Rage Against the Meshugenah: Why It Takes Balls to Go Nuts by Danny Evans

From Barnes & Noble

You don't have to be Jewish to appreciate the expressiveness of the Yiddish term meshuga, a term that covers extreme eccentricity and downright insanity. In the case of Danny Evans, the author of this feisty, full-bodied memoir, his meshuga-ness took the form of a post–September 11th depression that left him desperate for even temporary relief, much less a cure. To ease the mental pain, he self-medicated with pills, beer, and hardcore porn. Nevertheless, his pugnacious resilience somehow pulled him through, giving this book an upbeat tone that Dave Eggers might envy.

From the Publisher

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.

Publishers Weekly

Former Los Angeles ad exec Evans takes a humorous approach to a serious subject as he addresses the depression that descended on him over various periods of his life, leaving him dangerously immobilized. A recent bout of depression precipitated a more aggressive approach to his mental illness: a few days before 9/11, Evans was suddenly laid off from his fancy job at an ad agency and offered two weeks' severance; soon he became anxious about how to support his wife and children in their new house in suburban Southern California. Watching the news about the World Trade Center attack only compounded his sense of helplessness and grief, and he clearly recognized that he had “hit rock bottom.” His account—by turns grossly humorous, extremely self-critical and brutally honest—depicts months of indulging in porn, beer and denial before forcing himself to seek professional help and mend the precious relationships in his life such as with his wife and two young children. Therapy prompted him to ponder his own childhood growing up a good Jewish boy in Simi Valley, Calif., and the issues of anger and agency he wrestled with. Evans addresses feelings of fear and confusion that men are often not allowed to express, and readers may find his wisecracking memoir most useful. (Aug.)

Kirkus Reviews

A nice Jewish boy reflects on his experiences with depression. Evans initially positions himself as a 30-something descendant of the Borscht Belt. "I knew precisely what my future held," he writes. "I would be a rabbi. I would be a learned Torah scholar who... would marry a Jewish woman (presumably one with a hairy mole on her face)." This approach provokes mild chuckles but little more. Growing up in the white-bread California suburb of Simi Valley, the author began wrestling with therapy during adolescence, due to "an epic battle of wills" with his overbearing parents. "My first therapist's name was Neil Diamond," he writes, "but he didn't wear sequins, didn't bring me flowers, and most certainly did not turn on my heartlight." Evans remained dismissive of the therapeutic process in his 20s, and focused on the accidental good fortune of a "hot blonde" wife and cushy job in advertising. In 2001, he was laid off abruptly, days before the 9/11 attacks. This juxtaposition of personal stress and national tragedy provoked the onset of more serious depression. By the standards of contemporary memoir, Evans's "bottom" is less than impressive. He obsessed over porn, drank a lot and tried multiple antidepressants that interfered with his sexual functions-all of which seem like fairly universal rites of passage for white-collar men today. Over time, his experiences as a father and with his long-suffering wife began to improve, while his return to therapy (with a practitioner superior to "Neil Diamond") allowed him to unpack his confused resentment over his upbringing, especially regarding the unique tribalism of American Jews. Unfortunately, the tone is overwhelmingly muddled and repetitive, andthe narrative is riddled with the standard blog-influenced tactics of digression and incessant pop-culture references-as well as unpleasant flashes of juvenile misogyny. Tedious and ultimately mediocre. In-store author appearances on West Coast. Agent: Karen Gerwin/The Creative Culture

What People Are Saying

A.J. Jacobs
"Danny Evans has written a moving, funny and relentlessly honest account of depression. His family must be kvelling."--( A.J. Jacobs, New York Times bestselling author of THE YEAR OF LIVING BIBLICALLY and THE KNOW-IT-ALL)

Josh Kilmer-Purcell
"RAGE AGAINST THE MESHUGENAH is quite possibly a cure for depression all by itself. Danny Evans skillfully tackles the often-overlooked topic of male depression by sharing his own harrowing - but also hilarious - road towards treatment and recovery. A razor sharp, witty new voice with loads of heart."--(Josh Kilmer-Purcell, New York Times bestselling author of I AM NOT MYSELF THESE DAYS and CANDY EVERYBODY WANTS)

Jen Lancaster
"Danny Evans wrote the book that needed to be written. In RAGE AGAINST THE MESHUGENAH, Evans goes where most male memoirs don't, recounting the one-two punch of unemployment and depression with hard-won self-awareness. Even in the darkest days of his life, Evans sense of humor shines through and his story, while heartbreaking in parts, is ultimately uplifting and hopeful. In short? RAGE is raw, wry, and riveting."--(Jen Lancaster, New York Times bestselling author of BITTER IS THE NEW BLACK and BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG ASS)

John Elder Robison
"Before reading this book, I thought depression was like other mental illnesses -- it only touched a select few of us. Danny's story has shown me that depression is different. It's like an evil genie, lurking inside all of us, waiting to rise up and take over when we are least able to defend ourselves. Read this book, and I guarantee you that you'll see yourself in his story, because it could happen to any of us, especially in today's uncertain world. Highly recommended."--(John Elder Robison, New York Times bestselling author of LOOK ME IN THE EYE)

Robert Rummel-Hudson
"Danny Evans demonstrates unequivocally that funny people get depressed, and depressed people don't lose their sense of humor. His memoir is honest and unblinking in its portrayal of how depression colors a life, and yet it is as funny a book as you're likely to read. Wholly original, and a real pleasure to read."--(Robert Rummel-Hudson, author of SCHUYLER'S MONSTER)

Product Details