A319 FLT CREW EXPERIENCED RAPID DEPRESSURIZATION AND INITIATED EMER DESCENT. FLT RETURNED FOR PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. CREW CITES ISSUES WITH QRH.

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ECAM AND RED WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND CABIN OVERPRESSURE VALVE BLEW. I SAID NO WAY!!!! DONNED O2 MASK AND PUSHED PAX O2 BUTTON TO DEPLOY MASKS; AUTO SYSTEM HAD ALREADY DROPPED MASKS. ESTABLISHED COMMUNICATION WITH FO. INFORMED ATC WE WERE DECLARING AN EMERGENCY; INFORMED THEM WE HAD LOST THE CABIN AND NEEDED VECTORS AWAY FROM MOUNTAINS. WE THEN REQUESTED RETURN TO ZZZ. THEN CALLED FLT ATTENDANT AND CHECKED ON PAX. FLT ATTENDANT SAID ALL WAS OK AND I INFORMED HER WE WERE RETURNING TO ZZZ FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. ONCE WE WERE AT 10000 FT SENT OPS AN ACARS MESSAGE OF OUR SITUATION. PULLED THE QRH 'WHAT A JOKE TRYING TO FIND OUT ABOUT RAPID DECOMPRESSION; OVERWEIGHT LANDING ETC; NO TABS AND POORLY WRITTEN.' I WILL NOT USE THE CUSS WORDS AND HOW I FEEL ABOUT THAT WORTHLESS BOOK. ACR Y WAS FAR SUPERIOR. INFORMED PAX THAT COULD TAKE MASKS OFF AND WE WOULD BE RETURNING TO ZZZ. FINALLY FOUND OVERWEIGHT PROCEDURES JUST PRIOR TO LANDING. FO FLEW APPROACH AND MADE A GREAT OVERWEIGHT LANDING WITH ONLY 300 FT SINK RATE. IT WAS BUSY BUT EVERYONE DID THEIR JOBS WELL. MUST HAVE BEEN THE REAL TRAINING WE DID AT ACR Y INSTEAD OF THE CURRENT TRAINING WE DO NOW OR AS WE PILOTS SAY 'TRAINING BY MEMO.' THE QRH NEEDS FIXED ASAP. THE DESKTOP PILOTS HAVE DONE US A DISSERVICE. THE PRESSURES SYSTEM FAILED PER MAINT; MAYBE A SECOND FAILURE OF THE CDC OR SOMETHING? THAT RUNS THE NUMBER ONE SYSTEM WHICH CAUSED THE BACKUP NOT TO WORK.