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A Cure for Darkness: The Story of Depression and How We Treat It
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About A Cure For Darkness: The Story Of Depression And
Product Description A fascinating, “rich, and generous” ( Financial Times ) look at the treatment of depression by an award-winning science writer that blends popular science, narrative history, and memoir. Is depression a persistent low mood, or is it a range of symptoms? Can it be expressed through a single diagnosis, or does depression actually refer to a diversity of mental disorders? Is there, or will there ever be, a cure? In seeking the answers to these questions, Riley finds a rich history of ideas and treatments—and takes the reader on a gripping narrative journey, packed with fascinating stories like the junior doctor who discovered that some of the first antidepressants had a deadly reaction with cheese. “Interweaving memoir, case histories, and accounts of new therapies, Riley anatomizes what is still a fairly young science, and a troubled one” ( The New Yorker). Reporting on the field of global mental health from its colonial past to the present day, Riley highlights a range of scalable therapies, including how a group of grandmothers stands on the frontline of a mental health revolution. Hopeful, fascinating, and profound, A Cure for Darkness is “recommended reading for anyone with even a peripheral interest in depression” ( Washington Examiner). Review “Interweaving memoir, case histories, and accounts of new therapies, Riley anatomizes what is still a fairly young science, and a troubled one." —New Yorker “A substantial and revealing history … grappling with the opposing psychological and biological therapies of pioneering psychiatrists Sigmund Freud and Emil Kraepelin, and their divided successors.” —Nature “Offers a rich and generous picture of research into depression to date…Riley’s own postgraduate brush with depression structures his book, but the most striking thing about A Cure for Darkness is its acknowledgment of disparate experience — for patients, as well as their physicians or therapists — and extreme complexity.” —Financial Times “Recommended reading for anyone with even a peripheral interest in depression.” —Washington Examiner "Breezily written, personal and accessible ... a valuable addition to a literature that will be especially needed as the pandemic recedes." —The Times (UK) "[An] eye-opening survey of the many shapes and forms of depression, from ancient history to today. As science writer Riley notes in his concise, refreshing debut book, depression is a vastly complex collection of overlapping mental states, the product of genes, neurotransmitters, upbringing, health, trauma, diet, lifestyle, and other factors ... The author delves into these moments with notable vigor, insight, and scientific background information." —Kirkus, starred review “In his broadly researched and compassionate debut, Riley traces the history of treatments for depression and our changing understanding of the human brain … An essential book that brings much-needed awareness to depression and the lingering stigma and misinformation surrounding it.” —Library Journal, starred review "Expansive and thoughtful, [ A Cure for Darkness] illuminates the complexity and elusiveness of [Riley's] subject." —The New Statesman "Boldly ambitious, deeply affecting, and magisterial in scope, A Cure for Darkness is a milestone in the literature of clinical depression, humanizing the global quest to unlock the secrets of a profoundly disabling disorder... It's a masterpiece." —Steve Silberman, author of Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity " A Cure for Darkness is both a compelling intellectual contribution and an act of generosity. Alex Riley combines meticulous reporting and evocative storytelling to reveal scientists’ evolving understanding of depression and the many ways it can be treated. In this candid, accessible, era-spanning book, Riley brings rare sensitivity and lucidity to a topic that has defied comprehension for centuries, weaving a story that is
