Against Depression | 
 enlarge | Author: Peter D. Kramer
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Category: Book
List Price: $34.95
Buy New: $3.14
You Save: $31.81 (91%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  37 reviews
Sales Rank: 79330
Format: Abridged, Audiobook
Media: Audio CD
Edition: Abridged
Number Of Items: 5
Pages: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 5.8 x 5.3 x 0.5
ISBN: 0143057618
Dewey Decimal Number: 362
UPC: 051488057611
EAN: 9780143057611
ASIN: 0143057618
Publication Date: May 5, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: SATISFACTION GUARANTEED! NEW Book! May have remainder mark. Most orders ship within 1 BUSINESS DAY with ORDER CONFIRMATION.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
Written as an answer to the question, "What if van Gogh had been on anti-depressants," Against Depression manages to be more of an exploration than a polemic, regardless of its title. While author Peter Kramer (Listening to Prozac) expresses a definite opinion--that disease of any sort should be treated as effectively as possible--he manages to express sympathy along with frustration about the recurring idea that soulful creativity often goes hand-in-hand with depression. Without ever being dismissive or particularly angry, his writing makes his point abundantly clear after the first chapter: The pervasive idea of depression serving a creative purpose is preposterous, as well as highly damaging. While he draws from a number of recent studies on depression, the book is not meant to assist in the diagnosis or treatment of individuals, except in a very general sense. Instead, Kramer adds the findings of those studies into his thoughts on how patients modify medication doses for depression as they wouldn't for purely physical diseases, and looks into future possibilities of genetically modified stress hormone transmitters that could work to prevent a slide into chronic depression. In the arts, he examines the work of philosophers, painters and writers in relation to the reputation their personal lives have earned (critics and consumers alike believe that pain equals genius and lack of pain equals lack of depth). Adding Dineson, Bellow, Updike and Kierkegaard to the list headed by van Gogh, Kramer shows a variety of ways we live with the assumption that creative genius does not function without severe emotional strain. While he does include a few stories from a patient to illustrate specific treatments, most of the book is slow and thoughtful, without ever being dry or pedantic. Useful to families or individuals who have encountered depression, this book offers excellent support for anyone--creative genius or otherwise--who struggle to define their talents as existing separately from their illness. Jill Lightner
Product Description
A revolutionary exploration of mood disorder by the author of the landmark bestseller Listening to Prozac.
Abridged CD - 5 CDs, 6 hours
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| Customer Reviews: Read 32 more reviews...
Good research amidst the fluff November 3, 2008
The fluff: Kramer indulges his avocational interests in art and literature by presenting a pet thesis that society is reluctant to cure depression because we've romanticized it. We like to think of geniuses as being eccentric and a little mad, and we like to hope that eccentric and mad people have a little bit of genius. Interesting, but not to the extent that Kramer pursues it.
Worth the purchase price, however, is the middle section which summarizes the decade of research since Listening to Prozac. Very readable and accessible to the average consumer, Kramer's review makes an irrefutable case for treating depression by whatever means necessary. The extent of recent advances in brain imaging and neurochemical modeling are truly impressive. There are not just chemical but structural changes in the brain - brain damage - with repeated bouts of major depression. The research is compelling and Kramer effectively advocates for better understanding, more persistent treatment, and less romanticization of the disease of depression.
 A Book for those Who Want to Be Fustrated August 26, 2008
This author promises you nothing; worse, the best he can offer is like saying good luck after your house just burned to the ground. Kramer promises you a four star hotel and when you enter the room, it is more like a motel 6. Motel 6, though, will leave the light on. Kramer is the blind leading the blind. Reading "Against Depression" is similar to an old kid's joke. "How did her parents punish Helen Keller? By rearranging the furniture."
In this book, "Against Depression," You will not find beauty, help or hope. In it, you will become more frustrated if you are experiencing depression. In fact, you will be upset for two reasons; first, for wasting your money and second, because the author wasted your time. He writes like he is talking only to his colleagues after consuming a few drinks in a smoked-filled bar. If you think you need to read it, borrow it from the library.
If you need help with the problem of depression as I do,buy
"Undoing Depression" by O'Connor and "Breaking the Patterns of Depression" and "Hand Me Down Blues" by Yapko.
Slow going August 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The author certainly knows about depression, but in this book his prose style and frequent tangents slow the reader down and are little more that detractors and fillers. You wonder if he is writing for himself: has he fallen in love with his writing style so that as many sentences as possible can be sretched out beyound usefulness. His message gets lost in these elongated thoughts, elaborate case histories that are overdrwwn as if he intends a shore story. See,for example case of the women who could not get her laundry done.
His effors at style are overwrought and interfert with a clean message that is easibly followed.
The CD is not any better option and should not be played while driving.
Steve Colbert as a psychiatrist August 6, 2008
While Dr. Kramer did achieve success with his book on Prozac, it seems that he is taken by a sense of self importance that is as odd as his incessant need to use as many little known words as he is able to find.
The narrative is relevant and on topic but could be reduced by a small fraction without any loss.
This material may be interesting to a foreign academic looking to learn useless words in the English language or more likely to a insomniac.
To his credit, the frequent references to his own success are funny but not enough to make this item sell for more than the 44 cents plus shipping I paid for it (new and shrink wrapped).
Myself vs Depression July 30, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Depression such a long word to define. I have not read any books on Depression but assure you when the time is right I have chosen this book. I have discovered that there is so many in this world who battle that long word depression everyday of their life including myself. Depression comes in all forms from death, unhappiness, feeling lost in the world and insecure about things. Many people take medication to think it will cure their depression. I was told and feel it in my body and mind that depression can not be cured, medication helps with depression. The cure is finding the right medication to make one feel comfortable dealing with depression. Though at 41 and near 42 around the corner I feel like everyone in the world hates me, I have lost people in my life that were close to me from (death)(parents, friends and people I care about) and trust has a big part of my life. I sometimes feel so insecure my husband will leave me all alone and just forget who he has spent 20 years with. So insecure but when you think someone loves you, cares about you in anyway and then they leave it hurts so badly. I guess for the last 9 years and maybe longer like 25 since my grandma died, depression might have been in my body that long. Then when you lose a friend that you were close to and never knew why that could puzzle anyone. I just deal with it like many of you. Yes I have thought of ending my life and not just 1 occasion there have been several. So to everyone who may feel like me at times in their own life like nobody understands you or cares about you , remember me. I do and I understand very well.
If you have any comments about depression feel free to leave a comment , I want to read how you deal with it. Thank you , Mrs. H
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