Crazy: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness

Crazy: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness

From the Goodreads synopsis:

Former Washington Post reporter Pete Earley had written extensively about the criminal justice system. But it was only when his own son-in the throes of a manic episode-broke into a neighbor's house that he learned what happens to mentally ill people who break a law.

This is the Earley family's compelling story, a troubling look at bureaucratic apathy and the countless thousands who suffer confinement instead of care, brutal conditions instead of treatment, in the "revolving doors" between hospital and jail. With mass deinstitutionalization, large numbers of state mental patients are homeless or in jail-an experience little better than the horrors of a century ago. Earley takes us directly into that experience-and into that of a father and award-winning journalist trying to fight for a better way.

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My review:  I gave this book 4 solid stars out of 5 on Goodreads. A lot of books waver in between 3 and 4 stars, this book was spot on.  An illuminating look at the ramifications of  the deinstitutionalization of America's mental health system.  The definition , per a Wikipedia:  

Deinstitutionalisation (or deinstitutionalization) is the process of replacing long-stay psychiatric hospitals with less isolated community mental health services for those diagnosed with a mental disorder or developmental disability.

you can read the whole article here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deinstitutionalisation

The idea being to save money and bring more individualized care in a smaller setting like a mental health clinic. However the money earmarked for that purpose in state budgets often didn't make it there leaving patients without options and without proper help, resulting in there being no place to send them when larger mental hospitals were closed, causing them to be placed in jail/prison instead where doctors clash with the prison staff/guards etc. and the patient is caught in the middle and options are few.

You also could palpably feel the concern of the author for his son, and the reason for his search through America's faulty mental health system  in an effort to get him some help, and his frustrations at not being able to find it.

A gripping read that I finished in about 2-3 days.  Would highly recommend.  Sheds light on the inside workings and the deplorable state of mental health treatment options in this country. The patient is already suffering and few options compounds that suffering. Imagine having a heart attack or stroke and ending up in jail, instead of a hospital getting care for your illness.  The author chose Miami where the percentage of mentally ill in this position are one of the highest percentages in the country, but the information in this book can be applied to any state in America. A heartbreaking read in many places, sheds much needed light on the need to change the mental health system.  One very interesting part that bears mentioning is the need for police departments to have training specifically for dealing with the mentally ill.  There have been some Departments that have implemented such training and the result was improved understanding and less shooting deaths from police that misinterpreted the actions of someone that was mentally ill, didn't know how to properly address the situation and the patient was shot and killed. 

Sobering look at the way things are in the mental health field and how they need to be changed for the better. If you have family and friends that have mental health problems or simply are interested in the subject , I would definitely recommend this book. 

The Teachings of Shirelle: Life Lessons from a Divine Knucklehead

 

From the Goodreads synopsis:

 

“Relish the day. If you’re not in awe, you’re just not paying attention.”

She hadn’t even been in the crowded pound a week, but she’d already developed a nickname, “Knucklehead.” As a puppy she destroyed property and precious clothes; as an adult she injured her owner, ruined romances… and changed the world-views of those around her.

Have you ever watched an animal and wondered how it thinks, how it sees the world, how it views you? And have you ever wondered what wisdom you might learn if you could see things as that animal does?

This unique book is many things: an amusing and moving memoir about a memorable dog, a poetic ode to a human-animal connection, and a serious philosophical, psychological, and spiritual inquiry into the lessons a man gleaned from the simple-minded brilliance of a teacher, a lover, a liver of life to the fullest… a Knucklehead.

There has never before been a book like "The Teachings of Shirelle." Take a walk with this pooch, and you might never look at life, love, or yourself the same again.

 

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My review:  I received this as an ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) from Netgalley in return for an honest review. 

 

To be frank, this book took a little bit of effort to get into, I had to stop and go some, leave it then go back to it, it didn't suck me into it like some have, but it was more engaging as it went on, like a movie that start slow then you gradually get into it as it gets more interesting. A bit flowery sometimes, the author definitely wears his heart on his sleeve as it were, but then later on, you start rooting for Shirelle in a way you wouldn't have expected, you begin to care and you identify with the writer, or at least anyone that has made an emotional connection with their pet at any time in their life. Then when it gets to the point where he is bringing Shirelle to his workplace and she is helping hurting people, I have a soft spot for those with mental and emotional problems  that are hurting and suffering, and Shirelle's ability to connect and help those in his office and ultimately help them heal some, made me take notice of this book more than any other part, and was the reward for staying with the book to this point. There was definitely a spiritual and a human connection at that point that put the rest of the book into perspective. I debated on 3 vs. 4 stars, I started the book at about 2.5 stars, then by the end I was trending higher. Not quite a 4, I reserve those for the very best ones, but unfortunately there isn't a 3.5, so I went with a 3.  I would recommend this book, wasn't connecting at first, but hit a home run at the end, and that made a lot of difference! I would also read more by this author if he so chooses to write any more. Kudos and job well done.

New ARC Resources

I discovered a couple more new sites where you can obtain Advanced Reader Copies of books before they are published in return for reviews:

http://edelweiss.abovethetreeline.com/HomePage.aspx

https://www.librarything.com/er/giveaway/list

Hollywood Cafe: Coffee with the Stars

Review for:  Hollywood Cafe: Coffee with the Stars

 

This was an ARC (advanced reader copy) from Netgalley. 

From the Goodreads synopsis for this book: "Put on a pot of your favorite coffee, perk up, and enjoy nostalgic black-and-white photos that celebrate screen icons from the Silent Era through the eighties, making and drinking their own cups of joe, java, pour-overs, and percolated brews. Hollywood Cafe bridges the vibrant coffee culture of right-now with the glamorous coffee culture of the star-studded past. A dream cast of nearly 200 stars--Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Clara Bow, Charlie Chaplin, W. C. Fields, Robert Mitchum, Rita Hayworth, Bob Hope, Michael Caine, Jane Fonda, Ava Gardner, Jackie Gleason, Lucille Ball, Elvis Presley, Jayne Mansfield, Sammy Davis Jr., William Holden, Lauren Bacall, John Wayne, and many more--is captured on the set, on the run, in costume and out, behind-the-scenes and at the kitchen table, refilling and refueling, sipping and savoring, drinking the good stuff, just like us."

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I enjoyed this book quite a bit and got some great ideas for movies favorite actors had done that I had never seen or even heard of ,that turned out to be great films. Having said this, the book is geared to a very specific niche audience, those that like old Hollywood and those that like coffee. (I do like both, in great quantities which is why I signed up for this book ! Lol)  Cute, tongue in cheek coffee-table style book. Very quick book and no meat and potatoes. More like a snack or dessert.  I was glad for the free copy but would not have purchased this book. Once I had read it once, I got out of it what I pretty much was looking for, but wouldn't likely go back to it again. Did overall enjoy the experience and enjoy seeing the photos, which were of extremely good HD quality. Would have enjoyed a few more anecdotes in the captions to make it a little meatier though. Experience was altogether pleasant so gave middle of the road 3 stars of 5. I would recommend the book, definitely, especially if you can get it free, or from the library or at a discounted price as a cool one time read but I would not pay full price for it. 

Link to the Goodreads page about this book:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26635191-hollywood-cafe?from_search=true&search_version=service

Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital

This was not an ARC (advanced reader's copy) but I thought this book was quite good so I today decided this blog would not be exclusively for ARC's only.

Review for Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital

by Sheri Fink

synopsis from Goodreads website:

" In the tradition of the best investigative journalism, physician and reporter Sheri Fink reconstructs 5 days at Memorial Medical Center and draws the reader into the lives of those who struggled mightily to survive and to maintain life amid chaos.

After Katrina struck and the floodwaters rose, the power failed, and the heat climbed, exhausted caregivers chose to designate certain patients last for rescue. Months later, several health professionals faced criminal allegations that they deliberately injected numerous patients with drugs to hasten their deaths.

Five Days at Memorial, the culmination of six years of reporting, unspools the mystery of what happened in those days, bringing the reader into a hospital fighting for its life and into a conversation about the most terrifying form of health care rationing.

In a voice at once involving and fair, masterful and intimate, Fink exposes the hidden dilemmas of end-of-life care and reveals just how ill-prepared we are in America for the impact of large-scale disasters—and how we can do better. A remarkable book, engrossing from start to finish, Five Days at Memorial radically transforms your understanding of human nature in crisis."

 

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My review:

I just finished this book about an hour or two ago.  I was torn wanting to give it a 3.5. Three wasn't high enough and 4 felt too high but since there isn't a 3.5, 4 won out. I enjoyed this book a lot and learned a deeper perspective about the Hurricane Katrina disaster that you don't see much in the media, or at least its been too long and I don't remember seeing much from this perspective back then. The bigger focus was on the Superdome conditions at the time is what I most remember. The first half of the book is so skillfully described you feel like you're there. The second half dealt with the legal battles that occurred after Katrina. The author did try her best to give both sides of the argument but seemed to be slightly weighted more against Anna Pou. She had to make some tough decisions made in third world conditions (electric out, no running water or working bathrooms, lack of supplies, limited communication etc.) about how to treat patients that were suffering and not likely to survive being transported out of there, and made the decision to give them palliative care to make them as comfortable as possible and ease their suffering. I take both sides with a grain of salt, as I was not there ( I have also been on the Anna Pou website and they have scathing things to say about this book) but I felt the author did her best to be fair overall and let the facts lead where they may. I did not feel like the author was trying to lead me in one way or the other much. I certainly would not have wanted to be in the position the Drs. and nurses were forced to be in and have to make those heart rending decisions about who lives and who dies.

Accidental Saints: Finding God in All the Wrong People

Review for: Accidental Saints: Finding God in All the Wrong People

Synopsis from the Goodreads website:   What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?

And what if that's the point?
In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling au­thor Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls “a religious but not-so-spiritual life.” Tattooed, angry and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people—a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA.

As she lives and worships alongside these “ac­cidental saints,” Nadia is swept into first-hand en­counters with grace—a gift that feels to her less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit with a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are trans­formed in ways they couldn’t have been on their own.

In a time when many have rightly become dis­illusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints dem­onstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and skeptic alike.

Told in Nadia’s trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today’s most important religious voices.
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Hello all. I just finished a new book tonight, and one of the few ones I would give 4-5 stars! I  finished Accidental Saints: Finding God in All the Wrong People, by Nadia Bolz-Weber ! A great, thought provoking book. The author put it all out there, flaws and all, shining light on the lessons learned as she has stumbled, and tripped her way to God's grace, as we all do in this crazy, puzzling mixed up fascinating world we live in. The message she was trying to get across is not how many sinners she has hung out with or how great she is for doing that , as some reviews have accused her of, thinking she was bragging.  I felt the message of the book was that no matter who we are, no matter what we've done, no matter how far from God we believe we are, no one is so far down and so far gone that Jesus cannot reach down and rescue you, and that truth has shines through in spite of her human frailties that she had the courage to let all hang out. When God covers you in grace and you feel that intimacy, that forgiveness, its not about pride, its about gratitude.   I believe Nadia has a very important work she does. She can reach people that their life choices have them beaten down, and left them in the dust and show them that God loves them and there is hope. People that may not feel welcome in some churches, churches that feel they are somehow a step above these prodigal sons and daughters, when they need to be saying "There, but for the grace of God go I"!  A big message that runs throughout the book is that often God will work changes in us using connections with people we meet in our everyday lives. People that may not look the "churchie" look, may have flaws. Peter denied Christ, Matthew was a tax collector, Thomas doubted, other disciples had tempers.  Jesus came that men may have life and more abundantly, for all, not just those that know how to dress up and play the game at church on Sunday. If you look for Jesus, you will find Him in the lame, the crippled, the blind. I believe that the author, Nadia,  is constantly searching for Him everywhere He can be found, and He does His best work in the weakest. The ones that are malleable clay that let Him do His work and look for His face in all souls, not just in the pretty ones, or the cool hip ones. Several of the passages I underlined were these: " ...it has been my experience that what makes us the saints of God is not our ability to be saintly but rather God's ability to work through sinners....I have come to realize that all that saints I've known have been accidental ones- people who inadvertently stumbled into redemption like they were looking for something else at the time, people who have just a wee bit of a drinking problem, and manage to get sober and help others to do the same... What we celebrate in the saints is not their piety or perfection but the fact that we believe in a God who gets redemptive and Holy things done in this world through, of all things, human beings, all of whom are flawed. ...   Never once did Jesus scan the room for the best example of holy living and send that person out to tell others about Him.  He always sent stumblers and sinners. I find that comforting."  Nadia has a way of speaking that is raw and frank, toward herself most of all. She noted the importance of remaining humble when being Jesus' hands and feet and who the work is for: " While we as people of God are certainly called to feed the hungry and clothe the naked,  that whole "we're blessed to be a blessing" thing can still be kind of dangerous. It can be dangerous when we self-importantly place ourselves above the world, waiting to descend on those below, so we can be the "blessing" they've been waiting for, like it or not.  Plus, seeing myself as the blessing can easily obscure the way in which I am actually part of the problem and can hide the ways  in which I, too, am poor and needing care.  Seeing myself or my church or my denomination as "the blessing"-- like so many mission trips to help "those less fortunate than ourselves"--can easily descend into a blend of benevolence and paternalism.  We can start to see the "poor" as supporting characters in a big story about how noble, selfless and helpful we are." I would highly recommend this book! Read it and learn about a loving God that saves us not because we are pious and saintly but because we are not. If we were we would not need saving and that is the message I take from this book.

I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review.

 

Book Review: Wisdom of Fools: Stories of Extraordinary Lives

Wisdom of Fools: Stories of Extraordinary Lives, by Phil Harvey:

 

I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

This author had moments of interesting descriptive skill but I found the stories always ended leaving you unsatisfied, and this series of short stories as a whole was of a negative vein. I am an optimist by nature and found no redemptive moral to the story. The characters each had a story or problem, and there was no real clear closure or resolution, but were often left hanging. I would not likely read this author again.  2 stars out of 5.