Summary and Reviews of Against Depression by Peter Kramer

Against Depression by Peter D. Kramer

Against Depression

by Peter D. Kramer
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  • Critics' Consensus (5):
  • First Published:
  • May 1, 2005, 368 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Jul 2006, 368 pages
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About This Book

Book Summary

A revolutionary exploration of mood disorders by the author of the landmark bestseller Listening to Prozac.

A decade ago, with his breakaway bestseller, Listening to Prozac, Peter Kramer revolutionized the way we think about antidepressants and the culture in which they are so widely used. Now, he returns with a profound and original look at the condition those medications treat—depression. He asks: If we could eradicate depression so that no human being ever suffered it again, would we?

Depression, linked in our culture to a long tradition of “heroic melancholy,” is often understood as ennobling—a source of soulfulness and creativity. Tracing this belief from Aristotle to the Romantics to Picasso, and to present-day memoirs of mood disorder, Kramer suggests that the pervasiveness of the illness has distorted our sense of what it is to be human. There is nothing heroic about depression, Kramer argues, and he presents the latest scientific findings to support the fact that depression is a disease—one that can have far-reaching health effects on its sufferers.

Frank and unflinching, Against Depression is a deeply felt, deeply moving book, grounded in time spent with the depressed. As his argument unfolds, Kramer becomes a crusader, the author of a compassionate polemic that is fiercely against depression and the devastation it causes.

Like Listening to Prozac, Against Depression will offer hope to millions who suffer from depression—and radically alter the debate on its treatment.

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Reviews

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A thoughtful, sometimes controversial look at depression. However, the audio book, read by Kramer in an ironically depressing monotone, is a disappointment. No doubt Kramer is a fascinating man stuffed full with fascinating ideas but his reading style is a little dull!..continued

Full Review (548 words)

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(Reviewed by BookBrowse Review Team).

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Beyond the Book



According to the prozac.com website:

  • Prozac has been taken by more than 54 million people since its introduction in 1986, making it the most widely described anti-depressant medicine in history.
  • More than 18 million Americans suffer from some type of depression, and one in eight persons need treatment for depression during his or her lifetime.
  • Depression is a recurring illness.  If you have one episode there is a 50% chance of another, if the recurrence rate increasing with the number of episodes.
  • Untreated, depression can last up to 6 months or longer.
  • An estimated 15% of people with chronic depression commit suicide.
  • Due to the social stigma still surrounding depression, the National Institute...

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Read-Alikes

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