Editorial Review:

This work is a personal testimony from Kay Redfield Jamison: the revelation of her struggle with manic depression since adolescence, and how it has shaped her life. The book follows her through college, a love affair, her battle with the illness, bouts of madness, violence and attempted suicide.

From Kay Redfield Jamison - an international authority on manic-depressive illness, and one of the few women who are full professors of medicine at American Universities - a remarkable personal testimony: the revelation of her own struggle since adolescence with manic depression, and how it shaped her life. With vivid prose and wit, she takes us into the fascinating and dangerous territory of this form of madness - a world in which one pole can be the alluring dark land ruled by what Byron called the "melancholy star of the imagination," and the other a desert of depression and, all too frequently, death.

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

Excellent and provacative for those with bipolar:

My psychiatrist recommended this the first time I was re-diagnosis-ed from severe depression to bipolar disorder, and I wanted to learn everything I could about this disorder. It was written by Kay Jamison and was her road-map through bipolar and how she led a successful life, despite he diagnosis. Most impressive is that she wrote the book back when bipolar disorder was a more of a negative stigma than it is today.
She continued to work in the medical field and had great accomplishments, and was very... more info

A Better Understanding:

The book was interesting and revealing. I got bogged down a couple of times with details that I could not relate to but this book really helped me see my daughter's issues through a new set of eyes, eyes of someone who truly experiences this same illness.

bipolar:

Excellent biography. It talks about the development of bipolar symptoms throughout a life and one woman's efforts to deal with/control it. Her most important point for me, is to make sure you have the network in place to confront you and get you treatment when the symptoms take over your life.

An Unquiet mind:

This book explains from a patient point of view the Bipolar Disorder. This patient is the one thtCongress goes to when thay need information about this disorder. The writter is an expert in the subject.

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