Rage Against the Meshugenah: Why it Takes Balls to Go Nuts

by Danny Evans

Book Overview

In his early thirties, Danny Evans had a smokin' hot wife, a new baby boy, and the highest paying job he'd ever had. Then, in the span of one week, a sudden layoff and the events of 9/11 plunged Evans into a crushing depression. At turns poignant and uproarious, Rage Against the Meshugenah vividly traces Evans' journey through the minefield of mental illness from a modern man's point-of-view, including his no-holds-barred confrontations with infuriating...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451227115
• ISBN13: 9780451227119
• Release Date: August 2009
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Essential

Danny Evans' Rage Against the Meshugenah: Why it Takes Balls to Go Nuts, a memoir of life with depression -- of life of a *man* with depression -- is, that I am aware of, the first depression-tackling memoir from a guy's perspective wherein said guy is not some sort of famous actor/politician and the book is not also covering other topics, making the depression section smaller. What we get in RAGE is Danny, a man, husband, father, baseball nut, and writer (who writes at [....]and elsewhere), sort of an Everyman character for the 21st century guy trying to earn a living, support his family, and get though it all with some sanity, humor, and moments of happiness thrown in. Our Everyman, however, gets gob-smacked with depression and it turns his life upside-down. There are several pointedly painful (and appropriately so) paragraphs outlining what the disease does to him, to his motivation, personality, to his sense of self, to his marriage, friendships, etc., and they read like a good friend telling you what a hard time they've been having. It's difficult to hear and even more difficult to imagine experiencing first-hand. But Danny does rage against the depression, and he details the work it takes, the humiliation, the stigma, the almost unbearableness of doing the work to get better. He chronicles his experiences with medication and therapy, and lauds high praises on his wife Sharon, who constantly supports him, prods him and loves him through the experience. Oh, and RAGE is funny. It is very, very funny. If Dave Barry tackled depression, it would read a lot like this. Depression is still not-so talked about, and depression in men discussed even less, but Evans is changing that by bucking the stigma and saying out loud what we all need to hear: Depression is an illness, it affects an enormous amount of people and a lot of those people are men--men who are told to be strong and stoic their whole lives, to be tough, making it all the more confusing when they can't get out of bed in the morning or need to ask for professional help. The stigma about depression is still monumentally strong. (Why else would the Depression is Real Coalition run ads that say "You'd never say 'It's just cancer, get over it.'" and "Nobody ever says, 'It's nothing serious, it's just heart disease.'" and "You'd never hear 'Snap out of it, it's just diabetes.'"?) But Evans is putting forth his two cents on the matter, he says, because people, men included, need to start talking about depression. Evans has written a funny, relatable, deeply affecting personal account that spotlights an important issue. It is fantastic. Rage Against the Meshugenah is not optional reading; it is essential reading.

A Guys perspective

Most of us have experienced depression in one form or another, but the depression that Danny Evans describes in his book is not something that we all have either, experienced ourselves or experienced with the people we care about. I'm a guy and I was able to appreciate the journey through the painful experience as well as the humor he brings to this gripping memoir. Danny's description of his parents, Jewish heritage, (that I can relate to from my Italian Catholic background) family experiences, and his wife's support and love are amazing to me. It's Danny's support system, fortitude, and perseverance that pushes him to push himself through the things he's horrified to go through including medication and therapy. The stories he tells along the way are raw, real, and funny (if you can believe it) His stories of his father and children brought me to deep places I've been myself--places that remind me I'm human, with feelings, and I felt what his story was bringing. get the book, read the book, and feel the journey... --Phil Ribaudo author of The Road Letters. I expect a named toe...

You need to read this

I am one of the lucky few who have never struggled with depression. Close friends and family members have wrestled with it over the years and I have listened to their fight and loved them through it all to the best of my ability. I could not relate, per se, but I could be there to listen to them and try to fathom what kind of hell they were going through. Rage Against The Meshugenah gave me that look inside the storm of depression that I had been missing. When Danny wrote the chapter about being physically unable to peel himself out of bed and take the few steps to his bathroom in order to relieve himself, I finally got it. I mean, I know that depression is a physical ailment but having something going on that is so heavy that you are literally crushed under the pressure of it helped me to see what a beast that depression truly is. Aside from this revelation, i was surprised at how a memoir about depression wasn't, well, depressing. I have read it twice now and have laughed out loud more times than I can remember. This book is for everyone. For those who know they are depressed, for those who deny they are depressed, for those who want a glimpse into the dark hole that people they love have been sucked into. Buy it. Read it. Share it. You won't regret it.

Buy this book

Rage Against the Meshugenah is raw and brutally honest. It is the book equivalent of standing in gym class naked. And yet, Danny manages to effectively use humor to talk about his depression without depressing you. I laughed out loud many times while reading it. As someone who has suffered from bouts of depression for years, I really related to what Danny had to say. It's funny, some people think that admitting that you suffer from depression makes you weak, especially if you are a man. I think it is just the opposite. I think Danny is brave. Because he was willing to talk about what he went through, I think he will help countless people. People who will see that they are not alone. People who who will see that it is possible to be happy again. If you, or someone you care about has ever suffered from depression you should buy this book. If you haven't suffered from depression, you are still sure to appreciate Rage Against the Meshugenah.

Refreshing Realistic and Honest

As the Executive Director of a non-profit agency that works with dads from all different socioeconomic backgrounds ([...]), I've read a lot of literature on modern fatherhood and the current state of men. None have been as honest and realistic and accurate in their portrayal of the struggles that men are going through as Danny Evans has been in Rage. His willingness and ability in being so open about his depression and his feelings about his life has given a voice to the same things so many men are going through today but are ashamed to talk about it or admit it. On one page I'm laughing out loud hysterically and on the next I was close to tears because it sounded like he was describing me and my own innermost thoughts and fears. I've followed Danny's blog for a few years now, and I always look forward to his posts. His wit is hilarious, his storytelling is artful, and his writing just flows so well. I'm so glad that he's decided to write this book. I hope other men and dads out there will get this book, read it, and pass it on to their buddies.