What do you think?
Rate this book
Rage Against the Meshugenah: Why it Takes Balls to Go Nuts
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 sexual side effects, self-medication with beer and porn, and a therapist named Neil Diamond.
Danny Evans is here to tell readers the truth about depression, in his own unique style. Skillfully combining self-deprecating humor, absurdly ridiculous insights, and astute pop culture references, Evans reveals his universal struggle to make himself feel happy in a world gone mad, and he's willing to let readers in on his rollercoaster ride of laugher, tears and a whole lot of meshugenah .
Danny Evans is here to tell readers the truth about depression, in his own unique style. Skillfully combining self-deprecating humor, absurdly ridiculous insights, and astute pop culture references, Evans reveals his universal struggle to make himself feel happy in a world gone mad, and he's willing to let readers in on his rollercoaster ride of laugher, tears and a whole lot of meshugenah .
336 pages, Paperback
First published July 10, 2009
12 people are currently reading
351 people want to read
About the author
Danny Evans
6 books33 followersDanny Evans chose to write for a living in spite of his parents' contentions that he'd make a perfect rabbi, and the past two decades have confirmed the wisdom of his decision. Had he made the opposite choice, he would not have experienced ejection from a Major League clubhouse by a Hall of Fame manager wearing nothing but a scowl. He would have missed a Denver omelet breakfast with Tiger Woods, a terrifying stare-down with a Nazi hunter, four magazine cover stories, a rejection letter that included the word ?putz?, and a call from an associate editor declaring she loved his idea but wanted someone else to write the article.
Evans graduated from Fresno State University in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in journalism, and he spent the mind-numbing year after that as high school sports editor for a newspaper in the Mojave Desert. That was all it took for Danny to realize his dream of becoming a reporter was like dreaming of being eaten alive by the Teletubbies. He ran for his life and has spent every year since in the advertising industry, writing ad copy for (among other products) hazelnut-flavored coffee creamer and ?urinal burgers? (the little pink antiseptic discs used in high-traffic men?s rooms). While working as Senior Copywriter for a Fortune 500 HMO in late 2004, danny started a blog called Dad Gone Mad (www.dadgonemad.com), in part because he needed a distraction from the monotonous written regurgitations of Medical Necessities Your Health Insurer Won?t Cover Because Our Stakeholders Need New Yachts And Frankly We Don?t Give A Shit About Your Perforated Colon. DadGoneMad.com has won national recognition (St. Louis Post Dispatch Blog of the Day for June 12, 2007 -- need we say more?) and has lead to speaking engagements on Sirius Satellite Radio, Jumping Monkeys, and at SXSW 2007 (recordings available upon request).
Danny has been a contributing writer and consultant for Babble.com, Disney's Family.com and the now-defunct Snarkywood.com. His words have enlivened the pages of Good Housekeeping, Details (about 15 characters worth), Men?s Health (the aforementioned ?here?s $75 to make you go away?), Southwest Airlines Spirit, Orange Coast, the Los Angeles Daily News and Tall Magazine (yes, there is such a thing -- correction: was such a thing).
Danny lives in Orange County, CA with his wife Sharon and their two children.
RAGE AGAINST THE MESHUGENAH is his first book.
Evans graduated from Fresno State University in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in journalism, and he spent the mind-numbing year after that as high school sports editor for a newspaper in the Mojave Desert. That was all it took for Danny to realize his dream of becoming a reporter was like dreaming of being eaten alive by the Teletubbies. He ran for his life and has spent every year since in the advertising industry, writing ad copy for (among other products) hazelnut-flavored coffee creamer and ?urinal burgers? (the little pink antiseptic discs used in high-traffic men?s rooms). While working as Senior Copywriter for a Fortune 500 HMO in late 2004, danny started a blog called Dad Gone Mad (www.dadgonemad.com), in part because he needed a distraction from the monotonous written regurgitations of Medical Necessities Your Health Insurer Won?t Cover Because Our Stakeholders Need New Yachts And Frankly We Don?t Give A Shit About Your Perforated Colon. DadGoneMad.com has won national recognition (St. Louis Post Dispatch Blog of the Day for June 12, 2007 -- need we say more?) and has lead to speaking engagements on Sirius Satellite Radio, Jumping Monkeys, and at SXSW 2007 (recordings available upon request).
Danny has been a contributing writer and consultant for Babble.com, Disney's Family.com and the now-defunct Snarkywood.com. His words have enlivened the pages of Good Housekeeping, Details (about 15 characters worth), Men?s Health (the aforementioned ?here?s $75 to make you go away?), Southwest Airlines Spirit, Orange Coast, the Los Angeles Daily News and Tall Magazine (yes, there is such a thing -- correction: was such a thing).
Danny lives in Orange County, CA with his wife Sharon and their two children.
RAGE AGAINST THE MESHUGENAH is his first book.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
May 23, 2009
This is the book equivalent of standing in gym class naked. It's raw, brutally honest, and laugh out loud funny. Danny bravely talks about his struggle with depression without depressing you.
January 2, 2011
One of my resolutions for the 2010 year was to read 50 books. On December 30, I was at 49 and needed a quick read to finish the year. A Christmas gift from one of her cousins, Steph suggested that I read Danny Evans' Rage Against the Meshugenah and after seeing its enormous typeface, I decided to go for it. I was 40 pages away from finishing when I got sleepy and went to bed on the evening of December 30. The 31st came and went and I forgot to finish it. So there you go: I failed my New Year's Resolution by 40 pages and simple forgetfulness. Alas ...
Anyway, this book started out great. I rarely ever laugh with memoirs that attempt to be funny, but this one had its share of hyucks in its first few chapters. For those who don't know who Danny Evans is (and I assume most do not), he's ... well, no one really. He was a regular middle-class Jewish male from California who lost his job four days before 9/11, the two-punch combination of which sent him into a downward spiral of depression. This book is therefore the tale of his life afterward and how he dealt with the chemical imbalance that caused him to hit rock bottom. At the same time, he begins to deconstruct himself in hopes that the life he re-pieces together will be a better one for himself and his family.
This is where I sound like an ass: I didn't like this book. The most simple reason was that Evans was a completely ordinary and forgettable guy. While this might be a draw for some readers, it isn't for me. His story begins with everything being normal, spiraling depression and then continues with milestones in his life, all the while using his depression as an excuse to get readers to see his photo albums, which, let's face it, nobody likes to do. But fine, a simple, everyday story can be told in a funny, witty and engaging way, right? Wrong. While Evans had a few good jokes at first, they it was mostly the subtle ones that I enjoyed most. His writing suffers from that killjoy technique of trying too hard - creating ridiculously overblown metaphors or going through enormous narrative histrionics in order to make a joke. When those don't work, he resorts to pandering to Jewish jokes that I just never got.
Maybe I'm just not cut out for memoirs or books with zany covers. But I won't give up on the genre. Maybe 2011 will be the year that I finally read a so-called "hilarious" book that doesn't force me to roll my eyes a dozen times a page (I'm looking at you, Augusten Burroughs and John Grogan). Happy New Year!
Anyway, this book started out great. I rarely ever laugh with memoirs that attempt to be funny, but this one had its share of hyucks in its first few chapters. For those who don't know who Danny Evans is (and I assume most do not), he's ... well, no one really. He was a regular middle-class Jewish male from California who lost his job four days before 9/11, the two-punch combination of which sent him into a downward spiral of depression. This book is therefore the tale of his life afterward and how he dealt with the chemical imbalance that caused him to hit rock bottom. At the same time, he begins to deconstruct himself in hopes that the life he re-pieces together will be a better one for himself and his family.
This is where I sound like an ass: I didn't like this book. The most simple reason was that Evans was a completely ordinary and forgettable guy. While this might be a draw for some readers, it isn't for me. His story begins with everything being normal, spiraling depression and then continues with milestones in his life, all the while using his depression as an excuse to get readers to see his photo albums, which, let's face it, nobody likes to do. But fine, a simple, everyday story can be told in a funny, witty and engaging way, right? Wrong. While Evans had a few good jokes at first, they it was mostly the subtle ones that I enjoyed most. His writing suffers from that killjoy technique of trying too hard - creating ridiculously overblown metaphors or going through enormous narrative histrionics in order to make a joke. When those don't work, he resorts to pandering to Jewish jokes that I just never got.
Maybe I'm just not cut out for memoirs or books with zany covers. But I won't give up on the genre. Maybe 2011 will be the year that I finally read a so-called "hilarious" book that doesn't force me to roll my eyes a dozen times a page (I'm looking at you, Augusten Burroughs and John Grogan). Happy New Year!
August 21, 2009
I feel a little bit conflicted about this book. One thing is that I don’t read Danny Evans’s blog, Dad Gone Mad, but I have read very glowing reviews of this book from people whose blogs/writing I do read and like, so going into this book was a combination of I Don’t Know What To Expect and I Expect Something Like What These Other People Write. And this second expectation wasn’t fair, but it was there.
One the one hand, this book has some real heart-hitting descriptions of depression, very clear and vivid and true. I liked this; it was relatable, and I loved the writing. An example of what I liked:
“The room smelled like rain, and the hole-pocked foam ceiling panels were dotted with stains from the brown water bleeding down from a leaky metal roof. It felt oddly appropriate to be sitting under the collateral damage from a downpour.” (page 102)
The book is rife with popular-culture references, mainly American and mainly from television and film. Not being American, not having grown up with television or films, most of these references went over my head. This is possibly why most of the humour is not to my taste. There were some very good little lines in there that made me smirk, that I thought were clever little puns or whatever. But the rest of it was not what I was expecting. I mean it was sexual or stereotype-based, and I like ribald humour, but this was something else and I either didn’t get it or just didn’t like it at all.
I read “Rage” in about two days. And I have a baby! Obama’s “Dreams from My Father” took me MONTHS. So I feel quite proud of myself--and it's a testament to how much I wanted to read more and more and more of Evans’s book. If I didn’t have the babe, I probably would have read it all at once.
The number of similies, the amount of exaggeration, could, I felt, be reduced. I'm sure this is purely personal, a subjective-taste thing, based on the seriousness of the topic and where I am at in my own cycles of depression. The phrase "purple prose" comes to mind.
I liked the second half of the book much more than the first. There were many occasions where I was like “YES. More writing like this, please.” And it delivered. The writing seemed tighter to me, stronger, truer, and at the same time his persona came across as gentler.
Several times my eyebrows were raised by his explanations. For example, on page 58 he talks about his wife’s response to his “porn habit—[it:] was extraordinary tinder, but not because Sharon is a prude, sexless woman; she most certainly is not.” Of course there are also intellectual reasons for disliking pornography, including feminist, moral, and ethical. It is not as though it is a truth universally acknowledged that people (women) who object to their partners’ porn addictions are frigid or sexually uptight, and to read a book published in 2009 that suggests this is the only explanation was a bit weird.
Overall I am glad that I read this book, because depression is an important subject, something that needs to be understood better by everyone, and I appreciated hearing the perspective of an American Jewish male on this topic. It is, indeed, commendably honest. This kind of honesty requires great self-awareness and courage. This honesty can contribute to Knowledge and Truth, capitals intended.
One the one hand, this book has some real heart-hitting descriptions of depression, very clear and vivid and true. I liked this; it was relatable, and I loved the writing. An example of what I liked:
“The room smelled like rain, and the hole-pocked foam ceiling panels were dotted with stains from the brown water bleeding down from a leaky metal roof. It felt oddly appropriate to be sitting under the collateral damage from a downpour.” (page 102)
The book is rife with popular-culture references, mainly American and mainly from television and film. Not being American, not having grown up with television or films, most of these references went over my head. This is possibly why most of the humour is not to my taste. There were some very good little lines in there that made me smirk, that I thought were clever little puns or whatever. But the rest of it was not what I was expecting. I mean it was sexual or stereotype-based, and I like ribald humour, but this was something else and I either didn’t get it or just didn’t like it at all.
I read “Rage” in about two days. And I have a baby! Obama’s “Dreams from My Father” took me MONTHS. So I feel quite proud of myself--and it's a testament to how much I wanted to read more and more and more of Evans’s book. If I didn’t have the babe, I probably would have read it all at once.
The number of similies, the amount of exaggeration, could, I felt, be reduced. I'm sure this is purely personal, a subjective-taste thing, based on the seriousness of the topic and where I am at in my own cycles of depression. The phrase "purple prose" comes to mind.
I liked the second half of the book much more than the first. There were many occasions where I was like “YES. More writing like this, please.” And it delivered. The writing seemed tighter to me, stronger, truer, and at the same time his persona came across as gentler.
Several times my eyebrows were raised by his explanations. For example, on page 58 he talks about his wife’s response to his “porn habit—[it:] was extraordinary tinder, but not because Sharon is a prude, sexless woman; she most certainly is not.” Of course there are also intellectual reasons for disliking pornography, including feminist, moral, and ethical. It is not as though it is a truth universally acknowledged that people (women) who object to their partners’ porn addictions are frigid or sexually uptight, and to read a book published in 2009 that suggests this is the only explanation was a bit weird.
Overall I am glad that I read this book, because depression is an important subject, something that needs to be understood better by everyone, and I appreciated hearing the perspective of an American Jewish male on this topic. It is, indeed, commendably honest. This kind of honesty requires great self-awareness and courage. This honesty can contribute to Knowledge and Truth, capitals intended.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2010
I'm wrestling with this one. My poor review of this book probably has as much to do with me as with Mr. Evans. The book starts off strong on two counts: humor, and a few truly evocative descriptions of living with depression. Unfortunately it's all downhill from there.
The book mostly becomes about the author's Daddy issues, recounting therapy sessions and fights with his wife. This is roughly as interesting as listening to an acquaintance rehash his/her dreams.
My bigger issue with this book is that it's a book about Men with Depression. I capitalize thusly because Mr. Evans devotes a lot of time to proving that he is a man, and proving how very much harder it is for men to deal with depression than women. In certain aspects this is surely true, but reading this sort of book just makes me want to teach a basic feminism course in every elementary school. The speaker is so focused on returning life to the most banal definition of "normal" that I totally lost interest, having no interest in normalcy as defined by the heterosexual jewish couple with kids and only one job standard.
Anyway, maybe you'll like this book, especially if you are a Man with Depression. I had issues.
The book mostly becomes about the author's Daddy issues, recounting therapy sessions and fights with his wife. This is roughly as interesting as listening to an acquaintance rehash his/her dreams.
My bigger issue with this book is that it's a book about Men with Depression. I capitalize thusly because Mr. Evans devotes a lot of time to proving that he is a man, and proving how very much harder it is for men to deal with depression than women. In certain aspects this is surely true, but reading this sort of book just makes me want to teach a basic feminism course in every elementary school. The speaker is so focused on returning life to the most banal definition of "normal" that I totally lost interest, having no interest in normalcy as defined by the heterosexual jewish couple with kids and only one job standard.
Anyway, maybe you'll like this book, especially if you are a Man with Depression. I had issues.
April 28, 2009
Buy it. Read it.
You will laugh, you will cry, you will be moved.
It's available for pre-order. GO.
You will laugh, you will cry, you will be moved.
It's available for pre-order. GO.
March 24, 2021
He lost his job right before the conflagration (9/11). He became bedridden, immobilized, cranky, demanding, abusive, and alcoholic. He got pills from his to, saw a counselor, attended one AA meeting, saw a psychiatrist for better meds, got a few new jobs, hated them, had a second child, made peace with his horrid dad, had another kid, blogged about depression, wrote this book. Along the way, overcame his clinical depression. FYI, psychiatrists need to name the condition from the DSM V for insurance purposes. Maybe, he's just an asshole, who enjoys taking out his frustrations on those who love him. This guy sucked the life out if his family for years. And don't ever ask him, "How's it going?" You'll get an earful, you didn't want for free let alone for $200 psychiatrist's hour.
November 29, 2009
Last week, I went to Danny Evans‘ book signing here in Escondido. It was pretty deceiving, since we walked into the large bookstore and explored the entire store without finding Dad Gone Mad or anything that remotely looked like there was an event going on somewhere in the vicinity. In fact, we almost left, my friend making fun of me for driving such a long way on the wrong night, or driving to the wrong location. Then, I asked an employee to help me figure it all out once I had the Dad Gone Mad appearance listing open on my iPhone…
We found Danny tucked away in a little corner of the bookstore, where he was answering questions and reading from his book, Rage Against the Meshugenah. Perhaps his use of the word testicles or dropping the “F” bomb is what kept them from putting him on display right in front, but I was ever-so-pleased to have found him and the small, yet intimate group of readers there to meet him.Danny spoke quietly so I walked to the front row in order to hear him as he read the laugh-out-loud scenes from his book that covered his conversation with his mom about priaprism and about his experience with his psychiatrist who fondled his shirt upon first meeting him.
I started reading his book the very next day at the beach. I couldn’t put it down (I blame him and his compelling story for my sunburn) and I found myself both laughing and crying along with Danny as he shared his very personal account of being laid off (been there), dealing with depression (been there too), experiencing a miscarriage (been there as well) and dealing with his feelings of inadequacy as a new parent (yep, been there once again).
Despite the fact that this book is a humorous look at serious topics, the most touching and poignant passages from Danny’s writing were the pages where he discussed his unconditional love for his wife, Sharon, who stood by him through his darkest times. He describes the way they embrace and how, mostly because of their relationship, and her faith in him, that he is able to survive his depression and come out on the other side, more aware, more enlightened and better able to enjoy his role as husband, dad and son to his parents.
“I’m more than a foot taller than Sharon…When we’re hugging over something happy, she stands on a chair so she can squeeze my neck and I can kiss hers. When I’m feeling romantic (or reasonable variations thereof), I walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her shoulders. When we’re making up after an argument, Sharon sits on the couch, I get on my knees in front of her, and I dive in to bury my face in her neck.”
“If my life could be measured with the same kind of line graph economists use to measure stock performance on Wall Street, there would be a huge spike at the moment I kissed Sharon’s soft, sweet lips for the first time.”
Danny writes from the heart. He writes with passion and full disclosure as he sorts through the emotions and experiences of truly finding himself after reaching the deep end. Readers will travel with him on this journey as he explores the depths of his despair and reaches new heights with his recovery and through the eyes of his children.
“The sight of two caring, special human beings – that I helped to create – displaying kindness and love to one another (without being asked) shattered the mold of what I thought I was, what I thought a Man was. Just as the case was with the onset of my depression a few years earlier, the feeling I had at that moment was unlike anything I’d encountered before. And just like depression, that vision rocked me to the core and forced me to take stock of what was happening around me. The one obvious difference between these two moments was that the former left me awash in numbness and confusion. The latter flooded me with a sense that perhaps my life was just beginning…”
We found Danny tucked away in a little corner of the bookstore, where he was answering questions and reading from his book, Rage Against the Meshugenah. Perhaps his use of the word testicles or dropping the “F” bomb is what kept them from putting him on display right in front, but I was ever-so-pleased to have found him and the small, yet intimate group of readers there to meet him.Danny spoke quietly so I walked to the front row in order to hear him as he read the laugh-out-loud scenes from his book that covered his conversation with his mom about priaprism and about his experience with his psychiatrist who fondled his shirt upon first meeting him.
I started reading his book the very next day at the beach. I couldn’t put it down (I blame him and his compelling story for my sunburn) and I found myself both laughing and crying along with Danny as he shared his very personal account of being laid off (been there), dealing with depression (been there too), experiencing a miscarriage (been there as well) and dealing with his feelings of inadequacy as a new parent (yep, been there once again).
Despite the fact that this book is a humorous look at serious topics, the most touching and poignant passages from Danny’s writing were the pages where he discussed his unconditional love for his wife, Sharon, who stood by him through his darkest times. He describes the way they embrace and how, mostly because of their relationship, and her faith in him, that he is able to survive his depression and come out on the other side, more aware, more enlightened and better able to enjoy his role as husband, dad and son to his parents.
“I’m more than a foot taller than Sharon…When we’re hugging over something happy, she stands on a chair so she can squeeze my neck and I can kiss hers. When I’m feeling romantic (or reasonable variations thereof), I walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her shoulders. When we’re making up after an argument, Sharon sits on the couch, I get on my knees in front of her, and I dive in to bury my face in her neck.”
“If my life could be measured with the same kind of line graph economists use to measure stock performance on Wall Street, there would be a huge spike at the moment I kissed Sharon’s soft, sweet lips for the first time.”
Danny writes from the heart. He writes with passion and full disclosure as he sorts through the emotions and experiences of truly finding himself after reaching the deep end. Readers will travel with him on this journey as he explores the depths of his despair and reaches new heights with his recovery and through the eyes of his children.
“The sight of two caring, special human beings – that I helped to create – displaying kindness and love to one another (without being asked) shattered the mold of what I thought I was, what I thought a Man was. Just as the case was with the onset of my depression a few years earlier, the feeling I had at that moment was unlike anything I’d encountered before. And just like depression, that vision rocked me to the core and forced me to take stock of what was happening around me. The one obvious difference between these two moments was that the former left me awash in numbness and confusion. The latter flooded me with a sense that perhaps my life was just beginning…”
June 27, 2010
Instead of a synopsis or blurbs, the back jacket of this book excerpts a passage from the first chapter, a hilarious shout-out to Evans' first therapist, named Neil Diamond (no relation). Highlight: he spends much of his time with Dr. Diamond trying to work up the courage to say, as he's leaving a session, "Thanks, Doc. Good times have NEVER been so good." HAAAA! As it turns out, this jacket copy was an excellent PR decision, as that passage is the only really funny thing in this book, which bills itself as a "humorous depression memoir." I mean, I'll give him that depression isn't funny, so it was a tall order in the first place. But many things about his experience of it have the potential to be funny (short list: a porn addiction, the super-melodramatic way depressed people talk, cubicle work) and he really misses the mark on a lot of those. Balancing the serious discussion of depression in an illuminating and educative way with humor and anecdotes is, I think, a great goal, but one that Evans just isn't the writer for. The "serious" parts feel disjointed and unfocused, and not in a meta, I did that on purpose because that's how it feels to be depressed way. I think what I wish is that this had had a better editor. Also, a lot less discussion of his dick.
May 4, 2010
There are a lot of books about depression and mental illness, and I've read quite a few. Rage Against the Meshugenah is a memoir of a father's struggle to overcome depression. It was a quick and easy read but was not my favorite in the genre. Maybe I just can't relate to a macho, Jewish dad of two? I don't know.
I felt like the author was a bit of a chauvinist and that he wasn't very respectful of his wife. It was clear through the book that he loves his wife very much, but something about the way he speaks about the women in his life rubbed me the wrong way. Of course, this could also be because Evans is writing about his life as seen through the filter of depression and is being unflinchingly honest about how he treated his wife and family and about his use of alcohol and porn.
I don't doubt the sincerity of his writing, but I'm not interested in reading anything else by this author either.
I felt like the author was a bit of a chauvinist and that he wasn't very respectful of his wife. It was clear through the book that he loves his wife very much, but something about the way he speaks about the women in his life rubbed me the wrong way. Of course, this could also be because Evans is writing about his life as seen through the filter of depression and is being unflinchingly honest about how he treated his wife and family and about his use of alcohol and porn.
I don't doubt the sincerity of his writing, but I'm not interested in reading anything else by this author either.
October 30, 2009
I have to be honest, I was a little iffy on the book as I was reading it. There were so many times I wished Danny would have stayed in his "authentic" narrative as, at times in an effort to inject humor, I felt that it broke the flow of the powerful story he was telling about his battle with depression.
I was also a little frustrated by his "Jackie Mason-esque" Jewish "schtick" when talking about growing up in a very religious house, it was so contrary to his impressive writing when he was expressing, with raw honestly, the pain, shame and difficulty he experienced when he fell into the depths of depression and fought his way back to (near) sanity.
However, that being said, I am a huge fan of Danny. He's bright, funny and the book has really stuck with me long after finishing the book.
I was also a little frustrated by his "Jackie Mason-esque" Jewish "schtick" when talking about growing up in a very religious house, it was so contrary to his impressive writing when he was expressing, with raw honestly, the pain, shame and difficulty he experienced when he fell into the depths of depression and fought his way back to (near) sanity.
However, that being said, I am a huge fan of Danny. He's bright, funny and the book has really stuck with me long after finishing the book.
October 30, 2009
Rage Against the Meshugenah is alternately laugh-out-loud funny and wipe-your-tears-and-hide-your-face sad. Above all it is honest and touching, giving the reader a way to connect with depression whether they recognize something in themselves or in a loved one.
Danny is smart, funny, and not afraid to tell you about his penchant for porn and masturbation in the same book he is exposing himself (so to speak) as a giant dork.
If you have been touched by depression in your life in some way (and shit, who hasn't?), this book will help you feel a little less alone and maybe even find some humor.
Danny is smart, funny, and not afraid to tell you about his penchant for porn and masturbation in the same book he is exposing himself (so to speak) as a giant dork.
If you have been touched by depression in your life in some way (and shit, who hasn't?), this book will help you feel a little less alone and maybe even find some humor.
August 16, 2009
I laughed, I cried, I snorted and I read aloud so my Dad could do the same.
He asked to borrow it when I am done. You can have it tomorrow Dad.
Danny masters hilarity as he trudges through a valley I pray to never see myself. The insights are snarfably perfect in their timing and precise in their messages.
In sickness and in health indeed. Thanks for the reminder Danny, I am glad you are where you are with this illness and grateful for having come across your book.
If nothing else I get to sound like I know a little something about a little something when speaking yiddish.
He asked to borrow it when I am done. You can have it tomorrow Dad.
Danny masters hilarity as he trudges through a valley I pray to never see myself. The insights are snarfably perfect in their timing and precise in their messages.
In sickness and in health indeed. Thanks for the reminder Danny, I am glad you are where you are with this illness and grateful for having come across your book.
If nothing else I get to sound like I know a little something about a little something when speaking yiddish.
February 21, 2011
A very interesting look at depression and what goes on in the mind and body when you are in the throes of depression. Funny at times, however I couldn't help feeling that he was trying a little too hard to be funny - the humor just felt forced in parts. He also jumps around sometimes chronologically which was confusing. While I realized he writes a blog and exerpts from this book were lifted directly from his blog, other parts that weren't supposed to be from the blog still felt bloggish. I know it might sound like I hated this book. I didn't, it was insightful and entertaining overall.
August 7, 2009
Danny Evans is the writer behind the popular blog, Dad Gone Mad. This is his first book.
RATM is a raw account of his dealing with clinical depression as jewish man as well as how this affected his young family. Despite the subject, this book is not depressing.
If you have ever experienced major depression or know someone who is, you should definitely read this book. If you haven't, well, you should read it anyway.
RATM is a raw account of his dealing with clinical depression as jewish man as well as how this affected his young family. Despite the subject, this book is not depressing.
If you have ever experienced major depression or know someone who is, you should definitely read this book. If you haven't, well, you should read it anyway.
October 23, 2009
A Jewish man chronicles his depression and recovery, including too much information about his sex life and childbirth. He's so enamored with being a funny potty-mouth in many parts that it's hard to take him seriously when he IS being serious, like musing on what he really wants to do with his life vs. just having a job, but still an amusing and mostly sympathetic character. Definitely more of a blogger than a novelist though.
August 11, 2009
Danny's honesty, vulnerability, insightfulness and humor blend into an incredible memoir; he leaves no stone unturned as he details his slide into depression, the struggles he faced as he tried to pull himself out, and the events that helped push him in the right direction. It's well written and I applaud him for writing about such a raw part of his life.
November 23, 2009
This book brings together a few topics that have been touched on before- growing up Jewish in the suburbs, mental illness, and the struggle and renewal of hitting bottom in your life. The thing is, they're almost never looked at as they relate to each other. And Danny adds a large dollop of honesty and perverse humor on top of everything. Great book.
February 5, 2010
Meh. There's some good writing in here, but this book lacked a cohesive narrative. It's a memoir, but it jumped back and forth. It definitely read like the blog that it was based upon.
July 28, 2010
Apparently anyone can write a memoir about anything. We should all probably write books. Not very exciting.
November 22, 2020
This is the story of an entitled white man clumsily stumbling his way through toxic masculinity, repressed anger, isolation, and depression, without much self-awareness along the way. The appeal of the book is that it is supposed to be humorous, but all of the cheap shots and low blows were nothing but cringe-worthy. It may help other entitled white men who are having a hard time accepting that they are struggling, but any other reader would probably chafe at the author's very narrow world view. It came out 11 years ago and feels very dated already, which ultimately is a good thing, that the collective consciousness has come so far in understanding mental illness, minority perspectives, and what is actually funny.
November 19, 2012
I never paid attention to this subtitle, so a few pages in I was really confused about what I was reading. I thought this was going to be a memoir about growing up Jewish ala Mennonite in a Little Black Dress. But not so much (other than the fact Evans is Jewish; then the stories are just totally different).
Overall, I wasn't a huge fan of this one. Props to Evans for being forthright with regards to his depression, but dude aired a little too much dirty laundry for my taste. Perhaps he and his therapist should have worked on boundaries at some point. The story bounced back and forth a bit much and kept the book from achieving a good flow, in my opinion. Evans also still seems so angry - there was undercurrent of it throughout that was a bit unnerving (and not in a good way).
Props to his wife for sticking by him and having seemingly endless supply of patience with him. I was also really confused about how he ultimately ends up - at one point he seemed great coaching his son's Litte League team - but them emphatically states it's a daily battle. I get it can be both at the same time, but I was left without feeling much closure. How is his relationship with his wife now that worst has passed? Did it have any effect on his kids? Is he still at the insurance company? Did his wife go back to work?
Overall, this one didn't strike a chord with me.
Overall, I wasn't a huge fan of this one. Props to Evans for being forthright with regards to his depression, but dude aired a little too much dirty laundry for my taste. Perhaps he and his therapist should have worked on boundaries at some point. The story bounced back and forth a bit much and kept the book from achieving a good flow, in my opinion. Evans also still seems so angry - there was undercurrent of it throughout that was a bit unnerving (and not in a good way).
Props to his wife for sticking by him and having seemingly endless supply of patience with him. I was also really confused about how he ultimately ends up - at one point he seemed great coaching his son's Litte League team - but them emphatically states it's a daily battle. I get it can be both at the same time, but I was left without feeling much closure. How is his relationship with his wife now that worst has passed? Did it have any effect on his kids? Is he still at the insurance company? Did his wife go back to work?
Overall, this one didn't strike a chord with me.
January 20, 2010
This is Evans' recounting of his battle with clinical depression. It’s a powerful tale, written with his trademark wit, insight, and honesty. It’s an obvious labor of love, and also an obvious attempt to reach out to other men (and women) who either battle with depression or have a loved one that battles depression. For those not in the know, meshugenah is the yiddish word for crazy.
What was great about this book is how any person can see bits of their own life in it. How anyone can identify with something here. Whether it’s Danny himself, or with his wife, or with the situation in which he found himself – suddenly unemployed, looking at a world seemingly falling apart (just post 9/11), wondering how on earth he was going to manage to support himself and his young family.
For anyone who is affected by clinical depression either personally, or secondhand, or even thirdhand, I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s a masterful first-person insight into how the male mind thinks, feels, and works. It’s not a self-help book, so no worries on that front. It’s entertaining and witty. Sad and heartrending as well. One word of warning, and that is that Evans’ language is not for the faint of heart or easily offended. He lays it all out there. I had no issues with it, but if you’re recommending this book to your mother or grandmother, be forewarned.
What was great about this book is how any person can see bits of their own life in it. How anyone can identify with something here. Whether it’s Danny himself, or with his wife, or with the situation in which he found himself – suddenly unemployed, looking at a world seemingly falling apart (just post 9/11), wondering how on earth he was going to manage to support himself and his young family.
For anyone who is affected by clinical depression either personally, or secondhand, or even thirdhand, I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s a masterful first-person insight into how the male mind thinks, feels, and works. It’s not a self-help book, so no worries on that front. It’s entertaining and witty. Sad and heartrending as well. One word of warning, and that is that Evans’ language is not for the faint of heart or easily offended. He lays it all out there. I had no issues with it, but if you’re recommending this book to your mother or grandmother, be forewarned.
April 11, 2016
Evans’s heartfelt, charming chortle-fest relates a lifetime of therapy, Jewishness, and depressive fun en route to redemption. I coined a new term for our Jewish dudefriend: djewde, one who is both shaped and deformed by his faith. For instance, Hebrew school kept him out of baseball, and your heart feels it when he describes his baseball debut (and finale) at age nine—age nine. Evans’s solidly average (a Fresno State alum, for G-d’s sake) life replete with wife, kids, success, and crazy urges typifies the whole “modern life” conundrum. Which is to say, despite having it pretty darned good and knowing it, he’s depressed. And he knows how stupid that is in the face of all that happy. Therapy, both funny and wrenching, is the key. Evans found his visits akin to completing a “giant puzzle, and over time the picture grew a little clearer.” As with many other people, Evans’s ultimate salvation comes from parenting his own children, from giving them the empathy, love, and guidance that he, in fact, needs. Not only will couples share guffaws, they will get all simpatico with Evans’s discoveries.
Find reviews of books for men at Books for Dudes, Books for Dudes, the online reader's advisory column for men from Library Journal. Copyright Library Journal.
Find reviews of books for men at Books for Dudes, Books for Dudes, the online reader's advisory column for men from Library Journal. Copyright Library Journal.
September 18, 2012
1) The book "Rage Against the Meshugenah: Why It Takes Balls to Go Nuts" by Danny Evans is about how he spirals into depression when he loses his job a week before 9/11, so he compares his life to the tragedy. He starts to neglect his wife and child, almost refusing to even acknowledge their presence. Once Danny starting to go see his therapist, he started to see things from a different perspective. He learns to accept his depressing new life, and learns to live with the sorrow filled days.
2) I gave this book two stars because it made me feel uncomfortable at times, and frustrated the other times. It got really perverted and awkward, and the author was really negative so it was hard for me to pity him.
3)"What is this? What's happening to me? Have I gone crazy?" (Evans 43). This is when he had a reality check and became aware of how his life was becoming pointless.
4) It was very funny, he does a lot of callbacks, hyperboles, and black humor.
5) I would recommend this to a depressed person because this could maybe help them gain something from it and see things in a new perspective just like Danny Evans.
2) I gave this book two stars because it made me feel uncomfortable at times, and frustrated the other times. It got really perverted and awkward, and the author was really negative so it was hard for me to pity him.
3)"What is this? What's happening to me? Have I gone crazy?" (Evans 43). This is when he had a reality check and became aware of how his life was becoming pointless.
4) It was very funny, he does a lot of callbacks, hyperboles, and black humor.
5) I would recommend this to a depressed person because this could maybe help them gain something from it and see things in a new perspective just like Danny Evans.
May 26, 2010
The title of Danny Evan's raw book about his battle with depression, Rage Against the Meshugenah, is derived both from the name of the band whose most famous song's refrain is "Fuck you! I won't do what you tell me!" (Rage Against the Machine) and the Jewish word for crazy--Meshugenah. That combination alone compelled me to read this book.
But this isn't just a funny book about depression. Evans "outs" his depression in a way that is deeply moving and hysterical because it is so honest as to feel uncensored. It's a look into the societal trappings men feel they must adhere to in order to be considered "real men" and how those confines can be really, really depressing. Like, debilitating.
Although he begins his rage against the meshugenah by wallowing in beer and porn, he ultimately beats it--more or less--with a combination of anti-depressants and therapy. I admit that this book is partly a trainwreck you can't look away from, but it's also a searing and important deconstruction of what happened to one man who, as Evans says, had the balls to go nuts.
But this isn't just a funny book about depression. Evans "outs" his depression in a way that is deeply moving and hysterical because it is so honest as to feel uncensored. It's a look into the societal trappings men feel they must adhere to in order to be considered "real men" and how those confines can be really, really depressing. Like, debilitating.
Although he begins his rage against the meshugenah by wallowing in beer and porn, he ultimately beats it--more or less--with a combination of anti-depressants and therapy. I admit that this book is partly a trainwreck you can't look away from, but it's also a searing and important deconstruction of what happened to one man who, as Evans says, had the balls to go nuts.
October 24, 2009
I've read many books about depression and the one thing I never paid attention to until listening to an interview with Danny Evans, is that they're all written from a woman's perspective. Very little exists about depression from a male's perspective.
Along comes Danny Evans, a man whose blog I've been reading for a few years. He's alluded to his depression in his blog but he's never gone into it to the level that he does in this book.
With a strong wit and deep insight and the ability to self deprecate, Danny presents us with a view into depression that is equal parts frightening and refreshing. I think, if anything, men can use this book as a way to look at their own depression and not feel shame about it. I hope that men will realize they can seek help and that they are not the only one who is feeling this way.
Along comes Danny Evans, a man whose blog I've been reading for a few years. He's alluded to his depression in his blog but he's never gone into it to the level that he does in this book.
With a strong wit and deep insight and the ability to self deprecate, Danny presents us with a view into depression that is equal parts frightening and refreshing. I think, if anything, men can use this book as a way to look at their own depression and not feel shame about it. I hope that men will realize they can seek help and that they are not the only one who is feeling this way.
June 6, 2010
I loved this story, mainly because hearing a man talk about his depression (in a hilarious way, to boot) is such a rare thing in our society. You'll find yourself rooting for Danny throughout the story, even in those moments when you know his depression is so deep and all-consuming that his family is suffering as a result. (Danny's wife, Sharon, is a saint.) Overall, this is a hysterical account of what is truly a sad illness, one that destroys the lives of many people. Kudos to Danny for putting his story out there for everyone to read, and shedding light on a topic that most men just won't talk about.
(I was going to rate this book at four stars, until I remembered the best part of the book--the author's account of his vasectomy. Probably one of the funniest essays of all time. Totally earned him that fifth star.)
(I was going to rate this book at four stars, until I remembered the best part of the book--the author's account of his vasectomy. Probably one of the funniest essays of all time. Totally earned him that fifth star.)
February 8, 2010
Danny Evans did the seemingly impossible. He wrote a funny book about depression. Having struggled with depression myself, I found myself nodding along with Danny's insights too many times to count. While a man seems to struggle in different ways than a woman (or maybe it's just a different struggle person to person) I found a lot of wisdom in what Danny had to say and even found myself wondering if I shouldn't seek counseling again for some things I might need to work through.
I found myself laughing out loud, cringing in recognition, and even shedding some tears in solidarity and understanding. This is a memoir worth noting. I read it quickly yet I savored each page, knowing a real person was behind the words. Thanks for taking the chance and penning your story Danny.
I found myself laughing out loud, cringing in recognition, and even shedding some tears in solidarity and understanding. This is a memoir worth noting. I read it quickly yet I savored each page, knowing a real person was behind the words. Thanks for taking the chance and penning your story Danny.
August 31, 2013
I really need to stop reading books on planes... especially this book. This book had so many "I didn't know anyone one else felt/thought that way" aha moments. And not in a "that's neat" kind of way but in a "oh my G-d, maybe I'm not crazy/stupid/doomed if there are other people in the world with the same thoughts and feelings as me and said people are successful, funny and clearly awesome". There were times when it felt as though I was reading my very own thoughts, word for word. I didn't know if I should find Danny Evans so I could yell "get out of my head" or so I could give the man a hug and tell him "thank you". Thank you for sharing and expressing what so many people feel and fear and for making them feel like they're not alone. Great read.
September 10, 2009
This book got better and better the longer I read it. And I didn't read it for very long it seemed. It was one of those reads that once you hit a certain point, you can't just bookmark it and come back. It really is that compelling.
What I liked most was that the chapters alternated between narratives of his days in depression (which were smeared with pee-your-pants funny moments) and episodes from his formative years. It worked much better than the chronological "I saw that one coming" approach.
Thanks, Danny. You wrote the book that needed to be written. For you and for lots of people.
What I liked most was that the chapters alternated between narratives of his days in depression (which were smeared with pee-your-pants funny moments) and episodes from his formative years. It worked much better than the chronological "I saw that one coming" approach.
Thanks, Danny. You wrote the book that needed to be written. For you and for lots of people.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews