Suicide for BeginnersA social history and modern perspective on life and death

Christian Rück

Thought-provoking and important, the winner of August Prize 2024 for Best

Non-Fiction Book, with over 7,000 copies sold!

In 1983, Michael Jackson was breaking records with the hit song Billy Jean, U2 sang about Sunday Bloody Sunday, and Nena about 99 Luftballons. 1983 was also the year when Liz Rück, Christian’s aunt, died. The cause of death was suicide.

In Suicide for Beginners, psychiatrist Christian Rück takes us on a deep dive into the societal issue we are rarely brave enough to discuss, even though it’s a topic we need to destigmatize. What can we do when a child dies? Should a 104-year-old professor be allowed to decide on ending their own life at a death clinic in Switzerland? And how come no other species than humans die by suicide?

Christian reflects on society’s changing perception of this phenomenon through the ages, and presents how suicide was a part of the legend of how the Roman empire came to be, Plato’s views on suicide, and the relationship between suicide and sin from religious points of view. Through the cultural history of suicide, he leads us back to the present day with a very steady hand.

Over twelve chapters, Rück does not shy away from asking the toughest questions, mixing the practical and philosophical. Sweden was the first country in the world to set a national action program for suicide prevention, and since then, similar efforts have spread across the world; but how do they vary? Christian also asks the question: can we better understand life when we’re faced with death?

With his sharp pen, respectful manner, and compassionate warmth, Christian Rück lets his knowledge and expertise as a psychiatrist, professor, and scientific advisor for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, guide the reader through this controversial topic. Christian also shares conversations he has had with other researchers and testimonies from people who have lost someone to suicide. His own experience runs through the whole book as a common thread. Suicide for Beginners will break your heart, but also give you hope.

Reviews:

“He writes poignant descriptions of the individuals involved, weaving them together with his own reflections, along with statistics and facts. (…) Rück’s straightforward prose and the survivors he has spoken with are both emotionally stirring and unforgettable – As I read, I found myself pausing occasionally to allow the words to fully resonate with me.”

Göteborgs Posten (SE)

“Christian Rück’s book aims to spark a discussion on what constitutes a dignified death and a meaningful life. Suicide for Beginners has the touch of a self-help guide for people who have been affected by suicide, but also looks at specific points in history and highlights the view in society on suicide at the time. (…) Suicide for Beginners concludes with a long discussion about assisted dying and its ethical implications, while also concluding on a hopeful note, which has moved like a thread throughout the book; emphasizing the need to live a more meaningful life.”

YLE (SE)

“It all kicks off with a personal story about one of his relatives who died by suicide when the author was little. What follows is a chiselled-out walk-through – both cultural and psychological – about suicide as a phenomenon. (…) Christian Rück is an exceptional author and a professor in psychiatry, and his book is excellently written and worth reading.”

Modern Psykologi (SE)

“The fact that some individuals in our society take their own lives should prompt us to reevaluate how we view progress in addressing this issue. Reading Suicide for Beginners is an excellent way to start.”

Svenska Dagbladet (SE)

“With great passion, psychiatry professor Christian Rück addresses the taboo subject of suicide. (…) Suicide is a failure, he writes, but there are nuances to it, and he wants to highlight those.”

Tidningen Psykolog (SE)

“Sweden has chosen the opposite direction from the ‘Golden-Gate mentality’. Instead, we have a Suicide Zero vision. And sure, it sounds powerful: No human should have to die because of mental health problems. We should help everyone. But psychiatry professor Christian Rück points out in his book Suicide for Beginners, that it is in fact, impossible. Instead, Suicide Zero vision might unfortunately lead to blame being put on the loved ones who have lost someone; and what they could have done to stop this tragedy. That they should have done something more.”

Dagens Nyheter (SE)

“It might seem challenging to write engagingly and compellingly about suicide. But, Christian Rück manages to do just that. Suicide is a sensitive and forbidden topic and amidst the absurdity of the power the subject holds, one cannot help but laugh, and cry. How can someone want to die when we are all made to live; and fear death most of all?”

Tidskrift Respons (SE)

“When I read Christian Rücks, Suicide for Beginners, I was pleased to have found a like-minded ally in the battle against the death drive. As he expressed it, a caregiver should stand on the side of life, even if an individual always should have the right to die by suicide. Rück takes the reader on a comprehensive journey through various authors who have grappled with these complex questions in our history. He studies several legendary suicides, such as The Sorrows of Young Werther, the political consequences of Lucretia’s morally based suicide, the Japanese suicide method harakiri, and the dolphin Peter who died by suicide after being separated from his caregiver. Also, he draws from his own experience as a psychiatrist. (…) Christian Rück has written a full-bodied book about suicide.”

Aftonbladet (SE)