The Angel and the Dragon: A Father's Search for Answers to His Son's Mental Illness and Suicide (Paperback)

by Jonathan Aurthur (Author) "On Saturday, November 2, 1996, a photograph appeared in the Santa Monica Outlook accompanied by a brief text..." (more)
Key Phrases: piteous world, basic attendance, delirious mania, San Francisco, Santa Monica, River Community (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Equal parts tribute to a short life and guide for parents of troubled children is Jonathan Aurthur's The Angel and the Dragon: A Father's Search for Answers to His Son's Suicide: The Myths and Realities of Mental Illness. Aurthur's son, Charley, committed suicide at age 23. A series of calls and letters from physicians, counselors, detectives, friends and even Charley himself led up to the suicide, and in this introspective yet educational book, Aurthur explains how parents can heed warning signs from their own children to prevent a fate similar to Charley's. His understandable descriptions of psychotropic drugs and honest account of bringing his son to the hospital's psychiatric ward make this a valuable resource for parents of children with mental illness.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review
"A valuable resource for parents of children with mental illness." -- Publishers Weekly, August 12, 2002

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Product Details

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: HCI (August 31, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0757300529
• ISBN-13: 978-0757300523
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #103,157 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #15 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Suicide
  #36 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Death & Grief > Suicide
  #69 in	Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Sociology > Death

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heart-breaking and mind-provoking, May 23, 2003

By	Monroe Anderson (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

For anyone with a loved one or good friend who has suffered from mental illness, The Angel and the Dragon is a fascinating but difficult read. Jonathan Aurthur's tale of his son's mental illness and suicide is heart-breaking. His research into the mental health profession/industry is, at once, a revelation and revulsion. The reader cannot escape Aurthur's pain and frustation as he attempts to help guide his son through difficult psychotic episodes. That frustation becomes compounded as Aurthur researches doctors and the drug industries in an attempt to figure out what is wrong with his son and how to abate it if not cure it.

This book is not an easy one to read but it leaves you with a feeling of gratitude that you did.

5.0 out of 5 stars Bipolar Disorder - A Terminal Illness, September 21, 2003

By	Patricia Warren (Greenfield, IN United States) - See all my reviews

Jonathan Aurthur has written a masterpiece on Mental Illness. His in-depth understanding of Mental Illness comes from his experiencing it and living with it everyday of his life for five years with his beautiful son Charley. Jonathan takes the reader on a journey through this ordeal with such candor and wit, that the reader feels sadness when the book ends.

Jonathan's unbelievable research of every aspect of Mental Illness, is so helpful to those of us that still don't understand and never will understand, how a person can go from A - Z, Z to A, and A to dead in such a short time!

His handsome, poetic and intelligent son's five year struggle with "his affliction" is detailed and chronicled in this book by using excerpts from his own personal journal and his son's journal. We finally have insight into the mind of someone tortured by this disease.

My 30-year-old son, William B. Jones, received his BS in Physics from Hobart College in NY. He played varsity hockey for Hobart College and graduated with a 3.5. He received his MS in Computer Engineering from Syracuse in October 1997 (3.87 GPA) and worked for almost two years in NY at a pharmaceutical company. A perfect son! In 1999 he became ill and returned home, never comprehending what was wrong with him. In February of 2000 he was taken by the police, in handcuffs, to Community North Hospital Psychiatric Ward, diagnosed Manic Depressive with Psychotic Features. He fought the illness for a year and a half, until he surrendered on July 25th, 2001. I found him in the garage, he had hung himself!

Jonathan Aurthur's book, "The Angel and The Dragon," should be a text book that is taught in schools, studied and read by police, teachers, Doctors, Nurses and Professionals. Mental Illness is a deadly disease.