Writing a book about depression is substantially harder than sitting down while manic and letting it flow. This book was one of the hardest projects I have ever taken on. I set out to write the book while in a state of depression, but writing is not one of depression’s strengths. Instead of cranking out a book in a week, this one took the better part of a year to write the first draft.
Without my wife Ellen, this book would never have been finished. She encouraged me when I was ready to give up, and helped me to sort out my feelings and ideas. When it seemed impossible to even start the chapters about the saints, Ellen helped me write these chapters and made them even better than I was aiming for.
The writing in this book is much better than The Bipolar Advantage, yet is still far from perfect. It makes a big difference to take time and review my writing instead of aiming for speed, but the biggest change was hiring George Goddard as my editor. George pointed out so many changes that I had to learn to write better. Nick Stone then polished the final text to maximize clarity and tie up the loose ends.
When the book was in its final stages, my daughter Kate and I read the book out loud together. With this method, we were able to catch the minor errors in the book that the other editors had not seen. This process helped make the book clearer, but more importantly created an even deeper connection between us.
I got so many compliments about the cover of The Bipolar Advantage, that I had to talk to Don Farnsworth about the cover for this book. I had no idea what to even ask him for, but a couple of hours later, I was blown away once again by his artwork. With all of his other projects, I am so lucky that he so readily makes time to help me out. Visit www.magnoliaeditions.com to see a range of Don's projects: from giant inkjet prints combining ultrarealistic insects with chapters of Darwin's Origin of Species, to state-of-the-art Jacquard tapestries, as well as collaborative projects with blue-chip artists like Chuck Close and Bruce Conner.
Don's talented daughter, Marisha Farnsworth, brought my concepts to life by creating the three dimensional illustrations in the Redefining Our Scale chapter, the back cover, and the animations I use in my presentations.
My good friend Brahmachari Lee has always accepted me just the way I am. But if asked for advice, he always expects me to act like a saint. He was instrumental in the most important change in the book - the change in my own behavior. We all need friends that see the best in us. They help us to be greater than we would be if left to our own excuses.
Lee also played a central role in helping me through my own “Dark Night of the Soul.” By accepting where I was and not challenging my arguments, he showed that the strength of conviction is not dependent on forcing agreement with his point of view. He knew that I had to work it out in my own time.
There are so many others who have shared their insights with me. They came to take a workshop or hear me talk, hoping to add to their own insight, but in sharing their own experiences and perceptions, they have enriched my life. I am so lucky to be able to assemble groups of people to create a positive view of the future together. If we can help each other to change ourselves, we can change the world.
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