''Boldly ambitious, deeply affecting, and magisterial in scope'' Steve Silberman, author of Neurotribes
''Expansive and thoughtful, it illuminates the complexity and elusiveness of his subject'' New Statesman
''A rich and generous picture of research into depression to date'' Financial Times
What is depression? Is it a persistent low mood or a complex range of symptoms? Is it a single diagnosis or a range of mental disorders requiring different treatments? And is there a way of curing such a complex, and diverse, condition?
A sufferer of depression himself, science writer Alex Riley has spent years thinking about these issues as he was prescribed antidepressants and underwent cognitive behavioural therapy. Throughout his treatment, he wondered-are antidepressants effective? Do short-term talking therapies actually work? And what is on the horizon for those who don''t respond to these first-line treatments?
