This is Nancy's complete review of the book.
My Take on a Book
Blog post by Nancy Propsner 4/9/13
This is a book that will bring much comfort and relief to those associated in any way with mental health illness. Very much like a friend to help navigate the sometimes scary and very confusing world of mental health illness. The author Dave Elder in his new book, Expecting the Broken Brain to Do Mental Pushups: A Personal Journey to Understanding Schizophrenia and Depression, shares with his readers, not only what it's like to grow up with a mother who is schizophrenic, but also to share life with his girlfriend with major depression. He captures our hearts with his deep delve into his life as a musician, intertwining that with the world of mental health.
Dave's honest and straight-forward. I like how Dave takes what he learns and applies it to his life, how he's able to make insightful connections, and how he's able to look around him and apply his perspective to what's going on. And he has a poignant way of sharing his life experiences that you won't soon forget. I'm still thinking about the book and what Dave shared.
It's a must read for anyone and everyone. You'll gain an inside perspective of mental health illness and you'll see it in a whole new way. Plus he shares his life as a musician in the music scene. He lights the path with his openness and sincerity. This book is way beyond heartwarming - it resonates at a much more profound level.
This is Dave's first book. He recently returned to his boyhood home in New York State a few years ago, after having spent much of his adult life in Berkeley, CA and the New York City area. Not long after returning home, he wrote and published this book.