Waking Up, Alive

“It’s hard to imagine a hopeful or inspiring book on suicide,” writes the San Francisco Chronicle, “until you begin reading the astonishing WAKING UP, ALIVE.”  “Turning toward suicide can be one of the starkest expressions of human suffering that exists,” writes Tara Brach, author of TRUE REFUGE. "In this groundbreaking book we are guided into the hearts and minds of those who have descended into this hell realm, and emerged, able to re-choose life and communicate about the journey.”  “Many of the interviewees,” writes Kirkus Reviews, "were experts at putting up a facade.  But once this facade could no longer be maintained, many fell into a state that Heckler identifies as the ‘suicidal trance.’ At this stage, suicide seems a logical option--almost an imperative.”  “A wise and ultimately life-affirming work,” says Jack Kornfield.  “EXTRAORDINARY,” writes the Los Angeles Daily News, “FASCINATING…  Worthwhile reading both as a kind of survival epic and for the lessons it affords us all coping with the trials of daily life.”  “An invigorating testament to the resilience of the human spirit,” writes Wayne Muller, author of LEGACY OF THE HEART, “Richard Heckler skillfully guides us through the most unimaginable sorrow and despair, and allows us to taste the triumphant harvest of healing and grace.”  “Like a drowning man grasping a life raft,” writes Stanford professor and TED lecturer, JD Schramm, “I found Heckler's WAKING UP, ALIVE at a very crucial time in my life during the summer of 2003. His wonderful writing style and candid personal sharing make this a powerful book to read and absorb. His work was the first to speak directly to those who've attempted suicide and failed. For decades to follow it was the only resource out there. The world welcomes this reintroduction of a seminal work. It's a must read for those who've tried and failed, and those who love them.”