Dreaming Big Publications
Reviewed by Nicolette
ABOUT THE BOOK
This book gives readers a glimpse into the life of someone living with bipolar disorder. It’s not a clinical book filled with facts and figures, but a book of humanity.
Spanning childhood to early adult, through stories of abuse, being bullied, experimentation with drugs and alcohol, inpatient stays on psych wards, a night in jail, his college days in the fraternity, hitchhiking across America, and his time in a third world country, John gives the reader a personal and up-close look into his life as a manic depressive. The stories are sad, shocking, and at times funny as he shares his antics while at his most manic and delusional.
Throughout his journey, John also struggles with his faith in God. More than the Madness is a testament of one man’s journey to grow closer to God while gaining a better understanding of himself.
John wrote his story to help educate others on mental illness and remove some of the stigma associated with it. It is his hope that readers will get to know the person behind the diagnosis; take away the labels and meet someone's son, friend, and husband. See that there is More Than the Madness.
MY REVIEW
4/5. This book helps people to understand what it is really like living with a mental illness; all the ups and downs and everything in between. I have never read anything that described what goes on in someone’s mind in the midst of manic and delusion, so reading this book was very eye opening for me. Kaniecki uses his own experiences and insights to try to get rid of the stigma people have against mental illness and allow people to understand what people with a mental illness go through. The way he uses all of the different people he has met throughout his life to tell parts of his story is really fascinating and adds a really great dimension to it. The only complaint I have is that the story jumps around a lot so the timeline can get a little confusing at times, but it is still a fantastic book and I highly recommend it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Kaniecki is a member of the Revolutionary Poet’s Brigade and Secretary for Rhyming Poet’s International. John volunteers as a missionary in the inner city of Newark, New Jersey, for the Church of Christ at Chancellor Avenue. John is active in the antiwar movement. In particular John is a strong advocate of the rights of indigenous people.
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
https://www.amazon.com/More-than-Madness-John-Kaniecki/dp/1539430138/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482333673&sr=1-1&keywords=more+than+the+madness