The Philosophy of Rich

On November 4, 2005, Richard Courtemanche drove his pickup truck to the Barton Creek greenbelt in Austin, Texas, with a shotgun by his side. He planned to end his life, alone, on the shores of his favorite creek. Instead, for one notorious afternoon -- mired in an advanced stage of bipolar disorder -- he was surrounded by crisis negotiators, a SWAT team, reporters and cameras. Written in clear and compassionate prose, The Philosophy of Rich is at once a tragic account of suicide and a laugh-out-loud collection of family stories. It's an education about bipolar disorder and major depression, and a warm, genuine narrative of two brothers' lives. As it follows Rich from U.S. Marine to millionaire futures trader, the book also provides a lucid inquiry into what we miss when someone dies. Incorporating ideas from philosophy of mind as well as psychology and neuroscience, Ted Courtemanche creates a book as insightful as it is humane. --Amazon.