The Bipolar Millionaire

Title: The Bipolar Millionaire
Author: John E. Wade
Publisher: Sunbury Press
Pages: 164
Genre: Memoir

John E. Wade II, retired CPA, author, investor, television producer, and philanthropist, reveals in his memoir, The Bipolar Millionaire, his personal struggle with bipolar disorder and how he has succeeded in living a balanced and blessed life, despite his mental illness.

Wade takes the reader through his family experiences, political aspirations and beliefs, spiritual journey, relationship trials and errors, all while battling mental illness.

Through his religious beliefs, personal perseverance, and the help of friends, family, and his mental health professionals, Wade lives an active, creative, and successful life.

His memoir doesn’t end with contentment at achieving a balance in his life, however. Instead, Wade expresses a determined vision for the future, aiming to assist humanity in what he describes as achieving heaven on earth through his writing, political and spiritual endeavors.

For More Information

• The Bipolar Millionaire is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
• Pick up your copy at the Sunbury Press store.

My Impressions: 

Bipolar Millionaire is a personal memoir of John Wade, III  that he has written to bring light to a delicate subject that is often taboo to talk about, mental illness.  In his memoir John speaks of struggles with in family structure, his work, personal life and community that have all been deeply impacted by his struggle with bipolar disorder. More importantly though, in my opinion, John opens himself up on a deeper spiritual level and lets the reader in on his own spiritual awakening and impact that this disease has had on his life. From prayers, insight from the Lord and his own revelations John has learned that having a disability does not have to hinder you, but can be the very thing that God uses as your personal testimony to help others and to lead people to Him.

Although for me personally, the book was a little dry and difficult to read at times, the complete willingness of the author to be so transparent kept me engaged. John ask a questions I think we have all come to ask at some point in our lives-why me? Why this particular struggle, why now? Everyone’s answer to that question will be different, but ultimately the Lord works in mysterious ways and we each have to be ready to use our gifts and talents to bring glory to Him. John may not have gotten the answer he desired, but he did come to the understanding that his struggle can be used to help others and by sharing his very personal and profound story he does his part in bringing awareness to mental illness and hopefully to help shed some of the negative stigma associated with those who suffer from this disease. Your illness does not have to define you, God defines you and John reminds his readers of that throughout this book.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via PumpUpYourBooks in exchange for my honest opinion, which I have given. 

About the Author

I was born in Decatur, Alabama, grew up in Georgia and Mississippi, and have lived in New Orleans for many years.  After high school, I attended the Air Force Academy for a few months until I received an honorable medical discharge resulting from a severe case of meningitis and my first experience with bipolar disorder. Eventually I enrolled at the University of Georgia, where I received a BBA and MA, was named the most outstanding senior accounting student, and served as president of Beta Alpha Psi, the accounting honor society. I worked in accounting for nearly thirty years, in both the private sector and eventually for the federal government.

I began writing in 1998, and my first book-length work, Focus Investing, was purchased by John E. Wiley & Sons, but never published, because of changing market conditions. Still, I had discovered the joy of writing and have since produced many essays, blogs, and books.  Deep Within My Heart is a published book containing many of my earliest essays.

My next book project was conceiving and compiling How to Achieve a Heaven on Earth, a collection of essays from 101 other individuals–from world leaders to Nobel and Pulitzer prize winners–about the ten elements of Heaven on Earth as I conceived of them at that time (peace, security, freedom, democracies, prosperity, racial harmony, spiritual harmony, ecological harmony, health, as well as moral purpose and meaning–at the urging of my local editor, Charlotte L. Piotrowski, who pushed for “gender equality,” I have sense added “gender harmony” to the list of ten elements).  I am especially proud of this work and hope it inspires humankind for generations.
In 2012, Ronald Reagan’s Wisdom for the Twenty-First Century was published, which excerpts some of Reagan’s most insightful and articulate quotations from before, during, and even after his presidency, coupled with commentary highlighting the ways in which Reagan’s wisdom is as relevant as ever. Then, in 2014, Glimpses of Heaven on Earth, a book of inspiring quotations and insightful essays by four other co-authors and me, was published. This book won the 2014 Living Now Book Awards bronze metal in Social Activism/Charity. My most recent literary project is The Bipolar Millionaire, my deeply personal memoir.

In 2006, I founded the charity Soldiers of Love, which encourages and enables ordinary citizens to work toward a better world. Soldiers of Love partners with other charities with similar goals, both in the local New Orleans community and beyond.  In 2011 I began producing the television series that also relates to the the goal of Heaven on Earth.

I am passionate about travel and have visited China, India, Egypt, Israel, Syria, Jordan, Brazil, Argentina, much of Europe, Costa Rico, the Caribbean including Cuba, as well as much of North America.  Some of these trips have been spiritual journeys and mission trips. I enjoy learning about other cultures and my travels inspire my writing and philanthropy. I am equally passionate about my adopted hometown.  I enjoy New Orleans’ unique food, architecture, and music, as well as Saints football games.  I also cheer on the Bulldogs–The University of Georgia, which I attended, and Mississippi State University, where the Davis Wade Stadium was named after my father.

For More Information

• Visit John E. Wade’s website.
• Connect with John on Facebook and Twitter.