Customer Reviews

Hammerhead 84: A Memoir of Persistence

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
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2 star:		(1)
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Brett Hartman takes you on an unforgettable journey where you don't know whether the enemy is himself, the drugs, or the doctor who prescribes them. They all played a role in a real-life passion play and I enjoyed every word. It was written with a wonderfully personal point of view and told with an honesty and memory that was jaw-dropping. Thank you and congratulations for all the people you will touch with this account.

It takes a lot of guts to do what Brett Hartman has done, tell the world about a very personal experience that many people would feel shamed by. He has written a book not only about persistence, but how the power of family, friends and inner strength can be used to turn what for most would be a negative experience into a foundation for which he has built his professional career. The book is funny, sad, hopeful and certainly a wake up call for the psychiatric community. It should be a "must-read" for all students entering the fields of psychiatry and clinical psychology.

Riveting! As a new employee in the mental health field this book reveals an insight one could get no other way. As one journeys through the experiences shared by Brett, it forces you to rethink your own perceptions of mental illness.

Read this book - it is powerful, absorbing, eye-opening, and stays with you.

I would like to make a statement that everyone should read this book and not just people that are in the mental health field or suffer with a mental illnes. Brett's journey is a story in itself and a very well-written one. I have believed in his theory for a long time now and having dealt with mental illness in my own family and have also worked within the system. I read this book in two days and could not put it down. It was his story and the way that it was written, was exceptional. I cannot say enough about what a great read this was. Please do not miss out on this book. You will be thoroughly pleased with the end result.
Marcy Boynton

This book is excellent for anyone looking to understand some of the workings of the mental health system and schizophrenia from the patients point of view. Personally, until I read this book, I had mistakenly lumped schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder together as the same disorder. Now, I have a much clearer understanding of schizophrenia.

As for the book, it is very well written. It just flows. It is easy to read and very interesting. I found myself having to remember that this was actually someone's real life and not fiction. I got very involved with the book and felt the ups and downs along with Brett. I found myself at times saying "Just shut up and it would all be better!" but having to remember that he wasn't capable of that thinking at the time. He is very much the hero-type figure of this memoir and you can't help but root for him. He portrays his own emotions so well that you can't help but make them your emotions. You feel the greatfulness and fondness that Brett felt for Penny, the admiration and appreciation of Rhonda, even the intense dislike of Greg and the constant frustation of not being in control of your own life and your own choices.

Finally, to be able to experience his determination and to see him succeed and use his experiences as a stepping stone for his life and not just succumb to the disorder and give up trying was wonderful. He didn't let the disorder define who he was or who he wanted to be.

I highly recommend this book. This was a very difficult period in his life and a very personal experience. Thank you for putting it out there for us all to share:)

It just flows naturally. The book is hard to put down. Well done and war eagle!

A friend told me to read this book because she said it was better than works by James Frey and Frank McCourt (and definitely better than Brooke Shields) -- without the hype. After completing it, I agree. This memoir was so rich and so alive that I couldn't let it go. From start to finish, it gripped me. And it did so in different ways. At times it was painfully sad, especially the struggle for sanity in the face of psychiatric oppression. But then, inevitably, it shifted into something so funny I would bust into laughter. And, even more, it was educational. It taught me about a crisis in mental health that affects millions of people. I can't say enough positives about it. Read this book. Treat yourself.

I loved Hammerhead 84 because of its description of the author's experience of a psychotic episode in matter-of-fact terms, without drama, defense or posturing. Hartman's memoir made me understand a little better what psychosis is like, at least for some people, and the obstacles they (particularly the young and powerless) can face from the very people and institutions that are supposed to help.

Hartman's discussion of the overuse of powerful neuroleptic drugs as the first choice of treatment ("if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail") is balanced and thought-provoking.

Impressive memoir from Brett Hartman. Extremely well written tale that's hard to put down.