8/10: This is an excellent book in many ways. Written by a Christian doctor, it challenges some of the assumptions regarding depression, and suggests that at least some of the time 'sadness' is a better diagnosis than depression. It's better, he argues, because sadness usually has a cause (which helps the sufferer to make sense of how they're feeling), can have a beneficial effect (it can lead to spiritual growth, or increased empathy for others, for example). If such a diagnosis is made, then the 'treatment' would normally be found away from pills and tablets.

It's an excellent book to those who sometimes suffer from mild to moderate 'depression', and those who try and help them. It's less helpful to those in the midst of a major depressive bout, who may find it unsympathetic and insufficiently practical. It's also strongly geared at America, which reduces it's value for readers from other countries.

I still believe it provides very helpful advice for those suffering from sadness (and even those suffering from both depression AND sadness). Used carefully and pastorally, this book could give a lot of hope to many people. ( )