Understanding Suicide: A National Epidemic is a source book for those seeking to understand more about the global epidemic of suicide. Written by Connie Goldsmith, a registered nurse who also holds an Masters of Public Administration who has written sixteen non-fiction books for middle and high school readers, this text looks at true stories of families dealing with the death of a child, presents the risk factors for suicide, discusses suicide in children and teens, examines the escalating tragedy of suicide in the military, looks at suicide among the non-military adult population, and highlights how intervention and treatment can save lives.

The text includes source notes, a glossary, a selected bibliography,  photos and side bars, an index, and sources where readers can find additional resources, including books, video and audio, and websites.

This is not recreational reading, and is a bit dry. But with the epidemic of suicide, this new text (2017) will be a good addition to a school library.