Title: A Surgeon’s Life with Bipolar Disorder
Author: John A. Emery, MD
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-9845-3992-2
Pages: 272
Genre: Self-Help/Autobiography
Reviewed by: Jessica Schmidt

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The author, Dr. John Emery, educates the reader about bipolar disorder from a personal perspective and provides insight into how the disorder has affected his life and how he has dealt with the related stress in both his personal and professional life.

Overall, A Surgeon’s Life with Bipolar Disorder provides a lot of information about bipolar disorder including the history of its diagnosis and the evolution of its name change from manic depression. As a physician, the author is able to explain the disorder from a clinical perspective as well as a personal perspective.

The author is a good storyteller and writer. He shares many insights about his life and the different stages of his career. He shares wisdom for others who have bipolar disorder as well as wisdom he has learned along the way during his career and in life outside of work. He was fortunate to be able to take time off from work as needed to manage his mental health and learned to recognize the signs and pattern of his own bipolar disorder which helped prevent any harm to his patients.

This book would appeal to professionals in the medical field and social sciences who have contact with coworkers, family members, and/or patients with bipolar disorder. It would also be a good overview of the signs and symptoms and treatments of bipolar disorder for someone who has been diagnosed.

I have a social science background and an interest in better understanding mental illness. This book provided a lot of interesting information and insight into bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses. I appreciate the author’s advice to others who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and strategies he has found helpful to manage his mental health and his career.

Dr. Emery shares highlights from his career as a physician including the opportunities and challenges he has had along the way. When he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 39, he maintained a positive attitude and sought professional advice and strategies to manage the disorder. A Surgeon’s Life with Bipolar Disorder is a book about hope; ideal for a wide range of a reading audience.