'Boldly ambitious, deeply affecting, and magisterial in scope' Steve Silberman, author of Neurotribes
'Expansive and thoughtful, it illuminates the complexity and elusiveness of his subject' New Statesman
Depression is a leading cause of disability around the world today, a growing health crisis that affects us all. It is a complex and diverse condition. But it is also highly treatable.
In this profound and sweeping history, Alex Riley charts the macabre, ingenious, and often surprising developments in the science of mental healthcare over the last 2000 years. In the pursuit to understand his own experiences with mental illness, Riley interweaves his own family history with fascinating stories of biological and psychological treatments which illuminate the past, question the current state of diagnosis, and investigate the hype and hopes for future treatments.
From the re-emergence of long-forgotten therapies to a group of grandmothers who stand at the forefront of a revolution in mental healthcare, A Cure for Darkness is an essential exploration of one of the most pressing problems of our time.
Review
A Cure for Darkness is both a compelling intellectual contribution and an act of generosity. Alex Riley combines meticulous reporting and evocative storytelling to reveal scientists' evolving understanding of depression and the many ways it can be treated. In this candid, accessible, era-spanning book, Riley brings rare sensitivity and lucidity to a topic that has defied comprehension for centuries, weaving a story that is both sweeping in scope and intensely personal. -
Siri Carpenter, science journalist and editor of The Craft of Science WritingThis is a wonderful book. -
James Rucker, lead of the Psychedelic Trials Group at King's College LondonAn engaging and informative book... Riley covers the field both historically and cross-culturally, while keeping the narrative flowing, rooted in his own experiences -
Chris Dowrick, professor of primary medical care at the University of LiverpoolAn outstanding achievement -
Michael Berk, head of the IMPACT Strategic Research Centre at Deakin University, Geelong.Riley explores the long shadow of depression that winds through human history with intelligence and insight and - equally important - with courage and compassion. The resulting, remarkable book shines like a light against the night itself. -
Deborah Blum --This text refers to an alternate
kindle_edition edition.
About the Author
Alex Riley is an award-winning science writer and the author of
A Cure for Darkness: The Story of Depression and How We Treat It, his first book. He received a best feature award at the 2019 Association of British Science Writers Awards for his reporting on The Friendship Bench, a project that began in Zimbabwe in 2006 and has since provided mental health care to thousands of people in New York. Since leaving academia in 2015, he began writing popular science articles for magazines such as New Scientist, PBS's NOVA Next, BBC Future, Mosaic Science, Aeon, and Nautilus Magazine. He lives in Bristol. --This text refers to an alternate
kindle_edition edition.
+91 9818282497