Author Comments
Award-winning journalist and bestselling author C.C. Risenhoover said he chose to build the book around the two attorneys because of their unique nationwide practice. The firm specializes in psychiatric malpractice, primarily suicide cases.
"I don't think many people realize what a problem suicide is in our country," the author said. "I know that I didn't until I started interviewing Skip and Michael for the book. In this country we have about 30,000 reported suicides each year, and 765,000 suicide attempts. At the current suicide death rate, we have more Americans killing themselves in a 15-year period than died in battle in all wars we were engaged in during the 20 th century. It's the second leading cause of death for American college students, and the third leading cause for 14 to 25-year olds. Surprisingly, each year more than three times as many Americans die from suicide than currently die of AIDS."
As to his selection of Simpson and Stacy as the major sources for the book, Risenhoover said, "This is a book for the general public, so what better sources than two guys who have to examine a suicide from every possible angle – the who, why and how of a suicide – and then present the evidence to a jury. The book is based on a series of conversations I had with Skip and Michael dealing with the myths, misconceptions and misinformation about suicide. There's nobody in America who knows more about this tragic topic than these two guys."
The author said Simpson and Stacy had shot down many of his preconceived ideas about suicide, and about what motivated them to handle such cases.
"I began this project thinking that suicide is not my problem," Risenhoover said, "but I'm now convinced that everybody is either at risk or knows somebody who is. I've personally known five people who committed suicide, including a cousin, but I had put those deaths out of my mind."
Risenhoover said the fact that Simpson is a senior fellow at Harvard Medical School , and an adjunct professor at the University of Texas Medical School in San Antonio, is an indication of the quality that he brings to the legal profession.
"And, Michael was recently named one of the top young lawyers in Texas by Texas Monthly magazine," he said. "I make no apology for saying that Skip knows more about suicide than just about anybody in the country, and that Michael is a close second."
The author said he refers to Simpson and Stacy as WMI –weapons of mass instruction. "They know what they're talking about, and what they reveal in this book will save countless lives. They provide the danger signals and behavior patterns that indicate just who is suicidal, assess why the mental health industry is ill-equipped to deal with suicidal people, and shoot down the myths that I –and so many other people– have bought into for years. Most important, they make you think, make you realize that no one is immune to this tragedy."
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