Book Name: More than the Madness
Author Name: John Kaniecki
Publisher Name: Dreaming Big Publications
Reviewed By: Jessica B.
ABOUT THE BOOK
There is MORE than the MADNESS
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
Rating: 4/5
Inspiring. Hopeful. Thought-Provoking.
To be honest, nonfiction is not my go-to genre. Most of my nonfiction reading material came from reading textbooks in college. But through reading this memoir, I have come to appreciate nonfiction stories, especially ones with a large impact. There is a lot of material and detail in this memoir, and reading it cover to cover will take some time and deep reflection. Memoirs like this are crucial to helping society to grow and understand what others go through. At times the material was difficult to read in imagining what the author went through, and realizing that the events were real, but it was worth it to continue and learn more about bipolar depression.
More than the Madness gives readers a glimpse into understanding what people with mental illness experience throughout their lives. As the author mentions, it’s sometimes hard for people to accept mental illness as an illness because it’s not often outwardly displayed or easy to comprehend. John Kaniecki delivers a book packed with emotion that has altered my view of mental illness and nonfiction works in general. I felt as if I were in the same room as John as he retold stories of his past.
I would recommend this memoir to anyone who is looking to gain a new perspective in life and learn more about a topic that is not often discussed in society today.
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. He has two previously published books. A poetry book entitled Murmurings of a Mad Man by eLectio Publishing and a science fiction story collection entitled Words of the Future published by Witty Bard Publishing.
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.
Author Name: John Kaniecki
Publisher Name: Dreaming Big Publications
Reviewed By: Jessica B.
ABOUT THE BOOK
There is MORE than the MADNESS
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
Rating: 4/5
Inspiring. Hopeful. Thought-Provoking.
To be honest, nonfiction is not my go-to genre. Most of my nonfiction reading material came from reading textbooks in college. But through reading this memoir, I have come to appreciate nonfiction stories, especially ones with a large impact. There is a lot of material and detail in this memoir, and reading it cover to cover will take some time and deep reflection. Memoirs like this are crucial to helping society to grow and understand what others go through. At times the material was difficult to read in imagining what the author went through, and realizing that the events were real, but it was worth it to continue and learn more about bipolar depression.
More than the Madness gives readers a glimpse into understanding what people with mental illness experience throughout their lives. As the author mentions, it’s sometimes hard for people to accept mental illness as an illness because it’s not often outwardly displayed or easy to comprehend. John Kaniecki delivers a book packed with emotion that has altered my view of mental illness and nonfiction works in general. I felt as if I were in the same room as John as he retold stories of his past.
I would recommend this memoir to anyone who is looking to gain a new perspective in life and learn more about a topic that is not often discussed in society today.
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. He has two previously published books. A poetry book entitled Murmurings of a Mad Man by eLectio Publishing and a science fiction story collection entitled Words of the Future published by Witty Bard Publishing.
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.
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