Detour: My Bipolar Road Trip in 4-D (Hardcover)

by Lizzie Simon (Author) "It all started the day after I had been accepted for early admission to Columbia College..." (more)
Key Phrases: Bipolar Road Trip, New York, Lizzie Simon (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
In this honest memoir, 23-year-old Simon writes of her life with bipolar disorder. Simon found out that she was suffering from this mental illness while still in high school, and she discusses her feelings of having been different for most of her life and her need for finding others from her "herd." After college and medication adjustments, Simon decided to put aside a career as a theatrical producer in New York City in order to travel around the country interviewing other people afflicted with bipolar disorder. The road trip found Simon asking many questions in her search for validation. The author writes from her head in a punchy style that will seem familiar to anyone dealing with bipolar disorder (or attention deficit disorder). Her fresh, larger-than-life prose will appeal to all readers, especially younger people suffering with this difficult mental illness. A first effort well done; highly recommended. Loree Davis, Broward Cty. Lib., Fort Lauderdale, FL
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Simon's fast-paced, engrossing memoir begins with an account of the episode that led to her diagnosis of bipolar disorder at 17. Armed with lithium and determination, Simon graduated from Columbia University and became a creative producer at a theater in New York. Despite her many successes, Simon was restless and ultimately decided to leave the theater and go cross-country seeking other young, successful people with bipolar disorder. Her first interviewee was Nicholas, a wealthy, seemingly prosperous man who handled his disorder with drugs and alcohol (and sans medication). Nonetheless, Simon fell in love with him. On the road, Simon called mental health centers and attended support groups, meeting a wide variety of thriving young bipolar people, from a radio DJ to a college student who had to leave ROTC after her diagnosis. Simon connected with each person, but most important she found a connection with herself. Inspiring and enjoyable, Detour will change misconceptions about bipolar disorder and is a must-read for anyone who is or who knows someone coping with a mental illness. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Atria; 1 edition (June 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743446593
• ISBN-13: 978-0743446594
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #302,269 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't put this book down!, July 7, 2002

By	Holly Alexandre, MD (Barrington, RI United States) - See all my reviews

This is the best book I have read this year. Lizzie Simon set out to write the book that she wishes had been available for her to read when she was an adolescent newly diagnosed with bipolar disorder. With this book she has achieved exactly that, an honest and straightforward account of what it's like to be young person facing a lifetime of coping with a chronic mental illness. Through her voice, mental illness is exposed and destigmatized. I highly recommend that all curious readers join her on her bipolar road trip, it's one not to be passed up.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Way to go Lizzie Simon!, July 1, 2002

By	Elizabeth Isaacson (Providence, RI United States) - See all my reviews

An engaging, enlightening and entertaining read. I am touched by the honesty of this young writer and impressed by her insight and narrative skill. Bipolar disorder made real, scary, sad, and funny, a bit hip. Lizzie Simon writes a refreshing, and feminine addition to the few books in the Bipolar section of the bookstore. An autobiographical, picaresque work, bipolar - crosscountry. I highly recommend it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down, August 7, 2002

By	Dawn Elliott (Trenton, MO USA) - See all my reviews

I felt that this book was able to show the many different faces of bipolar disorder, as well as showing the many faces of the people that survive and even manage to thrive in spite of or maybe because of this disorder.

I am bipolar and I was able to laugh out loud at many of the things Lizzie and the others describe, not at them, but at myself for the same things. I was unable to keep from crying towards the end for the same reason.

I hope that this book will help someone understand.