Why Suicide? - by Eric Marcus (Paperback)

About the Book

Millions of people are affected by the suicide or attempted suicide of a loved one every year. Eric Marcus offers honest, straightforward answers to all of the haunting questions that plague those who are left behind. Without moral judgment, Why Suicide? answers the questions readers have about this complex and painful issue.

Book Synopsis

"The need for this book is obvious. Why Suicide is a must read for anyone who is a student of life."
-- John Shelby Spong, author of Eternal Life: A New Vision--Beyond Religion, Beyond Theism, Beyond Heaven and Hell

Subtitled "Questions and Answers About Suicide, Suicide Prevention, and Coping with the Suicide of Someone You Know," Why Suicide? by Eric Marcus is an important, non-judgmental guide that bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman calls, "compassionate, informative, and insightful." Anyone whose life has been dramatically touched by this most shattering occurrence can find answers and solace in this extraordinary book.

From the Back Cover

Almost all of us are touched at some point in our lives by suicide, whether it's the suicide or attempted suicide of someone we know, our own passing thoughts of suicide, or a heartfelt plea from a terminally ill loved one who wishes for a swift and painless end to life. No matter what the circumstances, those of us who are affected are left with difficult and disturbing questions. Why did they do it? Is there anything I could of done to prevent it? What should I tell people when they ask what happened? Is someone who attempts suicide likely to try it again? What should I do if I'm thinking of committing suicide? Can I get in trouble if I help a terminally ill loved one die? Without moral judgment, Why Suicide? offers lucid, thoughtful, and comprehensive answers to hundreds of questions about this complex and painful issue. Eric Marcus cuts through the veil of silence, examining the facts and figures and myths and rumors, shedding much-needed light on all aspects of suicide.

Review Quotes

"Eric Marcus' personal experience with the suicide of his father at age twelve gives this book both its passion and its authenticity. His writing is clear, his research is extensive, the need for this book is obvious. Why Suicide is a must read for anyone who is a student of life." - John Shelby Spong, author of Eternal Life: A New Vision -- Beyond Religion, Beyond Theism, Beyond Heaven and Hell
"It would have been such a comfort to have read this book after I lost my husband Edgar to suicide." - Joan Rivers
"A must-read book for anyone whose life has been touched by suicide. It's compassionate, informative, and heartfelt. Do yourself a favor and start the healing with this splendid book!" - Dear Abby
"A marvelous addition to suicidology collections as well as a solid choice for bibliotherapy; it should find a place in every public library collection. - Library Journal
Eric Marcus has much to teach us whether or not we have experienced the trauma of suicide in our personal lives. Educators in Pre-K through college, school administrators, guidance counselors, pediatricians, social workers, and mental health professionals will all find this book to be an invaluable resource in the practice of their profession. - Mary P. Lefkarites, Ph.D, Associate Professor, Hunter College of the City University of New York
Why Suicide? is one of those books that sounds too good to be true - but in fact delivers: it poses, and answers, every kind of question you wanted to know about suicide and were afraid to ask. In an arena full of heartbreak and puzzles, Why Suicide? gives valuable answers just when they're needed. - Christopher Lukas, author of Blue Genes and Silent Grief
"[In this] well-researched, encyclopedic compendium... written in a crisp Q&A format, Eric Marcus has provided the ultimate distillation of what experts know about the thorny issue of suicide." - Leroy Aarons, The Advocate
"I opened this book and said, 'Where was this when I needed it?!" - Judy Collins
"This is exactly the book I searched for, but did not find, after my sister took her life nearly twenty years ago. What Eric Marcus knows so well is that for those of us left grieving, suicide is an emotional cataclysm whose shock waves pummel us with too many questions, questions that multiply too quickly and too painfully, often for years to follow. Those questions, and their possible answers, are the backbone of this plainspoken, kind, consoling book--woven together with the reflections of people who, like the author, have endured this particularly cruel and lonely kind of heartbreak. What survivors of suicide need most of all is a wise comrade, not a counselor. Eric Marcus is that very comrade." - Julia Glass, National Book Award-winning author of I See You Everywhere and The Widower's Tale
"Every survivor of suicide (or attempted suicide) will find his or her "story" and its specific hardships touched on in this book. Information on suicide can be hard to read, but knowing that you are not alone, and being educated on facts (such as most people who die by suicide do not leave a note), can give great comfort. Even if you think you know everything ever published on suicide, as I did, you will surely find facts and insights new to you. This book is a must have." - Surviving Suicide, a publication of the American Association of Suicidology
"This book is a must have." - Surviving Suicide, a publication of the American Association of Suicidology