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The Final Leap: Suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most beautiful and most photographed structures in the world. It’s also the most deadly. Since it opened in 1937, more than 1,500 people have died jumping off the bridge, making it the top suicide site on earth. It’s also the only international landmark without a suicide barrier. Weaving drama, tragedy, and politics against the backdrop of a world-famous city, The Final Leap is the first book ever written about Golden Gate Bridge suicides. John Bateson leads us on a fascinating journey that 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. He tells the stories of those who have died, the few who have survived, and those who have been affected—from loving families to the Coast Guard, from the coroner to suicide prevention advocates.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
33 people are currently reading
986 people want to read
About the author
John Bateson
12 books23 followersFor 16 years I was executive director of a nationally-certified crisis intervention and suicide prevention center in the San Francisco Bay Area. I have also been executive director of three university-run counseling centers and assistant director of a two-county social service agency. Three of my books--"The Last and Greatest Battle" (Oxford University Press, 2015), "The Final Leap" (University of California Press, 2012), and "Building Hope" (Praeger Press, 2008)--are related to this work. My latest book, "The Education of a Coroner," just came out in August 2017 from Scribner.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
May 8, 2012
I found this book exceedingly hard to rate and even more difficult to review. I’m too opinionated and too close to the subject.
The book was definitely published now because this year is the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge. Since 1937 when the bridge opened, there have been 3,500-4,000 people who’ve leaped from it to their deaths, and a paltry 32 or so who’ve survived a leap, the latter almost all in their teens and twenties and physically fit and healthy.
Very little in this book was new to me except for some of the details of the more in depth stories of survivors, and those were touching and powerful stories. Interviewing survivors of people who’d committed suicide not off the bridge would have been just as powerfully emotional stories.
In a way I feel as though I should have given this book only 2 stars, but it was so readable, very interesting, never dull. It’s a well-written and engaging account. But, at its heart, this book is one long, single-minded, one-sided, unabashed argument for a suicide barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge. I think this would have been a stronger and more helpful book and even better if told through multiple points of view.
I did enjoy all the history and the various facts and factoids.
More about my point of view later, but just FYI, I came to this book opposed to a barrier and this book did not really change my mind. I expected to disagree but I did not expect to feel such rage at times. I argued with the author throughout the book. More on that later.
There was a lot of content with which I agreed or at least had positive feelings.
What came closest to changing my mind is a quote from George Howe Colt's (Anne Fadiman's husband!) book November of the Soul: The Enigma of Suicide: “…To put up or not put up a barrier says something about the way we feel about suicide and suicidal people.” That opinion did resonate with me.
Also interesting was a study done, of NON-LETHAL (so not Golden Gate Bridge jumpers who’ve survived as there have been fewer than 35 of them) which found frequent incredibly short planning periods. I know some completed suicides and nearly successful suicides have been done impulsively too. In those cases a barrier could be effective.
Not new to me but one of the best things this book does is clearly describe that suicide via the GG Bridge is not necessarily painless or easy, but can be very unpleasant indeed.
I did find it disconcerting the long history of attempts to get a suicide barrier and some of the indifference and reasons for opposition. And that the railing on the pedestrian walkway was originally designed to be higher, but was probably lowered because one of the designers was short and didn’t want his view obstructed. I hadn’t known that.
I don’t doubt at all the sincerity of the author and others in favor, and not in favor, of a suicide barrier.
The author does at least acknowledge others’ objections: cost, aesthetics, and ineffectiveness, the latter being my analysis, but he has such a dogmatic point of view and he dismisses other points of view with such ease. Yes, he provides data, but boy, does he carefully choose his sources, those that back up his treatise.
There are also so many errors, including some not completely pertinent, but pesky to me, such as which half of the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge is being rebuilt. And some are part of his argument; I noticed what I considered a lot of faulty logic.
Worst of all, and I know this was entirely inadvertent, in my opinion, this book manages to romanticize and may be triggering to many people contemplating suicide. Not to mention it provides a couple ways to make a leap from the GG Bridge more likely to be a physically painless affair. It also gives information on how more likely to survive, and those wanting to make a grand suicidal gesture but live may try and fail; they will still most likely die if attempted.
Re the argument about the three young children murdered by parents by being thrown off the GG Bridge (a friend was working at the hospital where one child and the father were brought so I heard all about that in more detail than was in the news) as an argument for a barrier, I say parents have almost an infinite number of ways to murder their young, helpless children and then end their own lives too.
At least from the mid 70s to the mid 80s my experience was that most people “pulled off the bridge” were not there to truly jump. Suicidal gestures and attention seeking/asking for help were common, so the numbers are not as informative as they appear. Very unfortunately, back then people were more likely to get needed help than they are now. The state of local mental health care is abysmal for anyone without significant financial means.
Which brings me to the fact that 30 or so people jump to their deaths from the Golden Gate Bridge each year, and that is tragic. I’ll bet though that there are nearly 1,000 suicides per year in the greater Bay Area. A net is not going to help any of the others. Even worse, once a net goes up, people will be less likely to be fixated on the bridge. There are plenty of other sites that will fairly easily take its place. Most intent on suicide will find another way, or some will consider a net a challenge and they will manage to take their lives; it’s not foolproof. Or, others will jump into the net in order to get help and they may die or be permanently disabled. The net is actually (horrifyingly to me) designed to break bones, so I’d think if people dive into it they could definitely die or at the least break their necks or cause massive head injuries. The net will probably save a few lives, at least for a few years, but I suspect far fewer the author claims. The bridge does have a huge allure and it would fade for most were there to be fewer suicides off of it.
Among the mental health professionals and depressed/bipolar/other mentally ill people I’ve known and worked with, it’s about a 50/50 vote for/against a barrier of any type.
I say get people before a jump, or attempt to jump. Put all resources possible into helping potentially suicidal people whether or not the GG Bridge is their means of choice, and gestures and deaths would be more likely to dramatically decrease. Now, whatever is done or not done, there will always be suicides. If someone is determined to die, they will find a way. The author claims most are fixated on one method and if it the GG Bridge a barrier will stop them. I say for sure a few for some years, and then likely nobody. And, I know many who’ve made gestures/attempts and sometimes completed suicides who’ve gone from one method to another depending on what resources were available to them.
Some personal notes: This book did pack a punch. I’ve known three people, luckily not close friends, but close to close friends, who’ve died by jumping off the GG Bridge. Their names appear in the list of known dead in this book. I also met a survivor, met for the first time hours before her attempt and again a couple years later. I know people who’ve worked with another survivor, a person mentioned in this book, and who was also in The Bridge documentary. I’ve known many, many more people who’ve committed suicide using other means. I’ve lived in San Francisco all my life and the Bridge has always been a huge presence. Years ago I walked across it on a regular basis, mostly on the east side but occasionally on the west side too. And, unlike most people, the west side is what I’d choose if I ever were to jump. I won’t. Virtually everybody chooses the east side, but that’s partly because most years the east side is for pedestrians but the west side had often been limited to bicyclists.
I know I was especially sensitive to the author’s argument because very recently a friend of a friend fatally shot herself in the head; she lived a ten-minute drive away from the GG Bridge. I live a five-minute drive away and a fairly easy walk away from the GG Bridge but doubt I’d ever consider jumping from it, even though if I get cancer or ALS or certain other events transpire, I’ve always held suicide out as an option. (I’d like to work for adequate pain and nausea relief as a way to keep ill patients from having to resort to suicide to escape unbearable physical distress.) It irked me that the GG Bridge suicides got ALL the attention in this book, as they also tend to get locally in general. I want resources to go to all mental (and physical) health issues. Most people who live near the bridge and who are suicidal, choose other methods. They use guns, pills, hanging, drowning, jumping from other high sites, including other bridges, buildings, and cliffs, they put themselves on train tracks or in front of other moving vehicles, use carbon monoxide poisoning, and resort to many other methods. A barrier will not help any of them. Not a single one.
And, just as I was finishing up this book, I heard on the news, that while other countries have earthquake warning systems that give notice a couple seconds to a full minute prior to an earthquake, there is no money to do that locally. Doing so could save as many as 10,000 lives if the “Big One” should strike, all in a minute or two. Yes, I wish there was money for every safety measure, but since there isn’t, I want to see money used most effectively. I don’t think a suicide barrier is as effective as other mental health measures. And one argument made in the book, that funding for mental health programs can be taken away (unfortunately true) but the net is there to stay is a faulty argument. There are two vehicles involved in retrieving people from the net (a process that will take at least an hour and a half, ack!) that I’m sure will have to be maintained, and that money could be taken away, easily, unfortunately.
Interestingly, I think the author does prefer a higher rail, or some sort of barrier (unlike a net) so that people can’t jump in the first place. If there is to be a barrier, I’d also prefer that method. A net has been approved but so far there is not adequate funding; I’m skeptical whether that will happen.
In 1937, the date the bridge opened, first to walkers, my mother lived in the city and she was 21 years old. I’ve always wondered if she was one of the people who took advantage of the opportunity and walked on it on its first day.
Sorry for the long ramble. I’m probably too close to this one to write a sensible review. This is one of the few times I’d have written a better review if I’d just given a synopsis of the contents of the book.
ETA: There is a lot of interesting history, studies, stories of those whose loved ones have committed suicide and those who've died or lived after jumps. And there are helpful resources in the back of the book. But re the resources for those readers who might be suicidal or who know people who might be, given that the author doesn't think they'll often be helpful, I find it interesting that they're there. Of course, it would have been unforgivable for them not to be provided in a book with this subject matter.
The book was definitely published now because this year is the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge. Since 1937 when the bridge opened, there have been 3,500-4,000 people who’ve leaped from it to their deaths, and a paltry 32 or so who’ve survived a leap, the latter almost all in their teens and twenties and physically fit and healthy.
Very little in this book was new to me except for some of the details of the more in depth stories of survivors, and those were touching and powerful stories. Interviewing survivors of people who’d committed suicide not off the bridge would have been just as powerfully emotional stories.
In a way I feel as though I should have given this book only 2 stars, but it was so readable, very interesting, never dull. It’s a well-written and engaging account. But, at its heart, this book is one long, single-minded, one-sided, unabashed argument for a suicide barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge. I think this would have been a stronger and more helpful book and even better if told through multiple points of view.
I did enjoy all the history and the various facts and factoids.
More about my point of view later, but just FYI, I came to this book opposed to a barrier and this book did not really change my mind. I expected to disagree but I did not expect to feel such rage at times. I argued with the author throughout the book. More on that later.
There was a lot of content with which I agreed or at least had positive feelings.
What came closest to changing my mind is a quote from George Howe Colt's (Anne Fadiman's husband!) book November of the Soul: The Enigma of Suicide: “…To put up or not put up a barrier says something about the way we feel about suicide and suicidal people.” That opinion did resonate with me.
Also interesting was a study done, of NON-LETHAL (so not Golden Gate Bridge jumpers who’ve survived as there have been fewer than 35 of them) which found frequent incredibly short planning periods. I know some completed suicides and nearly successful suicides have been done impulsively too. In those cases a barrier could be effective.
Not new to me but one of the best things this book does is clearly describe that suicide via the GG Bridge is not necessarily painless or easy, but can be very unpleasant indeed.
I did find it disconcerting the long history of attempts to get a suicide barrier and some of the indifference and reasons for opposition. And that the railing on the pedestrian walkway was originally designed to be higher, but was probably lowered because one of the designers was short and didn’t want his view obstructed. I hadn’t known that.
I don’t doubt at all the sincerity of the author and others in favor, and not in favor, of a suicide barrier.
The author does at least acknowledge others’ objections: cost, aesthetics, and ineffectiveness, the latter being my analysis, but he has such a dogmatic point of view and he dismisses other points of view with such ease. Yes, he provides data, but boy, does he carefully choose his sources, those that back up his treatise.
There are also so many errors, including some not completely pertinent, but pesky to me, such as which half of the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge is being rebuilt. And some are part of his argument; I noticed what I considered a lot of faulty logic.
Worst of all, and I know this was entirely inadvertent, in my opinion, this book manages to romanticize and may be triggering to many people contemplating suicide. Not to mention it provides a couple ways to make a leap from the GG Bridge more likely to be a physically painless affair. It also gives information on how more likely to survive, and those wanting to make a grand suicidal gesture but live may try and fail; they will still most likely die if attempted.
Re the argument about the three young children murdered by parents by being thrown off the GG Bridge (a friend was working at the hospital where one child and the father were brought so I heard all about that in more detail than was in the news) as an argument for a barrier, I say parents have almost an infinite number of ways to murder their young, helpless children and then end their own lives too.
At least from the mid 70s to the mid 80s my experience was that most people “pulled off the bridge” were not there to truly jump. Suicidal gestures and attention seeking/asking for help were common, so the numbers are not as informative as they appear. Very unfortunately, back then people were more likely to get needed help than they are now. The state of local mental health care is abysmal for anyone without significant financial means.
Which brings me to the fact that 30 or so people jump to their deaths from the Golden Gate Bridge each year, and that is tragic. I’ll bet though that there are nearly 1,000 suicides per year in the greater Bay Area. A net is not going to help any of the others. Even worse, once a net goes up, people will be less likely to be fixated on the bridge. There are plenty of other sites that will fairly easily take its place. Most intent on suicide will find another way, or some will consider a net a challenge and they will manage to take their lives; it’s not foolproof. Or, others will jump into the net in order to get help and they may die or be permanently disabled. The net is actually (horrifyingly to me) designed to break bones, so I’d think if people dive into it they could definitely die or at the least break their necks or cause massive head injuries. The net will probably save a few lives, at least for a few years, but I suspect far fewer the author claims. The bridge does have a huge allure and it would fade for most were there to be fewer suicides off of it.
Among the mental health professionals and depressed/bipolar/other mentally ill people I’ve known and worked with, it’s about a 50/50 vote for/against a barrier of any type.
I say get people before a jump, or attempt to jump. Put all resources possible into helping potentially suicidal people whether or not the GG Bridge is their means of choice, and gestures and deaths would be more likely to dramatically decrease. Now, whatever is done or not done, there will always be suicides. If someone is determined to die, they will find a way. The author claims most are fixated on one method and if it the GG Bridge a barrier will stop them. I say for sure a few for some years, and then likely nobody. And, I know many who’ve made gestures/attempts and sometimes completed suicides who’ve gone from one method to another depending on what resources were available to them.
Some personal notes: This book did pack a punch. I’ve known three people, luckily not close friends, but close to close friends, who’ve died by jumping off the GG Bridge. Their names appear in the list of known dead in this book. I also met a survivor, met for the first time hours before her attempt and again a couple years later. I know people who’ve worked with another survivor, a person mentioned in this book, and who was also in The Bridge documentary. I’ve known many, many more people who’ve committed suicide using other means. I’ve lived in San Francisco all my life and the Bridge has always been a huge presence. Years ago I walked across it on a regular basis, mostly on the east side but occasionally on the west side too. And, unlike most people, the west side is what I’d choose if I ever were to jump. I won’t. Virtually everybody chooses the east side, but that’s partly because most years the east side is for pedestrians but the west side had often been limited to bicyclists.
I know I was especially sensitive to the author’s argument because very recently a friend of a friend fatally shot herself in the head; she lived a ten-minute drive away from the GG Bridge. I live a five-minute drive away and a fairly easy walk away from the GG Bridge but doubt I’d ever consider jumping from it, even though if I get cancer or ALS or certain other events transpire, I’ve always held suicide out as an option. (I’d like to work for adequate pain and nausea relief as a way to keep ill patients from having to resort to suicide to escape unbearable physical distress.) It irked me that the GG Bridge suicides got ALL the attention in this book, as they also tend to get locally in general. I want resources to go to all mental (and physical) health issues. Most people who live near the bridge and who are suicidal, choose other methods. They use guns, pills, hanging, drowning, jumping from other high sites, including other bridges, buildings, and cliffs, they put themselves on train tracks or in front of other moving vehicles, use carbon monoxide poisoning, and resort to many other methods. A barrier will not help any of them. Not a single one.
And, just as I was finishing up this book, I heard on the news, that while other countries have earthquake warning systems that give notice a couple seconds to a full minute prior to an earthquake, there is no money to do that locally. Doing so could save as many as 10,000 lives if the “Big One” should strike, all in a minute or two. Yes, I wish there was money for every safety measure, but since there isn’t, I want to see money used most effectively. I don’t think a suicide barrier is as effective as other mental health measures. And one argument made in the book, that funding for mental health programs can be taken away (unfortunately true) but the net is there to stay is a faulty argument. There are two vehicles involved in retrieving people from the net (a process that will take at least an hour and a half, ack!) that I’m sure will have to be maintained, and that money could be taken away, easily, unfortunately.
Interestingly, I think the author does prefer a higher rail, or some sort of barrier (unlike a net) so that people can’t jump in the first place. If there is to be a barrier, I’d also prefer that method. A net has been approved but so far there is not adequate funding; I’m skeptical whether that will happen.
In 1937, the date the bridge opened, first to walkers, my mother lived in the city and she was 21 years old. I’ve always wondered if she was one of the people who took advantage of the opportunity and walked on it on its first day.
Sorry for the long ramble. I’m probably too close to this one to write a sensible review. This is one of the few times I’d have written a better review if I’d just given a synopsis of the contents of the book.
ETA: There is a lot of interesting history, studies, stories of those whose loved ones have committed suicide and those who've died or lived after jumps. And there are helpful resources in the back of the book. But re the resources for those readers who might be suicidal or who know people who might be, given that the author doesn't think they'll often be helpful, I find it interesting that they're there. Of course, it would have been unforgivable for them not to be provided in a book with this subject matter.
August 2, 2012
Call it morbid but I am fascinated by Golden Gate bridge suicides. As a local icon there is hardly a more recognizable spot in my area. It is undeniably a beautiful structure, a tourist magnet, a source of pride for locals. But many of the things that make it attractive to locals and travelers also make it attractive to people with suicidal thoughts: it is accessible, historic and a mythic. For someone contemplating suicide the bridge is easy to get to, presents no physical barriers and leaves little mess for loved ones to find. Given these things it is somewhat unsurprising that upwards of 30 people jump to their death every year. This book by the director of a local crisis intervention and suicide prevention center aims to tell the full story about Golden Gate Bridge suicides and advocate for a barrier. And he does a really good job of both. The book covers many aspects from history to design, mental health to policy in addition to telling the riveting personal stories of people who have jumped. The small pieces are amazing (like how more than one small child has been thrown over the railing by their parent who then jumped) and the insights shared by survivors, family members, and mental health professionals are both gut wrenching and illuminating. And while these stories of despair are really hard to read, the most difficult parts of the book in some ways were the parts that dealt with objections to a suicide barrier. I simply can not understand the total lack of political will to build a barrier that would save lives. Admittedly Bateson goes on maybe a bit too long about this, and his arguments about it are repeated so often that I started to get restless. But there is no denying that his arguments and the book itself are compelling.
December 10, 2025
Whilst the basis of this book was incredibly important (and a watch of the documentary ‘The Bridge’ is highly recommended if possible alongside it) the majority of the book was almost constant repetition of names, facts, events, meetings, data that meant the book could’ve been cut down to half the size. As a result, those parts, as well as long paragraphs about the measurements of the bridge (that were also repeated many times) meant it was a bit of a slog. The parts that WERE worthwhile were the accounts of the deceased souls and the interviews with their loved ones. I really applaud the premise and decision to write this book, because no one else has done so up until now and it’s an awful pandemic that needs to be discussed openly (a lot of the book focused on the need for a suicide barrier which I am so pleased to report at the time of reading has finally been installed) and given the attention it deserves.
April 6, 2012
The book is basically a 309-page argument for the erection of an anti-suicide barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge. I had known the bridge was a suicide hotspot and a few dozen people listed on my missing persons website are thought to have died there, but I didn't realize the toll was so high: more than 1,500 confirmed deaths and probably the true number is closer to 2,000. In the first book ever written on the subject of GGB suicides, Bateson interviewed the families of jumpers, the very few who have survived, the coroners, Coast Guard officials and other professionals who have to pick up the bodies, and other people affected by this long and continuing string of deaths.
I am appalled that, to this day, the majority of San Franciscans oppose the idea of putting up a barrier, and the Board of Directors in charge of the bridge have done practically nothing to stop the suicides and indeed have tried to cover up the problem. (Recently the Board did vote in favor of a barrier, but didn't vote to allocate funds toward its construction, so what is the difference?) The arguments -- that it would be expensive, that it would ruin the view, that people would just go kill themselves elsewhere -- have been proven time and time again to be specious and false. People either don't know that a barrier would save lives, or more likely, they just don't care.
Books like this make me lose my faith in humanity. But someone has to know these things. I applaud the author for writing this and exposing the problem. Now I'm off to watch the documentary The Bridge.
I am appalled that, to this day, the majority of San Franciscans oppose the idea of putting up a barrier, and the Board of Directors in charge of the bridge have done practically nothing to stop the suicides and indeed have tried to cover up the problem. (Recently the Board did vote in favor of a barrier, but didn't vote to allocate funds toward its construction, so what is the difference?) The arguments -- that it would be expensive, that it would ruin the view, that people would just go kill themselves elsewhere -- have been proven time and time again to be specious and false. People either don't know that a barrier would save lives, or more likely, they just don't care.
Books like this make me lose my faith in humanity. But someone has to know these things. I applaud the author for writing this and exposing the problem. Now I'm off to watch the documentary The Bridge.
August 7, 2012
Since the Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937 there have been more than 1500 confirmed suicides, making it one of the top suicide sites in the world. As Bateson explains (at great length...and yes, I agree with him, but the book gets repetitive) what the bridge needs is a suicide barrier. It does not have one and as of this writing may never have one; despite the fact that the Bridge District board members voted in October 2008 in favor of a barrier net, they have raised no money and made no effort to build it.
(According to the http://www.ggbsuicidebarrier.org/ website: “Early 2013: Target to complete the $5 million Final Design effort for the NET SYSTEM. This process will take about 18 months or from August 2011 to about February/March 2013.”)
Many barrier supporters believe that public apathy and opposition comes from a lack of sympathy for people who commit suicide and a lack of understanding about mental health issues that drive people to attempt suicide. One of the people Bateson interviews, Eve Meyer (executive director of San Francisco Suicide Prevention) points out that people often are more sympathetic to the plight of animals than they are of people. “If one or two golden retrievers jumped off the bridge, people would get serious about a safety railing.”
Part of the reason I found this topic so fascinating is that I live close to the Aurora Bridge, the number two suicide site after the Golden Gate Bridge. Since the bridge opened in 1932 there have been 250 suicides. After a great deal of public controversy, the Aurora Bridge installed a suicide barrier in February 2011. In a quick web search, I turned up no suicides from the bridge since then.
The most interesting, and of course saddest, parts of the book are where he talks to the families of the suicides. This book is well worth reading for throwing light on a subject most of us would rather not think about.
(According to the http://www.ggbsuicidebarrier.org/ website: “Early 2013: Target to complete the $5 million Final Design effort for the NET SYSTEM. This process will take about 18 months or from August 2011 to about February/March 2013.”)
Many barrier supporters believe that public apathy and opposition comes from a lack of sympathy for people who commit suicide and a lack of understanding about mental health issues that drive people to attempt suicide. One of the people Bateson interviews, Eve Meyer (executive director of San Francisco Suicide Prevention) points out that people often are more sympathetic to the plight of animals than they are of people. “If one or two golden retrievers jumped off the bridge, people would get serious about a safety railing.”
Part of the reason I found this topic so fascinating is that I live close to the Aurora Bridge, the number two suicide site after the Golden Gate Bridge. Since the bridge opened in 1932 there have been 250 suicides. After a great deal of public controversy, the Aurora Bridge installed a suicide barrier in February 2011. In a quick web search, I turned up no suicides from the bridge since then.
The most interesting, and of course saddest, parts of the book are where he talks to the families of the suicides. This book is well worth reading for throwing light on a subject most of us would rather not think about.
March 29, 2013
Well researched, thoughtful, easy to understand and informative. I'll never look at the GG Bridge the same way again.
It's the site of the most suicides in the world.
It's time a barrier is added, people!!!
It's the site of the most suicides in the world.
It's time a barrier is added, people!!!
January 24, 2023
Such an important read on the dangers and hidden secrets of the Golden Gate Bridge. And still, over 10 years after this book is written, still no suicide barrier. Definitely a sad part of history in the US.
Read
January 28, 2023"He couldn't stand things, I guess."
June 9, 2012
I had to write a paper for a class - research paper on a current movement in our culture. Being me, I chose the movement for a suicide barrier on the golden gate bridge. Living in the bay area with a lifetime of depression, the golden gate has always been a double-edged sword in the background. I was appalled to discover that between 1600-3200 have leapt to their deaths there and that 4 small children have been murdered by their fathers (thrown from the deck) there - and that this is easily 3-6x the number at any other "suicide magnet" on the planet before barriers have been constructed. I did a ton of research then happy came across John Bateson's newest book on the subject.
Batesman was the executive director of a crisis center in the bay area county I live in for 17 years. Unlike me, when he was hired into his position two decades ago, he had no idea about the death toll of the infamous bridge.
This book is totally readable, very accessible - its organization and presentation walk the reader through the history, the personal, the political. It clarifies any questions you might have, and serves as a more than fair indictment of the small group of individuals who, as the bridge district, have ignored need for a suicide barrier for 75 years.
Whether you are pro-barrier or anti-barrier, the history is rich and incredible and Bateson offers it in an accessible tour of the many decades, the many, many unnecessary deaths.
Batesman was the executive director of a crisis center in the bay area county I live in for 17 years. Unlike me, when he was hired into his position two decades ago, he had no idea about the death toll of the infamous bridge.
This book is totally readable, very accessible - its organization and presentation walk the reader through the history, the personal, the political. It clarifies any questions you might have, and serves as a more than fair indictment of the small group of individuals who, as the bridge district, have ignored need for a suicide barrier for 75 years.
Whether you are pro-barrier or anti-barrier, the history is rich and incredible and Bateson offers it in an accessible tour of the many decades, the many, many unnecessary deaths.
June 10, 2015
This book was so frustrating. There's a really good book in there. I think the editor just forgot to find it. It felt more like a series of essays that were cobbled together rather than a cohesive book, and that led to a lot of things being said repeatedly. Seriously, the book used the words "bridge jumpers" and "the Golden Gate Bridge" so many times, I wondered if the author had a word count to meet and wasn't sure how else to fulfill it. The book is titled "The Final Leap: Suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge"; I'm pretty sure you can just say "jumpers" or "the bridge" and I'll know what you're referring to. Also, it felt like a book-long rant about the need for a suicide barrier. It's not that I think the author is wrong; it just got tiresome, and since there's a whole chapter dedicated to the barrier, I felt like talking about it could have largely been confined to that chapter.
It's frustrating because beyond all of that, there was a lot of good information there to be found. In fact, that's the only reason I persevered. I learned a lot about the psychology of suicide, the history of suicides on the bridge, and the process of what happens after someone jumps from it. I just wish that information had come in a more refined package.
It's frustrating because beyond all of that, there was a lot of good information there to be found. In fact, that's the only reason I persevered. I learned a lot about the psychology of suicide, the history of suicides on the bridge, and the process of what happens after someone jumps from it. I just wish that information had come in a more refined package.
January 28, 2013
Not for the faint-hearted, and the subject matter won't appeal to many, but this is an important book nonetheless.
What price do you put on a single human life? How about more than 1,500 of them?
Bateson does a marvelous job of drawing you in ... to the psychic agony that inspires suicidal thoughts, to the grief and devastation suffered by families of suicides, to the mythical appeal of the Golden Gate Bridge as the suicide venue of choice.
He debunks the myth that the final leap offers a clean, painless death.
He shines a light on the political machinations that have blocked attempts to shut down the problem.
He offers resources and encouragement to those who are suffering now.
If you have ever looked into the abyss, this book will speak to directly to that wound in your soul. If you haven't ... here's your chance.
What price do you put on a single human life? How about more than 1,500 of them?
Bateson does a marvelous job of drawing you in ... to the psychic agony that inspires suicidal thoughts, to the grief and devastation suffered by families of suicides, to the mythical appeal of the Golden Gate Bridge as the suicide venue of choice.
He debunks the myth that the final leap offers a clean, painless death.
He shines a light on the political machinations that have blocked attempts to shut down the problem.
He offers resources and encouragement to those who are suffering now.
If you have ever looked into the abyss, this book will speak to directly to that wound in your soul. If you haven't ... here's your chance.
May 28, 2012
An interesting book – containing some surprising facts and thoughtful stories – and not badly written. However this is nothing more than the author’s platform for arguing to add suicide barriers to the Golden Gate Bridge. It's very one sided and he's relentless. He could have accomplished this in many less pages without continually restating his opinion or he could have balanced it with other perspectives.
Also there are numerous typos (‘meridian’ vs. ‘median’) including several glaring errors within quotes. (I suggest the author hires an editor before releasing his next effort.)
Although some parts were interesting and some of the facts disturbingly eye-opening, I cannot recommend this book.
Also there are numerous typos (‘meridian’ vs. ‘median’) including several glaring errors within quotes. (I suggest the author hires an editor before releasing his next effort.)
Although some parts were interesting and some of the facts disturbingly eye-opening, I cannot recommend this book.
September 30, 2021
Really sad and eye opening.
November 26, 2022
I remember watching Eric Steel's 2006 documentary The Bridge about people who jump to their death from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. I found it very moving, sensitively handled and very informative. I was perplexed at the end however by how those responsible for maintaining the bridge seemed harshly opposed to the erection of a safety barrier or net underneath to prevent more suicides.
John Bateson's book is asking the same question again, years later of why such opposition. The structure of this book is very good, including everything from a history of the building of the bridge, to interviews with families and loved ones of the deceased and survivors of suicide attempts, to interviews with the coroner and water rescue teams who drag dozens of broken bodies from the water each year.
The book is informative, sensitive, sad, yet engaging. The overall conclusion is obvious; take away the means to jump (net/barrier) and you prevent multiple suicides each year. But then I'm guessing there are always other motives afoot in the US; the same reason that guns are not banned in light of the significant and ongoing gun deaths every year.
A sad but telling account which I highly recommend.
(What I think was very respectful was Bateson's inclusion of a list of all the names of everyone who has died jumping from the bridge, like a memorial to the dead. We honour the war dead so why not those who have lost their battle with life itself. I think this was a beautiful sentiment).
John Bateson's book is asking the same question again, years later of why such opposition. The structure of this book is very good, including everything from a history of the building of the bridge, to interviews with families and loved ones of the deceased and survivors of suicide attempts, to interviews with the coroner and water rescue teams who drag dozens of broken bodies from the water each year.
The book is informative, sensitive, sad, yet engaging. The overall conclusion is obvious; take away the means to jump (net/barrier) and you prevent multiple suicides each year. But then I'm guessing there are always other motives afoot in the US; the same reason that guns are not banned in light of the significant and ongoing gun deaths every year.
A sad but telling account which I highly recommend.
(What I think was very respectful was Bateson's inclusion of a list of all the names of everyone who has died jumping from the bridge, like a memorial to the dead. We honour the war dead so why not those who have lost their battle with life itself. I think this was a beautiful sentiment).
April 5, 2024
Well written and well researched. It’s been over a decade since this book was published and they just finished construction on the suicide barrier for the bridge. It’s terrible it took so long and so many more lives were lost along the way.
July 14, 2025
Very sad and eye opening, felt like credibility was lost a little with various typos
March 23, 2025
Very important message.
But repeated a little bit too many times
But repeated a little bit too many times
May 19, 2017
If it takes you a week to read this book, and the Golden Gate Bridge still doesn't have a suicide deterrent, odds are that another tortured soul will have jumped before you finish. (22)
Bateson's book boils down to one point and one point only: build a barrier. For a tough topic, it's actually a pretty smooth read—lots of statistics (I love statistics) and personal stories and comparison points. But Bateson comes in with an agenda. I'm not arguing that he shouldn't, actually, and nor am I arguing against a barrier (actually, as of last month, nets are being installed to catch would-be jumpers). It speaks to the way suicide is treated in the U.S. that it took eighty years of suicides off this bridge for some kind of barrier to be put in place.
Is there a case for not putting up a barrier? I don't know. If there is, it certainly isn't to be found here. That in itself is sort of a pity, because I'm sure there are people who can make more compelling arguments than The Final Leap suggests, and I'd be curious to hear what those arguments are.
I hope the net currently being built makes a difference, but I'll leave it at that.
Bateson's book boils down to one point and one point only: build a barrier. For a tough topic, it's actually a pretty smooth read—lots of statistics (I love statistics) and personal stories and comparison points. But Bateson comes in with an agenda. I'm not arguing that he shouldn't, actually, and nor am I arguing against a barrier (actually, as of last month, nets are being installed to catch would-be jumpers). It speaks to the way suicide is treated in the U.S. that it took eighty years of suicides off this bridge for some kind of barrier to be put in place.
...the Bridge District approved $5 million for a barrier separating bicycle traffic from vehicle traffic on the bridge. As odd as it sounds, the reason why this barrier was erected wasn't to protect bicyclists. After all, no bicyclist had ever been killed on the bridge.... No, the reason why the bike barrier was approved was because it protected the Bridge District. Bicyclists, you see, were using the bridge for the purpose it was designed, and if a bicyclist was hurt or killed because the bridge lacked a safety barrier, then the district would be liable. (70)As fascinating as the numbers and explanations in this book are (no sarcasm), I would have loved to see it go beyond the 'build a barrier' message. Something broader, perhaps, about the response to suicidal individuals in the States? It seems to me that this book will lose relevance the second the net under the Golden Gate Bridge is completed, if it didn't do so the second the net was begun. With a broader focus, maybe that wouldn't be so.
Today, prospective phone counselors at the agency receive forty to sixty hours of specialized training before they handle their first call. This is the standard for all crisis centers that operate nationally certified suicide hotlines. By comparison, psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, and other mental health professionals aren't required to take any training in suicide prevention to attain or retain professional licenses. Zero. Training in child abuse and domestic violence is mandatory, but training in suicide is optional despite the fact that most practicing clinicians have at least one suicidal patient in their caseload. (131)
Is there a case for not putting up a barrier? I don't know. If there is, it certainly isn't to be found here. That in itself is sort of a pity, because I'm sure there are people who can make more compelling arguments than The Final Leap suggests, and I'd be curious to hear what those arguments are.
I hope the net currently being built makes a difference, but I'll leave it at that.
April 13, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE-THE #1 SUICIDE SPOT ON EARTH. ONE SUICIDE NOTE SAID: “WHY DO THEY MAKE IT SO EASY?”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I’ve posted over *EIGHT-HUNDRED-REVIEWS ON SITES in the last 10-12 years and though I’ve read some great and not so great books… there are a precious few and far between that ordinary words can’t accurately describe. If I tell potential readers that this book is haunting in its impact on any human being with the slightest empathy for other human beings… and that the author and this delicate… yet powerful subject… haunts you right from the get-go… then I’m beginning to get my point across. As I try to use words to describe and recommend this book to you… it is almost cathartic for me to discuss the enormous impact this book… this story… these gruesome… sad facts… these poor lost souls… who “accomplished” their own suicidal death… will have on you.
In the past (As I “listen” to the words that are just flowing from me… I am feeling a little better because in my own small way… if my review is successful… and touches other people… like I’ve been touched… I won’t feel quite so horrible about this gut-wrenching catastrophe/problem) if I even hinted that a book was haunting… I would have meant it in the aftermath of reading the book… as the full impact would slowly settle in. Well… regarding this… sure to be “CLASSIC” book about this unique “problem”… the reader will be haunted immediately and continually.
The beautiful wonder of the world the GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE… has had more suicides than anywhere in the world. Why?... you may ask. Well, there’s the romanticized beauty of this architectural and artistic wonder. And part of that is true. But I’m sure most of you don’t know… that there is nothing but a FOUR-FOOT-HIGH-BARRIER across the bridge. FOUR-FEET-HIGH!! Old people… young people… physically healthy people… physically diminished people… can simply hop… jump… leap… crawl… pull themselves over this minor impediment to life and death. My G-d… even babies have been simply flipped over the FOUR-FOOT-HIGH-RAILING.
And yet for some insane reason… and what a wonderful coincidence that I should come up with a descriptive word such as “insane” in trying to describe the reasons that the powers that be… that govern and *PROTECT* the bridge and areas around the bridge… refuse to install a higher barrier and or safety nets. Over *FIFTEEN-HUNDRED-PEOPLE* accomplished suicide from the Golden Gate Bridge. All of these poor souls’ names are listed in the back of the book… and I am in awe of the author’s capability to not only list the names… but discuss many of the heartbreaking individual stories throughout the book with the absolute greatest care… respect… sadness… and a seemingly lifetime of bewilderment and uproar… as to why the governing bodies refuse to put up barriers or nets. After all… the Eiffel Tower and Empire State Building have them… and tourists still flock from around the world to enjoy them. So the Golden Gate excuse of artistry and views don’t hold water when we’re talking about human life.
Intertwined with this enormous human tragedy… which is always painted with a caring… tearful… educational… brush… by an author that so truly cares… are details on the bridge itself from its inception… such as EACH of the two cables weigh over TWENTY-TWO-MILLION-POUNDS! But, when the author lays out the true ripple effect from one successful suicide individual… their life gone… the effect on their parents and family… the effect on the Coast Guard who have to recover the bodies… the coroners… the absolute destruction of the insides of a jumper’s body… and all the people who witnessed the suicide are effected for the rest of their lives.
Though the book lists 1,500+ suicides from the Golden Gate Bridge since its inception in 1937… one of the main “sub-plots” the author wants to convey is that… as high as that number is… it’s assuredly much higher… since the governing boards don’t want tourism to be affected. So if a jump isn’t witnessed… and a body… as some are… due to the enormously powerful and unpredictable currents around the bridge are then found thirty miles away… it is not listed as a Golden Gate Suicide. They also don’t want to publicize the suicides so it won’t attract others.
The entire book… though sooo sad at the despair that brought these individuals to their final decisions… is mesmerizing… and almost hypnotic… and will truly touch all your chords of humanity… especially when you realize that so many of the jumpers have similar jobs as we all do (they are listed also)… many are students… and young students with “A” grade averages… and the pain and unbearable suffering for the rest of the surviving family members lives.
And then… there are the very, very, few jumpers… who survived the jump… and how many have dedicated their lives to helping others. And one thing all the surviving jumpers had in common: “AS SOON AS I JUMPED, I WANTED TO LIVE!”
This book will touch you in a deep-deep way… and you’ll want to discuss it with others… and you’ll be left with one big giant unanswered question that was left in a suicide jumper’s suicide note:
*** WHY DO THEY MAKE IT SO EASY? ***
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I’ve posted over *EIGHT-HUNDRED-REVIEWS ON SITES in the last 10-12 years and though I’ve read some great and not so great books… there are a precious few and far between that ordinary words can’t accurately describe. If I tell potential readers that this book is haunting in its impact on any human being with the slightest empathy for other human beings… and that the author and this delicate… yet powerful subject… haunts you right from the get-go… then I’m beginning to get my point across. As I try to use words to describe and recommend this book to you… it is almost cathartic for me to discuss the enormous impact this book… this story… these gruesome… sad facts… these poor lost souls… who “accomplished” their own suicidal death… will have on you.
In the past (As I “listen” to the words that are just flowing from me… I am feeling a little better because in my own small way… if my review is successful… and touches other people… like I’ve been touched… I won’t feel quite so horrible about this gut-wrenching catastrophe/problem) if I even hinted that a book was haunting… I would have meant it in the aftermath of reading the book… as the full impact would slowly settle in. Well… regarding this… sure to be “CLASSIC” book about this unique “problem”… the reader will be haunted immediately and continually.
The beautiful wonder of the world the GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE… has had more suicides than anywhere in the world. Why?... you may ask. Well, there’s the romanticized beauty of this architectural and artistic wonder. And part of that is true. But I’m sure most of you don’t know… that there is nothing but a FOUR-FOOT-HIGH-BARRIER across the bridge. FOUR-FEET-HIGH!! Old people… young people… physically healthy people… physically diminished people… can simply hop… jump… leap… crawl… pull themselves over this minor impediment to life and death. My G-d… even babies have been simply flipped over the FOUR-FOOT-HIGH-RAILING.
And yet for some insane reason… and what a wonderful coincidence that I should come up with a descriptive word such as “insane” in trying to describe the reasons that the powers that be… that govern and *PROTECT* the bridge and areas around the bridge… refuse to install a higher barrier and or safety nets. Over *FIFTEEN-HUNDRED-PEOPLE* accomplished suicide from the Golden Gate Bridge. All of these poor souls’ names are listed in the back of the book… and I am in awe of the author’s capability to not only list the names… but discuss many of the heartbreaking individual stories throughout the book with the absolute greatest care… respect… sadness… and a seemingly lifetime of bewilderment and uproar… as to why the governing bodies refuse to put up barriers or nets. After all… the Eiffel Tower and Empire State Building have them… and tourists still flock from around the world to enjoy them. So the Golden Gate excuse of artistry and views don’t hold water when we’re talking about human life.
Intertwined with this enormous human tragedy… which is always painted with a caring… tearful… educational… brush… by an author that so truly cares… are details on the bridge itself from its inception… such as EACH of the two cables weigh over TWENTY-TWO-MILLION-POUNDS! But, when the author lays out the true ripple effect from one successful suicide individual… their life gone… the effect on their parents and family… the effect on the Coast Guard who have to recover the bodies… the coroners… the absolute destruction of the insides of a jumper’s body… and all the people who witnessed the suicide are effected for the rest of their lives.
Though the book lists 1,500+ suicides from the Golden Gate Bridge since its inception in 1937… one of the main “sub-plots” the author wants to convey is that… as high as that number is… it’s assuredly much higher… since the governing boards don’t want tourism to be affected. So if a jump isn’t witnessed… and a body… as some are… due to the enormously powerful and unpredictable currents around the bridge are then found thirty miles away… it is not listed as a Golden Gate Suicide. They also don’t want to publicize the suicides so it won’t attract others.
The entire book… though sooo sad at the despair that brought these individuals to their final decisions… is mesmerizing… and almost hypnotic… and will truly touch all your chords of humanity… especially when you realize that so many of the jumpers have similar jobs as we all do (they are listed also)… many are students… and young students with “A” grade averages… and the pain and unbearable suffering for the rest of the surviving family members lives.
And then… there are the very, very, few jumpers… who survived the jump… and how many have dedicated their lives to helping others. And one thing all the surviving jumpers had in common: “AS SOON AS I JUMPED, I WANTED TO LIVE!”
This book will touch you in a deep-deep way… and you’ll want to discuss it with others… and you’ll be left with one big giant unanswered question that was left in a suicide jumper’s suicide note:
*** WHY DO THEY MAKE IT SO EASY? ***
July 17, 2017
The author meant well, and he did shed light on a difficult subject, but a better name for this book would probably be: An Argument for a Suicide Barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge. This is what the book is about, and comes back to time and time again -- the need for that barrier and the reasons why it hasn't yet been enacted. While this book mentions the movie "The Bridge," the author has not done in depth research about the people who have ended their lives at this location.
Learning more about the people is why I got the book, and what I expected to read. Instead the thesis circles back to the barrier, the reasons why a barrier hasn't been built yet, and refutes all the arguments against it -- too expensive, structural integrity of the bridge, marring the natural beauty, people will just go commit suicide somewhere else. The author repeats himself with similar metaphors, if X number of people died because of Y we would do something about it. Yes, I do believe you are correct about that. But you are preaching to the choir. Who is picking up this book unless they are already aware of and interested in this particular issue?
This book may have been more effective published as a long form essay in a major magazine.
Learning more about the people is why I got the book, and what I expected to read. Instead the thesis circles back to the barrier, the reasons why a barrier hasn't been built yet, and refutes all the arguments against it -- too expensive, structural integrity of the bridge, marring the natural beauty, people will just go commit suicide somewhere else. The author repeats himself with similar metaphors, if X number of people died because of Y we would do something about it. Yes, I do believe you are correct about that. But you are preaching to the choir. Who is picking up this book unless they are already aware of and interested in this particular issue?
This book may have been more effective published as a long form essay in a major magazine.
February 13, 2024
So five stars for incredible research and advocating for a suicide barrier which, supposedly, is up now? But it was completed in 2023 - this book was published in 2012 so 11 years later, a barrier is complete? Wow. Better now than never.
Three stars for read-ability. It's a hard subject, it repeats itself, there's a lot of detail. Those are not bad things, but they do make for difficult reading.
So I split the difference and gave it 4 stars.
I learned so much like how incompetent bureaucrats can lead to hundreds of deaths! And propaganda flexed against mental illness stigmas can also lead to hundreds of deaths!
A suicide barrier concept was introduced during the construction of the bridge in 1938 but was not implemented until around 100 years later. At minimum, 1,500 people died by jumping, or in the case of some tragic incidences of children were thrown, from the bridge. Their names are listed in an appendix in the book.
The author makes a compelling case that suicidal individuals choose one method and, if something interrupts that method, they do not attempt. And still, close to 100 years to convince a board and the public to erect a barrier. Hopefully due to this book.
Three stars for read-ability. It's a hard subject, it repeats itself, there's a lot of detail. Those are not bad things, but they do make for difficult reading.
So I split the difference and gave it 4 stars.
I learned so much like how incompetent bureaucrats can lead to hundreds of deaths! And propaganda flexed against mental illness stigmas can also lead to hundreds of deaths!
A suicide barrier concept was introduced during the construction of the bridge in 1938 but was not implemented until around 100 years later. At minimum, 1,500 people died by jumping, or in the case of some tragic incidences of children were thrown, from the bridge. Their names are listed in an appendix in the book.
The author makes a compelling case that suicidal individuals choose one method and, if something interrupts that method, they do not attempt. And still, close to 100 years to convince a board and the public to erect a barrier. Hopefully due to this book.
January 24, 2016
[4.5 stars.] Upon reading some of the reviews here, I do agree that there is some repetitiveness about the "agenda" of a barrier, but I think it's obvious, common sense, that this book wouldn't be written if there was one in place (or at least, have an entirely different tone). Yes its one-sided - it's about Suicide Prevention from, wait, where? The Golden Gate Bridge! Regardless of what you think of suicide or what the author's "agenda" is... Get it through your head, memorize and know this: Suicide is preventable. That's all that really matters when you read this book (while there were some discrepancies, the one that I cannot deal with is the location of the new span of the Bay Bridge: it's mixed up - the "Oakland to Yerba Buena" is the newest addition to the fucked up commute from the East Bay to San Francisco). Anyway, with that out of the way, I did rather enjoy this book - it was a quick read that was hard to put down.
I'll admit it. This book caught my eye because:
1.) Its simple cover design of a haunting image of the Golden Gate Bridge seemed oddly appealing
2.) I loved the feel of the matte book jacket upon picking it up
3.) The description on the inside cover was enough to pique my interest.
However, the first time I read this book, I honestly wasn't prepared for what was inside it. I got to the end of the prologue before I decided I couldn't handle it and shelved it - hid it for two years in the back of my bookshelf, avoiding it like the plague. It wasn't because the writing was terrible or that there was something abhorrently wrong about the style. It was because I came upon the realization that this shit was heavy. It absolutely struck me to my core about the ease of suicide off of the same bridge that I see everyday. I was in denial about it and the things going on in my life to be able to deal with it.
It wasn't until recently that I decided to try it again, mainly because my psych class reached the topic of suicide and, ironically, the professor decided to show a scene from The Bridge. I thought, "Well, if I can understand the motivation behind Kevin's story, the book shouldn't be so bad." And it wasn't. In fact, Kevin is featured in the book and I couldn't be more pleased to know that there is some sort of closure to witnessing secondhand an actual jump: a survivor turned advocate. I read the prologue again. The same hollow feeling in my gut crept up on me, as if I were just watching a clip of The Bridge again, as if some part of me felt like I, as a San Francisco native, should know that this was happening and yet I never, for once, thought about it before picking up this book. Yes, I'm guilty.
What I can say is that this book is incredible. It is well written, clear and to the point. The book is easily divided into parts that seem to segue nicely, each chapter more dramatic than the previous, with the exception of the prologue. It starts off with the usual acknowledgements, the heart-wrenching prologue, followed by the perception of the bridge in which Bateson describes the romanticism of the GGB, as well as chapter descriptions. I will not go into far great detail about the contents other than the fact that, yes, there is an repeated agenda for a suicide barrier throughout the entire book, but it didn't bother me as much as the picture he painted about the Bridge District did.
Bateson made a pretty good argument for the barrier and I am convinced that one needs to be put up as a precaution, although, like any other idea, it does have its flaws that are slightly addressed in the end of the book. The overall theme of suicide is that it is highly preventable and, while the barrier may be a deterrent for bridge jumpers, the time and effort applied towards having one on the GGB is absolutely ridiculous. The amount of crap that a system does to protect itself from liabilities and other political bullshit that is commonly found in America today - the ones that win over common sense - is disgusting. The argument about the barrier preventing people from completed suicide is debatable, however, in terms of "keeping the beauty" of the bridge, a barrier seems to be a non-negotiable item when it comes to saving a life. Honestly, aesthetics has nothing to do with it. You can stand anywhere across the Strait and get the same foggy ass view of my city or stuck up ass Marin. We live in a highly modern, advanced era where technology seems to be at its peak and gaining, so what the hell is wrong with erecting a barrier for practical means? If a barrier were to be erected, surely there would be a practical and aesthetically pleasing design that can be implemented today.
After reading some of the stories about the jumpers and their families you do begin to question the morality of the Bridge District and the excuses that are presented on the table. It reminded me of this messed up whale documentary my brother made me watch (THE WHALE) in which I found myself enraged at the decisions of politicians and locals that ultimately led to the death of a lonely orca. Mainly, the question here has to be asked: Is there any common sense left in the world? Seriously, is there?
There is such a thing as a natural order of things that we, humans, tend to fuck up. Death is a natural thing, yet we accept murder in our society far more than we can accept suicide which goes to show how far we have come as a society. As the years go by, things are going to get worse and prices are going to rise, such is the "natural" order of our economy, but it is not the natural way for us to behave. Many things, like our socioeconomic conditions, lead to people completing suicide, and the argument for the GGB is that it is so easy, so accessible, yet so preventable if people would simply get off their high-horses and do the right thing. That's all the author wants, that's all the people in this book want. It's simple.
Really, it is. Why protest it?
I'll admit it. This book caught my eye because:
1.) Its simple cover design of a haunting image of the Golden Gate Bridge seemed oddly appealing
2.) I loved the feel of the matte book jacket upon picking it up
3.) The description on the inside cover was enough to pique my interest.
However, the first time I read this book, I honestly wasn't prepared for what was inside it. I got to the end of the prologue before I decided I couldn't handle it and shelved it - hid it for two years in the back of my bookshelf, avoiding it like the plague. It wasn't because the writing was terrible or that there was something abhorrently wrong about the style. It was because I came upon the realization that this shit was heavy. It absolutely struck me to my core about the ease of suicide off of the same bridge that I see everyday. I was in denial about it and the things going on in my life to be able to deal with it.
It wasn't until recently that I decided to try it again, mainly because my psych class reached the topic of suicide and, ironically, the professor decided to show a scene from The Bridge. I thought, "Well, if I can understand the motivation behind Kevin's story, the book shouldn't be so bad." And it wasn't. In fact, Kevin is featured in the book and I couldn't be more pleased to know that there is some sort of closure to witnessing secondhand an actual jump: a survivor turned advocate. I read the prologue again. The same hollow feeling in my gut crept up on me, as if I were just watching a clip of The Bridge again, as if some part of me felt like I, as a San Francisco native, should know that this was happening and yet I never, for once, thought about it before picking up this book. Yes, I'm guilty.
What I can say is that this book is incredible. It is well written, clear and to the point. The book is easily divided into parts that seem to segue nicely, each chapter more dramatic than the previous, with the exception of the prologue. It starts off with the usual acknowledgements, the heart-wrenching prologue, followed by the perception of the bridge in which Bateson describes the romanticism of the GGB, as well as chapter descriptions. I will not go into far great detail about the contents other than the fact that, yes, there is an repeated agenda for a suicide barrier throughout the entire book, but it didn't bother me as much as the picture he painted about the Bridge District did.
Bateson made a pretty good argument for the barrier and I am convinced that one needs to be put up as a precaution, although, like any other idea, it does have its flaws that are slightly addressed in the end of the book. The overall theme of suicide is that it is highly preventable and, while the barrier may be a deterrent for bridge jumpers, the time and effort applied towards having one on the GGB is absolutely ridiculous. The amount of crap that a system does to protect itself from liabilities and other political bullshit that is commonly found in America today - the ones that win over common sense - is disgusting. The argument about the barrier preventing people from completed suicide is debatable, however, in terms of "keeping the beauty" of the bridge, a barrier seems to be a non-negotiable item when it comes to saving a life. Honestly, aesthetics has nothing to do with it. You can stand anywhere across the Strait and get the same foggy ass view of my city or stuck up ass Marin. We live in a highly modern, advanced era where technology seems to be at its peak and gaining, so what the hell is wrong with erecting a barrier for practical means? If a barrier were to be erected, surely there would be a practical and aesthetically pleasing design that can be implemented today.
After reading some of the stories about the jumpers and their families you do begin to question the morality of the Bridge District and the excuses that are presented on the table. It reminded me of this messed up whale documentary my brother made me watch (THE WHALE) in which I found myself enraged at the decisions of politicians and locals that ultimately led to the death of a lonely orca. Mainly, the question here has to be asked: Is there any common sense left in the world? Seriously, is there?
There is such a thing as a natural order of things that we, humans, tend to fuck up. Death is a natural thing, yet we accept murder in our society far more than we can accept suicide which goes to show how far we have come as a society. As the years go by, things are going to get worse and prices are going to rise, such is the "natural" order of our economy, but it is not the natural way for us to behave. Many things, like our socioeconomic conditions, lead to people completing suicide, and the argument for the GGB is that it is so easy, so accessible, yet so preventable if people would simply get off their high-horses and do the right thing. That's all the author wants, that's all the people in this book want. It's simple.
Really, it is. Why protest it?
November 13, 2023
I picked this book up after reading a New York Times article about suicide barrier being completed on the Golden Gate Bridge this year. I had no idea before reading the article that the Golden Gate Bridge was the site of the most recorded suicides. I was also shocked to find out that we were just now putting up a suicide barrier when this had been a known issue since the bridge's construction in 1937. Since then, there have been over 1600 known suicides from the bridge. A startling number. I wanted to know more.
So, I picked up this book referenced in the article. I don't know that I can recommend the book. I don't regret reading it. It was interesting. It was painful. But...it also discussing an issue that will hopefully no longer exist. Already, news sites are reporting that suicides are down this year on the bridge. The book is mostly an argument for why a barrier should be constructed and now it is!
So, I picked up this book referenced in the article. I don't know that I can recommend the book. I don't regret reading it. It was interesting. It was painful. But...it also discussing an issue that will hopefully no longer exist. Already, news sites are reporting that suicides are down this year on the bridge. The book is mostly an argument for why a barrier should be constructed and now it is!
February 4, 2024
“The Final Leap” was well written, including a variety of language, examples and research to make its point- being that suicide is preventable with approach prevention and intervention. Though interviews with survivors, families and friends affected, and individuals in the general public, thought and opinions relating to suicide and attempts to end one’s live were clearly and thoughtful described. Prevention, particularly relating to the location of the Golden Gate Bridge, was a major theme, given the high rates of death by suicide and attempts. At times, the prose was repetitive when reviewing reasons for seeking a suicide barrier for the bridge and reasons sects of the population were against such. Nevertheless, the message of suicide being preventable was clearly communicated, as well as describing why this is the case.
Would recommend for: those interested in mental health or wanting to learn more
Would recommend for: those interested in mental health or wanting to learn more
February 18, 2019
Where concerned with the victims, their stories, the interviews with families, this book was good and well written. These, however, made up only about half of it and the rest is a repetitive rant about the need for a barrier. I completely agree with that opinion and find it hard to fathom how such a simple and effective measure hasn't been applied ages ago. But I don't need this fact repeated on basically every page after every story or statement. Also, while well-meant, the parallels the author so frequently draws between standard safety measures on roads and elsewhere are simply invalid when it comes to suicide and thus discredit the whole argument. I was disappointed at how little was actually written about the victims. The title should have perhaps been something like 'Golden Gate Bridge Needs Barrier to Prevent Suicide'.
September 19, 2018
since it opened in 1937 the golden gate bridge has been a magnet for suicides
More than 1500 people have jumped; few have survived. the stories are told matter of factly. this reads like a page turning thriller except all of it is true. I was so so angry when I was done reading this. there are NO barriers to prevent someone from jumping. the city is so insistent on having a beautiful bridge with beautiful views that human lives don't matter. no money is budgeted. it doesn't even come up in discussions. I don't understand it and the city should be ashamed of themselves.
the author did a wonderful job of bringing people and history to life. highly recommended
More than 1500 people have jumped; few have survived. the stories are told matter of factly. this reads like a page turning thriller except all of it is true. I was so so angry when I was done reading this. there are NO barriers to prevent someone from jumping. the city is so insistent on having a beautiful bridge with beautiful views that human lives don't matter. no money is budgeted. it doesn't even come up in discussions. I don't understand it and the city should be ashamed of themselves.
the author did a wonderful job of bringing people and history to life. highly recommended
July 19, 2018
Not my favorite book but a good analysis of death by suicide from the Golden Gate Bridge and a comprehensive study of the controversy re installing suicide preventatives vs keeping the esthetic beauty of the bridge intact. In the end, it’s almost impossible to understand how the Golden Gate Bridge Board can turn a blind eye to the effectiveness of either raising the height of the railings or installing a net to prevent the astronomical number of deaths by suicide that occur every year from our beautiful iconic bridge.
January 7, 2024
nota: 2,5 estrelas
eu amo livros de não-ficção e sentia que ia gostar bastante desse
porém meu problema foi que é extremamente repetitivo, com parágrafos enormes que dizem dizem dizem e no final estão dizendo a mesma coisa a 3 capítulos...
dá pra perceber que foi feita muita pesquisa e a parte de dados é realmente muito interessante
eu amei as fotografias inseridas
e gostei muito de conhecer sobre esse tópico que eu não fazia ideia que existia
mas no final gostaria que fosse mais sucinto e direto ao ponto
eu amo livros de não-ficção e sentia que ia gostar bastante desse
porém meu problema foi que é extremamente repetitivo, com parágrafos enormes que dizem dizem dizem e no final estão dizendo a mesma coisa a 3 capítulos...
dá pra perceber que foi feita muita pesquisa e a parte de dados é realmente muito interessante
eu amei as fotografias inseridas
e gostei muito de conhecer sobre esse tópico que eu não fazia ideia que existia
mas no final gostaria que fosse mais sucinto e direto ao ponto
November 24, 2024
A book about policy change that would save lives that also tells a compelling story? My jam. Even though this is a book about suicide from the Golden Gate Bridge, it has a happy ending. When this was written a decade ago, there was no suicide barrier on the bridge, and it was the landmark associated with the most suicides in history (over 1500 in its 80-year existence). Fast forward to 2024: the activism of survivors, and victims' families and friends (and the coroner's office, and first responders) mean that a barrier was erected at the start of this year, and suicides from the bridge have all but been eliminated. The evidence shows that when the means of carrying out suicide are taken away, many people who were considering that method will not seek an alternative form of taking their life. Kudos to those that have successfully advocated for this change!
November 1, 2017
I had personal reasons for wanting to read this book, but I wasn't prepared to be unable to put it down. It is impossible to read this book and not feel outraged, saddened, surprised, and even a little bereft. This book is an incredible read. Living so close to the GGB, it's difficult to resist the urge to visit the bridge after having read this.
I suppose I could be considered an amateur thanatologist, with a special interest in suicide. This book provides many fascinating (and shocking) facts about suicide in general. I am *really* looking forward to reading his new book, "The Education of A Coroner" because it is most likely a direct result of this book.
Thankfully, the majority of this book (dedicated to lack of a suicide barrier of some sort) can be put in the past tense soon(ish) because a net is under construction. At the cost of $214 million, it will be completed in 2021. It is ridiculous how long it took for this to finally become a reality; I would love to hear what Mr. Bateson has to say about this and if he plans on releasing this book with additional information.
My only complaint about this book is that the Coronado Bridge (connecting the island to San Diego, CA) is only mentioned once - barely. He devotes a decent amount of space to the Aurora Bridge in Seattle, WA, even though the Coronado Bridge has a higher death toll. Also, I am really curious about why Kevin Briggs isn't mentioned at all, considering that he was the Guardian of the Golden Gate for decades (that just happens to be the title of his memoir - published three years after this book).
I suppose I could be considered an amateur thanatologist, with a special interest in suicide. This book provides many fascinating (and shocking) facts about suicide in general. I am *really* looking forward to reading his new book, "The Education of A Coroner" because it is most likely a direct result of this book.
Thankfully, the majority of this book (dedicated to lack of a suicide barrier of some sort) can be put in the past tense soon(ish) because a net is under construction. At the cost of $214 million, it will be completed in 2021. It is ridiculous how long it took for this to finally become a reality; I would love to hear what Mr. Bateson has to say about this and if he plans on releasing this book with additional information.
My only complaint about this book is that the Coronado Bridge (connecting the island to San Diego, CA) is only mentioned once - barely. He devotes a decent amount of space to the Aurora Bridge in Seattle, WA, even though the Coronado Bridge has a higher death toll. Also, I am really curious about why Kevin Briggs isn't mentioned at all, considering that he was the Guardian of the Golden Gate for decades (that just happens to be the title of his memoir - published three years after this book).
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