Alex Riley – författare

'Boldly ambitious, deeply affecting, and magisterial in scope' Steve Silberman, author of Neurotribes'Expansive and thoughtful, it illuminates the complexity and elusiveness of his subject' New StatesmanDepression is a leading cause of disability around the world today, a growing health crisis that affects us all. It is a complex and diverse condition. But it is also highly treatable.In this profound and sweeping history, Alex Riley charts the macabre, ingenious, and often surprising developments in the science of mental healthcare over the last 2000 years. In the pursuit to understand his own experiences with mental illness, Riley interweaves his own family history with fascinating stories of biological and psychological treatments which illuminate the past, question the current state of diagnosis, and investigate the hype and hopes for future treatments.From the re-emergence of long-forgotten therapies to a group of grandmothers who stand at the forefront of a revolution in mental healthcare, A Cure for Darkness is an essential exploration of one of the most pressing problems of our time.

A NATURE BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE MAIL ON SUNDAY'Superb... A testament to just how beautiful and wonderful life on Earth is' Times Literary Supplement'Fascinating' Guardian'Brilliant' Daily MailFrom scorching deserts to frozen seabeds, from the highest peaks of the Himalaya to the hadal depths of the oceans, there are habitats on this Earth that appear inimical to life - yet in which it flourishes nevertheless. During the midday heat of the Sahara, silvery ants sprint from their nests to feed. In North American forests, wood frogs awaken each spring from solid blocks of ice. At the site of the Chernobyl disaster, fungi harness radiation to thrive. Transporting readers to far-flung environments we could never call home, Super Natural paints an awe-inspiring portrait of life's resilience and ingenuity under the harshest circumstances. We meet creatures exquisitely adapted to endure unimaginable deprivations: of water, oxygen, food, sunlight. Alex Riley shows how, at nature's extremes, the rules of life as we know them are rewritten - and how, here, we can find hope for the future of life on Earth, and beyond.

A NATURE BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE MAIL ON SUNDAY'Superb... A testament to just how beautiful and wonderful life on Earth is' Times Literary Supplement'Fascinating' Guardian'Brilliant' Daily MailFrom scorching deserts to frozen seabeds, from the highest peaks of the Himalaya to the hadal depths of the oceans, there are habitats on this Earth that appear inimical to life - yet in which it flourishes nevertheless. During the midday heat of the Sahara, silvery ants sprint from their nests to feed. In North American forests, wood frogs awaken each spring from solid blocks of ice. At the site of the Chernobyl disaster, fungi harness radiation to thrive. Transporting readers to far-flung environments we could never call home, Super Natural paints an awe-inspiring portrait of life's resilience and ingenuity under the harshest circumstances. We meet creatures exquisitely adapted to endure unimaginable deprivations: of water, oxygen, food, sunlight. Alex Riley shows how, at nature's extremes, the rules of life as we know them are rewritten - and how, here, we can find hope for the future of life on Earth, and beyond.