from one person, to the reader.

A Compassionate Voice in a Chaotic Cruel World
1-800-SUICIDE - If you are suicidal please call this number first!

"More people take their own lives than die from homicide in the United States." ~ pg. 225

I am most grateful for Susan Rose Blauner's beautifully written book. Not only does it tell me how to talk to a person who expresses the wish to die, it also presents everything a suicidal person may be experiencing. I had never thought about it before but this book asks a very revealing question: "What is the feeling beneath the suicidal thought?" Is it fear, anger, hopelessness, loneliness, despair, frustration, sadness or confusion? When you can find out the main problem it is easier to present a good solution. Susan Rose Blauner explains some survival techniques and shows five of her own Crisis Plans. You can then make your own crisis plan when you feel suicidal feelings are appearing. You look at the lists and try various things all the way up to calling a suicide hotline if that is necessary.

"If you love someone, I suggest that you tell that person before you lose the chance. Hearing your expression of love could mean the difference between life and death." ~ pg. 245

This book is one of the best books on preventing suicide because it is written by a survivor who now has a deep sense of peace and happiness pervading her soul. I really believe that Susan had to go through her own private hell in order to help suicidal people get well. She talks a little about her own experiences but then gets right down to solving the reader's problems. Whether you are the one who is suicidal or depressed, or you are someone who has a friend or family member who is suicidal - this book will help in a matter of hours. Just learning some of the breathing techniques could lessen stress. Then you can move onto meditation and other activities listed in this book.

"Most suicidal thinkers don't want to die; they just want their feelings to change or go away." ~ pg. 3

Perhaps the most shocking thing in this book is the information on attempted suicides and their results. Bad things can happen and you may end up injured, disabled or with brain damage. What was a little surprising was how the author got her friends and family to write letters about how they felt at the time of her suicide "gestures." The author eventually matured past the point where she needed to gain attention with these gestures. She basically had to learn to outthink suicide.

While this book briefly discusses God, Susan Rose Blauner has a very open view of God. This may or may not be helpful but it is basically just a paragraph you can disregard if you wish. I would suggest that you believe in the God who is love since the whole idea of being loved can be healing in itself. By reading this book I realized the importance of telling people we love them even if it can be awkward at first. This book brought me great hope and the main message is one of compassion and caring.

I can highly recommend this book to anyone who is suicidal or knows someone who is.
This would include family members, friends, the psychologist and even psychiatrist treating the patient. It will take bravery to read this book but in the end you could save a life, maybe even your own!

~The Rebecca Review

Decent book on the topic
No doubt this book has saved many lives and will continue to do so.
Suicide is becoming a more and more serious problem in the developing world, therefore its crucial to understand it and come up with preventive measures.

The TASKS AND ACTIVITIES LIST given in this book are great.I have made a copy of it, and try to do some of the tasks every now and then.

I will go out now anddrop some moneyon the sidewalk for people to find :)

excellent, highly recommend
I am a suicidal thinker and can relate to this book. It speaks very clearly and loudly to those of us in this category. It does not make it sound simple to overcome this thought process or suggest that there will be a time when suicidal thinking is not a part of your life. But, having been there, Blauner gives you hope that times can get better but it's up to you. I still struggle with suicidal thinking, and will for some time I'm sure, because I'm not at that point yet. However, this book reassures me that I am not alone, that others understand, and I could have a future to look forward to with less (or at least manageable) suicidal thoughts. Is this book the only answer? No. Is the book realistic? Yes. Will overcoming my constant suicidal thinking be easy? Far from it. Can I overcome it by doing what the book suggests? I won't know till I try. I hope you will give yourself a chance and try some of Blauner's "tricks of the trade." We need to convince ourselves that we ARE worth it! In addition to the suicidal thinker, I highly recommend this book for family and friends of the suicidal thinker. The information in the last part of the book is invaluable for family and friends (it even helped me understand my interaction with others), and the resources in the last chapter are very useful as well. I'm a very slow reader but was able to finish this book in only a few days. ... Read more

Product Description
The Introduction includes how this book is organized, howto read this book, who should read this book, and a note to theprofessianl and parent.But I Didn't Say Goodbye is for the helpingprofessional or parent as you try to help children in the afermath ofsuicide. Part One presents Alex, a ten-year-old whose father has justdied by suicide.Alex asks questions and tries to find meaning in theloss.At the end of the eight brief chapters in Part One, there arepages with STOP signs.The purpose of the eight Stop to process pagesis to help the grieving child process his or her own story.Part Twooffers information on setting up a memorial fund, and will help inyour search for prevention and survivor support.To keep suicidesurvivor support group information updated, a toll-free number isgiven for groups in your area, Bereavemnet referrals include deatheducation and grief counseling.The last part of this book includesrecommended resources, bereavement magazines, newsletters, reports,journals, books and articles.Find videos, tapes, and a reading listthat will help you continue your exploration of suicide awareness,prevention and bereavement. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A Book for Everyone Touched by Suicide
But I Didn't Say Goodbye is an innovative approach and tool for parents, teachers, and professionals to help children cope with the trauma of losing a loved one to suicide. By reading the story of Alex, a ten-year-old boy whose father died by suicide, adults can learn the perception of a child suicide survivor and children can relate to Alex and therefore open up about their own grieving process. Everyone can learn from this book.Crossing 13

a must-read!
This is a really, really great book to go through with any child, even if you're not a therapist.The book has REALLY short chapters.You're supposed to read the chapter with the child, and then there're questions at the end of the chapter.An example would be, Chapter 1 talks about where the child in the story was when his dad killed himself.Then the questions ask things like, where were you when your special person died, etc.

It doesn't have to be suicide survivors, it can be for any child dealing with death.

Parents, teachers, social workers, siblings, everyone should have this book, for when they have to talk to a child about death.

Great Book!
But I Didn't Say Goodbye was easy to read and very helpful.The story of this child survivor and the adults in his life will empower any child survivor. I know this book will help parents find the answers they are looking for.

But, I Didn't Say Goodbye
This book is an invaluable tool and resource! As a Therapist, I highly recommend its straight forward approach to helping child suicide survivors. Ms. Rubel has included at the end of each chapter easy to read worksheets and exercises. No Counselor and/or Therapist should be without it. ... Read more

Product Description
A concise overview of the history and arguments surrounding euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

IDEAS HAVE CONSEQUENCES
I read this book in researching a paper on euthanasia; the author seemed, as a Christian clergyman and former gastroenterologist, to have a unique perspective.
Surprisingly, given this background, Father Manning gives a date in the "BCE" and
"CE" (as opposed to BC and AD) terminology,favored by those who have a negative attitude towards Christianity. More disturbing than this is the author's support for passive euthanasia - the withholding of nutrition and fluids from patients, especially those with decreased levels of consciousness (he mentions he does not like the designation of passive euthanasia - euphemisms are preferred today).
Mentioned parenthetically,on page 20, is the determination that the denial of adequate medical care to noviates is ethical. Forty years ago my wife was a noviate nun (SND) in Chardon, Ohio; she had a pulmonary exposure at the time - not adequately treated - which has resulted in progressive and inoperable bronchiectasis, a potentially fatal lung condition. I am not sure how canon law would analyze this.Maybe we could try Luke 14 or Matthew 25:41-45.

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

Product Description

Seeing is believing . . . The Smash Hit SuperFreakonomics is now Bigger and Better

Customer Reviews (1)

Lipstick on a Pig!
I didn't like the original Superfreakonomics" because it contained hidden distortions, little edification, and a prurient fixation on sex for no useful purpose. This 'new, improved' version is only slightly better, thanks to the glossy paper, illustrations, and a few charts.

"People respond to incentives, although not necessarily in ways that are predictable" is the unifying theme claimed by Levitt and Dubner's latest book. They go on to state that their reports rely on accumulated data rather than individual anecdotes, opinions, and anomalies.

One of Levitt and Dubner's first expositions concludes that walking drunk leads to 5X deaths/mile as driving drunk. Validity, however, requires both walking and driving drunks be equally intoxicated. My experience with ambulatory inner-city 'down and outs' is that they are probably far more intoxicated than the average drunk driver - an important distinction. Then its on to concluding that rural Indian families with cable TV had lower birthrates and were more likely to keep their daughters in school, and reporting that Indian penises are generally too small for standard condoms (why do we need to know this?). As for agents, prostitutes using an agent (pimp) earn more and are beaten up less, while home-sellers using an agent (realtor) get little or no monetary value - though their homes did sell about three weeks faster. Their rhetorical question: "Why is a street prostitute like a department store Santa?" "They both take advantage of short-term job opportunities brought about by holiday spikes in demand." Milking their salacious topic one more time, readers also learn that the demand for prostitutes is far lower now than 60 years ago - in large part because of the feminist revolution and 'giving it away for free.' We also learn about the Everleigh sisters (Aida and Minna) and their brothel in early Chicago - selection criteria, employee earnings, customer preferences, etc., and Allie, a computer programmer who turned to studying economics - after several years of prostitution.

Then its why doctors are so bad at washing their hands (one reason, not mentioned, is that they usually get paid more for rework); the book's solution comes from Cedars Sinai and its use of a xcreen-saver display of germs cultured from an unwashed hand. Largely, but not entirely, replacing their horrible geo-engineering example of the first edition (aimed at preventing Global Warming) is a section on hurricane prevention; they still had to suggest 'garden hoses to the sky' pumping SO2 into the stratosphere (acid rain redux) and extending power plant chimneys - despite having to survive jet-stream, hurricane, and tornado winds, and the risk of unintended consequences.

Bottom Line: "Superfreakonomics" ('new and improved') is an easy read, though not an in-depth analysis and does not represent unassailable or even always useful conclusions. On the other hand, much of the reading is interesting, though only tenuously related to learning economics principles, at best. Finally, while the authors may be qualified to discuss and make micro-economic recommendations, I'd look elsewhere for important science advice on breaking up hurricanes, ameliorating global warming, etc. ... Read more

Product Description
An Inspector Mallett mystery, originally published in 1939, by one of the best-loved Golden Age crime writers, Cyril Hare.Inspector Mallett's stay at the country house hotel of Pendlebury Old Hall has been a disappointment. Room, food and service have been a letdown and he eagerly anticipates the end of his holiday. His last trial is to sit and listen when an elderly and boorish man, whose family once owned the house, joins his table. The next day the man is dead and Mallett unwittingly finds himself investigating the suspicious 'suicide'. 'Adroit in its manipulation ... and distinguished by a plot-twister which I'll wager Christie wishes she'd thought of.' New York Times 'Mr Hare's controlled ingenuity and lively, sardonic characterization put Suicide Excepted in a very high class.' Observer ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good plot,Surprise Ending,Four Stars
The British Imperial Insurance Company repudiated liability for payment for the death of Mr. Leonard Dickinson as his policy had been in effect only eight months. Clause 4a clearly specified that death by suicide was excepted from coverage during the first year of the policy. Mr. Dickinson's wife, his son Stephen, and daughter Anne all considered suicide highly unlikely. The police investigation eliminated the possibility of accident. Stephen, Anne, and her fiance, Martin Johnson, undertake a private investigation to uncover evidence of murder.

The plot, setting, and characters in Suicide Excepted are well developed. Inspector Mallett of Scotland Yard, one of Cyril Hare's popular, recurring characters, plays a key role at various points, but does not dominate this story. The death occurs in a locked room at Pendlebury Old Hall, a manor house converted to a bed and breakfast hotel. By happenchance, Inspector Mallett was a guest at Pendlebury that weekend. Is it really murder?Who might be the suspects?What might be the motivation?The amateur investigations by the younger members of the Dickinson family more often than not lead to dead ends, but we do learn enough about the suspects to develop credible theories.The ending is likely to be a surprise.

Cyril Hare is a pseudonym of judge Alfred Alexander Gordon Clark. Having just read Suicide Excepted for a second time (October, 2006), I easily rate it as 4 stars, possibly higher. (For some unexplicable reason I originally rated this story a few years ago as only three stars.) Suicide Excepted was originally published in Great Britain in 1939. Macmillan published an American edition in 1954. ... Read more

Product Description
In an original and provocative study of suicide, Ian Marsh examines the historical and cultural forces that have influenced contemporary thought, practices and policy in relation to this serious public health problem. Drawing on the work of French philosopher Michel Foucault, the book tells the story of how suicide has come to be seen as first and foremost a matter of psychiatric concern. Marsh sets out to challenge the assumptions and certainties embedded in our beliefs, attitudes and practices concerning suicide and the suicidal, and the resulting account unsettles and informs in equal measure. The book will be of particular interest to researchers, professionals and students in psychology, history, sociology and the health sciences. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Incredibly funny
Is a really easy one-sitting read. It flies over at only 170 pages. Death and suicide in particular are part of the great taboos of Western society. But this book isn't really about the whys and wherefores of suicide, but about happiness, the stories we tell ourselves about who and what we are, and our refusal just to decide to be happy.
With this Adams family/ Tim Burton's atmosphere, we want to go inside Teule's Suicide shop...to die laughing !

An Uplifiting read
I picked this book up on a whim at a bookstore in London.The author is actually a French screenplay writer, so the book reads much like a script (set in the present tense, etc).
It's really a light and uplifting read about how a positive attitude can affect all aspects of your life, without being "preachy" in any aspect. It just makes you think. It's a quick book and I recommend it to anyone who needs a little pick-me-up.

For the quirky reader
The concept of this book really appealed to me but I think a lot more could have been done with it. For me, the problem was that it lacked meatiness - there is no character development and the plot is slim (but im sure the author intended on keeping it light and fluffy). Despite that, I thought it was amusing and I didn't mind it. If you have a quirky sense of humour and don't mind a quick 'n easy read (170 pages), then it's worth a go.

Do you find suicide a laughing matter?
The Tuvaches, a sort of working class Addams Family, operate The Suicide Shop--a shop where anyone can purchase the equipment and/or training required to off themselves (though children can only purchase sweets that have a 50% chance of killing them).

The story is set some time after North America has been laid to waste by the Big One--but for the most part it could pass as contemporary, with the odd bit of future tech: holographic greeting cards; a solution that turn one's kiss poisonous to others; 3d semi-immersive full-sensory television.

Mishima and Lucrèce Tuvache have three children--two depressed and/or ailing, and the youngest, bright and cherubic.This latter child, Alan, is the force that changes everything.

The chapters are brief, often terse, and the story progresses swiftly--at times a little too swiftly, in that I felt the characters bounced a bit too much in mood and disposition.At the same time, the quick pace kept me turning pages.

I was somewhat disappointed by the direction of the narrative--it's described as a quirky black comedy, but I found it more comedy, verging on slapstick, and less black (until, perhaps, the end).Alan's cheer and undauntable optimism quickly infects the rest of the family (except for Mishima, the father); even suicide commandos are shown to not be able to withstand his barrage of cheerfulness (a favorite quote: "I'll only be demonstrating this to you once!").

Still, it has a definite charm, and if you are perhaps less jaded you might get a real kick out of it throughout.I could easily see it being a cult favorite in the right circles. ... Read more