Balance

"Balance" tells the story of Christopher Ward and his battle with bipolar disorder. Ward retraces the steps of his journey from the straight-A student in high school to a young man who finds himself running away from home, landing in psychiatric wards and riding the waves of depression and mania for years at a time. In between the seriousness of describing these experiences, Ward mixes in some of his humorous thoughts on a variety of subjects, from religion and gun control to things he sees in everyday life. Literally true to its title, "Balance" provides light-hearted commentary to help offset the very serious recount of a man's struggle with bipolar disorder. The content of the book sometimes rides the waves itself as Ward's sense of humor and humility come together, or in some cases, seem to clash together.