The problem of suicide continues to be a difficult one for the clinician, either in primary care or psychiatry. It also presents a continuing problem in public health for our society: The rate of suicides in the United States remains at 10 to 12 per 100 000, but the rate of suicide attempts is ten times greater.
The author, a clinical psychologist with extensive experience in suicidology, presents a lucid and complete survey of attitudes toward self-destruction throughout history and in many different cultures, including pre-Columbian, Egyptian, Sumerian, Hellenic, Roman, Middle Eastern, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and Western European cultures. He