SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA WRITER
John Bateson
Golden Gate Bridge Suicides
The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most beautiful and most photographed structures in the world. For years it also has been the top suicide site with nearly 2,000 deaths. Today, a net is in place to prevent new suicides, but it was a long time coming. Weaving drama, tragedy, and politics against the backdrop of a world-famous city, this book uncovers the reasons for the design decision that led to so many deaths, provides insight into the phenomenon of suicide, and examines arguments for and against a suicide barrier. It includes stories of those who have died, the few who have survived, and the many who have been affected. No one who reads it will look at this iconic span the same way again.
Well written and thoroughly researched. Darkly enthralling. —Publishers Weekly
A masterful blend of research and case studies. The book is gripping, informative, maddening, and saddening, but it is something that anyone, professional or layperson, with compassion for psychological suffering will benefit from reading. —American Psychological Association
A carefully woven tapestry enabling readers to understand all facets of the Golden Gate Bridge story, a structure of unparalleled beauty, but one that holds the unsavory distinction of being not only the nation's but the world's leading suicide site. Highly recommended. —American Association of Suicidology
Bateson's work is a combination of manifesto and memorial, providing both a tribute to those who've jumped and a starting point for those who want to prevent more suicides from the Golden Gate Bridge. —ForeWord
