Making Sense of Suicide: An In-Depth Look At Why People Kill Themselves [Paperback]

David Lester (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0914783823 | ISBN-13: 978-0914783824 | Publication Date: January 15, 1997 | Edition: 1st

An introduction to the background and prevention of suicidal behaviors. For nurses, hospital staff, crisis workers, teachers, police, and other professionals likely to encounter those considering suicide. Softcover.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Lester, the author of numerous articles and books about suicide and murder, including The Cruelest Death: The Enigma of Adolescent Suicide (LJ 2/15/93), examines here the "pervasiveness and seriousness" of attempted and completed suicides so that readers will "seek information on their own and make sure they learn how to respond" to such behavior. The chapter divisions and straightforward style make this an ideal starting place for higher-level students in search of an overview of current suicide research and statistics. Lester discusses suicide as it relates to heredity and environment, mental illness, personality, and even the significance (or lack thereof) of time, season, and weather on suicide rates. He includes an extensive bibliography for each chapter, offering an excellent jumping-off place for further research. There is also an annotated list of Internet sites and organizations that focus on suicide. The author's style?didactic rather than emotional?is aimed at those seeking facts, not solace. Current, well documented, and thought-provoking, this book will make a useful addition to large public and academic libraries.?Catherine T. Charvat, John Marshall Lib., Alexandria, Va.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 195 pages
• Publisher: Charles Press Pubs(PA); 1st edition (January 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0914783823
• ISBN-13: 978-0914783824
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,629,741 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in London in 1942 and slept in an air raid shelter for my first three years. I wanted to be a physicist, but I got my BA at Cambridge University in psychology. I emigrated to the USA in 1964 for graduate study with Abraham Maslow at Brandeis University. I've researched and written about suicide since then, but also about topics such as murder, the death penalty, life after death and the fear of death. I have a badly written, unpublished detective story (on www.drdavidlester.net), so I decided that I had better stick to scholarly writing.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent well-written overview of suicide, September 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Making Sense of Suicide: An In-Depth Look At Why People Kill Themselves (Paperback)

To the previous reviewer, you can't rate a book by it's cover! Did you even read this book? Or did you give it a low rating because you don't like that Kurt Cobain is on the cover? This is a really thorough yet concise overview of a subject. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about suicide.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not for families of suicide victims, May 3, 2011

By 

catcrocodile - See all my reviews

This review is from: Making Sense of Suicide: An In-Depth Look At Why People Kill Themselves (Paperback)

This book may be useful from a clinical perspective, but I definitely don't recommend it if you are someone who is trying to "make sense" of a loved one's suicide. At one point the author actually says something like, "a sensitive and astute person can recognize the signs of suicide and prevent it." I thought this was a very insenstive statement, as it seems to place blame for a person's suicide on their loved ones! It is also innacurate, as many people who have lost loved ones to suicide can attest to, for even if a person shows signs of being suicidal, you cannot force someone to get help if they won't accept it. Having said this, this book may be useful for people who are studying the subject objectively, and in fact it seems like this is the intended audience.

4 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars From the editorial review:, April 2, 2005

By 

boilingwatergenitals (Long Island, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Making Sense of Suicide: An In-Depth Look At Why People Kill Themselves (Paperback)

"Provides an excellent jumping-off point", talk about your poor choices of words!