This book plunges one right into the thick of the author's mania, indeed, I felt almost manic after reading the prologue. It was a quite harrowing read. It is a testament to the overwhelming need for better mental health care, finding the right doctors, therapists, medications, and support. As a mother with a son with his own mental health and addiction problems I found my sympathizing a bit with his father. It is hard to tell if the author's impressions are reality based or mostly based on paranoid delusions. His father may have been gruff and stand-off ish but he continued unfailing to give his son support--a roof over his head, money, time, effort etc. even during the repeated times when the author subjected the man to nothing but physical and verbal abuse.