LISTENING TO PROZAC

Rating:
Summary: not a good book in my opinion
Review: I personally found this author's prose difficult to plow through, perhaps because of the abundance of sentences without enough commas. His prose simply doesn't flow. But that's probably a problem only I'd find. In any case, this book does raise a few good points that I find insanely inconsequential.

Rating:
Summary: Best book I've read on topic of depression and treatment
Review: Listening to Prozac bridges the gap between the medical profession and layperson, presenting cogent information about the effect of SRIs and the ever-broadening spectrum of mood and psychological disorders they can effectively treat. Kramer doesn't skirt the ethical issues, nor does he promote the use of of SRIs. He does recognize that thousands of doctors and millions of patients feel these drugs represent a true breakthrough in treating depression and mood disorders in many types of people. At the same time, he addresses the question of what we most of us call "character"--something that many believe to be fixed in an individual--and how it can undergo "change" during treatment with SRIs. This becomes an ethical and spiritual question (in addition to being a medical question). It is a question that was (is) fascinating to me.

Rating:
Summary: Listen Well
Review: Self-help literature can sometimes be hard on the reader: it's not usually very well written, relying on the need of the reader for information and help rather than style to seduce its audience. If you read this book expecting to be eased through an account of the SSRIs, then you'll be disappointed. But if you are interested in what a deeply thoughtful therapist can offer in the way of a philosophical, literary, and pharmacological exploration of the SSRI drugs, you'll love this book. Kramer's writing is compelling: he leads us through a history of the development of anti-depressant medication via a series of case studies that open up his central enquiry: what our we doing to our "selves" when we medicate?

Kramer's book is, on balance, very positive about the impact of newer anti-depressants on the lives of depressed people. He is, however, cautious about the implication of these medications in a larger social context: are we giving people drugs merely to make them more peppy, more likeable? Are there personality types that are so privileged in our culture that we are now prescribing to effect personality changes? What might it mean when a patient on medication feels more "like themselves" than they did before chemical intervention?

Kramer poses these questions through a gentle expository prose which nonetheless lays out their implications in all their complexity. His use of literary analogies -- in particular, the work of Walker Percy -- will strike a chord for those whose find fiction sometimes the best vehicle in which to explore questions of human social interraction. Listening to Prozac does, I'd suggest, offer help. It also provides much food for thought. Anyone whose life has been touched by SSRI medications will be intrigued by this book, and find something in it that speaks to them.

Rating:
Summary: fascinating--and indispensible if you're considering prozac
Review: The stories of Kramer's patients, and his meditations on our changing understanding of 'self' and happiness, are fascinating in their own right. Kramer has an engaging style and obviously reads a lot outside of his discipline which is nice! If you are considering Prozac, Kramer addresses all of the philosophical questions you might have about the decision. I never would have started taking Prozac had I not read this book, and like so many of Kramer's clients, the drug has really transformed my life.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: This author is truly eloquent. Although he covers subjects ranging from the experiences of his own clients to more scientific discussions of how biology plays into the experience of depression, it never once lost my attention.

After reading this book, I felt like I'd not only learned more about myself and others but also had a nice mini-review on the biological and psychological factors that compose identity.

Read this if you love someone who is depressed and is trying "new" antidepressants, not just because it will give you a good grasp of the workings of the drugs themselves, but also because it illuminates beautifully the day to day experiences of dealing with depression.