His Bright Light : The Story of Nick Traina

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Summary: Heart-ache, confusion and anxiety of mental illness
Review: Ms. Steele's description of her son's battle with mental illness provides much-needed information to others struggling with this as well as to the general public. However, the message could have been heard more clearly had Ms. Steele written with more coherence and less repetition. The writing degenerates at times into more of a personal journal entry than a biography. Had she given any attention to the tremendous impact this illness had on the other children, it would have been more of a public service and less of a personal grief statement. All those criticisms aside, she does do a fine job of relaying the pain, fear and upheaval which mental illness brings to the individual and his/her family.

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Summary: Help me understand...
Review: The story of NIck traina was a terrible one. But I understand what he went through. I am seventeen and have been diagnosed as bi-polar. I also have dyslexia, which makes life atad bit difficult. I was in a deep depression, when my grandmother(who is a huge DS fan) brought me this book. I love to read even though it is sometimes hard for me. She told me to read this not with an open mind but with an open heart. I read this book, and it made me realize that my life is precious. Thank you Ms. Steel, for you have told me a story and helped me realize my worth like no one else ever has. I am truly sorry for the loss of your son, but you have given him a legacy that will live on forever. Thank you once again. I recommend this book to everyone who is breathing. For it truly will touch your life.

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Summary: extremely melodramatic and repetitious
Review: While it is very hard to accept the death of a loved one, you should never lose touch with the importance of the rest of your family. She seemed to totally ignore her other children. Every doctor was wrong, every school was wrong, everyone else wrong but him. Had she not sainted him from the beginning perhaps she would've seen it coming. The book was a complete bore and I found myself tortured to reach the end. Every chapter was the same. I couldn't wait for him to die and get it over with. I was mad I had wasted the time to read it. I can't hardly believe it got good reviews from anyone who has ever dealt with a personal death or sickness. The book could've been two chapters and then finished, instead of the same story repeated endlessly throughout.

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Summary: Impressed with the great indepth details given
Review: I have to admit I have not read any other Danielle Steele books completely (as I prefer non-fiction) but I did read this one from cover to cover. It was heartwrenching at times and you could actually feel as though you were either Danielle herself or part of their family. She takes you back in time to privately and intimately view the life and struggles of her son, Nick Traina and is so minutely detailed and descriptive. I was amazed at her memory, even with the aid of his journals. For those who love Danielle Steel and her works, you will love this one like no other because of how close you will feel to her personally and her family. This will also be beneficial to have a better understanding of family or friends that are possibly manic-depressive or bi-polar.

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Summary: Heart-warming and Tear-jerking.
Review: I was a friend of Nick's, but I only knew him through his music, and hung out with him at his concerts. I had no idea about the disease he had, and until I read this book, thought it was only a drug overdose which killed him. I myself am Clinically depressed, and this book has helped me to discover the joy of living, more than any other book on the subject. It was hard for me to even get through the introduction. Realizing what Nick had to go through and what his life was like, truly opened my eyes to exactly what I've been going through in my life. Thank you Danielle Steel.

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Summary: This mother's courage is a testament to her committment.
Review: You cannot place a start value on the quality of this book without feeling as if you are valuing this woman's committment to her son and judging the battle she lived for. The value of this book to the reader is dependent on why this book interested you in the first place. For those that read it for celebrity life information it was a graphic depiction of her personal struggles (making her success during these years utterly amazing!). For those that read it for clinical information on BiPolar and its wreaking statistics on its victims it is a bit weak. Supporting the struggles with literature information, statistics, clinical protocol etc would have helped immensely for those seeking it. All in all - don't misunderstand and imply this book to have no merit. For it did. I felt all through the book DS was leading up to a conclusion of "why?", "what would have made it different?", "better?" - those answers never came - which is the sad reality of manic depression for all the lives it touches. Those inflicted with the disease and those affected by the inflicted. DS as a mother and as an author was able to reach beyond the psychotic definition of manic depression and be a mother to her son. An advocate. And his friend. To me, it was more a testement of who she is and the bright light she presented to him. Without her - she would have written this book five years sooner. The gift she talks about him giving to her - seemed more obviously a gift of life she gave HIM...for she fought, struggled, tirelessly fought for a life for this young man. To her credit - He accepted the gift she gave him in the life he led - until he could no longer find a way to make the gift useful for himself. I do not believe Nick Traina died of an overdose. Nick Traina died of exhaustion. But with a gift from his mother. Whatever she is left with in his memories and personal belongings - he took much more with him by being able to have fulfilled a dream otherwise not fulfilled. It was her, and her story.

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Summary: A wonderful Mother's tribute to her son.
Review: I hope that the book "His Bright Light" produces a healing process for his friends, family and readers all alike. I feel the books will also enable people to know that they shouldn't judge people when none of us know their genetic makeup. I thank Danielle Steel for sharing her love, joy and pain with us and hope and pray it becomes a learning tools for all of us to love one another as we are and for what we are capable of and not what we want each other to be. It is a truly moving book of a great love and shows that through grief and pain we can learn and grow so much. Nick was a teacher and leaves behind so many lessons.

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Summary: Manic Depressive Syndrome
Review: I unfortunately have not had a chance to read this book, but I find it absurd that it takes the death of a relatively famous person's son to open society's eyes to Manic Depressive syndrome. After reading all 37 reviews, I relaized still, that most of these reviews deal with Nick Traina and Manic Depressive syndrome and not the world and Manic Depressive syndrome. I love Nick Traina's music even though he's 1 year gone. What I don't understand is why this is still a hush hush problem. Do something about it!! Instead of sitting back and watching people rot away inside. Awareness saves! Nick's music will always live on, no matter what and he's in a better place now. RIP NICK!!

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Summary: Parents of Children with ADD:take note
Review: I read this book with a sad heat but an open mind. Throughout the book , Ms. Steel was trying to get answers to her son's affliction. It was at a surprizingly late age that Nick was diagnosed with ADD. By that time the depression had set in firmly. Her candid story and frustration can be appreciated by a parent who is raising a challenging child. It is sobering in content and frightening in its rawness.

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Summary: Very painful to read...
Review: I am a huge Danielle Steel fan and read all of her other books. When I saw her interview on 20/20 about her son with Bipolar, I told myself that I HAD to remember the title of this book so I could read it, as I have Bipolar II Disorder, too. Over the weekend, I saw the book on the shelf and bought it. I came home and could not put the book down. It was very straightforward, but from the heart of a mother. It broke my heart to see all of the pain the family went through because I too have attempted suicide, have been hospitalized, been a 'guinea pig' to numerous psychiatrists with drug trials, etc. I have caused pain and fear in my family and have hurt the ones I love the most. But what really struck me was that although I knew the outcome of the book, I kept 'hoping' that Nick would get the right treatment or that someone would 'see' the problem. Noone did in my case for a long time, but at least they did before it was too late for me. I am 31 and female. This disease does not leave any boundaries uncrossed--I am from a middle-class family and have a college degree. I can't work because of the social interaction conflicts I have and get stressed out easily, as did Nick in the book. Although he was brilliant at playing in the band, the disease takes away one's ability to 'keep up' at the hectic pace required to be successful in a career/job. I give Danielle Steel alot of credit for writing this book. I am glad I read it, but want everyone to know that I went through a downward spiral of depression for the last 2 days because of the book. I therefore urge you NOT to read the book if you are emotionally fragile or take things to heart too easily (like I do). I have been weepy and unable to get motivated/into the holiday spirit again after reading this book! It is just so sad an ending.