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Why do people die by suicide? Thomas E. Joiner and his colleagues attempt to answer this age-old question by exploring two obvious yet insightful assumptions:

-People die by suicide because they can--that is, they become desensitized to pain and habituated toward violence.
-People die by suicide because they want to--they typically have no sense of belonging to a valued group or relationship, and they feel that they have become a burden to loved ones.

This book offers a new theoretical framework for diagnosis and risk-assessment of a patient's entry into the dark and obscure mental world of suicidality, and for the creation of preventive and public-health campaigns aimed at the disorder. More important, though, the book provides new, effective clinical guidelines for crisis intervention and for therapeutic alliances in psychotherapy and suicide prevention. ... Read more

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teen suicide mitchel anthony ... Read more

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The Suicide and Homicide Risk Assesment & Prevention Treatment Planner provides all the elements necessary to quickly and easily develop formal treatment plans that satisfy the demands of HMOs, managed care companies, third-party payors, and state and federal review agencies.

• A critical tool for assessing suicidal and homicidal risks in a wide range of treatment populations
• Saves you hours of time-consuming paperwork, yet offers the freedom to develop customized treatment plans for your adult, adolescent, and child clients
• Organized around 27 main presenting problems and covering all client populations (suicidal adults, adolescents, and children) as well as homicidal personality types and risk factors including antisocial, psychotic, PTSD, and manipulative
• Over 1,000 well-crafted, clear statements describe the behavioral manifestations of each relational problem, long-term goals, short-term objectives, and clinically tested treatment options
• Easy-to-use reference format helps locate treatment plan components by behavioral problem or DSM-IV-TR™ diagnosis
• Includes a sample treatment plan that conforms to the requirements of most third-party payors and accrediting agencies (including HCFA, JCAHO, and NCQA)

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Customer Reviews (17)

not as compelling a read as his other books
as a clinician in the field of forensic psychology, I find most of the doc's books readable and interesting. this one would probably be my least favorite that he has written.the story line just did not check and hook me like some of the others did; ie., Projection, Denial, etc. Iwould say, if you can get this at a used book price, it would probably be worth the couple of hours it would take to read it.

Best of all Keith's books...
I watched Keith Ablow on the Oprah show and found that I agreed with much that he was saying.I had tuned in late and so I didn't realize that he was a Forensic Psychiatrist. In fact, I didn't even realize that he was a published author.After the show was over, I looked him up and to my delight he had written a number of books- mysteries.I ordered two of his books, then ordered two more and then with delight ordered two more books, the Architect and Murder/Suicide....as you can tell, I enjoyed them all - however, Murder/Suicide was just perfect.I could see his progress as a writer - and that book was all over the place in a manner that my mind just loves.I am a retired addiciton counselor, and so there is another point of view that is very appealing to me.Following all this I realized that there was the Scott Peterson book...I ordered it, even though I have had enough of Peterson's life and found it to be less interesting, however, that may be more subjective than not....and then I found his first book...about the death of a friend of his.....
All I can say is I very much enjoy his writing and his view of people.... Keep up the good work, I say and that's my story and I'm sticking to it....

Implausibly concoctedpsychological thriller
Keith Ablow's "Murder Suicide" featuring forensic pathologist and psychiatrist Dr. Frank Clevenger is a thankfully fast reading but mediocre murder mystery.

Dr. John Snow, a brilliant aerospace engineer and inventor on the verge of undergoing radical neurosurgery to correct debilitating lifelong seizures, is found shot outside the hospital an hour before the procedure.Boston detective Mike Coady calls in Clevenger when it is indeterminate as to whether this was a case of suicide or murder.

Snow was on the threshhold of a breakthrough in revolutionary stealth missile technology which would provide a huge financial windfall for his company and partner Collin Corroway.The unhappily married Snow was being inspired in his thought processes by his mistress gorgeous but troubled and also married art dealer Grace Baxter.Apparently Snow's surgery to be performed by accomplished neurosurgeon Dr. Jet Heller, had the potential to cause selective amnesia as a byproduct.Snow would lose the memories of all those that had a part in his life, family and lover included.

Fantastically Baxter herself was found days after Snow's demise, apparently having taken her own life by slashing her wrists and neck.Questions arose as to whether she also might have been murdered.

Ablow conveniently bestowed upon all the peripheral characters in this book including Snow's wife, son and daughter, business partner, Baxter's husband George Reese and even Dr. Heller enough financial and emotional baggage to make them strong suspects in Snow's murder.Clevenger must wade through all the rhetoric to solve this improbable case.Ablow's conclusion is melodramatic and ridiculously farfetched.

Liked It
I liked the story, I liked the pace and I especially liked that it was not overstuffed with too many details, that can make a book tedious to read.Liked all the characters except Billy.I would like to see a little more Anderson and McCormick and less Billy and his constant emotional trials which can be a bit boring.Enjoyable, quick read.

top notch psych thriller
A prominent aerospace engineering genius is about to have brain surgery, but ends up dead on the sidewalk in front of the hospital in the wee hours of the morning.Soon, another dead body appears who has a connection to the first.Was the first a murder and the second a suicide from the guilty party?Or were they both suicides, or both murders?Our hero, a psychiatrist working for the police, unravels the twisted relationships of several people involved in the two lives, and finally delivers a whodunnit showdown that amazed me.This book reads very quickly. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

A great resource for dealing with suicide
This book deals in depth with the many aspects of suicide.It dives into the tide of emotions which engulfs those who attempt and/or commit suicide as well as the emotions of those friends and loved ones involved in that persons life.The book contains twelve chapters that take you along the journey of understanding suicide to healing and living life freely once again.

As I read this book, I couldn't help but be drawn into it because the authors use stories of persons who committed suicide and the stories of their loved ones living in the wake of such a great and tragic blow to their life.It captivated me as my heart ached for each person as they told their story.The book brings excellent understanding on how to minister to those who are dealing with the loss of a loved one by suicide--highlighting those things we often say that do more harm than good.Just as importantly, it explains how we move on and neglect to continue ministering even when they are still grieving and hurting.By far though, my favorite aspect of this book was the little sections titles "Words from Jeenie."In these sections, Jeenie gives tidbits about possible motivations for suicide, stages of grief, and realities of life for those experiencing the loss.Even if someone didn't want to read the entire book, much could be gained simply by thumbing through and reading these sections alone.

As great as this book is, I must warn you that it deals with a very depressing topic and you will most likely find yourself experiencing a lot of different emotions--from depression to sorrow to astonishment and down the line.If you are someone who has personally dealt with suicide or the loss of a loved one by suicide, this book will most certainly bring out all of those emotions you experienced when you first began dealing with your grief.For those who are not strong in their emotional stability, I would recommend that you plan to have something happy and uplifting planned for the times following your reading of this book.

All in all, this was a very well written book discussing a subject that has become taboo in American culture.However, it is a subject in desperate need of attention as this is something which affects such a large portion of our population.

I received this book free from New Hope Publishers as part of their New Hope Book Review Blogger program. Visit them on the web at [...] for more information.I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Help for the Hurting
The pager began buzzing. The fog in my head tried to clear quickly. I checked the number as I stumbled to the phone. 2.35 AM on Sunday. Man, why does it always have to be this time of the morning... and a Sunday no less. I dialed the number. "Pastor Sorensen here; I'm on call and received the page." "The police have requested your presence at..." and she proceeded to give me the address. As I drove to the northwest part of town I had no idea what to expect. I'd only been a volunteer chaplain for a few weeks. This was my second call.

When I arrived, the office on scene told me a young man, age 19, had placed a shotgun in his mouth and pulled the trigger. The family was upstairs, gathered around the kitchen table. Fortunately, they wouldn't allow me in the boy's room. I went to meet with the family. "What can I say at this point that will make sense and bring any comfort?" I asked myself.

Having read this very helpful book by Osborn, Kosman and Gordon, I don't know if I would have had any magic words for that moment. I do know this: I would have been more well-equipped to help them, especially after the fact, to deal with grief, anger, denial and the many other stages those who remain following a suicide. This is a well-written book by women who have dealt with suicide - either from their own family's experience or through the many hours of counseling others. Filled with heart-breaking and moving personal anecdotes, real-life reflections, questions to ask in order to help and draw out, insights from Jeenie Gordon, the professional counselor "onboard," and even some uplifting poetry, this book belongs on the shelves of pastors' libraries, youth pastors' libraries and church libraries. Its resourcefulness will prove itself over and over again.

I highly recommend this book.

Encouragement in a Troubling Time
In my most recent group of books from New Hope Publishers for review I found this rare gem. While I have several books dedicated to dealing with suicide, especially detecting signs of intended suicide and preventing it from happening, I have not before seen a volume as good as this one in dealing with the aftermath of suicide and attempted suicide.

The three authors collaborating to produce this book all have a vested interest in helping survivors of this tragic event--they have all been touched by suicide in one way or another, at one time or another. Gordon is an exceptional source for suicide survivors because of her years as a counselor dealing with people on both sides of the suicide spectrum.

My best description of the book would be to call it a group therapy session on paper. The book should not be a substitute for therapy for those who have either lost loved ones to suicide or have survived personal attempts on their own lives; however, it is an excellent resource that points a light on the necessity of getting help to move beyond the grief.

Reading the book takes the reader through the process and stages of grieving, using testimonial stories collected from people who have overcome the difficulties left in the wake of suicide. Also helpful are the interruptions to the reading provided by Gordon as she discusses various means of therapy useful for moving on after tragedy. And finally, each chapter includes short Bible passage discussions related to that chapters topic.

I recommend this book for anyone who has faced suicidal thoughts and felt that they had lost all hope, anyone who has had to deal with the loss of a loved one, friend or family member to suicide, or any minister who might find a need to counsel someone in either of these situations. Too Soon to Say Goodbye deserves all five of our reading glasses.

--Benjamin Potter, January 25, 2010

"Become a New Hope Book Review Blogger. Visit [...] for more information."

A book of hope and healing
"Too Soon to Say Goodbye" is a book for those whose lives have been touched by suicide or who are experiencing suicidal thoughts. The book was mainly made up of stories a page or two long written by people who have lost a loved one or friend to suicide, who have considered suicide, or who have helped people who are suicidal. There was some connecting commentary, and the two counseling professionals drew out the important points made in these stories.

This was a Christian book, so Scripture was used to help people find or hold on to the hope they have in Christ. I liked the biblical points they brought out. (For those wanting to know, the authors _don't_ think that someone who commits suicide automatically goes to hell, and they gave biblical reasons to support their position.)

Chapters one through five were mainly about the various stages of grief that the loved ones and friends of someone who committed suicide go through and how to find healing when people around you don't know how to react or offer comfort. This section is also useful for those who want to know how to best help and comfort someone who has lost a loved one to suicide.

Chapters six through ten touched on the main causes of suicide (depression, divorce, bi-polar disorder, etc.). The stories were mainly by those who almost committed suicide but pulled back from the edge (and how that occurred and what their life is like today) and by those who helped save someone from suicide (either before they tried it or when they were in the middle of the act).

The last two chapters were mainly stories by those whose loved one committed suicide and covered how they've dealt with the grief long-term and how they've healed.

If you're looking for a clinical book of facts about suicide, then this is not the right book for you. The focus of this book was to let those who are struggling know that there are others out there who have gone through the exact same things and how they made it--that there is hope. Some of the facts about suicide come out, by they weren't the focus of the book.

I'd recommend this book to anyone dealing with a suicide of a loved one or wanting to comfort those who have lost a loved one to suicide. While this book would be beneficial for those who are struggling with suicidal thoughts, this book alone probably isn't enough. (If you're looking for other books, "What To Do When You Don't Know What To Do" by Drs. Cloud & Townsend is a quick, practical book that has a good section on depression.)

I received this book as a free review copy from the publisher.

Reviewed by Debbie from Different Time, Different Place
(differenttimedifferentplace. blogspot. com)

They've Been There
All three authors of Too Soon To Say Goodbye have either had a loved one commit suicide, contemplate it, or have worked professionally with those individuals on both sides of the horrific aftermath. Sensitively written, this writing team offers substantive hope and practical helps for all individuals who are trying to untangle the complicated heartache that follows any suicide. Read this text for yourself and for everyone you love.

Michele Howe, author of Burdens Do a Body Good: Meeting Life's Challenges with Strength (and Soul) ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (6)

Great finish to the latest Wild Cards triad
At times it feels as though I'm one of the seemingly few readers who gave this newest Wild Cards triad a chance. As good and entertaining as both Inside Straight and Busted Flush were, it's a pity that so little noise has been made about them. Having enjoyed its two predecessors more than I ever thought I would, I was curious to discover how George R. R. Martin and co. would close the show in Suicide Kings.

The action occurs not long following the events chronicled in Busted Flush. The forces of the People's Paradise of Africa clash with the armies of the Caliphate of Arabia. But the PPA, aided by Tom Weathers, have begun a nightmarish program to help them turn the tide of the war. The Wild Cards virus is being injected into thousands of child soldiers, in an attempt to create a new army of powerful aces and jokers. In the aftermath of the nucear explosion in the heart of New Orleans, Michelle Pond remains unconscious. But a little girl named Adesina invades her dreams and beckons. Noel Matthews, spy and assassin, swore never to get involved in international intrigue now that Niobe is part of his life. Yet he realizes that the world needs him for one last mission. Without the UN's blessing, Rustbelt and Gardener embark on a journey which will take them into the heart of Africa to save a boy's life, while committees are bogged down in procedures as they assess how to deal with the PPA. And amidst all the international turmoil, Bugsy manages to make things go from bad to worse every time he opens his mouth.

As always, Suicide Kings was edited by George R. R. Martin and Melinda Snodgrass. This latest mosaic novel was produced by Daniel Abraham, S. L. Farrell, Victor Milán, Caroline Spector, Ian Tregillis, and Melinda Snodgrass.

I feel that Suicide Kings was more political than the first two volumes of the triad. The People's Paradise of Africa's storylines reminds us of the First and Second Congo Wars. Yet the United Nations' inability to deal with such tragedies in a timely fashion also brings to mind the terrible genocide in Rwanda. Which demonstrated yet again how much of a travesty the UN Security Council truly is. Bill Clinton, François Mitterand, Kofi Annan, and various other politicians deserve to be shot in the belly and left to die of a gut wound for letting such atrocities take place during their watch. But I digress. . . In any event, I felt that the politicking between the PPA, the West, and the Middle East was particularly well-done. There are never fully back or white answers to such questions, and I think that the shade of gray which always shrouds such matters was handled adroitely.

I mentioned before that one of the problems with Busted Flush was that the book was all over the place in terms of plotlines. Not so with Suicide Kings, however. There are fewer storylines and a tighter focus on how they are linked to one another.

The characterization remains my favorite facet of the Wild Cards mosaic novels. At times funny, at times touching, and at times butt-kicking, a pretty good balance was struck in this third volume. With a number of all-star characters having been killed and others turning their backs on the Committee, two unlikely heroes emerge in this one. Realizing that both Rustbelt and Gardener would take center stage in Suicide Kings made me raise an eyebrow at the beginning, but they made me a believer early on. We witness a lot of character growth where these two are concerned, which makes their storylines as heartbreaking as they are entertaining.

There are a few touching moments between Noel and Niobe, and the relationship between Tom Weathers and Sun Hei-lan takes a few unexpected turns. But it's the poignant finale that makes this one special. Bittersweet, yes (Would you expect anything less from GRRM?), yet a satisfying ending to a solid trilogy.

Although tragic in many ways, Suicide Kings leaves the door open for a lot of things to come. And judging by the quality of this newest Wild Cards triad, I think it's safe to say that the franchise is in very good hands. Which bodes well for the future of this long-running series!

To all the authors involved in this latest Wild Cards project, kudos for a job well-done! You've made me a Wild Cards fan!

Enjoyable
This is the third book I've read in the Wild Cards series. I've gotten familiar with the characters and I enjoyed following their lives and adventures in Suicide Kings. Martin presents a story that I can enjoy effortlessly, losing myself in the narrative much as I did when I first discovered reading books with authors like Isaac Asimov and Kenneth Robeson when I was a boy. To lose myself in a book is one of the greatest pleasures of my life and I enjoyed Suicide Kings very much.

An excellent conclusion to this Wild Cards trilogy
Suicide Kings is the latest in the Wild Cards series of novels, and the third in an apparent trilogy.It's interesting that the three novels are all what are called "Mosaic" novels, one overall story with different parts of it told by different authors, yet all three have a different format.Inside Straight had individual stories that all tied together, with each story written by the protagonist's creator.Busted Flush did the same, but the story wasn't divided into separate stories, but just chapters instead.Now, Suicide Kings gets rid of all that and has each chapter cover a day, with different sections of the chapter dealing with each hero, much like a book written by just one author.I have to admire editors George R. R. Martin and Melinda Snodgrass for keeping it all together and coherent.It's also a wonderful conclusion to the saga.

In 1946, an alien virus hit New York, killing 90 percent of the residents, turning 9 percent into monstrosities called "Jokers" and giving the other 1 percent some type of "Ace" or super power. These Aces have lived their lives, becoming celebrities and sometimes fighting crime or villains with plans for world domination.Tensions are still high in Africa between the newly formed "Caliphate" of Middle Eastern nations and the Congo People's Paradise, run by an insane dictator (Dr. Nshombo), his equally insane sister (Alicia), and an Ace named Tom who has a secret of his own.The dictator and his sister are infecting children with the Wild Card virus in an attempt to build an army of Aces and Jokers with powers that can help them consolidate their power.But the Aces from the Western world are coming; some of them coming for Tom and others to stop the monstrous experiments before any more children can be murdered for their wicked ends.

There is a lot more going, but that's the basic form of the plot.There are a lot of interpersonal relationships between the Aces that have to be dealt with, whether it's Cameo's fixation on her dead lover (by wearing a piece of a dead person's clothing, she can actually be that person) and Bugsy's use of her to channel his dead lover, or Bubbles' guilt over, during the New Orleans hurricane, having slept with a young street woman who has the power to animate the dead.Bubbles is a model, but as she takes physical abuse, she becomes fatter and fatter, though she can release that energy in the form of explosive bubbles.At the end of the last book (SPOILER WARNING FOR BUSTED FLUSH) she absorbed the force of a nuclear blast and was thought to be dead.In her dormant state, she felt the cry of a young girl from Congo who was having those experiments done to her.

All of these individual storylines lead toward the Congo People's Republic, and they are tied together very well by the various authors.I literally could not tell who was writing what parts of these chapters, with the viewpoint changing from one character to another (I'm assuming that each author wrote the sections from his/her own Ace's point of view, but I don't know).The prose is excellent throughout, with great dialogue and great description, especially of the Heart of Africa's oppressiveness.As Rusty and Jerusha make their way from Tanzania to the Congo, I could almost feel the jungle heat bearing down on me.It didn't matter who was writing the section, either.

It's the relationships that really make Suicide Kings shine, though.Whether it's the naivete of Rusty partnered with Jerusha's experience, or Bubbles and her personal issues with what happened in New Orleans, the whole Bugsy/Cameo/dead lover situation, or quite a few others, the characterization just shines from this novel.They are all interesting in one way or the other, even the ones who get a bit of short shrift in this novel, like the Committee's leader, Lohengrin.

There's nothing I can really point to and say it didn't work, though there were slow spots here and there.The book does feel a bit choppy at times as each characters section of the chapter can be quite abbreviated, but this also adds to the immediacy of the situation by not letting the reader rest.It also makes it a bit harder to put down on your nightstand before bed, as you can always say "just one more section, it's short."For those of you easily offended, there is a bit of sex in the book (not much, though) and definitely bad language and adult situations.

Suicide Kings is an excellent conclusion of this trilogy, though there is plenty of room for further books in the series.This story, however, comes to a definitive conclusion, with certain Aces coming to terms with where they are in life, other Aces dying in the heat of battle (one great thing about this series is that anybody can die at any time), and the main threat has been dealt with in some fashion.I am looking forward to seeing if anything else is done with these characters or this world, or whether the Wild Cards universe was just resurrected for this trilogy.This book is the best of the bunch.

Originally published on Curled Up With a Good Book © David Roy, 2010

An engrossing collection
SUICIDE KINGS provides a fine 'Wild Cards' novel telling of a destroyed Africa where the Wild Card virus kills 90 percent of those who catch it, but give the survivors unusual powers. Tom Weathers is strongest of these new survivors: he can fly, he has superhuman strength, he can shoot heat rays from his hands - and he's involved in a righteous cause - any one. Plenty of twists and turns mark the 'Wild Cards' scenarios provided in this engrossing collection.

Suicide Kings: A Wild Cards Mosaic Novel
Ever curious what would happen if superpowers existed in the real world? //Suicide Kings// should answer that question. The Wild Card virus kills 90% of its victims, 9% ("jokers") are disfigured, and the remaining 1% ("aces") gain superhuman powers. //Suicide Kings// is about a group of aces who have taken over an African country and those that are trying to deal with them. //Suicide Kings// is also a "mosaic novel," meaning that a number of authors wrap their individual threads together

The story reads rather well, with good plot development, and the characters build realistically and in logical steps; these are masters of their craft and it shows. Even the plot twists are honestly surprising, but are not the random writing a lot of twists seem to be. They've mastered the ability to work well together, as each thread meshes well into the overall story. The only major strike is the sheer amount of swearing and sex, which seems added on at times, but it is a trademark of the Wild Cards style, so it's hard to fault them for that. Overall, //Suicide Kings// is a great book, but the metaphysics involved get really weird in spots.

Reviewed by Jamais Jochim ... Read more

Product Description

There are over 30,000 suicide deaths each year in the United States alone, and the numbers in other countries suggest that suicide as a cause of death will be around for the foreseeable future. A suicide leaves behind more victims than just the individual, as family, friends, co-workers, and the community can be impacted in many different and unique ways following a suicide.  And yet there are very few professional resources that provide the necessary background, research, and tools to effectively work with the survivors of a suicide.

This edited volume addresses the need for an up-to-date, professionally-oriented summary of the clinical and research literature on the impact of suicide bereavement on survivors. It is geared towards mental health professionals, grief counselors, clergy, and others who work with survivors in a professional capacity. Topics covered include the impact of suicide on survivors, interventions to provide bereavement care for survivors, examples of promising support programs for survivors, and developing a research, clinical, and programmatic agenda for survivors over the next 5 years and beyond.

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Lieberman looks at the cultural meaning of suicide and how it has gone from being seen as subversive to self-destructive. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Illuminates a dark and difficult topic
I find it hard to say that a book about suicide is a good read but this diminutive collection of essays about the meaning of suicide made a big impression on me.In the preface to Leaving You: The Cultural Meaning of Suicide, Lisa Lieberman says, "The thread that runs through all [five essays] is my appreciation of self-destruction as a meaningful gesture, a statement that holds more than private significance.A statement, moreover, that is essentially subversive...This book charts the tension between society's interest in restraining suicide's disruptive power and the individual's freedom to determine the meaning of his own death."

While acknowledging that her argument about such a painful topic will make some people uncomfortable, the author succeeds in presenting her views in a nuanced and thoughtful way that always respects the reader's right to think and feel differently.Her interwoven essays exploring different dimensions of self-destruction draw the wary reader's eye with such intriguing titles as "Defiant Death," "Sex and Suicide," and "Death and Democracy."Lieberman says that she intentionally chose the essay format to "allow readers room for their own thoughts."With her deeply felt commitment to the topic, combined with extensive research and a warm narrative voice, she offers readers much more.She creates the intellectual and emotional spaciousness for us to examine our assumptions about and reflect upon our experiences of suicide, whether the act has touched our lives directly - as in her case - or has gained our attention from a distance.

Lieberman's exploration of the meaning of suicide brings to mind another thought provoking book I recently read about the nature of anger.In Anger: The Misunderstood Emotion, Carol Tavris argues that anger is not a disease with a single cause, nor is depression simply anger turned inward, as contemporary medical and psychological models of the emotions would have us believe.Instead, anger in its many forms - rage, hatred, violence, chronic resentment - is "a process, a transaction, a way of communicating."Similarly, Lieberman could have named her book Suicide: The Misunderstood Act because she expands our contextual understanding of suicide as something more than an incomprehensible act of individual despair.This isn't to say that she dismisses the advances in neuropsychology that are enabling us to effectively treat depression.Rather, she restores to our current thinking about suicide the notion that self-destruction, contemplated or realized, is an integral aspect of the human condition.

In sum, Lieberman's little book rightly belongs on the bookshelves of every doctor, psychotherapist, medical professor and student as a companion to the clinical tomes on depression and related affective disorders.It also calls out to be read by the many professionals and volunteers committed to the work of suicide prevention, from college administrators to hotline counselors.It may even provide some measure of solace to grieving family and friends who have lost a loved one to suicide. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (27)

Promising start that slumbers through the rest of the story
The "Suicide Collectors," starts out fast and interestingly enough with it's protagonist, Norman (Normal Man?), coming home to find his wife has committed suicide. This isn't unusual in this future where a plague like symptom called the Despair, has driven 90% of the world's population to suicide.
When the Collectors, dark hooded figures who mysteriously appear (it's never explained how they know when someone has committed suicide even when in the middle of nowhere) to collect the deceased, show up for Norman's wife, he blows one of their heads off. Having heard a rumor that there is a cure for the Despair, the apparently immune Norman, and his neighbor Pops (the wizened sage of the story if you are up on your Joseph Campbell, and the likeable secondary character bound to die at some point), decide to get in Pops' plane and fly from their Florida home to Seattle.
Flying across the United States their plane gets shot down over Kansas, and this is where the story goes downhill. The group that shoots their plane down is after the bounty the Collectors posted for Norman's capture, dead or alive. So, the first question is, what the hell kind of artillery is this mangy group of bikers running around with? Secondly, how hard would it have been to have traced their falling parachutes? And beginning to introduce the line of conveniences, Norman, who's never parachuted before, has a parachute that opens "automatically" for him when he jumps from the burning plane.
Now, the idea of a bounty on Norman's head making it difficult to cross the remainder of the United States is a good one. The only problem is, Norman states he doesn't care if he lives or dies, relieving any threat of what may come, and the group easily decide not to turn Norman in, after which, they have a nice campfire barbecue, and a long expositional monologue by the groups leader, the Mayor.
So, what could have been a harrowing and deadly encounter turns into a scene to demonstrate the groups admiration for Norman for having shot a Collecter, because they "never had the balls to do it." At first, the Collector's appear to be some mysterious beings, but it turns out their just other people in dark robes. They don't carry firearms, so why would anyone NOT "have the balls" to shoot one?
Having picked up another passenger, the orphaned Zero (the in need of rescue character), the group goes on their, if not merry, comfortable way.
The idea of a reward for Norman's capture is dropped, never appearing again, highlighting it's simply being a narrative device to get the characters out of the plane, and onto "The Road." Additionally, the Collector's, who possess military helicopters, airplanes, and all other forms of transport, never bother trying to capture Norman themselves.
They come across a woman who's sister, who before their eyes, is killed by a group of wild, savage kids, more animal than human. Again, the group walks away from this potential threat without a confrontation.
They encounter a seppuku cult, where the impression is given that they too, will be forced to perform this act (which is never explained to what end, or how people are selected). But again, our group easily escapes into the night, the scene used only to demonstrate another reaction to the Despair.
This lack of conflict and convenience continues through the story, and as another reviewer put it so well when Norman bust out his "magical James Bond keycard that can access any card panel and also re-programs a ship's computer to take a group of bad guys to "the north pole" and then destroys the computer so they can't change course." And this is so easily done, because for some reason, the Collector's feel no need to populate their boat, leaving it all to automatic pilot (even the docking?)
The finale is Norman and Zero arriving on the remote Bond-like island, easily making it to the Source, and destroying it.
As a fan of Apocolyptic fiction, I wanted to like this book, and gave it every chance to pick up, and read it with the continuing hope that it would pick up, that there would be some challenges for Norman other than sore feet as he walked his way across America. But the lack of conflict, both internal and external (he plods along with no great ambition, or doubt), logic, and expanse of character and plot, just never came through. Apparently, the author, after coming up with the intial premise, marrying it "The Road," failed to come up with anything strking or interesting enough to make this a compelling story.

Uncertain genre
Not sure what genre this novel was supposed to be. If it was supposed to be horror it wasn't scary, if it was supposed to be science fiction it missed the boat. It was never clear why the main character was so opposed to the people who collected the dead, nor why all of the suicides happened in the first place. Overall not a very satisfying read. The saving grace is that it isn't very long.

Excellent engrossing
One of the best books I have read in a long time. I Was engrossed from the first page and could not put it down. The book is thought provoking frightening realilistic and very visual. You related to the characters and this book had a well developed plot. I really look forward to more books by David Oppegaard.

Haunting Story That Makes You Think.
This novel was so polished and well written. I waited for six months before I bought this book, because the price was so expensive. After reading it, I am struck with how moving it was. The saying that it goes out with not a bang but a wimper really describes this book. Norman is a man who lives through an epidemic of almost everyone he knows committing suicide. The book begins with his wife's suicide, which starts off a chain of events throughout the rest of the book. They have managed to live through the despair for a few years. Norman refuses to let the collectors, which are a group of people who collect the dead, take his wife. In the process, he kills one of them. He is the only person up to this point to have done so. This starts him off on a journey to Seattle to find the cure. The central theme to this novel is hope. Norman is a ray of hope in a word that is cut off from hope. As someone who has had depression her entire life, I found this novel haunting and beautiful. It spoke to me. This is an author to watch. I gave it 4 stars because the ending was not expanded as well as I would have liked, but I understand why the ending was the way it was.

Good read!
Paradoxically, this book about mass suicide was the most fun read I've had all year. Oppegaard's style is crisp and vivid. The house covered with notes and the ending stayed with me for days! ... Read more

Product Description
The landmark investigation into suicide and society—now in a new translation

Émile Durkheim, one of the fathers of modern sociology, was the first to suggest that suicide might be as much a response to society as an act of individual despair. When he looked at social, religious, or racial groups that had high incidences of suicide, he discovered that abnormally high or low levels of social integration increase the likelihood of suicide. More than a century after its initial publication, Durkheim’s groundbreaking work continues to fascinate and challenge those seeking to understand one of the least understandable of human acts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

a clergy must-have
Quickly now, name five Biblical characters who contemplated or actually committed suicide. What does the Bible say about their actions?When did the church first denounce suicide and what was the basis of the denunciation? What are the churches' current positions on suicide?Are all suicides the same? What about persons who accept martyrdom rather than denying their faith? What about the person who commits suicide in order to spare his family the anguish and expense of lengthy terminal care?

Every pastor can expect to be asked to conduct the funeral of a suicide victim. Will she or he be ready? Unprepared pastors will be tempted to dance around the question on everyone's mind: "Why?" Although there's never a perfect answer to that question, a well informed pastor can help mourners understand the wideness of God's mercy. By collecting thirteen insightful sermons on suicide, James T. Clemons has provided a book that ought to be in every clergy person's personal library.

First published in 1989, the book is still in print and available at an affordable price. ... Read more

Product Description
Published  2002, the revised, 3rd edition ofthe bestseller "Final Exit" describes the ways in which adying person may consider hastening the end of their life if sufferingis unbearable.Laws and ethics are outlined in a straightforwardfashion.Drug dosage tables and the latest inert gas technique of'self-deliverance' are explained, with illustrations.

Bantam Dell published an updated version in April 2010, known as edition 3.1 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (76)

The Final Exit
I have a chronic illness which is getting worse.I wanted to know my options for the future. This was helpful to me.

A big help on a sensitive subject
Derek takes on this subject thoroughly - and carefully. It's important to read every single chapter. Like many people facing dire realities, the idea of self delivery is probably one of - if not the most uncomfortable. The initial temptation is to skim the book looking for "how-to's." There are several, but they are all in context with each other and more importantly in context to the entire book. So by all means scan through, but then go back and read everything from the beginning to end. This book is as helpful for the affected party is it is for loved ones also affected. I will guess that after reading, many, many people have a clearer understanding of their options and end up finding more resolve to move forward with treatment (as unpleasant as that may be -if they have that option). As a vast number of our population ages, with medical treatment extending life further than anything seen previously, we will increasingly face ethical crossroads. Whether to try to beat nature or succumb to it. Along those crossroads, we may finally be willing to ask ourselves, why we don't allow for more humane means to be legally available, for people to opt-out with dignity and self-determination. This book has several solutions, but I hope it also serves to stimulate the conversation towards changing laws allowing the medical community to legally help terminal patients, if those patients and their loved ones agree that it would be the best final exit.

Final Exit(book)
Book came quickly and in excellent condition.
GREAT BOOK -- SHOULD BE READ BY EVERYONE!!!!SO GLAD I FOUND IT.

Do it right the first time...
Whats to say about this book? It has good info on how to kill yourself or assit a friend. It is a good book well writen and if you follow it's advice you should be dead in no time at all...

This title says it all
The full title of the book says it all.It's a sort of how-to that explains the legalities and practical difficulties of "self-deliverance."It's an ongoing mystery to me why we can treat our pets better than we can treat ourselves, and this book gives a good explanation of some still-awkward ways around this. ... Read more

Product Description
Survivors of Suicide is a helping guide for those family and friends left behind when a loved one commits suicide. This newly revised edition goes into more detail about teen suicide and the help that is available. Survivors of Suicide also dispels the myths surrounding suicide, based on the latest research and interviews with leading medical experts, as well as with family and friends who have survived the suicide deaths of loved ones, and who offer support, knowledge, and comfort to other survivors.

Survivors of Suicide includes:

-Words of comfort from survivors.

-How you can help someone who loses a loved one to suicide.

-The latest medical research on depression and suicide.

-What groups are most at risk for suicide.

-Debates on the differences between euthanasia and suicide.

-Why every suicide threat should be taken seriously.

-Directory of resources for help, including on-line resources. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Expertly Written
An exceptional book written with great sensitivity.This is an informative, helpful, extremely well written book.The author has researched the subject extensively and her excellent writing is down to earth and friendly.I would highly highly recommend this book to one and all.

Title is Misleading
The title of this book, survivors of suicide, is extremely misleading.Having recently lost a sister to suicide, I bought this book to try to find some answers and/or support.Instead, reading this book made me feel more guilty and horrible then ever.A couple chapters are devoted to stories and stuff about survivors, but the majority of the book is about who is prone to suicide, how to prevent it, myths (i.e. don't ignore suicide threats)...I finished the book feeling that I was at fault for my sister's suicide.I would recommend that NO suicide survivors read this book. ... Read more

Product Description
The first book of its kind, . . . Or Not to Be offers rare insights into the lives--and deaths--of such luminaries as Vincent Van Gogh, Sylvia Plath, Diane Arbus, Jim Jones, Anne Sexton, Hermann Goering, Kurt Cobain, and Yukio Mishima, via their last letters and suicide notes.Amazon.com Review
. . . Or Not to Be is described, by its own editor, as"pornography." It's also oddly fascinating, a collection of suicidenotes by the famous, including Kurt Cobain, Vincent Van Gogh, DianeArbus, Sylvia Plath, and Virginia Woolf. Also included are poignantlast words from the utterly obscure, including an anonymous Siberianwho duly noted that "the snow will cover my footsteps," and a man whowrote "Bow wow and good-bye, Pepper," to his dog. Of particularinterest in the collection are suicide notes by DorothyParker, who survived, and Ken Kesey, who waspulling a prank on the feds. Etkind also offers much factual materialin the annotations to the many selections. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Morbidly Good
Great insight into the peak of human irrational thought. Makes your day seems so much less troublesome. If you change a few words around, the suicide letters sometimes turn into love letters.

Great Coffee Table Book
Great coffee table book for guests to start up a conversation.Also impressed with the actual number of notes and attempted notes. However I will echo other comments that the author frequently interjects his own OPINION in between writing.I put the word opinion in capital letters because his opinions are often dictated as if they were absolute fact - usually in the form of a disrespectful comment likely put in to discourage others from committing suicide.But the fact is that no one really knows what pain a person must be going through to actually go through with such a terrible act, and I found it rude that the author would frequently insult or discredit the persons last words - albeit for a noble reason; it still gets in the way. To make matters worse, there were frequent moments where I simply did not agree with Etkind's opinions which were purely subjective. In the end, after purchasing this book and reading a collection of suicide notes the only opinion that matters is that of the reader. And reading this book and forming your own educated thoughts about the subject is what reading this book should be about.....Just my two cents.

essential material in the hands of a child
Mr. Etkind handles the important material with the sophistication of a high school jock assembling a book about abortion rights. If there was any danger of other people buying this book, I would take the time to discourage them.

Fascinating subject via a horrible author
I uncovered my copy of "...or not to be" beneath some shirts on my floor and leafed through it again.What struck me the first time I read this years ago and again today was the sad fact that this fascinating subject landed in the hands of such a terrible author.How he got this published, I'll never know.

While the notes in this book are interesting by their nature, Marc Etkind's commentary displays the depth of his ignorance of suicide as well as his disdain for it.In no way does this book touch upon the psychological, philosophical complexity of suicide.His interpretations, at best, are amateurish and void of meaning.At its worst, they are condescending and cruel.Here is the last sentence of the introduction to the book, written by Etkind -

"The following collection will allow the reader to decide just how good a correspondent the suicide note-writer really is."

Um, Mr. Etkind?This isn't a book about correspondence or letter writing 101.How far off base can this guy get?In the small biography about Etkind at the end of the book, it reads, "Marc Etkind has probably read more suicide notes than anyone else.This he does for enjoyment."(Then it talks about what he does for a living)If that doesn't tell you how cavalier his approach is to suicide, I don't know what will.

Clearly, the value of this book is the notes themselves.I regret this book wasn't written by someone who actually has an interest in suicide and suicide notes rather than childish enjoyment.It could have been very informative; to get a unique view into the minds of those who left by their own hand.Even if it had been purely for entertainment, lacking serious overtones, that could have worked too.

Marc Etkind is neither serious nor entertaining.He didn't bother to mask his contempt, bias or lack of understanding about suicide and it shows.Two stars.Both for the rare and interesting subject matter.As for Marc Etkind?His enjoyment in collecting these notes is anything but enjoyable for the reader.Read the notes and the backstories, they are compelling.Skip the rest.

Interesting, but certainly not to die for
I expected better.A very thin book with very little space devoted to actual suicide notes.The introduction was written by someone who doesn't really seem to understand the suicidal mindset.There were a couple pretty interesting chapters, such as the golden gate bridge jumpers, but I'm glad I interlibrary loaned the book rather than buying it.Many of the notes are very old, like 1900-1920.One intresting quote which I will paraphrase here says that mentally healthy comfortable people don't want to write and that to want to write is a sign of mental problems.It really says something about me.I get excited just seeing a fresh notebook. ... Read more

Product Description
For the past decade, Adolescent Suicide: Assessment and Intervention has been recognized as the best and most authoritative text on this most tragic of subjects. This long-awaited second edition incorporates almost 15 years of new research and critical thinking about clinical assessment and intervention in addition to an expanded focus on prevention. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Adolescent Suicide: Assessment and Intervention
It is a wonderful book. The information provided was an opportuniy to know about suicide in adolescent. It was an excelent tool to prepare aresearch article. I reccommend without any reserve. ... Read more

Product Description
Suicide of the West by James Burnham (Hardcover - 1985) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Amazing insights into liberalism (and conservatism)
The premise of The Suicide of the West is that the West is in decline, and the decline is fueled by the rise of liberalism. Despite the strong title, most of the book is an attempt at an objective definition of liberalism. Only the beginning and end actually discuss why liberalism could potentially lead to the end of Western Civilization. Burnham doesn't believe liberalism is the cause, per se, of the decline of the West, but "that liberalism has come to be the verbal systematization of the process of Western contraction and withdrawal; that liberalism motivates and justifies the contraction and reconciles us to it." To me that sounds like a convoluted way of saying it is the cause, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

What exactly is this dangerous ideology capable of motivating the decline of Western Civilization? "Modern liberalism, which contrary to the traditional doctrine, holds that there is nothing intrinsic to the nature of man that makes it impossible for human society to achieve goals of peace, freedom, justice and well-being. Ideals that liberalism assumes to be desirable and to define "the good society." Liberalism is about optimism. Liberals believe that all men have equal civilizing potential. They hold that freedom of speech should extended to all, no matter how extreme their ideas, and that the vote of the people should always decide who is right. Liberalism believes in the potential of humankind to be raised to a state of world peace and harmony never before seen in history. Terrible and obviously suicidal, right? I didn't think so either.

The question is, do I, or indeed, do liberals really believe this? With enough education, science, technological progress, good government etc. is it possible to take humans with all our foibles and create the perfect society? What about just ending hunger? Poverty? War? Oppression? The belief that any or all of those goals are realistically achievable is actually fairly modern according to Burnham. It became popular within the last 400 or 500 years, starting with Bacon and Descartes. Before them, and others like them, achieving the perfect society wasn't the goal or ideal of government. It simply wasn't considered possible given human nature and human history. People weren't waiting on science to create an earthly paradise, they were waiting on Jesus.

If liberals believe that they should work on the noble goal of forming a perfect society, what do conservatives want? A conservative wants slow change. He prefers either to maintain the status quo or possibly even return to how things were in "the good ole' days." The basic idea is "if things work okay now, why risk the unknown potential negative implications associated with changing them? Instead, let's do everything we can to maintain what we have." Does that sound pessimistic to you? Depressing even? It does to me. Is it realistic though? Is it more rational than the liberal's constant tendency to reform? Maybe.

If a perfect society is possible, why haven't we achieved it yet? A liberal's answer is fairly simple: people are still ignorant and we still have not created the necessary social institutions to remedy the ignorance. For someone like Burnham, this is the perfect chance to lay into the ideology and, at times, succeed in making it look pretty absurd.

He does this by showing how liberalism explains away any crime committed by someone who is poor, a minority or in almost any other social situation, as a failure of society, rather than as a personal failure of the criminal. He shows that often the problems liberals are trying to solve are problems of people who have no desire to have their problems solved and how liberals, motivated by guilt, waste enormous resources trying to bring about worldwide equality.


It's hard to argue that liberalism is ALL bad, and Burnham doesn't. He cautiously concedes that liberalism has led to some societal good. Still, despite the fact that many liberal ideals are laudable, most attempts to implement them are misguided. The human condition can be improved, but you can't always convince terrorists to resort to peaceful methods for achieving their goals by negotiating with them. You can't solve hunger by sending lots of money to Africa and alas, you'll never create a perfect society by having millions of voters with diverse motivations and interests participate in a democracy. To state the root of the problem, "the liberal assumes... that men, given a knowledge of the problem and freedom to choose, will opt for peace, justice and plenty. But the facts do not bear him out either for individuals or for societies. Individuals choose, very often, trouble, pain, injury, for themselves and for others." In other words, the problem of liberalism lies in human nature as defined by history.

Most people desire life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and the social conditions necessary to optimize those rights. The question then becomes, what is the best way to achieve these conditions? An ideologist will have a ready answer to almost any problem that arises. In the case of liberalism, the solution is almost always the opposite of "conserving" tradition or the status quo. Instead, a liberal's approach is to value hope over experience and to destroy or drastically reform existing foundations and build again. Occasionally this approach leads to desirable results but, as any software developer will tell you, starting over usually isn't the best way to fix a bug.

The correct approach, Burnham would argue, is to look at each problem individually and without the lens of an ideology, liberal or otherwise. Something much easier said than done. He points out: "As a rule, a man, when his ideological lenses are shattered, is in haste to replace them with another set ground to a new prescription. The unfiltered world is not his dish of tea."

A conservative prefers renewal to reform. He advocates an "equality of legal rights" rather than striving for equality of class or condition. He opts for individual improvement over collective, patriotism over internationalism, family and community over the "bloodless abstraction" of humanity and peace over strength as the "highest social value."


Again, why is liberalism the root of the Suicide of the West? Because it values global equality over strength, global order over national order. It means that the West must stop expanding either through the spread of native ideas and truths that we hold to be inalienable as well as stopping all physical expansion such as colonialism or imperialism. Burnham argues that if we choose not to expand, we are choosing to contract. Liberalism doesn't deny this contraction, in fact it tries to reconcile us to it.

Despite being written over 45 years ago, The Suicide of the West feels fresh and remains relevant. It definitely altered my way of viewing the world and it has really caused me to take a closer look at what I know and believe.

Burnham was/is spot on!
I first read this book while in college in 1971.It's concepts and definitions have remained ingrained in my thinking since then.I revisited the book because of a conversation with my brother.I recommended that he read it-although I had forgotten the particulars of why he should read it.Since then I have reread it-especially chapter 5 which describes, point by point, exactly what Liberalism is.

I now realize that Burnham's thinking is an integral part of my own-without my remembering exactly where the thought originated.Jonah Goldberg's book, "Liberal Facism", is a history of Liberal thought through the 19th and 20th centuries, and it is the perfect followup to Burnham.

I love this book!

Timeless Observations of the Western World
The reviews that I read here are right on the mark, so I will not venture to repeat their observations.Perhaps the most salient aspect of James Burnham book is it's astute observations of human nature and its consequences in terms of economics and justice. There is no philosophizing here; Burnham provides a dispassionate description of what modern liberal democracies and there inherent vulnerabilities. Just for its descriptions on human nature and world outlook, it should be required reading if most if not all undergraduates, regardless of what field.

One of the 25 most important conservative books
Burnham began his career in political activism as a Trotskyite communistand became a very committed anti-communist. Like Buckley, Burnham, in thesixties and seventies particularly, provided intellectual fortification forthe conservative movement.

        First published in the early sixties,Suicide of the West is a withering indictment of liberalism. Far fromserving as a bulwark against communism, liberalism, Burnham shows, is theideology of Western suicide, communism in its preliminary stage. ThoughSoviet communism has collapsed, liberalism remains, and as long as it does,Suicide of the West should be read by conservatives.

Modern Liberalism Cannot Protect the West Against Communism
This book was written in 1964 but is as relevant (if not more so) today than it was when first published. Since that time, modern liberalism has moved further leftward and worldwide Communist revolutionary impulses haveonly marginally declined, notwithstanding the collapse of the Soviet Union.Red China is becoming the new Red menace and Russia is in the midst ofpotentially dangerous changes.

The very premise of this book has playedout on the world scene since its writing. The liberal approach towardsCommunism (i.e. appeasement) in the 1970s had weakened the Western resolveto contain Communism just as Burnham predicted it would. On the other hand,the 1980s demonstrated the efficacy of the opposite approach, namelymustering the will and resources to rollback Communism. And the 1990sserved to remind us all once again how ill-equipped liberalism is incontaining Communism as the Red Dragon raised its ugly head and the Beargrew restless.

Burnham spends the first two-thirds of the book describingthe liberal worldview in intellectual and moral terms. He begins by firstoutlining the major tenets of liberalism and shows from whence they arose.He then demonstrates how some of these tenets are intellectually weak dueto their internal inconsistency, mutual incompatibility, and failures inapplication.

Burnham then shifts to the moral/psychological aspect ofliberalism, specifically the role of values in liberal ideology; and thepriority that liberals give to those values. He also explains thesentiments that drive the commitment to liberalism and explains how, inmany cases, those sentiments are inconsistent with the intellectual tenetsof liberalism. He also describes the powerful role guilt plays in theliberal impulse towards egalitarianism.

Especially enlightening isBurnham's contrasting of the modern liberal with the classical liberal ofthe 19th century. He makes the comparison by showing that many of theintellectual tenets of modern liberalism are absent from the 19th centurylaissez-faire version. He also describes how and why values have beeninverted - namely that the modern liberal now esteems peace/security abovefreedom/liberty.

With the intellectual/psychological analysis ofliberalism complete, Burnham then proceeds to evaluate the threat ofCommunism to Western Civilization. His explanation of Communism's inherentdemand to achieve world dominance is superb. There is no mistaking the factthat co-existence with capitalism is simply not an option for theCommunist.

But because modern liberalism shares similar egalitarianimpulses with Communism, it is intellectually and morally weakened beforethe Red menace. In short, it is difficult to oppose Communism from theLeft. There simply is too much in common to come out in direct oppositionto its ideology. This is not to say that liberals support Communisttactics, although they have been among the Kremlin's chief apologists atvarious times (e.g. 1930s, 1960s).

Because liberals share manyegalitarian goals with Communism, they become "useful idiots" forthe world revolutionaries, whose interest it is to create instability innon-Communist countries. For example, it is now known (vis-à-vis post-ColdWar Archives) that the Soviet Union incited and exploited much of theAmerican civil unrest (1930s, 1960s) that liberal ideologues created intheir pursuit of egalitarianism. In essence, because of an overlap in theircommon goals, the Communists found the modern liberal to be a useful toolfor hastening the world revolution of the proletariat.

However, unlikeits explicit goals, liberal sentiments are actually quite disjoint from theCommunist. In fact, the differences in sentiments are what permitCommunists to use liberals to further their revolutionary goals. Forexample, the liberal's quest for peace is not the same as the Communist's.The Communist sees peace as the calm arising out of a world free ofcapitalism. It does not mean peace achieved by nation's agreeing to mutualco-existence. But the Communist finds the liberal's pursuit of"peace" useful in order to weaken the security of non-Communistnations.

So willingly or unwittingly, modern liberals, especially fromthe West, are essentially useless when it comes to halting the Communistquest to dominate and eventually overthrow non-communist systems. Theirperspective prevents them from confronting the non-rational ideologicalmenace with the only principle it understands -- force.

Only a hard-linestance (as Ronald Reagan promoted) and proactive measures will put a checkon an ideology that has world domination as its ultimate goal. This lessonhas been demonstrated once as a result of the Cold War outcome. And one canonly hope and pray that the lesson will not be forgotten. Because if it is,the West will indeed commit suicide and be delivered into the hands ofInternational Communism. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

You can go home again
John Ostrander's 80 run on the Suicide Squad was ground-breaking in it's use of realistic story lines and dark characters.When the Suicide Squad went on a mission people died.The foes were just as likely to be drug lords or terrorists as aliens or supervillains.

But more than the body count or politics, the series worked because the characters were very well realized and did not fit into comic book cliches.Two of the best were the squad's leader Amanda Waller - an angry black woman willing to do anything to accomplish her goals - and Rick Flag Jr - a straight arrow soldier trying to live up to the shadow of his WWII hero father.

Eventually Flag snapped and apparently died in a suicide mission.His death was one of the milestones of the title and a sign that no one, not even the apparent hero of the book was safe.

So I was quite leery when I heard Ostrander was returning to the squad AND bringing back Rick Flag.

But it works.And well.

There is some fudging.The 80s Suicide Squad was grounded in late-80s politics but most comic books are set in the present so their adventures now happened '5 years ago'.While Rick Flag the son of a WWII hero made sense in the 80s, in the 00s he is now Rick Flag III, a grandson. And the way Flag is returned relies on the sort of plot twist that only works in comics.It involves dinosaurs and a hot sorceress.

But once Flag is back and sparring with Waller it feels like old times.A team of mismatched, barely-controlled villains is assembled to lead an attack on a thinly-veiled version of Halliburton (including an evil boss apparently modeled on Dick Cheney).Things go disastrously wrong, with double crosses and triple crosses, people die and the survivors limp home.

Under Javier Pina's pencils the Squad has rarely looked better.

If you're a fan of the 80's version of the Squad or have always wondered what the fuss was about you should pick this up! ... Read more

Product Description
The beautiful granite of Tahquitz and Suicide Rocks in southern California is well known to climbers the world over, and many of the greatest innovators in rock climbing cut their teeth here.

Rock Climbing Tahquitz and Suicide Rocks explains the development of technical climbing in the United States and shares the secrets of more than two hundred routes on Tahquitz Rock and three hundred on Suicide Rock. In this completely updated and revised guide, you'll find information on camping in the area, approach routes, and emergency contacts. You'll also discover: more than one hundred new routes, climbing history, route ratings, pitch-by-pitch written descriptions, detailed topos and clear overview photos, protection information and gear recommendations.

Rock Climbing Tahquitz and Suicide Rocks is the indispensable guidebook to this classic climbing destination. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A considerable upgrade over the 2nd edition.
The photos and topos have been upgraded in the 3rd edition and they make it easier to find your way around.Many of the new photos are aerial shots and give excellent perspective.Much of the rest of the book is better too, with more background and better photos of climbers on the routes. ... Read more