{"product_id":"long-shot-my-bipolar-life-and-the-horses-who-saved-me-isbn-9780061714443","title":"Long Shot: My Bipolar Life and the Horses Who Saved Me","description":"\u003cp\u003eCombine \u003cem\u003eSeabiscuit\u003c\/em\u003e with \u003cem\u003eManic\u003c\/em\u003e—throw in a touch of HBO’s “Temple Grandin”—and you get \u003cem\u003eLong Shot\u003c\/em\u003e, a truly remarkable memoir by Sylvia Harris. A single mother of three, Harris was crippled by bipolar depression, until she discovered the miraculous healing and calming effect of horses—a revelation that ultimately enabled her to manage her illness, conquer the sexism of her field, and triumph as a champion jockey in the male-dominated world of horse racing. A fascinating, courageous, and ultimately redemptive true story, \u003cem\u003eLong Shot\u003c\/em\u003e has won high praise from Phyllis Chesler Ph.D., author of \u003cem\u003eWomen and Madness\u003c\/em\u003e, who says, “[Harris’s] attempt to find balance, joy, connectedness, and purpose in life constitutes a great adventure story.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSeabiscuit\u003c\/em\u003e meets \u003cem\u003eManic\u003c\/em\u003e when Sylvia Harris, a single mother crippled by her struggles with bipolar depression, discovers the healing, calming effect of horses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlcohol. Lithium. Buddhist chanting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo quiet the voices in her mind, Sylvia Harris tried all of the above. At times, her manic behavior led her to dress up as a cowgirl and show off her imaginary rope skills in the middle of a quaint Northern California village, or spend the night in a torpor of fear awaiting the alien invasion she knew was on the horizon. At its worst, it led her to look for love in all the wrong places and create a family she had difficulty caring for. Although she sometimes found temporary relief and brief moments of calm, darkness always followed. At the nadir of her twenty-year battle with bipolar depression, Harris found salvation in the most unlikely of places: Cardinal Farm, an equine ranch outside of Orlando, Florida.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHarris had always been drawn to animals, but she had no idea of the healing power she would discover while working with horses. And though she still experienced raging highs and destabilizing lows, eventually—through grooming, caring for, and, against all odds, racing horses—she was able to find stability and, ultimately, joy. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith an unflinching eye toward her weaknesses and the pain that her life decisions have inflicted on others, Harris examines the ravaging power of her bipolar behavior and the magical power of horses, showing us how the mythic interspecies connection between humans and these magnificent animals continues to astonish and inspire.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“An inspirational story.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A very honest, unapologetic, and matter-of-fact account of learning to live with, understand, and manage bipolar mental illness. Harris is refreshingly humble and low-key and, unlike many who suffer from this disabling illness, she does not deny its reality. Her attempt to find balance, joy, connectedness, and purpose in life constitutes a great adventure story.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePhyllis Chesler, Ph.D, author of Women and Madness and Woman's Inhumanity to Woman\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Heart-wrenching. . . . Highly recommended for people struggling with [bipolar disorder] and anyone who loves them. . . . [Harris’s] fighting spirit emanates from the page.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBlackVoices.com\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Terrifically insightful [and] beautifully crafted, this book pulls no punches. . . . Each page of \u003ci\u003eLong Shot\u003c\/i\u003e reminds us once again of the adage that the outside of a horse is good for the inside of a person.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLowell Sun\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An edgy, unapologetic account of [Harris’s] race to outrun the illness that consumed her. . . . A tribute to the power of the horse to calm, contain and inspire.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Economist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Inspiring. . . . One of the more interesting sports book that you will find.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePhiladelphia Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[A] truly compelling tale of the havoc mental illness can wreak and how a passion can lead to healing.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Even if you don’t love horses you will still cheer for Sylvia Harris after reading her memoir. . . . After reading \u003ci\u003eLong Shot\u003c\/i\u003e, you’ll feel there’s little that you can’t accomplish.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEssence\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ecco","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44889690210533,"sku":"NP9780061714443","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780061714443.jpg?v=1730231753","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/long-shot-my-bipolar-life-and-the-horses-who-saved-me-isbn-9780061714443","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}