Dr. Mondimore’s book, Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Patients and Families, is certainly a welcome addition for the bookshelf of anyone struggling with bipolar disorder, or those who have a loved one with the illness. The book covers the wide range of material on the subject, bringing us up to date (as of 1999) on new research and summarizing what has been done in the past.

The book addresses everything from treatments to currently debated topics such as bipolar disorder in children, genetics, and the creativity connection. Much of the highly technical material from Goodwin and Jamison (1990), Manic Depressive Illness, has been condensed and updated. Unfortunately, though, Mondimore has not brought the language to the level of most readers. The reading is often slow-going and inconsistent as to style (i.e. folksy versus highly scientific). The best equipped readers would be ones with a college level education who can forge through the unnecessarily long paragraphs, small type, and sometimes overwrought sentence structure.

Thus we are still left with a frustrating problem. We (patients with bipolar, families, loved ones) are still waiting for a book that does not read like a scientific paper broken up into chunks. The good news is that the table of contents of this book is excellent in pinpointing topics. If the reader uses this to discover information, rather than trying to read front to back, s/he will come away with some pearls.

And, for general, easy to read information which helps families and loved ones deal with mental illness, try Rosalyn Carter’s book, Helping Someone with Mental Illness; A Compassionate Guide for Family, Friends, and Caregivers (Times Books, Random House, New York, 1998). It is a much better resource for caregivers. But keep Dr. Mondimore’s book next to this one, for the real details about bipolar disorder.

Joy Ikelman has worked as a scientific writer and editor for more than twenty years. She has a B.S. from Concordia College, Nebraska, with additional coursework from the University of Colorado. She is published in the fields of geophysics and the history of science. Joy has also written newsletters, book reviews, and press releases while participating in various community organizations. Her favorite activity is enjoying quiet time with Ike, her sweetheart of 21 years. Her interest in mental health preceded her own diagnosis with bipolar disorder. Philosophically, Joy believes that knowledge is power, and that a patient with any illness has a fundamental right to question, learn, and contribute.

Categories: MentalHealth, SelfHelp, General