Gary Bell’s very short book (50 pages) entitled The Good Book of Mental Health, struck me as a delightful introduction to the topic for those who might not have much exposure to the topic.  It’s written in a lighthearted yet serious tone that makes his words easy to take.

The book doesn’t qualify anyone to be an armchair psychiatrist or diagnostician, but it does help readers become aware of certain problematic behaviors that are readily observed in ordinary interactions with people. I know that possessing this level of knowledge is important and valuable from my own experience as a chaplain. All I needed to be able to do was to recognize, more often than not, people who could benefit from professional help. I made sure I had the required referral information at hand to be able to direct them to those folks, should they choose to do so. That’s the level at which this book operates, it seemed to me. Bell wants to let us know what ‘not-so-good’ looks like so that people can be kept safe and real issues can be addressed.

Every chapter seemed to end with a reminder of God’s love. You’d be justified buying the book just for that reassurance. Bell is a convinced Christian who sees in Jesus a model of God’s love that we can all follow profitably. Couldn’t agree more.

Each chapter is written in the form of a letter, like the Pauline epistles. The ones that deal with marriage (the focus of Bell’s profession) are particularly useful because they offer practical measures people can take. Other chapters, like the ones on addiction and suicide, seemed fluffier in comparison. Gabor Mate’s The Realm of Hungry Ghosts and Fr. Ron Rolheiser’s writings on suicide ( you can begin at http://ronrolheiser.com  or read Bruised & Wounded: Struggling to Understand Suicide) would provide much deeper, and necessary (even at the introductory level), insight into these critical areas of mental health.

Bell writes as he speaks: from the hip and with humor. It might be helpful to listen to one of his podcasts at VoiceAmerica.com to capture a sense of how he communicates and become comfortable with his cadences.  I enjoyed this book, and would recommend this book without hesitation to people interested in a Christian perspective on mental hygiene.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR,Part 255.