First published in 1897, this book, also considered a case study, dives deep into the social factors that can compel an individual to become suicidal. With over two dozen tables to be found over the course of three books, you fully appreciate the amount of time and care that went into analyzing the data and organizing it in a cohesive way. I also very much enjoy the detailed appendix at the end of the book. Even though I took notes, a lot of notes, more notes than I usually take when I read a book, I found the detailed appendix to be incredibly useful when I wanted to go back and read about a concept again. While some of the ideas are not relevant today, most of these ideas being about a woman’s role and place in society, most of the author’s observations about the influence that society has on the individual are still pertinent.
I am very happy that John A. Spaulding and George Simpson took the time to translate this book from French to English, because then I would never have been able to read this and learn as much as I did. Besides learning, and although this is a book about a sociological issue, it raises some philosophical ideas. I found myself constantly thinking about points the author made, wondering why certain things are the way they are, and how certain circumstances are still in place in society today. Plights faced by mankind in the 19th century are ones that we still face today. It makes you wonder, will these difficulties always exist for certain people within our society? This book makes me ponder a lot of things and ask a lot of what if questions. I like books that make me think, and this one certainly makes me think a lot.
Nonfiction and Nonsense 