Barry Recommends...

This is a volume in an Oxford University Press series aimed primarily at adolescent readers, but it is so informative, accurate, authentic in tone, and generous in spirit that I can enthusiastically recommend it to any adults who want to learn about obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). (At the Booksmith we shelve it in the psychology section, rather than with the children’s books.) The Thought That Counts is structured as a memoir in six chapters. Each chapter is divided into two main parts, entitled “My Story” and “The Big Picture.” In the “My Story” sections, Jared recounts his experiences with OCD in a roughly chronological narrative, beginning at age 11, when he was first diagnosed as having the disorder, up to the present day. (He is now in his mid 20s, has a BA in English and creative writing, and works as a clinical research assistant at Massachusetts General Hospital.) The “Big Picture” sections, also in Jared’s voice, expand upon issues that were touched on in the previous autobiographical part. The book’s organization is logical and adolescent-friendly and, along with the crystal-clear prose, serves to maximize its accessibility and overall usefulness. Right now, Jared Kant’s book is the only one in this series that we have in stock, but we’ll be happy to special order any of the others. If we get multiple requests for a particular title, we’ll start carrying that one too. We stock the OCD volume because one of our booksellers has a personal interest in the topic, having lived with the disorder for about 35 years. As some of our long-time customers already know, that would be me. One more thing: all the books are priced at $9.95. That’s cheaper than a half-dozen oysters or a decent lobster roll.