Product Description
Too often attempted suicide leads to unintended consequences, because ignorance is deadly and desperation can be fatal. In this morally courageous book, Geo Stone sets out to diminish the lack of awareness about suicide, from the tragedy of teenage suicide to the debate over assisted suicide. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

Suicide and the issues
I felt rather spookey when ordering this book - a bit like sending off for pornography!There is also such shortage of easily available information about this topic, so relevant to the experience of everyone.As someone who suffers from periodic depression and has reflected at length at the implications of getting off the bus, this volume has brought a sense of comfort and perspective, in the most practical and reasonable manner.The human race is extraordinarily inept at looking after its own and seems unable to respond effectively to its equally extraordinary capacity for suffering, both innate and self-imposed.The author must be congratulated on successfully hitting the target with an aspect of human existence that is so controversial, difficult to grasp and in need of attention.In reading, I felt I had a friend in Mr Stone and a companion to take me through the challenges that will come along during the remainder of my time in this world.

The Power To Choose
When I was 11 years old, my brother and I were walking to our favorite swimming spot on the Colorado River. We passed through a dusty, overgrown lot where an old man had been living in his trailer. We saw him working around his car, with a tube that he'd taped to his exhaust pipe. He looked up, smiled and waved. When my bro and I were done with our swim, we walked home the same way we'd came. We noticed the old man's car running...amber smoke in the car, the long tube taped from his exhaust pipe to the rear window...his head was leaning against the passenger window. We knew then that he'd killed himself.
The thing that strikes me about that memory is the peace that I saw in the old guy's face prior to his making his exit. He wasn't obviously tormented - he looked happily resolved. And if my life was deteriorating in an uncomfortable and irreversible way for myself, I'd like to think I have the backbone to go ahead and pull the plug like he did. Why is there so much stigma attached to this act? I guess the key word here is "irreversible". Some dire situations, certain emotional pains - seem to have no end, so suicide appears to be the best solution to some people...in the moment. If they'd just work through the pain of a temporary situation...they can go on to a happier existence. Is this a dangerous book for people at that threshold? My life partner reacted badly to the mere idea of my owning this book, and brought that point up. I reminded him that he and I come from a generation that was used to hiding all the smut and dirty little details of reality...the new generation is the "Information Age". If a person really wants to learn how to do something, they can research it on the net and forums dedicated to certain controversial topics. But this book DISSUADES someone from making a foolhardy gesture - going into detail about the consequences (pain/crippling) of certain common methods of trying to "dispatch" oneself. It's presented in a very realistic, responsible way. If I had to lose my entire library and only keep one book - this would be the one book that I would keep - tucked safely under my arm - as a valuable reference for the moment I might need it in the (hopefully distant) future. Throughout the tumultuous journey that is life, I find great comfort in having my guidebook, my "map", of how to gracefully, and with dignity, be able to find my final resting place - should I need it.

XXX...As a final note to this review; I found out later that the old man my brother and I saw commit suicide had been pining for his life-long sweetheart, who had died the previous year...in addition to facing grave health problems of his own. I used to go into his abandoned trailer to play "Go-Fish" with my little friends, and never felt weird about what I'd witnessed. I felt like he would have welcomed me being there.
I wish people would start giving up their fear of death in our narrow-minded little western society. Other, comparitively primitive societies have much healthier and more realistic attitudes than we do.

Geo Stoned, more like.
Whenever I feel helples and awfull (which is SO offen) I look up at the stars and wonder why, GOD, did you put me on this earth to suffar?I suffar SO MUCH!i just want to thank you, geo, for helping poeple liek us (the depresed) realize that there is really so little to live for.i might as well die.geo... i'll shake your hand in hevven!i <3 <3 <3 geo!

i have never read this book.

Geo's Tome
This does not help anyone. Everyone around me is committing suicide to this book. It's awful... awfully good... awfully good to die to.

Kill me if I pay this much for a book!
Anyone who pays a thousand bucks for a $20 book deserves to die.Give me a break! ... Read more

Product Description
Deadpool's latest job has gotten him into a world of trouble. Everyone wants a piece of him - and for a crime he didn't commit! That's right: Someone's framed Deadpool, and it just might be the same guy who hired him in the first place, a guy who just might be using the mouthy merc as a wild card in a twisted wager. If Wade's going to clear his name and serve up some revenge, he's first got to avoid getting captured - or killed - by some of the Marvel Universe's heaviest hitters: Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man. Plus, see what happens when Deadpool goes behind the scenes of "Pain Factor" - the reality TV game show so controversial, it's been banned around the world! Collects Deadpool: Suicide Kings #1-5 and Deadpool: Games of Death. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

My Favourite TPB
Suicide Kings is definitely my favourite TPB. The art is amazingly gorgeous, the action had me on the edge of my seat and my jaw down on the floor, and Deadpool's antics were in full swing.

No, Suicide Kings is not particularly focused on comedy- although there are plenty of moments to be had. It instead puts the emphasis on the action, and certainly delivers.

A great mini-series featuring the Punisher, Daredevil, and Spider-Man for an all around great time.

All-around superb!
Deadpool is back and his antics are as funny as they ever were.Pairing up with the likes of Daredevil, Iron Man, and even Spider-Man, the witty dialogue and thrilling action comes at the reader in rapid succession without overwhelming.The frequent Deadpool asides fail to derail the cohesion of the story, which makes it quite uncomplicated without pandering to a simple audience.Filled to the brim with bon mots, hilarious one-liners, and fantastic artwork, Suicide Kings is sure to satisfy any and all Deadpool fans who manage to get a copy in their hands.Highly recommended for even the most stoic of comic fans, as I can guarantee that you will find at least one thing worth chortling over.

Good book for a great character.
If you enjoy comedy, action, and wackiness, Deadpool is the comic book character for you.Suicide Kings is great for anyone who enjoys the comedic side of Deadpool or for those who enjoyed the UDON run of the character.And guest appearances by Punisher, Daredevil,Spiderman, and many more, make this a fun read for comic fans.

Excellent Deadpool mini series.
The title pretty much says it all. But this is a great read if you're a Deadpool fan. And it has some awesome appearances by Spiderman, The Punisher, and Daredevil. This comic isn't AS funny as "Deadpool Vol 1. Secret Invasion" But it still has some funny moments, especially one dream sequence, it's just hilarious. The art is great too. It's the same artist from "Secret Invasion" which I thought had amazing art.

-The cover amazon has listed isn't right. It's Deadpool holding a teddy bear with bullet holes in it. Not that big of a deal, but I thought I'd just let people know. ... Read more

Product Description
Jean Amry (Auschwitz survivor and author of At the Mind's Limits) thought of On Suicide as a continuation of the kind of reflections on mortality he had laid down in On Aging. But here he probes further and more deeply into the meaning of death and into the human capacity for suicide or voluntary death. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

On Suicide: A Discourse on Voluntary Death
There are other options, other possibilities. If you like this book, you will probably like the poetry of Sylvia Plath (I do) - although defined by her suicide attempts and her final "success" - it has meant that Plath's work has been mostly "defined" by her actions, rather than letting the work define itself - so this has limited the potential reading of her workand has limited the reader's perspectives of it , which is a real shame.If all roads lead to loss of life through choice, then you have not looked at other routes. I would urge readers to look at this as just an intellectual debate, rather than as a self justification for self-annihilation/destruction. Suicide is selfish, no matter how you dress it up. It is the ultimate selfish act. There is always hope, it is just sometimes very hard to see - something worth remembering when reading this book. Life is a choice and it is hard work - but there are benefits longer term. Don't give up, you are needed here - you might not really believe it but you are. You have yet more to achieve.

The Kirkus Review is not-so accurate. But still...
It could be worse, like the hatchet job below that prompted me to write this. First things first: anyone who is pretentious/affectatious enough to quote Nietzsche solely in his original German- a quote that is all the more obscure for its reference to 'Seneca and his ilk,' (the title) and its borrowing of a Latin coin of phrase- has already demonstrated his bad faith. I'm talking about the next reviewer. You see; he's not assuming that you will posses a working knowledge of German so that you will catch his all-too-coy reference. He simply wants to intimidate you with his high and mighty linguistic flourishes. "I CAN QUOTE NIETZSCHE IN THE ORIGINAL AREN"T I SO FRIKKIN SMART NOW YOU HAVE TO SUBSCRIBE TO MY INTELLECTUAL OPINIONS!!! He seems to scream.

He comes not to discuss but to brag and condescend- he doesn't give an accurate rendering of Amery's book, he merely reveals the depths of his own extremely beknighted 'Weltanshaaung.' Here is the translation of said piece, from "The Joyful Science," (a wonderful book and one deserving of a better reader) It is the 34th song,

"They write and write their intolerably sagacious Larifari,
As if it 'gaelt primum scribere,
Deinde philosophari.' (meaning 'first to write then to philosophize.')

IMHO, the statement applies far more readily to the reviewer employing it than the book he reviews. Yes, Amery attempted suicide before writing this and then ended up succeeding some time after. Yes, Amery does employ a pseudo-existentialist vocabulary in order to make sense of his predicament. But he has no pretense that he speaks for mankind. He simply dislikes the various ways in which society seeks to make sense/marginalize/cure the phenomenon of suicide, and he espouses a different tact, in understanding it. He believes that the act is one a person can approach and commit with dignity and clear-mindedness. Make what you will of that. It calls to mind the opening chapter of Camus, "The Myth of Sisyphus," which is, at heart, another mediation on suicide, albeit from a different perspective again.

His suicide in no means destroys or stains his observations and ideas. I have all three of Amery's books, and I unhesitatingly recommend each one. I'm not planning on killing myself, and my feelings on the subject are ambivalent. Still, I find J. Amery to be refreshingly clear, immediate and concise. He avoids jargoneering and tendentiousness, and never stoops to pathos. He writes in a persuasive and at times subtly humorous fashion. He isn't trying to get the world to kill itself en masse, and he's not trying to get your child to put its head in an oven. He simply wants to discuss and examine, as objectively as possible (though he admits that it is not) the idea that life (under certain conditions) may not be worth living. This is one of the few books on suicide that actually had a great deal of profundity. Worth the read.

The third reviewer is also spot-on... I would also recommend A. Alvarez' "The Savage God," for a book that seeks to confront artistic self-destruction, among other things. "In Darkness," by James A. Wechsler is another book that approaches the phenomena from a familial point of view.

how suicide actually feels...
Finding myself an unwilling survivor of suicide in 1991, I resigned myself to making a more strenuous effort. At the same time, I began a rigorous study of the literature of suicide in order to gain some understanding of what I found happening to me. The situation was simply bizarre beyond words.

Subsequently, I have plowed through mountains of "expert" opinion and sampled all the various available treatments with the unavoidable conclusion that no one can help me understand what is happening. And I really ought to finish my suicide before madness incapacitates me. The urgency is extreme.

Here the author at least exposes the missteps of psychotherapy with regard to suicide in such a frank and compassionate way that I finally have some semblance of hope that I can make my peace with the problem. Here is a human who has thrust himself beyond the edge of life and was involuntarily thrust back into it. So he knows what he's talking about. And his manner of discussion is so soothing and articulate and artistic that it reintroduces some dignity into my own life that has been cast aside, even by myself, as a horrific failure. Yes, dignity at least appears to become resurrected as a possibility to me now.

And the friendly talk here is infinitely satisfying on so many different intimately personal levels. The author's experience is one that comforts by way of confirming the unspeakable fact that we who long to die are NOT really mad. We would not REALLY want to die if the world were really a sane place. And he scratches a possibility of hope onto the surface of the world that says--Let those of us who know this feeling reach out in sane comfort to each other. No particular way...just some way. Not much sanity...just a little...just enough to get by on.

And that's precisely what I'm doing with this review. I am bearing witness that this man knows how suicide feels...so that his words have substance and profound depth and comfort.


October 11, 2010 update:

I am pleased to offer these books as useful tools:

The Rise and Fall of Soul and Self: An Intellectual History of Personal Identity

Consciousness: The Science of Subjectivity

Inner Presence: Consciousness as a Biological Phenomenon

The Pleasure Instinct: Why We Crave Adventure, Chocolate, Pheromones, and Music

The Brain and the Meaning of Life

This last book makes all the necessary connections. It may be difficult to obtain the background information necessary to a good understanding of how the brain works. I can tell you that the effort needed is worth making.

Good luck with your own efforts.
... Read more

Product Description
Societal Suicide is a cultural-racial analysis of the enduring legacy called Animus Americana, which affects the psyche of Mexicans in the United States, specifically Los Angeles. This work is a compilation of factors, experiences, and realities that make a person suicidal both from a societal and familial perspective. This timely and deeply personal exploration into the roots of suicidal tendencies in Mexicans living in the United States is a revealing study of culture, assimilation, social pressures, and identity. ... Read more

Product Description

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

Product Description
After a Parent’s Suicide: Helping Children Heal focuses on how to help children and teens in the aftermath of a parent’s suicide.The book provides an overview of current thinking/research on suicide and explores the increased risk of mental health issues for child survivors.In addition to information about how children grieve at different developmental levels, it also offers comfort to the bereaved, specific coping strategies for families facing this trauma, and insight into what promotes resiliency. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

After a parent suicide.
Excellent book....I have three grandchildren ages 12, 11 and 9...there father commited suicide and this book gave us great insight on how to handle each child.The book also is great because the stories help them to understand that so many children have gone through the same tragedy.

A must read!
After A Parent's Suicide is an easy and comforting read for anyone dealing with the loss of a loved one to suicide. Requarth helps answer the question "What to say to the kids?" and offers helpful information on how to explain suicide to children. The author clearly describes the grieving process of children and adolescents and provides tips on how to help them cope.Crossing 13

Wonderful Resource
As a nurse, a survivor of the loss of my son by suicide and facilitator of a survivor of suicide loss support group for the last 15 years, I find this book one of the best I have found over the years. It is beautifully written and is an excellent resource, especially for helping children deal with the death of a parent by suicide.It is also an excellent resource for anyone dealing with any loss of a loved one by suicide, be it parent, child, sibling, spouse, partner, friend.The author through her own personal loss of a parent by suicide and her professional experience of many years as a Marriage and Family Therapist, has written a gem to assist people move through the grief and devastation of a suicide death.I highly recommend the book for parents, mental health professionals, support group facilitators, educators, clergy, caregivers and friends.

Long awaited help for surviving parents.
This book is just what the caregiver of a child, who has lost one of the most important people in their life, needs. I know this because I lost my husband to suicide when my kids were very young.There are so many questions that we must be prepared to answer, often at the least expected moment.The stories are compelling and give insight to what a child may experience at every age. Ms. Requarth's background in grief therapy, woven with her own personal struggle growing up without her birthmother, make this a truly unique guide for navigating the shoals of childhood and adolescence in the aftermath of a parent's suicide.I am particularly pleased that the author aptly addresses the feelings and needs of the surviving parent. ... Read more

Product Description
If it weren't for mitochondria, scientists argue, we'd all still be single-celled bacteria. Indeed, these tiny structures inside our cells are important beyond imagining. Without mitochondria, we would have no cell suicide, no sculpting of embryonic shape, no sexes, no menopause, no aging.
In this fascinating and thought-provoking book, Nick Lane brings together the latest research in this exciting field to show how our growing insight into mitochondria has shed light on how complex life evolved, why sex arose (why don't we just bud?), and why we age and die. These findings are of fundamental importance, both in understanding life on Earth, but also in controlling our own illnesses, and delaying our degeneration and death. Readers learn that two billion years ago, mitochondria were probably bacteria living independent lives and that their capture within larger cells was a turning point in the evolution of life, enabling the development of complex organisms. Lane describes how mitochondria have their own DNA and that its genes mutate much faster than those in the nucleus. This high mutation rate lies behind our aging and certain congenital diseases. The latest research suggests that mitochondria play a key role in degenerative diseases such as cancer. We also discover that mitochondrial DNA is passed down almost exclusively via the female line. That's why it has been used by some researchers to trace human ancestry daughter-to-mother, to "Mitochondrial Eve," giving us vital information about our evolutionary history.
Written by Nick Lane, a rising star in popular science, Power, Sex, Suicide is the first book for general readers on the nature and function of these tiny, yet fascinating structures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

Interesting overview of current theories
This is the second book by Lane that I've read (the first was Oxygen, the Molecule that Made the World), and I've found both to be informative and easy to read for someone with a technical, but not intensive, knowledge in the subject material.He covers the history of molecular biochemistry and evolutionary theory with great clarity.Lane does have a tendency to "lead you down the garden path" with a fascinating theory, only to show why it's probably wrong.I have a disproportionate number of bookmarks on my Kindle for his books, because I'm always marking passages to find that they are only a preamble, not a conclusion.After setting up and knocking down a variety of straw man arguments, he tends to nicely pull together the disparate bits and pieces of theory to give a cogent overall summation.For example, he discusses the theories regarding the evolution of eukaryotes and makes a final good case for the Hydrogen hypothesis.He does a good job of not making claims with adamantine certitude and offers his opinions as opinions, leaving pointers for the reader to further research a topic and make his or her own judgement.Overall, an excellent read for scientifically minded lay readers who do not have a degree in biochemistry and the ability to wade through the scientific journals on their own.

very interesting
Full of extremely interesting information and easy to read. It was a very fun read that deals with a very thoughtprovoking topic. I read this after reading "What Is Life?" by Lynn Margulis and Dorion Sagan, reading both together helped me understand each more.

Excellent, thorough, fascinating account.
This is a impressive book: it is very clear and well-written, extremely wide-ranging, provocative and thought-provoking and provides detailed information on an absolutely fascinating subject. I would recommend it to scientists who are not experts on microbiology, as well as to lay readers. It manages to live up to the high standards set by Lane's other wonderful book, Oxygen.

Excellent overall
This is a very good book on the mechanics of life. The author does an excellent job of explaining the the fundamentals of how we work at a chemical level. He writes in a very clear but sometimes lackluster style (given the obvious "affection" he has for the material). Plus he occassionally repeats the same point in consecutive sentences, which often made me feel like I was "fighting" this book.

One other item that the author probably had no control over: the print (in the paperback edition at least) was tiny. I'm 40 with pretty good vision, but still occassionally had to put this down for a few minutes to get my eyes to focus again.

One of the very best biology books
This is an earlier book (2005) by the author of "Life Ascending" (2009). I read it because I liked "Life Ascending" so much. This one expands on the role of mitochondria, and is full of amazing stuff I didn't know. I read a lot of biology, evolution, and genetics and this is definitely one of the very best. Lane keeps up with the very latest research, which I wouldn't be able to understand, and weaves it into a coherent story of our best current understanding of what life is and how it works. Highest recommendation. I have just started reading his even earlier book "Oxygen" (2002). ... 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
Includes a new Afterword

Finalist for the Council on Foreign Relations Arthur Ross Book Award

One of the world’s foremost authorities on the subject of suicide terrorism, the esteemed political scientist Robert Pape has created the first comprehensive database of every suicide terrorist attack in the world from 1980 until today. In Dying to Win, Pape provides a groundbreaking demographic profile of modern suicide terrorist attackers–and his findings offer a powerful counterpoint to what we now accept as conventional wisdom on the topic. He also examines the early practitioners of this guerrilla tactic, including the ancient Jewish Zealots, who in A.D. 66 wished to liberate themselves from Roman occupation; the Ismaili Assassins, a Shi’ite Muslim sect in northern Iran in the eleventh and twelfth centuries; World War II’s Japanese kamikaze pilots, three thousand of whom crashed into U.S. naval vessels; and the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, a secular, Marxist-Leninist organization responsible for more suicide terrorist attacks than any other group in history.

Dying to Win is a startling work of analysis grounded in fact, not politics, that recommends concrete ways for states to fight and prevent terrorist attacks now. Transcending speculation with systematic scholarship, this is one of the most important studies of the terrorist threat to the United States and its allies since 9/11.

“Invaluable . . . gives Americans an urgently needed basis for devising a strategy to defeat Osama bin Laden and other Islamist militants.”
–Michael Scheuer, author of Imperial Hubris

“Provocative . . . Pape wants to change the way you think about suicide bombings and explain why they are on the rise.”
–Henry Schuster, CNN.com

“Enlightening . . . sheds interesting light on a phenomenon often mistakenly believed to be restricted to the Middle East.”
–The Washington Post Book World

“Brilliant.”
–Peter Bergen, author of Holy War, Inc. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (53)

Insightful study of suicide terrorism, but not wholly convincing
"Dying to Win" is the catchy title of Robert A. Pape's thorough study of suicide terrorism and its background. By compiling and making use of a large number of statistics about suicide attacks as a method of terrorism and/or warfare by non-state actors, Pape has been able to draw some important and significant conclusions about the background and meaning of this phenomenon. Most importantly, he emphasizes that 1) suicide terrorism is not specifically a product of Islam; 2) it is not undertaken, even in majority-muslim countries, mainly by the most intensely religious; 3) it correlates not with religious fundamentalism, but with nationalist movements against foreign occupation and oppression. Based on these facts, and analysis of the biographies of major suicide terrorists and their organizations, Pape suggests that we should see the phenomenon as the final weapon of choice of nationalist organizations. Although often using religious differentiation as a source of nationalist ideology and recruitment, these essentially nationalist groups are very weak against the military power of their opponents and are forced to choose this method to do maximum damage or simply give up. As a result, the average suicide bomber, if there is such a thing, fits not the profile of the crazy loon or the suicidal loner, but rather the profile of the educated working class or professional lower middle class political activist - in other words, the constituency of virtually any broad political movement, in particular left-wing ones.

Pape makes his case well and much of it is highly convincing. It is especially important to disprove the notion that suicide terrorism is an entirely new phenomenon and that it is 100% correlative with fundamentalist Islam. In fact, as Pape shows, in the suicide terrorism campaign against the Israeli occupation of South Lebanon in the early 1980s, a majority of the actual volunteers were from left-wing organizations and secular backgrounds, even though Lebanon is a (small) majority muslim country. As the author's dissections of the known biographical facts about suicide bombers show, it is not possible beforehand to estimate who will become a suicide bomber, nor is there usually some major trauma or event that causes them to 'switch' to a willingness to give up their life for the cause. This makes any counterinsurgent strategy based on the notion that one can identify and eliminate suicide bombers before they undertake the attack completely pointless, and it greatly limits the use of profiling for security reasons.

Not all of the book is entirely persuasive, however. Although I think Pape is right that suicide bombing is an ultimate weapon of the weak in national liberation struggles (or ones seen as such), it is a bit of a stretch to fit Al Qaeda into a 'nationalist' pattern. Pape notes that the point of Al Qaeda is precisely to unite the different local sunni Islamist struggles in the respective countries of the Middle East and North Africa, but the pan-Arabism and pan-Islamism of Al Qaeda have only very weak support and cannot really count as coherent and popular enough to work on behalf of a sunni Arab 'nation' at this time. What is also interesting in that context is that Pape ignores entirely the small suicide bombing campaign of the Turkish Communist group DHKP-C, which had already started its suicide bombings before the first edition of this work was published (so presumably was known) and which explicitly profiles itself as opposed to Turkish nationalism. I think therefore that a better framework, although very similar, is to see it not as a weapon of nationalism as such but more broadly anti-imperialism. That allows it to include not just direct perceived occupation and oppression by a foreign entity, as in the case of Palestine or the Tamils, but also campaigns where the issue is not a nation-state to be but rather a sense that an existing nation is being controlled by foreign imperial entities (as in the Turkish case) or a multiplicity of nations are made puppets in this way (as for Al Qaeda). This preserves Pape's basic framework, which seems to me correct, but I think increases its explanatory power.

The last chapter contains a series of recommendations for American national security strategy based on Pape's analysis. This is an odd mixture of the wise and the foolish. The author very sensibly underlines the importance of withdrawing as much as possible all American combat troops from the greater Middle East, because they are the number one cause of resentment against America in the nations where suicide bombers disproportionately come from - it is much more rare to see them from nations which do not have American troops on them. At the same time, however, Pape does not at all mention American support for Israel, which surely is about equal a source of irritation in that part of the world; even if it does not immediately produce suicide bombers the way American 'occupation' does, it surely greatly increases the appeal of Islamism and nationalism generally and aimed against America in particular. This is all the more true since the United States otherwise is acceptably popular in the Middle East, because of the relative freedom of its citizens and laws compared to their own. Since Pape is a student of John Mearsheimer, one would expect the 'Israel connection' to not be overlooked. It also strikes me as rather bizarre that Pape stresses the importance of building border walls and stricter immigration controls in the United States itself as a short-term solution against the already existing terrorists-to-be. His own book exactly makes it clear that one cannot predict or profile a suicide attacker with any real meaning, all the more since neither socio-economic background nor religious affiliation of itself can be succesfully used for this purpose. At most one could 'profile' relatively well-educated working class people from the Middle East and other war zones, but there are so many people who potentially fall in this category that only a complete shutdown of tourist visas and the like could have the desired effect, and the cure would be much worse than the disease. In any case it may be the somewhat dubious nature of the last chapter is because the author sees it as his task to formulate a strategy to "defend America's core interests" in it, such as occupying nations in order to safeguard the flow of oil to the United States, whereas I have no interest whatsoever in defending 'America's interests' or those of any other nation (in fact, it is by no means clear that nations actually have interests).

This is an excellent and must-read analysis of the nature and background of suicide terrorism since 1980, but one would do well to take the author's conclusions somewhat skeptically.

Solid research, warped conclusions
Now that Tamil war is over, who else is doing suicide attacks other than Islamic bombers? Nobody. Also, if suicide attacks are all about removing occupying forces, please explain the spate of Taliban attacks in Pakistan in fall 2009. This book's argument is dated and wrong headed. With regard to NY Times article of 10/15/09, how can the US fight cave dwelling Taliban/AQ fighters from the sea and air only, and not the ground? Research seems valid, but to call suicide terror logical is warped. Effective maybe in the short term, self-defeating for sure. Logical, no way. All who have tried are losers. Just ask the Kamikazes or Tamil Tigers.

Good study but hardly all the answer
I thought this book was a good study but some of his arguments overstated.

What the writer did was make a database of suicide attacks. He then analysied them to make a pattern. This is a form of analysis that I do like. His results, I found surprising.

The writer's argument is that suicide terrorism is a weapon in the arsenal of many organisations. That suicide terrorists are not a malcontent. Finally the tactic is developed by a weak force to fight back.

He identifies three main conditions that encourage suicide terrorism. The region is perceived as occupied, that this perceived occupying power is a democracy and this perceived occupying power has a different religion.

His definition of occupied is if it is perceived that existing government in an area would not survive if not for another power, then that power is the occupying one. An example would be say you thought the Iraq government only survives because of the US, then US is to you the occupying power in Iraq.

He further argues that most suicide terrorism are not Islam and that such attacks to continue need popular support from the locals.

Finally the writer is dubious on whether suicide attacks as a strategy works. When he goes though all the so-called successes that this tactic is suppose to have gained, he found it accomplished little.

The book certainly gave me much food for thought but I do agree with much. However one advantage I have is that I am reading this book in 2009, so I have more data then he does to examine.

Since he did his study, we have seen in the West suicide bombing in London and Bali. Neither which fit into his theories as neither London nor Bali is under foreign rule.

I found his discussion on Al-Qaedabeing motivated by US troops in Saudi Arabia because they are an occupying power doubtful. If all US troops there which are not many suddenly left the Arabian government there, I doubt the government there would fall.

Nor is it as clear-cut as he suggests that suicide attackers are not malcontents.A recent US 2007 study in Afghanistan found that 80% of the suicide attackers there had physical or mental disability. Most came from a poor part of society. Nor are they there admired by their society.

A French film-maker who recently interviewed many failed suicide attackers and their families reported that they were generally young people with many complexes, including an inferiority complexes. They lacked developed personality and were impressionable idealists. They constantly battle against their own death anxiety. He felt they were principally motivated by religious conviction.

Of course there are conflicting studies and his examples of such people are valid

Finally I do not agree with his solution of withdrawing troops. These troops do encourage suicide actions but they also do much good. In fact, the only example he shows of a non-Muslim organization the Tamil Tiger that practiced this tactic was defeated by a massive assault of the Sri Lankan military. Later in Iraq much of these suicide attacks were reduced by the US surge. Similarly in Israel most of these attacks were stopped by a combination of fences, police and military assaults.

Having said this, I still feel it is a good book with many good points one that I hope politicians thinking of sending troops into a region will consider.

If updated for 4 years of events since Pape wrote it...
[...]
For those not inclined to read the article above, entitled "Obama's Inheritance: Al-Qaeda in Retreat", it details the al-Qaida leaders eliminated in the course of the Bush administrations much maligned and misnamed "war on terror" and the fall in popular support for al-Qaeda and Muslim extremism in Islamic countries and populations. The results? Not only have many of al-Qaeda's leaders met their virgins, many of those who remained in the jihadist movement and much support has turned against the organization. Popular opinion in most of the Middle East has dramatically turned against jihadism, extremist Wassabism, and life under fundamentalist Sharia law.

Pape's thesis is that the presence of foreign troops fuels nationalism, manifested as suicidal terrorist jihadism in Muslim nations. He specifically cites Israel's occupation of Lebanon and the US presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also included in his analysis is the Tamil Tiger movement in Sri Lanka, which appears oddly anomalous and gratuitous, as the only non-Muslim organization practicing suicide terrorism in modern times. Its inclusion against the multitude of Islamic extremist groups employing suicide terrorism seems only intended to show that suicide terrorism is not a uniquely Muslim pathology. Ironically, the Tamil Tigers lonely anomalous example seems to prove the opposite.

The evidence of the last 4 years drastically undercuts that thesis. US troops are still in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet the level of resentment that, according to Pape, should result from occupation (the presence of infidels in the Umma al-Islam), has subsided. Iraq under Nouri al-Maliki has stabilized. And even the Tamil Tigers are now defeated and Sri Lanka is peaceful.

Hindsight is 20/20, and Pape's thesis would have appeared far more plausible from the vantage point of 2005 than it does at present. That's why I give the book 2 stars.

Pape's inclusion of the ancient Israeli Sicarii of the 1st centuries BC and AD, along with Japanese Kamikaze from WW2 and the Shiite Ismaili (Assasins) of the 11th century as examples of pre-cursor suicide terrorist movements seems gratuitous. What do an ancient movements with no modern antecedents have to do with the thesis, except that this group was Israeli? It seems only to serve as a device to morally stain modern Israel and Jews as equally susceptible to the same tactics used so ubiquitously by their Muslim extremist enemies.

For that reason, I believe, as some allege in these reviews, that Pape's analysis is deliberately skewed and conclusion is reached to prove a preconceived notion about occupation, especially with regard to American and Israeli policies in the Middle East. It tinges the analysis with the whiff of anti-semitism, since the historical background in the preface seems of little purpose in the service of proving his thesis. However, it is not provable that Pape has that preconception.

Even if Pape is guilty of designing his analysis to fit preconceptions, "Dying to Win" can be viewed as a plausible historical analysis and thesis. Nonetheless, in light of subsequent events, the book should be close to discredited today.

Understand What Terrorism is...
This book has brought an enormous amount of understanding to the true causes of terrorism around the world. This book is a must read for anyone wishing to write or understand these problems from an intellectual position. ... Read more

Product Description
On Halloween 2002, Jan Andersen’s 20-year-old son Kristian found a permanent solution to his misery. Suicide.He wrote two suicide notes, took an overdose of Heroin and died on Friday 1 November 2002. Chasing Death attempts to put candid, but heartrending words to the often incommunicable pain that the surviving families endure, not only through the telling of Kristian’s story, but through the experiences of other families mourning the loss of a child, stepchild, grandchild, sibling, friend or relative to suicide.Although this book will break your heart, it will also provide solace to other child suicide grievers in knowing that their thoughts and feelings are normal and that they are not alone, in addition to being helpful to anyone who has lost a child or has been bereaved in any way. This book clearly demonstrates how debilitating the grief can be and how it can still cripple a survivor, ten, twenty, thirty and even forty years or more after the event.The audience for Chasing Death extends beyond grieving families and those who deal with them and will provide a compelling, touching and enlightening read for anyone interested in emotional true life stories. It will also help people respond with greater understanding and sensitivity to the surviving families’ grief. ... Read more

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When you just don't know where to turn
Jan Andersen has written abeautiful, compassionate book that will help those who have suffered the loss of a child to suicide see that they are not alone in their hurt or anger.
For those of us standing by watching,Chasing Death: Losing a Child to Suicide not knowing what to say, read it, please.
It will make you grateful for what you have; mourn the many who have been lost; weep for those left behind and understand a little more, how fleeting and delicate the lives of those we love can be. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (7)

This is the book I was looking for.
If you were a child when you lost a parent to Suicide this book will be a great help to you.It talks about how suicide effects children as young as toddlers.The book is divided by the age the child was when they lost their parent.

Very Informative
This book is very informative.I would highly recommend it to children that are left behind.The stories in the book are very relatable and give one insight into this difficult subject.

Sons and Daughters of Suicide Speak Out
This book is a manual, a dissection of the anatomy of a most painful, shameful, silent trauma, which affects generations--suicide. I cannot imagine a book that would be more challenging to read and, at the same time, as healing. The validation of thoughts, memories and experiences has given me the courage to speak to my own family members.

Judy Fox and Mia Roldan have studied suicides from the years before the suicide through the years beyond. Their book is written from the voices of those who have experienced it their own lives, engaging the devastation of silence--speaking out is a way to break the cycle.

As a survivor of my own suicide attempts, my parents' attempts and a family member who succeeded in the suicide, I found that Voices of Strength tells the stories that have been unsaid. The book offers suggestions for survivors, clergy, therapists, family members, friends and those that may be facing the thought that suicide is an option. Judy and Mia end the book to say, "This book is one of our ways of creating something positive from our own tragic events." Speaking out is a way to break the cycle.

I recommend this book to anyone who has been affected by suicide.

by Carol Waid
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

Thoughtful and Useful Book
Voices of Strength, Sons and Daughters of Suicide Speak Out fills a void in the literature available for the survivor of suicide community.As a 15 year survivor of my father's suicide, I found this book revealing as I learned new things myself from the commonalities and experiences of others described.The survivor stories, combined with practical and professional input from both Judy and Mia and others make this book a great resource for a diverse audience including survivors, families, friends, mental health professionals, medical professionals and anyone with an interest in learning more.I strongly recommend it.

Exceptional Resource for Survivors of a Parent's Suicide
Having read many books on the subject of suicide since my mother's suicide over 19 years ago, I can say, without hesitation, that "Voices of Stength" is an exceptional resource. I was particularly touched by themulti-dimensional and comprehensive treatment of the experiences shared by surviving sons and daughters. I noted so many parallels in the tender feelings that I experienced and continue to experience at times. It is also heart-warming to know, as Mia and Judy have so ably demonstrated, that we can not only heal from our grief, but also thrive and live with joy again! ... Read more

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Product Description
Detective Sergeant Lloyd Hopkins is the most brilliant homicide detective in the Los Angeles Police Department and one of its most troubled. In his obsessive mission to protect the innocent, there is no line he won’t cross. Estranged from his wife and daughters and on the verge of being drummed out of the department for his transgressions, Hopkins is assigned to investigate a series of bloody bank robberies. As the violence escalates and the case becomes ever more vicious, Hopkins will be forced to cross the line once again to stop a maniac on a murder binge. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Suicide Hill
Loved this early (1980s) Ellroy novel. A recommend especially if you are an Ellroy fan.

suicide hill - best of three
I read this as the last of three in the paperback edition of the Lloyd Hopkins series, and found it the best - unusual, since at that stage, one can normally see through the plot and the characters. The Llloyd Hopkins character in the first two books, particularly the first, seems a little unreal, but in Suicide Hill he has graduated to semi vetera nstatus, and his hard man view on life is more plausible. Also, the plot has some unusual twists and turns, and actually keeps you riveted right to the end - unlike the earlier two, where you can see the end of the plot from several chapters earlier.
As usual, all of the sleazy underside of LA is well exposed, along with its hip language and slick turns of phrase - to the degree that Ellroy can well assume the mantle of a latter day Dashiel Hammett. The bad guy characters are a little more developed and more believable than in the earlier Hopkins novels, particularly the relationship between the Garcia brothers, which generates a degree of empathy for real life brothers.
Worth reading - but do read the first two in the trilogy, just to save the best till last ... 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

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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

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Suicide attacks are the definitive form of terrorism. More than any other terrorist tactic, they convey the ruthless willingness of present day terrorists to kill themselves for killing others. Since September 11, 2001 the number of suicide attacks around the world has risen dramatically, causing on average far more fatalities per attack than other forms of terrorism.

What drives a person to kill himself for killing others, in the name of a political or religious cause? This book is the first to report a series of studies in which failed suicide bombers and organizers of suicide attacks were subjected to systematic clinical psychological interviews and tests and were compared to non-suicide terrorists. This direct psychological examination enabled a first-hand assessment of the personality characteristics and motivation of suicide bombers. Additional interviews conducted by seasoned area specialists provided a comprehensive picture of the ways by which the suicide bombers were recruited, prepared and dispatched to their planned death, as well as how they felt and behaved along this road. This information was supplemented by data derived from interviews with the families of suicide bombers who died carrying out their attacks.

The psychological makeup of suicide terrorists is put into context in other chapters of the book, so as to provide an inclusive understanding of this phenomenon, which takes into account public atmosphere and the ways in which terrorist groups influence the suicide candidates. The book examines the characteristics of suicide terrorists in light of the most influential theories of suicide and offers a critical and innovative analysis of current explanations of suicide terrorism. ... Read more

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It's about time!
Most of us have been waiting for this book for years. Merari's unique access and insights into suicide terrorism are the culmination of decades of research on this subject. The book is excellently written and accessible to experts and non experts alike. ... Read more

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teen suicide mitchel anthony ... Read more

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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
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)

Product Description
"Anyone who has contemplated suicide and anyone with a suicidal loved one will profit from the straightforward and helpful suggestions in this book".--Danny Wedding, Ph.D., M.P.H., Director, Missouri Institute of Mental Health. ". . . this easy-to-read book can help suicidal people understand their suffering while they take charge of their own healing".--Paul G. Quinnett, Ph.D., author of SUICIDE: THE FOREVER DECISION. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Worth five stars just for its insights
It's obvious that the authors of this book are extremely compassionate professionals.Although one may not subscribe to the theory of cognitive therapy being an effective solution for depressive or suicidal invididuals, the first few chapters alone are worth the price of the book: they are insightful, non-judgmental and empathetic.I am reading this book from the angle of someone with an extremely depressed family member, and I can't wait to give it to him, because I think he will find hope in its message.Highly recommended for those contemplating harming themselves; just as highly recommended for their friends and family members.

only a single approach offered
For those struggling with suicidal thoughts, please know that - although this book is a mostly solid presentation on cognitive interventions - it ONLY addresses the issue from the cognitive perspective. Though the bookis not forthright on this issue, it provides a very narrow perspective and collection of techniques. If this book is not for you, please know that there are several other credible resources. Sadly, this book omits much of what the suicidal person's inner experience is while presenting itself as comprehensive and authoritative. On page 2, the book suggests that, if you don't get results from it, "give yourself... understanding". No. It is not your fault that it didn't work, it is the fault of the cognitive perspective and the authors. Though this book will undoubtedly save lives, if you are someone who suffers from suicidal ideation and this book has failed you, know that you deserve better. You're not alone.

Full of Good Ideas
I am a psychologist who has worked with suicidal individuals every day for 30 years and I found many new ideas in this book.I borrowed it from the library and read it and I was so impressed by it that I ordered 2 copies today: one for my reference and one to loan my patients.I used ideas from it with my patients the first day I read them.Very practical and written to speak to the suicidal individual right where they are, addressing directly the thinking that people fall into when depressed and phrased in the words that I have heard from my patients thousands of times.I don't know where the one-star reviewer is coming from: I did not in any way feel that this book was talking down to the reader or not taking their concerns or situation seriously.It is honest and forthright, no rah-rah Pollyanna preaching.

Some Good Ideas, But Overall Condescending
This book seems to pretend to be open-minded, while herding the reader in the direction the authors wish to go.The book also glosses over the idea that there are serious, unsolvable dilemmas, and instead gives examples of easily solved issues.

A person facing severe, unremitting problems may feel trivialized by this book.

Choosing to live is one of a kind
Choosing to live is one of a kind. It offers cognitive behavioral therapy as the basis for effective suicide intervention. The first few chapters discuss suicide's stigma and risk factors. The first chapter appropriately opens with the statement, "Getting Rid of the Stigma"-an accurate description of our priorities.

The remaining chapters deal with various cognitive distortions and strategies. These thought distortions such as all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralization, and shoulds and musts, can be the precursors of aggravation. They are also the fuel that maintain and worsen the suicidal fire.

The book's cognitive behavioral interventions to manage and control suicidal thoughts are remarkable.I like the "Socratic Method"-asking the right questions to create clarity in ones thinking. "Logical/Empirical Approach" is also an effective way of dispelling inappropriate thoughts about oneself. For instance, if you believe that you're performing poorly at work, then you have to start "testing" the validity of such belief.

Choosing to live has offered a lot of strategies-ventilation, mobilizing support networks, and distraction-that sound reasonable and easy to do. I therefore recommend this book to anyone who desperately needs to cope. ... Read more

Product Description
"An extraordinary book that is a must for all people who have suffered or those who wish to support and counsel the bereaved." -Ari Kiev, M.D., J.D., author of A Strategy for Daily Living.

Beginning with her own story of coping with her husband's suicide, Eleanora Betsy Ross takes the reader beyond the silence and shame often associated with suicide and shatters some of the most pervasive myths surrounding this common tragedy. By examining the dynamics of after-suicide bereavement and using dozens of real-life case histories, After Suicide offers hope for the survivors and helps them maintain their sanity and poise during this most difficult time.

Backed by years of research and the author's extensive work with survivors and support groups, this book is a valuable guide to coping with a suicide for both survivors and those who work with them. Capped by a comprehensive resource guide, After Suicide stands as an important resource for anyone who has to deal with this loss. ... Read more