Bipolar disorder. It was once known as manic-depression because of the radical mood swings of the person who suffered with it, and it was believed that these people were "crazy," and that it wasn't very common. In Life in a Box, Charles Carrell tells the story of his wife, Laura, who suffered with this illness for decades without knowing she had it. He tells her story from beginning to end, how she lived and loved, not from a doctor's view but from the perspective of a husband and soul mate-an everyday person like you. He tells her story as she related it to him, and he tells his own story about answers he wanted about this disorder, all in a way that speaks to everyone.