I don't know if this is the right place for it, but I would recommend Andrew Solomons book the Noonday Demon, an anatomy of deprepression. It's written by an author who struggles with depression himself, and he has been collecting stories and experiences of other depressed people all around the world. His book is a kind of information about all the different sides of depression, from the "man on the streets" point of view, + a bit more elaborated.

Not all of the book is very good, as for example chapter about treatments does not really give a fair description of cognitive therapy (and for me it is quite clear that he hasn't understood what cognitive therapy is). But, that is not the point with the book either, an dthe author is clearly stating that he does not have an intention of going through the treatments. He is just mentioning it so you can do investigations yourself if you find things you would like to learn more about (google can be fantastic sometimes).

The book has given me the words that depression makes me loose, to descibe what awful state I am in. It has given me an understanding of things that I don't understand because it is too deep inside me. But most important of all, it has been a tool in making my boyfriend understand depression and what it does to a normal human being.

I would not call the book a "scientific" book, but it is a good book to explain anyway. Scientific books can very often contain a language that is confusing, and words you have never heard about. This book is great also for people who are not so interested in only reading the "cold truth".

I think the only thing I reacted to was his intense gratification of medicating depression away, but I think that if you read with an open mind you will also see that the author is not disregarding any other therapy. On the other hand, I feel he is trying to get rid of some of the negative feelings towards using medicines for something very many people view as a "psychological" disease.

jsut a thought I foun dthe book helpful in many ways, even though I have read tons of so called scientific books about it through my study. This book put depression down on a level that is understandable for everyone, including people who has never been depressed.

Charlie