The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression

by Andrew Solomon
With uncommon, candor, wit, and erudition, National Book Award winner Andrew Sol
omon takes the listener on a journey of incomparable range and resonance into th
e most pervasive of family secrets.
The Noonday Demon examines depression in personal, cultural and scientific terms
. Drawing on his own struggles with the illness and interviews with fellow suffe
rers, doctors and scientists, policymakers and politicians, drug designers and p
hilosophers, Solomon reveals the subtle complexities and sheer agony of the dise
ase. He confronts the challenge of defining the illness and describes the vast r
ange of available medications, the efficacy of alternative treatments, and the i
mpact the malady has had on various demographic populations around the world and
throughout history. He also explores the thorny patch of moral and ethical ques
tions posed by emerging biological explanations for mental illness.
The depth of human experience Solomon chronicles, the range of his intelligence,
and his boundless curiosity and compassion will change the listener's view of t
he world.
Read by the author. For more information, visit www.noondaydemon.com