Avery Z. Connor, a first generation American, was born in Lafayette, Indiana in 1973. This is his coming of age story about fun and mischief while growing up in the suburbs, moving on to college at Indiana University, and finally being diagnosed with bipolar disorder while performing neuroscience research at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Avery weaves entertaining anecdotes with useful information about the treatment of his mental illness, making the story both amusing and informative. Throughout the story, Avery remains optimistic about his illness and wants those afflicted with mental illness, as well as their family and friends, to remain optimistic as well.
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About the Author
Avery Z. Conner attended Indiana University on a full academic scholarship and graduated in three years with highest distinction and a B.S. in biology in 1995. He then performed brain research at Johns Hopkins University for five years and received an M.S. in neuroscience in 2001.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I couldn't put this book down,
By Leroy Eise (Huntington, WV USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Fevers of the Mind: Tales of a Roaming, Wounded Critter (Paperback)
once I started reading it. My psychiatrist recommended I read this book as my diagnosis is still unclear but appears to be bipolar along with some OCD and ADHD. Evidently, or at least according to my physician, this book is becoming quite a popular read in the mental health field. The author, while seemingly brilliant, talks about his insecurity of not knowing what is going on his head for some time. Conner's life story is spelled out from beginning to present day and is interspersed with many funny and touching anecdotes, such as going 'bumper skiing' at 50 mph with an idiot friend in college to the gripping account of Conner actually purchasing a gun with which to take his own life. Throughout the entire book, I found myself literally crying on more than one occasion, either from laughter or sadness of Conner's situation. My wife had a hard time believing one book could trigger so many emotions within me. I can't recommend this book enough - it was well written, compelling, emotional, humorous, and just plain hard to put down. "Fevers of the Mind" is a definite must-read and should be on the bookshelf of every physician in America, not just mental health professionals, but all doctors, seeing as how frequently general practioners prescribe depression and anxiety drugs these days. A word of warning though, I would recommend picking up this book when you have some time. While it's a very easy read, the "flow" of it makes it incredibly hard to lie down and come back to later. I sat down to read for 20 minutes and finally put it down 2 hours and 15 minutes later after I turned the last page. This book offers hope to not only those afflicted with mental illness but also to their loves ones - much needed hope and courage. I found myself thinking at various times while reading, "if Conner can overcome and deal with it, so can I." This book let me hoping Conner sits down and writes another one sometime in the not-so-distant future. This would make a great gift for not only those seeking help of any kind, but also to those who like non-fiction dramas.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly entertaining and informative,
By Mitch (Indianapolis) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Fevers of the Mind: Tales of a Roaming, Wounded Critter (Paperback)
I really enjoyed reading this book. First of all, it is very entertaining. The author has a unique story to tell and does a good job telling it. He tells a number of short anecdotes about his life, and this kept me interested and made me identify with him. I was curious how things would turn out. I also learned quite a bit from this book. The author seems to know quite a bit about the brain, since he was studying the brain at Johns Hopkins University when his depression really hit hard. He shares his ideas and theories about what is wrong with him- possibly bipolar disorder- and I found this interesting. I've read other books about bipolar disorder, but I've never seen anything written about some of the things he talks about. Overall, this is an enjoyable and interesting read. Highly recommended.
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Excellent Read!!!,
By Angela D. Paschke (Lafayette, IN USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Fevers of the Mind: Tales of a Roaming, Wounded Critter (Paperback)
Having been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, and being on medications that stunt my ability to focus well enough to read, this was the first book I've been able to read, cover to cover, in over 3 years! I couldn't put it down! I sat down to read it, and didn't get up until I'd read every word! The story of Avery's life is compelling, and holds special interest for me, being a native of his own home town. I particularly liked the casual, conversational manner of Avery's writing, and often felt like the author himself was sitting across from me, telling me his life story. The information toward the end about the various neurotransmitters helped me form my own theory as to why my disorder presents itself the way it does in me. Although my disorder presents very differently from the author's, it's clear that here is a man with intimate knowledge of the workings of the Bipolar mind. I was transfixed, and would heartily recommend this book to anyone with Bipolar Disorder, their loved one, or simply someone looking for a hands-on story of the person with the disorder. I now have a new addition to my list of favorite books.
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