Customer Reviews

Rage Against the Meshugenah: Why it Takes Balls to Go Nuts

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1 star:		(2)

 

 

Rage Against the Meshugenah is raw and brutally honest. It is the book equivalent of standing in gym class naked. And yet, Danny manages to effectively use humor to talk about his depression without depressing you. I laughed out loud many times while reading it.

As someone who has suffered from bouts of depression for years, I really related to what Danny had to say. It's funny, some people think that admitting that you suffer from depression makes you weak, especially if you are a man. I think it is just the opposite. I think Danny is brave. Because he was willing to talk about what he went through, I think he will help countless people. People who will see that they are not alone. People who who will see that it is possible to be happy again.

If you, or someone you care about has ever suffered from depression you should buy this book. If you haven't suffered from depression, you are still sure to appreciate Rage Against the Meshugenah.

As the Executive Director of a non-profit agency that works with dads from all different socioeconomic backgrounds ([...]), I've read a lot of literature on modern fatherhood and the current state of men. None have been as honest and realistic and accurate in their portrayal of the struggles that men are going through as Danny Evans has been in Rage. His willingness and ability in being so open about his depression and his feelings about his life has given a voice to the same things so many men are going through today but are ashamed to talk about it or admit it. On one page I'm laughing out loud hysterically and on the next I was close to tears because it sounded like he was describing me and my own innermost thoughts and fears.

I've followed Danny's blog for a few years now, and I always look forward to his posts. His wit is hilarious, his storytelling is artful, and his writing just flows so well. I'm so glad that he's decided to write this book. I hope other men and dads out there will get this book, read it, and pass it on to their buddies.

Danny Evans takes on the tale of his own depression with courage, honesty, and humor. He pulls no punches describing his deepest lows, while still finding ways to laugh at the ridiculousness of life, family, and treatment of mental illness. Whether you've suffered from clinical depression yourself, know someone who has, or simply find yourself challenged to clear the hurdles life throws at you, you will see parallels between Evans' experience and your own. And in the end, one of the most powerful forces keeping us afloat is knowing we are not alone. Evans reminds us of that with refreshing candor and a healing dose of laughter.

Most of us have experienced depression in one form or another, but the depression that Danny Evans describes in his book is not something that we all have either, experienced ourselves or experienced with the people we care about.

I'm a guy and I was able to appreciate the journey through the painful experience as well as the humor he brings to this gripping memoir.

Danny's description of his parents, Jewish heritage, (that I can relate to from my Italian Catholic background) family experiences, and his wife's support and love are amazing to me.

It's Danny's support system, fortitude, and perseverance that pushes him to push himself through the things he's horrified to go through including medication and therapy. The stories he tells along the way are raw, real, and funny (if you can believe it) His stories of his father and children brought me to deep places I've been myself--places that remind me I'm human, with feelings, and I felt what his story was bringing.

get the book, read the book, and feel the journey...

--Phil Ribaudo author of The Road Letters. I expect a named toe...

The last thing a depressed, or otherwise struggling, person wants to do is read a tedious book about a serious topic. That's why most "depression books" out there are failures. But this book is different. It's not only very readable, it's like you're sitting with a friend having a chat about real life. You will be very, very glad you read this book.

This book is an open, honest view at Danny's battle against depression. Danny's writing style is like sharing a beer with an old friend. Fantastic. Highly recommended.

Danny Evans' Rage Against the Meshugenah: Why it Takes Balls to Go Nuts, a memoir of life with depression -- of life of a *man* with depression -- is, that I am aware of, the first depression-tackling memoir from a guy's perspective wherein said guy is not some sort of famous actor/politician and the book is not also covering other topics, making the depression section smaller.

What we get in RAGE is Danny, a man, husband, father, baseball nut, and writer (who writes at [....]and elsewhere), sort of an Everyman character for the 21st century guy trying to earn a living, support his family, and get though it all with some sanity, humor, and moments of happiness thrown in. Our Everyman, however, gets gob-smacked with depression and it turns his life upside-down. There are several pointedly painful (and appropriately so) paragraphs outlining what the disease does to him, to his motivation, personality, to his sense of self, to his marriage, friendships, etc., and they read like a good friend telling you what a hard time they've been having. It's difficult to hear and even more difficult to imagine experiencing first-hand.

But Danny does rage against the depression, and he details the work it takes, the humiliation, the stigma, the almost unbearableness of doing the work to get better. He chronicles his experiences with medication and therapy, and lauds high praises on his wife Sharon, who constantly supports him, prods him and loves him through the experience.

Oh, and RAGE is funny. It is very, very funny. If Dave Barry tackled depression, it would read a lot like this.

Depression is still not-so talked about, and depression in men discussed even less, but Evans is changing that by bucking the stigma and saying out loud what we all need to hear: Depression is an illness, it affects an enormous amount of people and a lot of those people are men--men who are told to be strong and stoic their whole lives, to be tough, making it all the more confusing when they can't get out of bed in the morning or need to ask for professional help.

The stigma about depression is still monumentally strong. (Why else would the Depression is Real Coalition run ads that say "You'd never say 'It's just cancer, get over it.'" and "Nobody ever says, 'It's nothing serious, it's just heart disease.'" and "You'd never hear 'Snap out of it, it's just diabetes.'"?) But Evans is putting forth his two cents on the matter, he says, because people, men included, need to start talking about depression.

Evans has written a funny, relatable, deeply affecting personal account that spotlights an important issue. It is fantastic. Rage Against the Meshugenah is not optional reading; it is essential reading.

I've read a lot about Danny Evans' blog Dad Gone Mad (which now seems to have disappeared) years ago, and also read a lot of hype about his book when it first came out, so I thought I would give it a try. If you can get through the first half of the book, you will stumble upon something special. His story becomes alive in the middle to the end (I guess that's what happens when you start overcoming and controlling your depression, though), but the first half is just a bit much to take at times. I was often left wondering how one could write so much about one topic especially since I've been there, done that (minus the excessive porn watching or any porn watching, for that matter). I was way more interested when he began to recover and write about his kids and his relationship with his dad. Danny Evans is engaging when he wants to be. I do appreciate his story and the courage it takes to share. Oftentimes I look at my own husband and wonder what is going on in his head -- especially since I've heard my husband state the exact same things about his job as Danny did (breadwinner, if my family is happy, then I am happy, this is my role...). I think if the first part of the book was edited down just a bit more, this would have been an exceptional book.

I bought this book when it was recommended by one of my favorite authors, Jen Lancaster. She certainly did not disappoint me! While depression is a serious and often misunderstood condition, Danny Evans is able to bring out the humor in it all. The book chronicles his experiences from just prior to the start of his depression through his return to being "himself". I could find myself relating with him at several points in the book. This is a great book for anyone who enjoys a good memoir!

I admit I was a fan of Danny since first reading his blog. Now after reading his book, I wonder if we aren't realted somehow. There were so many parts of this book where I said to myself, "I remember when I felt like that," or "that happened to me too." Even though I have been working through times of depression for years, this book helped to remind me of why I do it. Thanks Danny!