5 comments about How to Conquer the World With One Hand...And an Attitude (Second Edition).

1. Me and my husband read this book together and we did find some parts of it very helpful, but is is lacking in reality the depression and guilt, along with the sorrow that a person feels when they have suffered a stroke. My husband had a stroke at 40, even thou my husbands stroke was not as severe as Pauls, he made alot of his recovering years sound like a walk in the park.



2. For 8 years I led a support group for people with stroke and other brain injuries. This honest, funny, gutsy account of one man's struggle to regain his life after a devastating stroke shows what can be done, and what it takes to do it.

   What struck me most in this inspiring story was Paul's ability to keep on trying despite innumerable setbacks. I felt empowered by his wife's tireless advocacy, creative solutions, and search for resources. As a member of a family that struggles with chronic illness, I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone seeking to change a life.




3. I admit, I am also from Philly, and nobody messes with us. Paul wouldn't accept any diagnosis other than a life that was interesting and fulfilling. It's remarkable how he struggled to get back his body. It's a funny uplifting book that should give inspiration to other head trauma victims. (And a nice reminder to the rest of us.) Paul and Stephanie have written about regaining a lifestyle they enjoyed in spite of new disablities. I found it fascinating that Paul came back with more of a sense of humor and a more outgoing personality. Imagine a man with aphasia starting conversations with his fellow commuters! What pluck. It's a readable book, for anyone, not just stroke victims.



4. My father is much older than Paul when he suffered his stroke in December of 2000. My father's stroke was very severe and has left him totally paralyzed on his right side and unable to speak or effectively communicate in any manner, which is the same side and conditions that Paul suffered. This book gave me hope that some day my 78-yr. old father may be able to communicate on some level. All speech therapy has been stopped for my father, but after reading this book and seeing what 8 years of therapy has done for Paul, my family is looking into our options once again. I can think of nearly nothing worse than being able to understand most of what is being said around you and not being able to communicate back. People with aphasia are essentially trapped within their own body. Thanks, Paul for having the courage to move forward with your life and to tell your story. It truly gave me hope!!



5. Best "help" book I've read since my 33 year old son had a stroke. Couldn't put the book down and was amazed at how many similar things that we had gone through--AWESOME read for any young person who had a stroke or their caregivers.

3 comments about Final Negotiations Pb (Health Society And Policy).

1. This book is so insightful and a wonderful description of what it is like to be primary caretaker for one you love. The text is wonderfully written and moves you deeply into the lives of the characters. Ellis does not shy away from honesty, and in doing so helps us all better face the realities of caring for the terminally ill. On the other hand, Ellis still manages to leave us with hope.



2. Ellis' autoethnographic novel graphically depicted details about the relationship she had with Gene who was her professor, partner and who later became her husband. As a scholar Ellis' Final Negotiations offered poignant thoughts, which are often ignored in academia. Ellis' experiences regarding her open relationship with Gene, his deteriorating health and her own professional growth, as a woman and scholar in her field were raw, authentic and made you appreciate healthy relationships, supportive colleagues and the ability to express yourself despite what critics have to say. Ellis' willingness to allow her readers to study how she analyzed her own subjectivity made me consider some of my inner thoughts. I recommend this book to anyone interested in finding hope and balance in all life bring us.



3. "Final Negotiations," for all its flaws, should help a lot of people. These are the people suffering from insomnia.
   
   Think of the book as a sandwich. Two wafer-thin slices of sociology in the introduction and conclusion, holding between them a big fat slice of baloney.
   
   The separation of evocative prose and sociology is the book's main flaw. In addition, the long narrative of illness is absolutely dull and tedious to read. It reads like.... fieldnotes. Like the fieldnotes of a goody two-shoes master's student who has discovered Autoethnography and is struggling to write one. Ellis is the author of good methodological treatises, but she can preach better than she can practice. "The Ethnographic I" is an excellent textbook, but "Final Negotations" is as scintillating as mucus.
   
   I think more sex would have made the book halfway passable.

5 comments about The Devil's Doctor: Paracelsus and the World of Renaissance Magic and Science.

1. The Devil's Doctor is a remarkably well written biography of Paracelsus as well as social history of his life time, that period in European History when the Scholastic mindset of the Medieval was being challenged by the coming Enlightenment. Ball, who writes with great clarity and skillful organization shows Paracelsus as a unique individual in the middle of this social revolution, not seeing the whole picture, but living on both sides of the split.
   
   An alchemist who grew up in a mining region of Switzerland where the manipulation of metals was prevelant he received a scolastic education in medicine. He left early because he realized that the medicine of the Greeks no longer served. He sought out the best teachers and herbalists to educate himself and was recognized as one of the best doctors of his time. He grew up in the Roman church, but thought, wrote, and preached independently his own brand of spirituality barely escaping condemnation for heresy.
   
   I had read bits and pieces about Paracelsus over the years, but gathered almost nothing about the man. By putting Paracelsus in his time and many places (the man traveled a get deal for the times), Ball has made him real and his significance to European, and so world, history understandable.
   
   I can't say I disliked anything about this book. Except, maybe, the fact that Paracelsus was associated with so many interesting characters who deserved books of their own, which I'll probably never find. I highly recommend this book to those interested in this period of history even if they scoff at alchemy. If they scoff, Ball will give them a better understanding of its significance to the period.



2. The voluminous study written by P. Ball bears evident mark of his profession, that is of his being physicist. One has to appreciat how many historical topics he was able to cover in his book, less impressive is, nevertheless, his ability to discover the most important ones and to explain Paracelsus thought on the ground of the historical context so carefully described. Author's basic despise -- at least that's what I feel in his book -- for questions of theology and religion that, according to him, have at best a historical importance seems to prevent him from better understanding of real problems of Paracelsus, and even of real meaning of his "magic". Well, according to the title, Ball wanted to describe Paracelsus in the context of the "renaissance magic and science", yet this picture would be, and is, distorted if the effort is not made to understand the complex of his thought from his perspective, to find out what for him is important.
   Another thing is that Ball works only with english anthologies and even, if I'm not mistaken, only with english written sources in general. Sure, it's not very easy to read Paracelsus in the original Swiss German dialect, yet to me it seems inevitable if one wants to get out of beaten tracks of long rooted, sometimes superficial opinions, and to get inside the text and thoughts.
   So, if you want to read a reliable and better balanced study on Paracelsus' natural philosophy as well as on his theology (and you are not craving for an "esoteric" interpretation) read rather Andrew Weeks' nicely short monograph on Paracelsus and keep reservation about Ball's book: historically he seems to have found the proper sources to use, but systematically he's then not going deep enough to discover the "real" Paracelsus. If you read in German check the brand new and very valuable, although a little difficult-to-read, book by M. Bergengruen (Meiner 2007). Or just reach for the old, eventhough also partly one-sided "Introduction" by W. Pagel to add some more insights in the paracelsian thought.



3. I very much looked forward to reading this book, as I have been interested in Paracelsus for many years. But it does not strike me that Ball is interested in Paracelsus. Quite the contrary--throughout the book, he evidences his disdain for Paracelsus. As I read along, I found myself wondering why he had chosen to write the book at all.
   
   Important ideas that Paracelsus is credited with developing or originating are missing in Ball's treatment. For example, the Doctrine of Signatures, which Paracelsus developed and which was taken up by later medical Paracelsians and became widespread, gets hardly any attention. In fact, I learned more about Paracelsian ideas from Principe's recent book on Boyle as alchemist, which I happened to read at the same time. Principe did not feel obliged to sneer at Paracelsus at every turn.
   
   I also found that the organization of the book was problematic. For instance, a chapter might be named for the time Paracelsus spent in Ingolstadt, but that chapter does not actually discuss it.
   
   If you are interested in Paracelsus, this is not the book for you. If, in contrast, you are interested in snickering at the past from what you imagine to be the exalted heights of scientific rationalism, this book will very much gratify your sense of self-importance.



4. My interest in this book was predicated more on the World of Renaissance Magic and Science than an interest in Paracelsus, who I had no awareness of prior to reading The Devil's Doctor. I wasn't at all disappointed. Philip Ball recreates the exotic beliefs of the medieval world in depth and with great precision. It was much more this social exploration of common beliefs and mystical influences that I was interested in than our esoteric subject. For me, the details on Paracelsus and the early steps toward modernization of medical doctrine were more of peripheral interest. I've read Demon Haunted World, A World Lit Only By Firelight, and Sleepwalkers, among others, but found richer detail and a more visceral illustration in the mindset of individuals presented here. My fascination with the Renaissance is the process by which humankind emerged from the world of supernatural mysticism to the discovery of rational thought and critical observation. Ball does a wonderful job of detailing the all-encompassing and powerful grip of mysticism in an era evolving toward rational explanations of nature. Readers interested in Paracelsus may find this material intrusive, but I found it of primary interest. As for Paracelsus himself, I came away with mixed feelings.
   
   On one hand, his beliefs represent very much the spiritual environment in which Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Leibniz, Newton and all those who broke the shackles of mysticism were immersed as they tried to understand the workings of the supernatural. Rationalism seems to have been an unintended derivative of this effort. On the other, I found Paracelsus to be something less than a significant character in this evolutionary process. The subsequent challenges to the primitive and brutal medical practices of antiquity carried out under his banner seem expunged of his irrational ranting and alchemical nonsense. I don't believe, for example, that a procedure for incubating horse manure with human blood and sperm while supplicating the spiritus mundi to create life while in a drunken stupor was a powerful prescience to in vitro laboratory experimentation or modern biochemistry. It is more a case that if you throw enough at a wall, something is bound to stick. Yet, we know the early founders of science who discovered the laws of nature we understand today operated within this same cloud of mysticism. That's what makes their achievements all the more impressive.



5. The world that Paracelsus knew is thankfully long gone. In its place is a world that takes its lead from modern science which is based largely on experience, experiment, criticism and empiricism and science itself moves forward upon the basis of the scientific method. But it was not always like that and this book does a remarkably good job of trying to bring to life a time in the late middle ages that modern science has forgotten, or perhaps more accurately, would like to forget.
   
   Modern science has its roots in ancient Greek philosophy, 4th century writings, Roman theories, natural magic, Christian theology, astrology, folk tales, alchemy and all manner of mediaeval claptrap and mumbo-jumbo that mostly would have us in hysterics today. When Paracelsus was alive though it was believed and largely taken as true. To stand up and say such and such was not true, or worse still to write it down and publish it was not generally taken as excepted modes of behaviour. In fact it would often put your well being in jeopardy as Paracelsus found out all too often. Rather confirming what was already understood underpinned the thinking of the time. Modern science emerged over several centuries from this mishmash and Ball manages to give a real flavour of what Paracelsus must have encountered. This is a book that should be enjoyed as much as it informs.
   
   Paracelsus himself was a remarkable character of contradictions who can best be described as a failure. Paracelsus' writings are not particularly important either to the history of medicine or to science but it is the spirit in which they were written, the rants as well as the more lucid bits. It is not hard to see Paracelsus as a Till Eulenspeigel type figure or even as a Pierrot, and a good deal of this comes over in Ball's portrait. But it was as a failure who managed to ignite in those who came after him the wish to enquire and not be put off by those who would suppress enquiry that Paracelsus deserves to be remembered.
   
   The life and work of Paracelsus could be written and appraised in a book one quarter the size of this, but that is not what makes this book worth the effort. The background to modern science is in short supply and it is worth getting to know more about it. In the process you will realise that our modern comforts should not be taken for granted and it is not hard to find areas of the world even today some things are not much further advanced than those encountered in this book.
   
   A good read on what could be a difficult subject.

5 comments about No Footprints in the Sand - A Memoir of Kalaupapa.

1. I've now given away so many copies of No Footprints that I should have bought a dozen or twenty at wholesale. Henry's is an amazing story of a kolohe kanaka - naughty Hawaiian - who had the misfortune to contract a dreaded disease in 1936. Sally-Jo Bowman's input makes it a fascinating read. Sounds just like Henry sat down and wrote it all by himself, but we know it doesn't work that way. I chuckled at Henry's can-do attitude. Man after my own heart. I'm glad the book includes all his Casanova events. What a guy, a real renaissance kanaka kane - Hawaiian man. Great title!



2. In his powerful first book, "Uncle Henry" Nalaielua tells a story that has rarely been told, of a dark moment of Hawai'i's history; not from the distant viewpoint of the historian, but from the first-person testimony of its survivor.
   
   With honesty, humor and vivid detail, Henry's courageous tale touched my soul, so profoundly, that I kept wanting to know more. I couldn't put it down and finished it in one sitting, wishing that it wouldn't end. It stirred emotions in the same way as Paulo Coelho's, "The Alchemist," in its message of following one's dream, despite all obstacles. (Except, this is no fable; it is a real life piece.)
   
   Along with his brilliant co-author, Sally-Jo Bowman, he weaves an intimate story of strength and perserverence, which will surely be known for decades to come as one of the islands' finest mo`olelo.
   
   This is a must read for everyone and makes for a wonderful gift. It will touch you in surprising ways, and make you want to meet this incredible man and the spiritual place that he would finally call, "home."



3. Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (3/07)
   
   This is an amazing story. It is Henry's story. Henry Nalielua, diagnosed with Hansen's disease at the age of ten, was branded leprous. "No Footprints in the Sand" is an important memoir. It tells of the journey that took Henry from a sugar plantation community on the Island of Hawaii to Kalaupapa, a remote settlement on the Hawaiian island of Molokai.
   
   Nalaielua's story is inspiring. Even in exile, with lifelong medical and physical challenges and isolation from his family, he faced life with hope, perseverance, courage, and humor. Henry learned to draw and paint. He became an artist. Henry loved music and mastered the ukulele and upright bass. He became a musician. Henry's mind was sharp. He was determined and quick-to-learn. He became an historian. Henry has also served on numerous public agency advisory boards. When the facility at Kalaupapa was named a National Historic Park, Henry became a guide for park visitors. He still resides at Kalaupapa
   
   Co-author Sally-Jo Bowman worked determinedly over a period of years to help bring Henry's story to publication. She first met Henry in 1995, when he helped her with on-site research at Kaluapapa for several magazine articles about the Hansen's disease colony.
   
   Henry's story is unforgettable. It is told with intimacy and openness. "No Footprints in the Sand" is a heartwarming memoir that will inspire anyone facing adversity, long term illness, or needing encouragement. This was a very positive reading experience.



4. Aloha kakou,
   Outstanding collaborative effort by two very important Native Hawaiian voices. This wonderful portrait details a man`s life spent well--dealing with the challenges and trials of surviving Hansen`s disease in Kalaupapa, Moloka`i. Not an in depth about Hansen`s or Kalaupapa, this is Henry`s story, his life, loves, talents and legacy. Henry tells his story, through Sally-Jo`s sensitive handling, with the self effacing, off hand manner of a true local Bruddah. Typical of Hawaiians of his generation, he can do a handful of difficult things really well. This celebration of a life lived with purpose also shows what can result from a life lived purposefully with Aloha. I strongly recommend this book.



5. we loved this story I didn't not realize there was a history on these
   people. and it was done so well I would recommend you read Malaki first
   then this book after. good read

5 comments about Goodbye, Walter: The Inspiring Story of a Terminal Cancer Patient.

1. As the publisher, it's interesting to see the reaction of different people to Goodbye, Walter. Some seem to get it and are deeply touched by it. There may be others who can't understand why the focus in the book is on RuthAnn, the author.
   We, the publishers, asked RuthAnn to focus on herself--it wasn't her idea, and the original manuscript she submitted didn't do that. The reason is that the beauty of Walter's story is the change he wrought in her. Here is Walter Schifter, who felt so worthless as he was approaching the end of his life that he wanted to commit suicide. However, once he is properly cared for, the richness of his personality and his value as an individual come out. He comes to realize that, even though doctors have told him he has only two weeks to live, every day still matters because he now has a purpose for living. His focus changes from his pain and misery to what he can do for others during those last days.
   RuthAnn, as she comes to know Walter, is profoundly affected by his sense of purpose, and she is touched in such a way that she decides to put her own life back together.
   I love her honesty and her openness. She is struggling with a life that has, in its most important aspects, come unglued, and she freely shares that with us. Walter doesn't preach--he's not that kind of person. But, with his example and his deep desire to be useful to others, he helps her see what is truly important in life. As she builds her life on those important things, it falls into place. And that is the point of this story. It's a profound, beautiful lesson.
   We are seeing tendencies in society to devalue the lives of those with terminal illnesses, people who are totally dependent on others. Some even encourage them to end their lives early. With this book, Walter and RuthAnn show us that life has eminent value, even in its final, potentially miserable days.



2. I am in agreement with Mr. Hall. (The reviewer from Sierra Vista obviously has issues.) The thing that strikes me so much about this book is the sense it gives you of how important life is--not just the importance of being alive, but of living life with a purpose. Death can come to any one of us at any time. Live life earnestly, love earnestly, and rejoice that you have a place in the universe. This point is made with great PERSONAL power.



3. Goodbye, Walter: The Inspiring Story Of A Terminal Cancer Patient by RuthAnn Hogue is an influential biographical depiction of a struggle for life and the many barriers required for survival. Hogue's personal story will enrapture the reader in its telling of a difficult and inconceivably strenuous time for both the author and Walter Shifter, her friend dying of cancer. Goodbye, Walter is very strongly recommended for its inspirational content for readers looking to overcome their own difficult situation, as well as readers who have friends with cancer or other terminal conditions.



4. At first I was a little confused about who this book was about, Walter or RuthAnn. But as I finished the first chapter, I realized that it is about both of them and how Walter's terminal illness enlightened him about his life's purpose and the difference that he made and touched RuthAnn's life in profound ways as well. Isn't that the meaning of enlightenment? I think that it is showing another, by example, something that makes a difference in their own life and transforms them. Through her relationship with Walter, his wife and his friends, RuthAnn began to see life through a different, more empowering avenue and she made more positive choices. I appreciated the opportunity to get close to people that I would not have otherwise gotten to know and realize again, how precious and wonderful it is to be alive....it's not about me....all the time!



5. I have had the fortune to come across this book as my own family had to say farewell and as a mental health professional I've passed this book onto others. A must have for any counselor like myself. A++ Excellent Author & journey

5 comments about The Oath: A Surgeon Under Fire.

1. Let me begin by saying that if everything in this book is true Dr. Baiev has my total respect and admiration. It's inspiring to realize that people of his caliber do exist.
   
   There are, however, one or two disquieting features of this book that I feel compelled to mention. After having read the initial reviews I had expected not only a compelling story of human strength amidst tragedy, but a book of high literary accomplishment. That has not come to pass. Whatever Dr. Baiev's own writing style, it has been submerged in the journalistic style of Nicholas and Ruth Daniloff. Nick Daniloff is he of the famous Soviet espionage sting of the 1980's when he was arrested in Moscow in an apparent KGB set-up. Ronald Reagan himself is reported to have been involved in getting Daniloff released. I just wish Dr. Baiev had been able to choose a more literary writer to assist him in developing this book.
   
   Another point I'm almost embarrassed to make is that Dr. Baiev comes across in this book as almost too good to be true. Not only is he an heroic doctor, brave humanitarian, and loyal son, brother, and friend, he is also described a medical entrepreneur, a doctor who not only moonlights as a cosmetic surgereon, but who is also a national martial arts champion! If this book is made into a film I can only imagine Harrison Ford playing the part of Dr. Baiev. It almost seems as if some of Dr. Baiev's financial and sports successes were included in the book just to appeal to the certain segment of the community that might find those aspects of his life as compelling as the humanitarian work of saving lives and limbs amidst war and destruction.
   
   Nevertheless, the book is full of unique tid-bits. While many people reading it will be aware of Russia's halting attempts to convert its military forces from a large army of draftees to a smaller one of professional soldiers this is the first time I'd seen such a negative depiction of these new contract soldiers. I don't think I'd have gotten this insight anywhere but in this book. Likewise, it was also very interesting to read that in addition to the fight between the Russian military and the Chechen rebels there is a criminal, opportunistic element also actively engaged in exploiting the tragedy of Chechnya and which appears to be much more influential than I would have imagined. I think that this insight is very valuable, not only in the context of the Chechenya, but in understanding the influence of criminal opportunists in other conflicts. For me this insight itself was worth the price of the book.
   
   I certainly recommend The Oath, worts and all.



2. If you plan on investing your time in reading one book this year make it this one. It is a remarkable tale of an honourable man trying to survive in barbaric times under the tyranny of Putin's Russia. Hassan Biev states that one in every five chechens has been killed as a result of the conflict. However after all this carnage the war stills continues and the state still exits in the hearts of men like Dr. Biev. Perhaps the actions of people like him will ultimately lead to peace in that most violent of places.



3. If you are interested in war, modern politics, news, or human rights, you need to read this book. It shows what warfare is really like, what happens to people after governments make decisions. And it is heartbreaking, but you cannot put it down.
   
   The conflict in Chechnya is mostly forgotten and then often miscontrued topic for most of the world. Dr. Khassan Baiev's memoir sheds a light on the horrors of life in Chechnya since 1994, what this ghastly, genocidal war means for the common people and Russian grunts. Baiev is a surgeon with a big heart, and never turned anyone away. He explains casualties from the rather disturbing anatomical perspective of a surgeon, illustrating how fragile bodies and how much pain people can suffer.
   
   The book starts with his life before the war: of the ancient and beautiful Chechen traditions, of the extreme and often brutal Russian racism. As you read the book, the cultural differences between the ancient highlander Chechens and the rest of the Western world seem dwarfed by how lovely their life was, and how, as you read it, you can see yourself in their world. What stays with you is that once you empathize on this level, the eruption of war and desolation is utterly heartbreaking. Because Baiev lived it we see an intimate world being shattered, not a headline.
   
   Baiev (narrowly) survives years of war until both the Russians and Chechen guerillas are out for his head because his clientele includes everyone (and mostly civilians) so he has to escape to America, and eventually moved to Boston. His observants description of coming to America, seeing how peaceful it is here, how people of many races coexist, and how a town in Vermont took care of his family, gives you a deeper appreciation for what we have in this country and that many take for granted.
   
   I've never read anything that captures so vividly and personally the heartbreakingly human face of war. I think everyone should read it just to be educated on something that is going on at this moment, but that many people do not know about or simply don't understand. It speaks of overwhelming swaths of cruelty and evil, but also transcendent moments of grace and joy, humanity between enemies. Baiev treated anyone who needed help, so we see souls, not sides.
   
   What steals the breath from you, what made me rather emotional, is how war is revealed here as so useless, so tragic, so profoundly evil because we are all people, and war destroys and perverts this sacred life that we all share in.



4. This book is far more than a memoir -- it is a page-turning narrative of the wonderful and terrible drama of life and war in a region about which we think little and know even less, written by a man of exceptional bravery and humanity. I met Dr. Baiev shortly after his arrival in Washington, DC, where my girlfriend (working for Physicians for Human Rights at the time) coordinated PHR's assistance to Dr. Baiev in Washington. At the time I had little appreciation for just what this man had been through, although it was obvious he had survived a harrowing ordeal. To read now the full story behind the brief weeks in which his life intersected ours has been both fascinating and deeply moving. His account of living as a Caucasus youth in the Soviet Union, his struggle to become a doctor, and his extraordinary dedication to his profession, his people and and his faith through two protracted and brutal wars is by turns fascinating, inspiring and heartwrenching. You will not find a more intimate account of the conflict in Chechnya, nor a better illustration of the way that such conflicts have become simultaneously global and local. If you care about peace, if you care about the prospects for a free and prosperous world, you cannot afford not to care about the gross violations of human rights that accompany conflicts increasingly economic, sectarian and cultural all at once. Dr. Baiev's gripping account puts a profoundly human face on the complexity and the urgency of coming to grips with the destructive conflicts that need not and should not continue into the twenty-first century.



5. To read Dr. Baiev's story is to once again, but on a uniquely disturbing level, understand the cruelty that war imposes upon those who's only mission is to help the injured. I am a surgeon myself, and I have had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Baiev. His story and his actions are the stuff of heroism. But he remains an outcast by his former Soviet countrymen. How ironic today's papers tell of yet another Russian Crisis (Georgia). How many other Dr. Baiev's are out there as I write. Many, I'm sure he himself would say. Many.

5 comments about I Had Brain Surgery, What's Your Excuse?.

1. I bought this book for my best friend who has undergone both open cranium and Gamma Knife surgery for brain tumors and it was the best gift I could have given her. The book is a wonderfully crafted journey of the author's battle with not just a tumor but more importantly the journey of maintaining her identity as a writer, an artist, a daughter, a friend and not the pitiful person with a tumor growing inside her head. I gave this book to my friend only days after her first surgery, and though she struggled somewhat with her sight, she finished the book in only a few days. She brought it with her to her next visit with the neurosurgeon to make sure that he would recommend the book to the rest of his patients. What makes this book so remarkable is the craftmanship of the writing. Ms Becker weaves personal narrative with expository prose and punctuates the text with her brilliant cartoons and drawings. This book is a must read for anyone who is facing a difficult physical challenge and for those of us who stand beside our loved one along the journey.



2. I bought this book because I have long loved Suzy's All I Needed to Know I Learned From My Cat. I wanted to read more about Binky's talented owner.
   
   Suzy's journey through diagnosis, denial, surgery and then recovery moved me deeply. Having suffered a bizarre and unexpected injury a year ago, I felt her a kindred spirit as she searched for ways to explain why she had the tumor, what it was, what it might become: all the what ifs. Her frustration and fear during her recovery brought tears to my eyes time and again. All of us who've been severely injured or operated upon have asked ourselves, when struggling to perform some formerly simple task, "Will I ever get the old me back again?"
   
   In truth, we never get the old me back. But if we try hard enough, we get a better me. Suzy did, so did I. I am so thankful she shared her journey. If you've struggled to heal after an injury, been a partner or caretaker or friend of someone who has (or is currently healing) - this book is for you. It will warm your heart with its endless hope. All the best to you, Suzy!



3. I just wanted to add to the other reviews that this book is not only good for those recovering from or who know someone recovering from brain surgery but anyone who has dealt with a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), an injury that can many times the result of auto crashes or sports injuries. I had an auto crash MTBI and would highly recommend this for not only the "victim" of the MTBI but those close to him/her. It provides a pretty frank picture of what is so frustrating about MTBI--you look "normal" (i.e. have no outward physical signs of being sick or injured) but the you inside is not the same, and so many people don't realize that.
   
   As for the lesbian "issue", I think, regardless of personal beliefs about homosexuality, people really should look past that and see the deeper relationship and interpersonal issues that apply to any post-MTBI relationship, heterosexual or homosexual. I was not familiar with Suzy, her previous work, or her sexual orientation before I started the book, and while I don't necessarily think homosexuality is morally ok, I found her romantic relationship struggles after surgery to be not specific to gay couples (with the exception of one while she was in the hospital) but things that would be equally true about any close relationship after such a major health problem, even non-sexual relationships. As for the sexual side of the relationship, she is not overtly sexual in nature when talking about their romantic relationship, saying no more than "we made love," which if a heterosexual writer said no one would think twice, and frankly "IT" is just as much of an issue for heterosexual couples after medical problems as it is for gay couples.
   
   For the reviewer who thought it was misleading that she remembered enough about the whole thing to write a book about it, you totally missed the point, sir. It is not about if things happened word for word the way she wrote it but about the struggle to deal with your brain not being like it used to be, knowing it is not totally like it used to be, the process of recovering what you can, and learning to deal with what you have now. As one person also noted, different brains + different types of surgery/injury/illness = different outcomes. It is not that her story is exactly like mine or yours, but the underlying process of healing, both physically and emotionally.
   
   Overall, I thought it was a good read and, as a post-MTBI sufferer, identified with much of her struggle. While it wasn't identical to what I went through, really nothing someone else goes through is ever identical to our own experiences, the underlying emotions brought back vivid memories of my own healing process. It is a good resource for post-MTBI patients and, even more importantly maybe, for those close to post-MTBI patients who wonder what in the world has happened to their loved one when the boo-boos have healed but they are still not "right."



4. This book is fairly interesting. Its just a documentation of the experience of brain surgery and recovery. Not the best book I've ever read. I bought it for the title.
   
   Its kept my attention, but then, I had nearly the identical medical condition and surgery also, taken her meds, etc.
   
   Was interesting, for her it was the whole disabled thing that was the big issue through recovery, while for others it is mortality. Eh.
   
   I had brain surgery, what's your excuse?



5. I had an awake craniotomy in Fall 2007; the operation took 10 hours and was located in my left temporal lobe (I'm right handed so my tumor was located in the same location as my speech and comprehension). Post-surgery I was looking for both emotional and mental relief; this book provides just that! While the author's experience wasn't exactly the same as mine, I found her humor to be refreshing and entertaining. The author does a good job highlighting her own frustrations and enables readers to look at the effects of brain tumors in a different way. I recommend this book to both patients and caregivers! It definately had me laughing out loud and was able to be my voice when trying to communicate my frustations to others.
   
   To those who said the author remembered too much, I would say - everyone responds to surgery in different ways. My short term memory was only briefly lost and I was able to remember large portions of my own surgery as well as what happened afterwards. I also told as many people as I could post-op in order to commit those memories to long-term. Plus the author (or others around her) may have written down many of her experiences shortly after they occured; I did this as well and while I didn't remember it the next day, i had a record of what happened, what I was feeling at the time, etc. for me to be able to reference in the event my short-term memory would act up.

5 comments about My Perfect Son Has Cerebral Palsy: A Mother's Guide of Helpful Hints.

1. Methinks you'll enjoy MY PERFECT SON by Marie Kenndy.
   
   This is a moving tale of Jimmy and his loving parents . . . as Marie recounts, "After a few nights, I realized that it [wearing night shoes] was bothering me more than him. I had to quit being selfish and thinking of the things he couldn't do and start concentrating on the things he could do."
   
   And what Jimmy could do is just about everything . . . he is now 10, and part of what made this book so special for me was that I could almost watch him grow before my eyes as a result of the many wonderful pictures that were included.
   
   Kenney presents much useful advice for parents of any child . . . for example, she says, "When buying toys or gifts, consider how your child can and should move. It can be disappointing to receive a gift and not be able to use it. Our family consults us on birthdays and Christmas before
   making purchases, which helps to avoid this problem."
   
   I strongly recommend this book to any parent or grandparent, as well as to anybody else who works with children . . . you'll not only learn more about cerebral palsy, you'll also learn about life
   and how it can be lived to the fullest--regardless of health.



2. This book is very inspiring. I can identify with many of the same emotions. The only reason I dodn't give it 5 stars is that it is short, without longterm information on her child. I was left wondering "How's he doing now?" I think parents of CP kids always wonder how they are going to be when they "grow up." And this book ends when the child is still very young.



3. Overall this book was a good read. My son is 9 months old and was recently diagnosed with CP. I'm the type of person that wants to know all of the information I can, read all the books that I can, explore whatever website I can find - to do what I can to help my son. This book was a good book about the strength a mother found to do what she could for her son. The overview for this book was a little misleading - it said there were "helpful hints" on things to do to help with the CP. I guess this was what I was looking for - a book of different things that helped a mother help her son work through CP... So I gave the product a 3 star because it didn't really get into many helpful hints.



4. Marie Kennedy's short biography of her son's toddler years and experience with CP is entertaining and charming but parents of young children with Cerebral Palsy may find themselves depressed by it. I know my husband and I did. Why? Her son, Jimmy, has CP, but just a few short weeks after beginning physical therapy begins walking with the aid of braces, gait trainer, etc. He continues to make similar magnificent gains. In fact, the picture of him on the front of the book using crutches is actually quite deceptive as the time he spent with crutches was I think less than six months. By the end of this very short bio, Jimmy at the age of five is walking, is fully toilet trained, is attending regular school, and has no speech impairments whatever. As the mother of a child whose gains in physical therapy are measured in time spans of years, who may never walk, and who is virtually non-verbal, I applaud Jimmy's and Marie's achievements, but I don't find Jimmy to be a typical toddler or infant with CP. Although there is certainly nothing wrong with many of Marie's "tips" and her book is charming and entertaining, I think many CP moms may find her book a bit depressing. I would avoid this book if your child has more than a mild case of CP.



5. The case of Jimmy is not so rare. As a 41 year old man with CP, my story is not very different than Marie Kennedy's son. I also walked with canes, attended public schools, and have no speech impairments. I now live alone with only the aid of personal care assistants, although I don't need any help with toileting, just showering. I do believe Jimmy's story should be read by all parents of children with CP. Because although her son's case might not be typical, whatever that means, it can provide the motivation to "never give up" which is extremely important. For you see, if my parents had listened to the advice of their doctor, I would now be living in an institution. He said I would be better off if they didn't try to raise me at home. I not only graduated from high school with my class, I also went to college and earned an Associates Degree in Business. There is nothing more powerful than a parent's love.

5 comments about The Autism Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know About Diagnosis, Treatment, Coping, and Healing.

1. Save your money ... this book is misleading, nothing new, and for anyone to claim that they have written a book that is "everything you need to know" about helping your child with Autism is, in itself, ludicrous.
   
   Apparently "everything you need to know" is just using ABA therapy.
   
   The Author, Karen Siff Exhorn, claims that her child is "completely recovered from Autism" (his actual diagnosis was PDD) but then the author also says that her son still needs a 1:1 ABA therapist to "support him" on playdates. The child is in 4th grade. That is hardly what I would consider to be "recovered".
   What this author appears to consider "recovered" is her son's ability to speak, to be compliant, and to not "look autistic" ... meaning, she focused on ABA "training" to get her kid to not flap or shriek and to "look normal". "Looking normal" was the most important thing to her, it seems. So her kid sounds as if he can appear normal, which is great, but her son still doesn't know how to relate to kids, converse with them, or play ...
   
   Half a page on Sensory Integration and a quarter of a page on Integrated Play Therapy can hardly be considered "everything you need to know".
   
   We all have 1000 times more computing power at our fingertips right now than NASA used to get a man on the moon ... yet few of us make very good use of it.
   
   It would be great if there were one book that would tell us everything we needed to know, but since every case of Autism is different, that is not possible. Forget this book and just search the web.



2. I wish this book had been around five years ago when my son was diagnosed. This is a great start, but ONLY a start. I feel there needs to be much more on sensory integration. My son is also PDD and ABA did nothing for his flapping and spinning. Newly diagnosed parents must remember that Autism isn't curable but treatable. With therapies, diet, and a good special ed teacher their child can live in our world very well. My son is now eight and looks, acts, talks like a typical boy. Certain social still cause stimming and behavior problems but all in all he's doing excellent. Again, this book is a great start.



3. This is an excellent book if you're looking for something like an Autism encyclopedia. This isn't really one of those books that gets into too much personal detail about experiences with Autism, it's more of a guidebook and a reference manual for parents or ABA therapists. It has a plethora of information from diagnosis to dietary intervention. It covers all the bases and leaves you with plenty of hope for your child. Definitely a worthy buy for parents, teachers, or anyone else interested in learning more about Autism and how to intervene.



4. But most of the information found in this book is easily found on the internet. I was hoping this book would help us find school/treatment for our 2 year old austistic son, but it was much different that I expected. Most of the material that was written was information about autism that I was already very well aware of.
   Disappointed. :o(



5. So many ASD kids are sick with bowel disease and live in terrible pain. This book only covers the bare minimum of ASD issues and deals effectively only with ABA treatment. Sadly, it takes far more to recover many children than ABA. Ms. Siff-Exhorn's book oversimplifies the very complex causes and medical problems that all too often go untreated or are simply viewed as behavioral.

2 comments about The Lord God Made Them All.

1. I ordered the audio version, which I really enjoyed listening to, especially with British (Yorkshire) accent of the actor. I have always enjoyed the James Herriot books, except for his free use of profanity.
   Otherwise, it was very enjoyable listening.



2. I bought this for my husband. This is part of his favorite series. He really enjoyed it.