Deborah

The author did a great job describing why so many with bipolar disorder struggle taking the prescribed medications.

The author's stories of how she revealed her disorder to the men in her life, her employer, and the world.

This story was about Kay Redfield Jamison. There were not any other characters in the book.

Although the event had little to do with bipolar disorder, the moment in the book that moved me was when her partner, David, died unexpectedly.

This is a particularly good book to read if you or any of your loved ones are taking lithium for treatment of bipolar disorder. The author does a good job of talking about the pros and cons of treatment, and the benefit of treatment in spite of losing her hypomanic moments. She also does a good job discussing the pros and cons of parenting with bipolar disorder.

Outliers really goes beyond explaining those that excel above everyone else, like Bill Gates and the Beatles. It also explains why some fail, such as pilots and co-pilots following cultural practices rather than safe communication techniques. And, finally it explains how all of us arrive with birth gifts from our past that influence our journey. A great read.

At first, I thought, "oh good", a story told in the flavor of "All Things Illuninated", with a new twist on the English Language. However, this author goes a bit too far, making the story telling a bit like reading a foreign language with a dictionary in hand. Every sentence needs translated. The violence and hateful thoughts are also not pleasant. The description of some of the weakest parts of being human (not just American) are thought-provoking, but I found myself either angry or bored through much of the book. I did not laugh out loud, and wondered about those that did.

This book was extremely well written, and brought to life the anguish experienced by teens facing sexual identity crisis'. This is a must read for anyone working or living with adolescents.