Publishers Weekly
★ 02/24/2020
Moe (Conservatize Me), host of The Hilarious World of Depression podcast, wryly reflects on life as a “saddie” in this stirring memoir. Moe discusses depressive thoughts and experiences, including addiction in his family, his brother’s suicide in 2007, and moments of acute professional stress. He explains that as he grew up, married, and raised his children, he felt a need (increasingly prompted by his wife) to treat his low-key desire “not so much to die as simply not be alive anymore.” Despite his suicidal ideation and his struggle to move past his guilt after his brother’s suicide, Moe’s story is not bleak. While he does not come out on the mythical other side, he learns—with the help of medication, dogs, listening to music, and therapy—to break the “habit of converting stress into bleak, goth-eyeliner-wearing despair.” Such side-eye commentary separates Moe’s story from the “trite ’70s self-help” he loathes, as does the inclusion of quotes from podcast guests Maria Bamford, Patton Oswalt, and others. Moe’s edifying, enjoyable take on the realities of living with depression will uplift any reader. (May)
From the Publisher
One of Today's Ten Best Inspirational Books, 2020
"If David Sedaris wrote a book about depression, this would be his take." —Lee Woodruff, author of In an Instant
"Laugh-out-loud funny." —Today
"Moe’s edifying, enjoyable take on the realities of living with depression will uplift any reader." —Publisher's Weekly (starred review)
"Moe is exactly the right person to give an attentive, irreverent voice to those suffering with depression." —Susan Maguire, Booklist
"Deeply moving and, against all odds, life-affirming. It's an ode to the blues that makes you feel better about being human." —Susan Orlean
"While you'll be laughing throughout, you'll also have a few 'a-ha' moments in the mix." —Chicago Tribune
"Moe takes the stigma out of discussing mental illness and offers camaraderie to those who suffer from depression... [His] words should supply help, hope, and humor to many readers. " —Library Journal
"More than once I woke my husband up shouting, "Oh my God, THIS. IT IS EXACTLY* THIS" while reading this book. He was concerned but no more than usual." —Jenny Lawson
"A laughably relatable (and at times bittersweet) read for those who have experienced depression and an enlightening one for those who haven’t but want to understand it better... Uplifting." —Mandatory.com
"Thoughtful and, yes, sometimes hilarious new memoir." —AARP
"A funny, honest book." — Neil Gaiman
"I love this book!" — Gary Gulman
"The feel-bad hit of the summer!" — Colson Whitehead, author of The Underground Railroad
JUNE 2020 - AudioFile
Inspired by his podcast of the same name, this combination memoir and informational text is narrated by its author with sincere emotional investment and subtle humor. As the title suggests, Moe examines the serious subject of depression with wry observations and self-effacing irony. Moe's voice is casual and endearing, largely delivering the funny moments with solid comic timing. Sometimes, of course, the subject matter becomes oppressive despite Moe's lighthearted approach, and the audio format seems to add to that weight. Still, there is a likability to Moe's voice and words that will keep listeners rooting for him. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2020-02-05
The creator and host of the titular podcast recounts his lifelong struggles with depression.
With the increasing success of his podcast, Moe, a longtime radio personality and author whose books include The Deleted E-Mails of Hillary Clinton: A Parody (2015), was encouraged to open up further about his own battles with depression and delve deeper into characteristics of the disease itself. Moe writes about how he has struggled with depression throughout his life, and he recounts similar experiences from the various people he has interviewed in the past, many of whom are high-profile entertainers and writers—e.g. Dick Cavett and Andy Richter, novelist John Green. The narrative unfolds in a fairly linear fashion, and the author relates his family’s long history with depression and substance abuse. His father was an alcoholic, and one of his brothers was a drug addict. Moe tracks how he came to recognize his own signs of depression while in middle school, as he experienced the travails of OCD and social anxiety. These early chapters alternate with brief thematic “According to THWoD” sections that expand on his experiences, providing relevant anecdotal stories from some of his podcast guests. In this early section of the book, the author sometimes rambles. Though his experiences as an adolescent are accessible, he provides too many long examples, overstating his message, and some of the humor feels forced. What may sound naturally breezy in his podcast interviews doesn’t always strike the same note on the written page. The narrative gains considerable momentum when Moe shifts into his adult years and the challenges of balancing family and career while also confronting the devastating loss of his brother from suicide. As he grieved, he writes, his depression caused him to experience “a salad of regret, anger, confusion, and horror.” Here, the author focuses more attention on the origins and evolution of his series, stories that prove compelling as well.
The book would have benefited from a tighter structure, but it’s inspiring and relatable for readers with depression.
