Customer Reviews

On the Edge of Darkness: America's Most Celebrated Actors, Journalists and Politicians Chronicle Their Most Arduous Journey

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I wish I had read this book 3 years ago when I was first diagnosed. Hard as I tried to confide in family and friends; and hard as I tried to explain, there was really no one who understood. Ms. Cronkite's book is the first I've read - and I've read many - that truly made me feel as if I was not alone in my world of depression. It is honest, sometimes more so than I really wanted to admit. But it is also tremendously comforting and, most of all, it inspires hope. Anyone who has, or knows someone who has, depression, can benefit greatly from this book. I know it is a source I will turn to again and again

This book was the best I have read on getting into the mind of people who suffer from depression. I used it to explain to my family how I had been suffering for 20 years! I highlighted everything that struck a (painful)resonant note with me. Also, I understood that many other successful people have the illness and have survived.

As others before me stated, this book makes great strides toward letting sufferers truly realize they are not alone in their suffering. This may sound strange to those lucky enough to have never been afflicted, but the seemingly irrational thought that "I am the only person in the world who just cannot feel good about myself or happy about the world around me" races through your mind almost non-stop. A book like Ms. Cronkite's lets victims learn about some well-known people who have had (or still have) the illness and how they've coped (all these years) while having to be consistently "on" in the public's eye. It gives hope -- and that's the most you can ask for from a book on depression. Thanks Kathy.

I have suffered from episodic clinical depression for years. I would never admit it was an illness. Instead, I regarded it as a character flaw or deficiency of will. I suffered in secret, mostly, maintaining an outwardly jovial appearance, although I drank heavily. Finally, I had a second severe bout beginning in 1995, and in 1999 I became suicidal, and finally underwent shock treatment. Thereafter, I was unlicensed in my profession, got divorced, and went bankrupt, all because I was too proud to admit that depression is an illness, a dangerous illness like cancer, shared by many persons you'd never even guess have it.

I wish I had had this book ten, or even five years ago. It would have taught me things easily that I've learned the hard way.

The book is a compendium of anecdotes, by people such as Mike Wallace, Dick Clark, Joan Rivers, William Styron, etc., all of whom have found that ways to cope with Churchill's so-called "Black Dog". You can too, if you find yourself on the edge of unbearable despair, as I did. I am now on the way back.

Depression is, above all, a lonely illness. The people, and their narratives, in the book make depression less lonely, enabling the patient and his or her loved ones to cope with an illness that can't be seen, heard, sensed, or understood.

If your life is touched by your own, or someone else's depression. You need this book. I believe it has helped save my life. Obviously, my recommendation is off the scale.

I have suffered from episodic clinical depression for years. I would never admit it was an illness. Instead, I regarded it as a character flaw or deficiency of will. I suffered in secret, mostly, maintaining an outwardly jovial appearance, although I drank heavily. Finally, I had a second severe bout beginning in 1995, and in 199 I became suicidal, and finally underwent shock treatment. Thereafter, I was unlicensed in my profession, got divorced, and went bankrupt. Because I was too proud to admit that depression is an illness, adangerous illness lke cancer, shared by many persons you'd never even guess have it.

I wish I had had this book ten, or even five years ago. It would have taught things easily that i've learned the hard way.

The book is a compendium of anecdotes, by people such as Mike Wallace, Dick Clark, Joan Rivers, William Styron, etc., all of whom have found that ways to cope with Churchill's so-called "Black Dog". You can too, if you find yourself on the edge of unbearable despair, as I did.

Depression is, above all, a lonely illness. The people in the book make it less lonely, enabling the patient and his or her loved ones to cope with an illness that can't be seen, heard, sensed, or understood. If your life is touched by your own, or someone else's depression. You need this book. I believe it has helped save my life.

This really is an incredible book in many ways. Cronkite talks about her own depression, and interviews well-known people about their own depression and that of loved ones. She also intersperses the interviews with solid information about depression and its treatment.

I found this to be an easy read and somewhat enlightening discussion of depression. The strength of the book probably lies in offering different views about depression. It's not a great book, but worth reading for support if you're depressed or to hear different people describe the experience of being depressed. Avery Z. Conner, author of "Fevers of the Mind".

I bought the original hardcover edition when it came out, and breathed sighs of recognition and relief as I read it, and read myself into it. I recently ordered five more copies for friends and family who could be helped by it. I admire Ms. Cronkite for coming forth to tell her own story, which I desperately needed to hear. This, and her knowledge of celebrities who also suffer from depression, made me believe I could truly accomplish my own goals in life, and help others who suffer from clinical depression. The most helpful book I have read on the subject.

...if you want to be touched by a book. I have read multiple books on depression and this one was the most disappointing. It was surprising to see so many favorable, gushing reviews for this book.

This book is advertised as different people telling their story about their depression. Reading it, you get the impression that there are no individual voices in this book. It was edited in such a way that all those that are telling their story sound like they are speaking in the same tone, in the same voice. Even stunningly brillant writers, like William Styron, end up sounding flat and robotic. It is strange.

A lot of the stories were disjointed, and there were random snippets thrown in here and there that were entirely out of context for the subject being discussed.

What I am trying to say is that if you want to have your soul touched, try something else. This book is flat and has little flavor. Depression is such a fascinating and complex subject, and this book does not do it justice. There are MANY better books out there. I suggest "Unholy Ghost".

On the Edge of Darkness fails to capture the essence, the hopelessness, the poignancy of depression. It does not convey any human emotion, but reads like fortune cookie gone wrong. It fails to bring you to the edge.

This book is absolutely perfect for anyone who suffers from clinical depression/anxiety, especially those afraid to talk about it. Kathy Cronkite has included not only her own struggles with the illness, and those of very famous people, but also a lot of good information by doctors. This book would be of great help to family and friends of those who suffer from this misunderstood illness. Get one for yourself and share it with your loved ones. You have nothing to be ashamed of, and you are NOT alone!