The best thing about this book was that it affirmed the actions that I have been taking after the death and showed me, as a man, how that was actually a way of healing. This book is a breath of fresh air compared to the more feminine you gotta "talk and cry" kinds of books. I had been getting pressure from my wife and others about not dealing with things. This book has helped me explain to them that I am indeed dealing with things but in my own way. This would be a great book for women to help them understand the men they love.
Don't be confused by all of the references to "This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title." The second edition on this page IS the same as the first edition PLUS an extra section. All of the comments on this page refer to both editions. I was confused about this and checked with the publisher before buying.
This book is very readable and could be helpful to anyone (man or woman) who has more of a masculine orientation to their grieving style. It is not biased towards any particular religios pursuasion but at the same time, could be thought of as very spiritual. I recommend it as an addition to any church, synagogue, or mosque library collection.
As a reader, it was quite obvious to me that Golden "knew his stuff" when it came to the topic of masculine grief. His many years of experience in grief counseling and his own grieving process helped shape this very powerful, highly communicative, and empathetic book.
I recommend "Swallowed by a Snake: The Gift of the Masculine Side of Healing" especially to readers who have been recently bereaved (either through death or some other loss). But I also recommend it to those who are revisiting a loss that might have occurred years ago.
This is one of those books you probably will have trouble putting down.