The best books about bipolar disorder

Who picked these books? Meet our 30 experts.

30 authors created a book list connected to bipolar disorder, and here are their favorite bipolar disorder books.
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An Unquiet Mind

By Kay Redfield Jamison,

Book cover of An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness

Sherman Alexie Author Of You Don't Have to Say You Love Me: A Memoir

From the list on understanding bipolar disorder.

Who am I?

I'm an enrolled member of the Spokane Tribe of Indians. I grew up in Wellpinit, Washington, on the Spokane Indian Reservation. In 2010, I was diagnosed with Bipolar 2 Disorder but I now believe that I’ve struggled with the disorder since childhood. I'm a novelist, poet, short fiction writer, and filmmaker. I've won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature and the PEN Faulkner Award for Fiction.

Sherman's book list on understanding bipolar disorder

Discover why each book is one of Sherman's favorite books.

Why did Sherman love this book?

Jamison writes about bipolar disorder as a professor of psychiatry and as a person who suffers from the illness. This dual vision allows us to see the disorder in multifaceted ways. Jamison is particularly adept at explaining why bipolar sufferers are so tragically prone to attempt and commit suicide. I suffer from Bipolar 2 Disorder with mixed features, meaning that I can be depressed and manic at the same time. This is a dangerous combination. A depressed person is more likely to have suicidal ideation and a manic person has enough energy to make suicidal plans and carry them out. Jamison's book is vital for me to understand and manage my suicidal ideation.

By Kay Redfield Jamison,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked An Unquiet Mind as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An Unquiet Mind is a definitive examination of manic depression from both sides: doctor and patient, the healer and the healed. A classic memoir of enormous candour and courage, it teems with the wit and wisdom of its writer, Dr Kay Redfield Jamison.

With an introduction by Andrew Solomon, writer and lecturer on psychology and culture.

'It stands alone in the literature of manic depression for its bravery, brilliance and beauty.' - Oliver Sacks

I was used to my mind being my best friend. Now, all of a sudden, my mind had turned on me: it mocked me for my…


Darkness Visible

By William Styron,

Book cover of Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness

Trisha Cull Author Of The Death of Small Creatures

From the list on revealing the truth about mental illness.

Who am I?

In addition to my lived experience as someone who has struggled with mental health and addiction since adolescence, I'm passionate about social justice issues related to mental illness and substance use. In June 2021, I completed a post-graduate program in Mental Health & Addictions. Throughout my studies I was able to gain a deeper understanding of how my own struggles developed and what they have come to mean to me from both a personal and clinical perspective. Now, I endeavor to pursue future writing projects in various genres that illuminate mental health issues as a relevant and timely topic of interest. I also hope to work with disenfranchised populations while pursuing my creative writing.   

Trisha's book list on revealing the truth about mental illness

Discover why each book is one of Trisha's favorite books.

Why did Trisha love this book?

I read Darkness Visible in the midst of my worst depressive episode around 2008. I remember relating completely to his vivid descriptions of highly abstract psychological sensations, impending doom, for example, in which one feels askew to her or his surroundings, like death is imminent but you don’t know from where or how. Styron describes depression as being not unlike physical pain, and that moment in which you simply and utterly succumb to a kind of unprecedented existential suffering, if you will. It is a moment of agony, tender, fierce and absolute. Without a hint of self-indulgence, his rendering of depression is immaculate, a reckoning of the self, a crucible.

By William Styron,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Darkness Visible as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This is a story of depression a condition that reduced William Styron from a person enjoying life and success as an acclaimed writer, to a man engulfed and menaced by mental anguish. With profound insight and remarkable candor, Styron tracks the progress of his madness, from the smothering misery and exhaustion, to the agony of composing his own suicide note and his eventual, hard-won recovery. Illuminating an illness that affects millions but which remains widely misunderstood, this book is about the darkness of depression, but it is also ultimately about survival and redemption.


Theodore Roosevelt's Letters to His Children

By Theodore Roosevelt, Joseph Bucklin Bishop (editor),

Book cover of Theodore Roosevelt's Letters to His Children

Lukas Klessig Author Of Words with My Father: A Bipolar Journey Through Turbulent Times

From the list on famous (and dead) figures with bipolar disorder.

Who am I?

I do not have bipolar disorder like my father did and other relatives do, but have dealt with OCD, anxiety, and depression off and on from age thirteen forward. Throughout my (and my father's) mental illness journey and in the course of writing WWMF, countless hours have succumbed to the duties of researching and exploring bipolar and other mental illnesses. I am not a medical expert but I do think my compass and intentions point true on bringing light to these realities of life. If you disagree with my selections, commentary, or something you find askance in WWMF, please tell me! We all learn from discussion and dialogue.

Lukas' book list on famous (and dead) figures with bipolar disorder

Discover why each book is one of Lukas' favorite books.

Why did Lukas love this book?

Whether one can detect TR's likely bipolar condition from the vast array of moods and messaging in these deeply personal and candid letters remains subjective.  

What comes through as undebatable, however, is the level of tenderness, vulnerability, playfulness, and sentiment that our 26th President (who proudly accepted his Bull Moose and Rough Rider monikers) reveals here.

Though a handful of the editor's selections seem too esoteric, the remainder holds special appeal to me because my father's "letters/apologies to (his) grandchildren" informed the core of my book.

By Theodore Roosevelt, Joseph Bucklin Bishop (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Theodore Roosevelt's Letters to His Children as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This collection of letters from the 26th President of the United States to his six children was an immediate bestseller when it was originally published in 1919, shortly after Roosevelt's death. Written between 1898 and 1911, the letters show Roosevelt as a devoted and encouraging father, with a sense of humor and a skilled sketching hand.


Wishful Drinking

By Carrie Fisher,

Book cover of Wishful Drinking

Lukas Klessig Author Of Words with My Father: A Bipolar Journey Through Turbulent Times

From the list on famous (and dead) figures with bipolar disorder.

Who am I?

I do not have bipolar disorder like my father did and other relatives do, but have dealt with OCD, anxiety, and depression off and on from age thirteen forward. Throughout my (and my father's) mental illness journey and in the course of writing WWMF, countless hours have succumbed to the duties of researching and exploring bipolar and other mental illnesses. I am not a medical expert but I do think my compass and intentions point true on bringing light to these realities of life. If you disagree with my selections, commentary, or something you find askance in WWMF, please tell me! We all learn from discussion and dialogue.

Lukas' book list on famous (and dead) figures with bipolar disorder

Discover why each book is one of Lukas' favorite books.

Why did Lukas love this book?

Though her style has always struck me as danger-close to tabloid and disjointed, nobody ever said those traits couldn't result in coffee-through-nostrils hilarity and knockout via punchline.

Fisher's particular brand of sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll certainly didn't help with her bipolar management. All the same, her unhinged lifestyle did deliver a bevy of dramatic and somewhat instructive anecdotes.  

She captures the chaos with such wit and bite in Postcards from the Edge and Shockaholic, but if you have to choose just one book, go with Wishful Drinking.

By Carrie Fisher,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Wishful Drinking as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In WISHFUL DRINKING, Carrie Fisher tells the true and intoxicating story of her life with inimitable wit. Born to celebrity parents, she was picked to play a princess in a little movie called Star Wars when only 19 years old. "But it isn't all sweetness and light sabres." Alas, aside from a demanding career and her role as a single mother (not to mention the hyperspace hairdo), Carrie also spends her free time battling addiction, weathering the wild ride of manic depression and lounging around various mental institutions. It's an incredible tale - from having Elizabeth Taylor as a stepmother,…


Lincoln's Melancholy

By Joshua Wolf Shenk,

Book cover of Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness

Sam Rawlins Author Of Young Lincoln of New Salem

From the list on fascinating information about Abraham Lincoln.

Who am I?

From the age of ten, I became enthralled with Abraham Lincoln. The story of his life captured my imagination. I had to know more about him. Through the decades I searched out little-known stories, eyewitness accounts, and letters thought lost. Becoming fascinated how he went from an almost illiterate young man to becoming the person we know from history; I went to the Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield Illinois and to where he lived in New Salem to do additional research. After that, I started writing a three-year labor of love: my own Lincoln book, primarily focusing on one key period of his life. 

Sam's book list on fascinating information about Abraham Lincoln

Discover why each book is one of Sam's favorite books.

Why did Sam love this book?

This is an insightful examination of Lincoln’s struggles with depression and thoughts of suicide. The author has done a masterful job of exploring Lincoln’s bouts of sadness, which began in his childhood and continued throughout his life, often closing in on him. My own research revealed much the same: from a cruel father with no real understanding of his son to the tragic loss of those he loved. It was always in the back of his mind, eating at him.

The National Mental Health Association and others have praised this book. If you want to get inside Lincoln, read this wonderful study of the man.

By Joshua Wolf Shenk,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lincoln's Melancholy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A nuanced psychological portrait of Abraham Lincoln that finds his legendary political strengths rooted in his most personal struggles.

Giving shape to the deep depression that pervaded Lincoln's adult life, Joshua Wolf Shenk’s Lincoln’s Melancholy reveals how this illness influenced both the President’s character and his leadership. Mired in personal suffering as a young man, Lincoln forged a hard path toward mental health. Shenk draws on seven years of research from historical record, interviews with Lincoln scholars, and contemporary research on depression to understand the nature of Lincoln’s unhappiness. In the process, Shenk discovers that the President’s coping strategies—among them,…


Fugitive Moon

By Ron Faust,

Book cover of Fugitive Moon

Andrew Pearson Author Of The Dead Chip Syndicate

From the list on that should be adapted into movies.

Who am I?

I am the MD of a Hong Kong-based software and AI consulting company, keeping me on top of all the latest AI technological developments. Previously, I worked in Hollywood, writing scripts, adapting novels, and working in production. My scripts have won awards at several prestigious screenwriting festivals throughout the world. However, wanting to expand my creative horizon, I wrote my first novel, The Dead Chip Syndicate, and quickly found a traditional publisher for it in 2022. Release is set for July 2023. It's the first in my Exotics series, which follows the exploits of an ex-pat navigating the Asian gambling world as he gets embroiled in one scandal and scam after another.

Andrew's book list on that should be adapted into movies

Discover why each book is one of Andrew's favorite books.

Why did Andrew love this book?

When several transsexuals turn up dead in the garbage chutes of various hotels in Cincinnati, NY, and Philadelphia, the police match the murder dates to a major league baseball team visiting at the time.

Fingers point at Teddy Moon, an ace relief pitcher who is manic-depressive and suffers from occasional bouts of amnesia.

After being interrogated by the police, Teddy realizes he has to uncover the murderer because he is being set up. Although this dark, murder mystery was written before today’s #MeToo movement, our culture wars, and celebrity obsessions, this book is an edgy send-up of everything that is wrong with today's American society.

When Teddy tells one of his wives, he lives like a monk, her salty retort, “Yeah, Rasputin,” captures the essence of the wicked dialogue filling this book. 

By Ron Faust,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Fugitive Moon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Teddy Moon, ace major league relief pitcher, manic-depressive, and occasional amnesiac—is convinced that he’s being framed for the bizarre murders of several transsexuals who are turning up in the garbage chutes of his team’s various hotels. Hounded by the police, the Legion of Fear, and the elite cadres of the Politically Correct, Teddy takes off cross-country on a manic binge to find someone who doesn’t think he did it. He appeals to an ex-wife in Iowa, his heretical psychiatrist at the Alamo Ranch Sanitorium in New Mexico, and finally throws himself into the many arms of his neo-Hindu girlfriend in…


RX

By Rachel Lindsay,

Book cover of RX

Kathleen Founds Author Of Bipolar Bear and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Health Insurance: A Fable for Grownups

From the list on your bipolar bookshelf.

Who am I?

I’m a writer and illustrator based in coastal California. I have bipolar disorder, and my writing reflects my preoccupation with the mysteries of mental health. I wrote a novel-in-stories about an idealistic young teacher struggling with bipolar disorder, and my latest book is a graphic novel about a bipolar bear who gets trapped in the labyrinth of health insurance claims. I’m also the creator of a website designed to encourage people who are fighting off depression’s Voice of Doom. 

Kathleen's book list on your bipolar bookshelf

Discover why each book is one of Kathleen's favorite books.

Why did Kathleen love this book?

Time for a fun one. RX is a wry, insightful, graphic memoir by a woman with bipolar disorder who gets a job writing ads for a pharmaceutical company. She finds herself in meetings, brainstorming ad ideas for bipolar medication! A manic episode lands her in an inpatient psychiatric facility. She chronicles her experience as a patient, and reflects on what it means to heal. 

By Rachel Lindsay,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked RX as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A graphic memoir about the treatment of mental illness, treating mental illness as a commodity.
 
In her early twenties in New York City, diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Rachel Lindsay takes a job in advertising in order to secure healthcare coverage for her treatment. But work takes a strange turn when she is promoted onto the Pfizer account and suddenly finds herself on the other side of the curtain, developing ads for an anti-depressant drug. Overwhelmed by her professional life and the self-scrutiny it inspires, her mania takes hold. She quits her job to become an artist, only to be hospitalized…


A Mind Apart

By Susanne Antonetta,

Book cover of A Mind Apart: Journeys in a Neurodiverse World

Marin Sardy Author Of The Edge of Every Day: Sketches of Schizophrenia

From the list on empowering personal stories of mental illness.

Who am I?

I grew up in the shadow of my mother’s untreated and very damaging mental illness, and despite how much I loved her, I struggled with having few ways to articulate or even understand how it shaped our lives. I went on to study biology and writing, and I now often weave psychology and neuroscience into my literary essays and memoir. I write to fill the gaps between my own experiences and the ways I have seen mental illness represented—or more often, misrepresented—in our culture. I write to explore mental health as it exists in real families and communities, and to tell nuanced, loving stories that fight against stigma.

Marin's book list on empowering personal stories of mental illness

Discover why each book is one of Marin's favorite books.

Why did Marin love this book?

This collection of interconnected essays, which explores writer Susanne Antonetta’s experience of living with bipolar disorder from myriad angles, is rife with facts and insights as well as her own idiosyncratic artistry. Through examinations of everything from the history of consciousness to the concept of neurodiversity, Antonetta humanizes her diagnosis and delves into the multiplicity of ways that it has informed her personal and professional life. Neither shying away from the difficulties nor dismissing the gifts that mania confers (such as her photographic memory for Shakespeare’s plays), she flips the script on stereotypes and offers an empowering take on what it means to live, and thrive, while managing a serious mental illness.

By Susanne Antonetta,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Mind Apart as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This beautifully written exploration of "the unusual abilities of those who are differently wired" (Psychology Today) received a Ken Book Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness for outstanding literary contribution to the world of mental health.

In this fascinating literary memoir, Susanne Antonetta draws on her personal experience as a manic-depressive, as well as interviews with people with multiple personality disorder, autism, and other neurological conditions, to form an intimate meditation on mental "disease." She traces the many capabilities-the visual consciousness of an autistic, for example, or the metaphoric consciousness of a manic-depressive-that underlie these and other mental…


As A Man Thinketh

By James Allen,

Book cover of As A Man Thinketh

Zangba Thomson Author Of Take a Look... There's Money All Around You!

From the list on self-development to help you become successful.

Who am I?

I am Zangba Thomson, a happy, positive, and charismatic human being. I appreciate the simple things in life, and I am content with what I have. I laugh and smile a lot, and people say I am always in a good mood. I love to motivate, encourage, and inspire people to focus on the solution and not the problem; and to be optimistic and cheerful despite difficulties. In a nutshell, I love seeing people succeed. My motto is (P) Positive (E) Energy (A) Always (C) Creates (E) Elevation (PEACE). I hope you enjoy my book recommendations and I wish you the very best on your road to success. 

Zangba's book list on self-development to help you become successful

Discover why each book is one of Zangba's favorite books.

Why did Zangba love this book?

A book I strongly recommend on your success journey is As A Man Thinketh. This 60-page book is short, sweet, and to the point. Your thoughts are things, and you are where you are in life because of how you think. Understanding that profound statement can enable you to weave happiness and prosperity into your life. Also, As A Man Thinketh will show you how to always stay positive and keep successful thoughts flowing in your mind so you can live a prosperous life. 

Book cover of The Complete Short Stories of Mark Twain

Lukas Klessig Author Of Words with My Father: A Bipolar Journey Through Turbulent Times

From the list on famous (and dead) figures with bipolar disorder.

Who am I?

I do not have bipolar disorder like my father did and other relatives do, but have dealt with OCD, anxiety, and depression off and on from age thirteen forward. Throughout my (and my father's) mental illness journey and in the course of writing WWMF, countless hours have succumbed to the duties of researching and exploring bipolar and other mental illnesses. I am not a medical expert but I do think my compass and intentions point true on bringing light to these realities of life. If you disagree with my selections, commentary, or something you find askance in WWMF, please tell me! We all learn from discussion and dialogue.

Lukas' book list on famous (and dead) figures with bipolar disorder

Discover why each book is one of Lukas' favorite books.

Why did Lukas love this book?

The thorns of Twain's personal life and literary career only heighten our intrigue with him. 

For me, he's a tragic figure whose parade of misfortunes interrupted by periods of commercial success and critical acclaim followed by further failures result in an exceptionally bipolar history. His classic novels should persist as required reading but I find his short stories equally satisfying.

This volume is voluminous, so here are some favorites to start: "The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg," "Was it Heaven? Or Hell?" and "Luck."

By Mark Twain,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Complete Short Stories of Mark Twain as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

These sixty satirical, rollicking, uproarious tales by the greatest yarn-spinner in our literary history are as fresh and vivid as ever more than a century after their author’s death.
Mark Twain’s famous novels Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn have long been hailed as major achievements, but the father of American literature also made his mark as a master of the humorous short story. All the tales he wrote over the course of his lengthy career are gathered here, including such immortal classics as “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” “The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg," “The Diary of Adam and…


Blame It on Paris

By Laura Florand,

Book cover of Blame It on Paris

Julie Navickas Author Of I Loved You Yesterday: Book One in the Trading Heartbeats Trilogy

From the list on romance that will both shatter and stitch your heart.

Who am I?

I grew up watching soap operas and swapping novels with my grandma and mom. Romantic stories have been a part of who I am ever since I was old enough to get my hands on Nora Roberts! Now, thanks to my love for the books that inspire love, I’m a romance novelist myself, having penned the Trading Heartbeats trilogy. Each novel is a recipient of a first place BookFest award and has been traditionally published by Inkspell Publishing. I write with raw emotion and work to really shatter hearts of readers—only to repair them on the final pages. I have dual master’s degrees in organizational communication and English studies from Illinois State University. 

Julie's book list on romance that will both shatter and stitch your heart

Discover why each book is one of Julie's favorite books.

Why did Julie love this book?

I’m a sucker for Paris. Having studied abroad in the city of love, I’m drawn to the romance behind the Parisian way of life.

So, when I picked up a copy of Blame It on Paris, I knew from page one that I’d be a fan of main character Laura and her carefree travels abroad. Enter Sebastien – and the story deepens beyond a romantic fling. I couldn’t put this story down and have returned for many rereads since I first bought the book on a whim in a Paris bookshop in 2007! 

By Laura Florand,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Blame It on Paris as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Can an insecure American woman find happiness with a sexy Parisian waiter---
even if she doesn't like the French?

Laura has spent most of her adult life avoiding serious relationships, flitting around the world, and keeping her romantic expectations comfortably low. The last thing she wants is to have her globe-trotting ways curtailed by a messy emotional entanglement. As far as she's concerned, chocolate is just as satisfying as true love--and a lot less complicated.
So how, in the name of all that is romantic, has she managed to get involved with a dangerously charming Frenchman named Sébastien? And only…


Fast Girl

By Suzy Favor Hamilton,

Book cover of Fast Girl: A Life Spent Running from Madness

Sherman Alexie Author Of You Don't Have to Say You Love Me: A Memoir

From the list on understanding bipolar disorder.

Who am I?

I'm an enrolled member of the Spokane Tribe of Indians. I grew up in Wellpinit, Washington, on the Spokane Indian Reservation. In 2010, I was diagnosed with Bipolar 2 Disorder but I now believe that I’ve struggled with the disorder since childhood. I'm a novelist, poet, short fiction writer, and filmmaker. I've won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature and the PEN Faulkner Award for Fiction.

Sherman's book list on understanding bipolar disorder

Discover why each book is one of Sherman's favorite books.

Why did Sherman love this book?

This is the memoir of a world-famous Olympic athlete who also lived a secret life as an elite sex worker in Las Vegas. Hamilton is brutally honest about one of the most distressing and dangerous symptoms of bipolar disorder: hypersexuality. After her secret was made public Hamilton could have retreated into shamed silence but she instead chose to reveal all that she'd learned about the link between her bipolar mania and sexual impulsivity. This is a courageous book.

By Suzy Favor Hamilton,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Fast Girl as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The former middle distance Olympic runner and high-end escort speaks out for the first time about her battle with mental illness, and how mania controlled and compelled her in competition, but also in life. This is a heartbreakingly honest yet hopeful memoir reminiscent of Manic, Electroboy, and An Unquiet Mind. During the 1990s, three-time Olympian Suzy Favor Hamilton was the darling of American track and field. An outstanding runner, a major sports apparel spokesperson, and a happily married wife, she was the model for an active, healthy, and wholesome life. But her perfect facade masked a…


Bipolar II Disorder

By Gordon Parker (editor),

Book cover of Bipolar II Disorder: Modeling, Measuring, and Managing

Kathleen Founds Author Of Bipolar Bear and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Health Insurance: A Fable for Grownups

From the list on your bipolar bookshelf.

Who am I?

I’m a writer and illustrator based in coastal California. I have bipolar disorder, and my writing reflects my preoccupation with the mysteries of mental health. I wrote a novel-in-stories about an idealistic young teacher struggling with bipolar disorder, and my latest book is a graphic novel about a bipolar bear who gets trapped in the labyrinth of health insurance claims. I’m also the creator of a website designed to encourage people who are fighting off depression’s Voice of Doom. 

Kathleen's book list on your bipolar bookshelf

Discover why each book is one of Kathleen's favorite books.

Why did Kathleen love this book?

This book is a fascinating collection of academic articles and clinician perspectives. Does this sound dry? Okay, it’s a little dry, and I did have to look up big words like “iatrogenic” and “hypophagia.” But I have bipolar II, and there are very few books on this lesser-known bipolar variant. Bipolar II (in case you’re curious) is characterized by chronic depression and infrequent episodes of mild mania (known as “hypomania”). Fun facts I learned from this book: bipolar II is more common in women, and due to the severity and chronic nature of the depression, bipolar II can actually be more disabling than bipolar I. Wait, those might be sad facts. Oops. 

By Gordon Parker (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bipolar II Disorder as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The lifetime risk of developing bipolar II disorder is 5-7%, yet the condition is often poorly detected. Mood elevation states are less extreme than in bipolar I disorder although the depressive episodes are usually severe. When correctly treated, the outcome is positive, but bipolar II is often poorly managed, resulting in a high suicide rate. This is the only academic and clinical management review focused entirely on bipolar II, scrutinizing history, epidemiology, burden and neurobiology and including an extensive clinical debate by international experts about effective management strategies. Now in its third edition, this book features new chapters on the…


Strength to Love

By Martin Luther King, Jr.,

Book cover of Strength to Love

Kathleen Founds Author Of Bipolar Bear and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Health Insurance: A Fable for Grownups

From the list on your bipolar bookshelf.

Who am I?

I’m a writer and illustrator based in coastal California. I have bipolar disorder, and my writing reflects my preoccupation with the mysteries of mental health. I wrote a novel-in-stories about an idealistic young teacher struggling with bipolar disorder, and my latest book is a graphic novel about a bipolar bear who gets trapped in the labyrinth of health insurance claims. I’m also the creator of a website designed to encourage people who are fighting off depression’s Voice of Doom. 

Kathleen's book list on your bipolar bookshelf

Discover why each book is one of Kathleen's favorite books.

Why did Kathleen love this book?

This book may seem like it has nothing to do with bipolar disorder, but hear me out. In Strength to Love, King says that love undergirds the universe, and that good will ultimately triumph over evil. The book also tells us that all humans are interconnected, and that we can find hope and purpose in fighting for freedom and justice. Bipolar depression can rob people of all hope. People with bipolar disorder need books that hold our hope for us when we can’t hold it for ourselves. 

By Martin Luther King, Jr.,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Strength to Love as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The classic collection of Dr. King’s sermons that fuse his Christian teachings with his radical ideas of love and nonviolence as a means to combat hate and oppression.

As Martin Luther King, Jr., prepared for the Birmingham campaign in early 1963, he drafted the final sermons for Strength to Love, a volume of his most well known homilies. King had begun working on the sermons during a fortnight in jail in July 1962. While behind bars, he spent uninterrupted time preparing the drafts for works such as “Loving Your Enemies” and “Shattered Dreams,” and he continued to edit the volume…


Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder

By Julie A. Fast, John D. Preston,

Book cover of Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder: Understanding & Helping Your Partner

Dave Mowry Author Of OMG That's Me!: Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and More...

From the list on bipolar disorder from someone who has lived with it.

Who am I?

Dave has lived with bipolar disorder and severe anxiety all of his adult life. He has also worked with over 800 people with mental illness in a certified peer support role. Dave is a blogger with Bp Magazine for Bipolar and a mental health influencer. His blog posts have been read by over a million people. Dave has been hospitalized, had most of the treatments available for bipolar disorder including ECT. Dave has come out the other side and has the rare ability to put all of his emotions and experiences in his writing with complete openness and honesty, making him a best-selling author about bipolar disorder.

Dave's book list on bipolar disorder from someone who has lived with it

Discover why each book is one of Dave's favorite books.

Why did Dave love this book?

In this book, Julie tells her story of living with bipolar disorder. She also shares some tools to help during the dark days. I started the OMG That’s Me! series so folks living with bipolar disorder will know they are not alone and that there is hope. Julie communicates this masterfully.

By Julie A. Fast, John D. Preston,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This fully revised and updated second edition of the bestselling Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder discusses all aspects of readers' relationships with bipolar partners: work, money, sex, medications and their side effects, therapeutic treatments, and more.

Also called manic depressive disorder, bipolar disorder can cause extreme mood swings, and people who suffer from this disorder can alternate between manic and depressed behavior without much warning.

Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder, Second Edition, builds on the practical advice offered in the original book by offering critical new information on the medications that are sometimes prescribed to manage bipolar disorder symptoms. Readers…


Wail

By Peter Pullman,

Book cover of Wail: The Life of Bud Powell

Donald Clarke Author Of Billie Holiday: Wishing On The Moon

From the list on jazz biographies & autobiographies (from a jazz lover).

Who am I?

I started buying records 70 years ago. I worked in a car factory for a decade, then landed a job in publishing, having written a couple of magazine articles, and finally got a chance to do what I was born to do: write about my favorite subject. Music has been the most important thing in the world to me ever since I heard the hits of the 1940s on the radio, playing on the kitchen floor while my mother did the ironing. I believe music is a mystery, more important than we can know, in every way: intellectual, psychological, emotional, philosophical. That is why it is such a big business, even if the business itself is often less than salubrious.

Donald's book list on jazz biographies & autobiographies (from a jazz lover)

Discover why each book is one of Donald's favorite books.

Why did Donald love this book?

By the time he became a producer of reissues for Verve Records, Pullman had been immersed in Bud Powell's life and recordings for decades, and produced the best life we have of one of the most important and prodigiously talented pianists who ever lived, and who was one of the inventors of modern jazz. Powell led a chaotic life, complicated by what we would now call a bipolar personality as well as addictions and mistreatment by the law, but Pullman captures it almost day by day, including the club gigs and recording sessions, without ever bogging down in pathos.

By Peter Pullman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Wail as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Exhaustive, deeply researched biography of a modern jazz giant.


The Collected Schizophrenias

By Esmé Weijun Wang,

Book cover of The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays

Kathleen Founds Author Of Bipolar Bear and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Health Insurance: A Fable for Grownups

From the list on your bipolar bookshelf.

Who am I?

I’m a writer and illustrator based in coastal California. I have bipolar disorder, and my writing reflects my preoccupation with the mysteries of mental health. I wrote a novel-in-stories about an idealistic young teacher struggling with bipolar disorder, and my latest book is a graphic novel about a bipolar bear who gets trapped in the labyrinth of health insurance claims. I’m also the creator of a website designed to encourage people who are fighting off depression’s Voice of Doom. 

Kathleen's book list on your bipolar bookshelf

Discover why each book is one of Kathleen's favorite books.

Why did Kathleen love this book?

As you probably deduced from the title, this book focuses on schizophrenia, not bipolar disorder. But it is the best mental health memoir I’ve ever read. I keep multiple copies so I can hand them out to my friends. Esmé Weijun Wang is a beautiful writer, and the book contains deep, insightful reflections on the weight of stigma and the nature of a psychiatric diagnosis.

By Esmé Weijun Wang,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Collected Schizophrenias as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An intimate, moving book written with the immediacy and directness of one who still struggles with the effects of mental and chronic illness, The Collected Schizophrenias cuts right to the core. Schizophrenia is not a single unifying diagnosis, and Esme Weijun Wang writes not just to her fellow members of the "collected schizophrenias" but to those who wish to understand it as well. Opening with the journey toward her diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder, Wang discusses the medical community's own disagreement about labels and procedures for diagnosing those with mental illness, and then follows an arc that examines the manifestations of…


DBT Skills Training Manual

By Marsha M. Linehan,

Book cover of DBT Skills Training Manual

Sherman Alexie Author Of You Don't Have to Say You Love Me: A Memoir

From the list on understanding bipolar disorder.

Who am I?

I'm an enrolled member of the Spokane Tribe of Indians. I grew up in Wellpinit, Washington, on the Spokane Indian Reservation. In 2010, I was diagnosed with Bipolar 2 Disorder but I now believe that I’ve struggled with the disorder since childhood. I'm a novelist, poet, short fiction writer, and filmmaker. I've won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature and the PEN Faulkner Award for Fiction.

Sherman's book list on understanding bipolar disorder

Discover why each book is one of Sherman's favorite books.

Why did Sherman love this book?

After years of being misdiagnosed and wrongly medicated, and after years of living in denial about my bipolar disorder, I began Dialectic Behavior Therapy (DBT) in 2017. And it saved my life. Linehan has created an evidence-based treatment program that has taught me mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance. Frankly speaking, I think DBT should be taught in elementary and high schools.

By Marsha M. Linehan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked DBT Skills Training Manual as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From Marsha M. Linehan--the developer of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)--this comprehensive resource provides vital tools for implementing DBT skills training. The reproducible teaching notes, handouts, and worksheets used for over two decades by hundreds of thousands of practitioners have been significantly revised and expanded to reflect important research and clinical advances. The book gives complete instructions for orienting clients to DBT, plus teaching notes for the full range of mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance skills. Handouts and worksheets are not included in the book; purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print…


Rosie Colored Glasses

By Brianna Wolfson,

Book cover of Rosie Colored Glasses

Ericka Clay Author Of A Violent Hope

From the list on female protagonists from dysfunctional families.

Who am I?

As a female writer, I love digging into the minds of women characters, especially in light of their family circumstances. I think we can sometimes underestimate the importance of a strong, loving family unit in terms of personal development. But what’s amazing is how a person’s story can be redeemed even if they were raised in a less-than-ideal environment. Even though I got pretty lucky in the parent department, I know not a lot of people have. And I love showing others through fiction that despite hardships they’ve had to face along the way, they are still loved and still wanted by a God who knows them better than anyone.

Ericka's book list on female protagonists from dysfunctional families

Discover why each book is one of Ericka's favorite books.

Why did Ericka love this book?

I’m recommending this book because it made me cry, and I don’t cry. The warped triangle between two divorced parents and their daughter is tragic enough, but what really stirred me was the way Willow so fiercely wants to live life with her “fun” mom, not really understanding that not everything in life is as it seems.

By Brianna Wolfson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Rosie Colored Glasses as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Little Miss Sunshine meets About a Boy in this piercingly bittersweet novel which shows how the most meaningful love can last a lifetime.

Willow's mother Rosie isn't like the other mums. She's wears every colour of the rainbow, has midnight feasts, and sends Willow to school covered in paint.

Meanwhile, Rex is the sort of father who checks Willow's homework, has a rule for everything, and would never dream of playing in the dirt.

Now Rosie and Rex live in different places, Willow knows her mum needs her even more. But Rosie's multi-coloured way of looking at the world can…


Madness

By Marya Hornbacher,

Book cover of Madness: A Bipolar Life

Trisha Cull Author Of The Death of Small Creatures

From the list on revealing the truth about mental illness.

Who am I?

In addition to my lived experience as someone who has struggled with mental health and addiction since adolescence, I'm passionate about social justice issues related to mental illness and substance use. In June 2021, I completed a post-graduate program in Mental Health & Addictions. Throughout my studies I was able to gain a deeper understanding of how my own struggles developed and what they have come to mean to me from both a personal and clinical perspective. Now, I endeavor to pursue future writing projects in various genres that illuminate mental health issues as a relevant and timely topic of interest. I also hope to work with disenfranchised populations while pursuing my creative writing.   

Trisha's book list on revealing the truth about mental illness

Discover why each book is one of Trisha's favorite books.

Why did Trisha love this book?

Hornbacher details her experience of living with bipolar disorder—the psychological escapades, the unimaginable highs, and devastating lows. These transcendent highs and crippling lows are mirrored in the strange delights and perils of the physical world. She is the life of parties, dressed provocatively in silky red dresses and matching ruby lipstick. But she is also capable of breaking ties with reality, hopping in a car with a boyfriend and travelling across the state for no reason in particular, an adventure in which the pleasure of the high becomes too much, too dangerous to be reckoned with. 

I too recall waking up at 2 am, writing for 18 hours straight, (without a water or pee break), and creating a beautiful essay in one draft which was later published. I once spent two days and nights in a blinding fury of elation that was simultaneously beautiful and terrifying. I too remember in…

By Marya Hornbacher,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Madness as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Pulitzer Prize–nominated author of Wasted, Marya Hornbacher's astonishing New York Times best-selling memoir from the belly of bipolar disorder.

Marya Hornbacher tells the story that until recently she had no idea was hers to tell: that of her life with Type I ultra-rapid-cycle bipolar disorder, the most severe form of bipolar disease.

In Madness, Hornbacher relates that bipolar can spawn eating disorders, substance abuse, promiscuity, and self-mutilation, and that for too long these symptoms have masked, for many of the three million people in America with bipolar, their underlying illness. Hornbacher’s fiercely self-aware portrait of bipolar, starting as early as…