No comments about Ever Yours, Florence Nightingale: Selected Letters (Loeb Classical Library).

No comments about Vet in the Country.

5 comments about Blood Guts and Tears.

1. I was introduced to this book at Saint Mary's Hospital in West Palm Beach Florida during my paramedic training. From the verry first sentence, I new this book was a rare find. I couldn't put it down until I read it cover to cover. It gives the layman a look at firemedics in an unusual way. The truth. After reading it I had to look at the profession from a different light. The author stripped alot of the hero covering and exposed the profession in a way I had not seen before or since.



2. I have been an EMT now for four years. I know the job and I know the life that goes with it. Braunworth does a horrible job at making his stories "stories of courage" as the title implies. Braunworth uses words like "nutcase" and "loony" to describe the patients he transports from his local mental health facility. That is just blatantly wrong. He complains through the entire book about how he has no compassion and it is "just a job" now and how he has not figured out why he hasn't quit yet. At times the stories seem to be a bit fabricated. Conversations and actions seem to be exagerated. There were a few calls in which he, in my opinion, made unethical decisions. He leaves a teen victim of an MVA to die after he codes in the hands of Braunworth rather than pulling him out of the car to start CPR, because "they have been on scene for 20 minutes already" as explained in the book. Is that courage? My question is, if he hates the job so much why write a book about how brave and couragous he is???



3. I got this book for Christmas, started reading it on Dec. 26 and finished Dec. 29. I read it as much as I could because is was absolutely a book I could not put down. It gave an insider's look into the FF/Paramedic field. As a firefighter/EMT hopeful, the stories I read in here seemed absolutely true based on what I've been told and what I've seen. I only wish there had been more stories to read. The book was a short 130 pages.



4. "Wow" is the only word to describe "Blood Guts & Tears"! If you want to become a paramedic, firefighter, or SWAT team member, read this book first, to see if you have what it takes! It not only gives you cases, but the thoughts and emotions Brent Braunworth went through, which I think is great. It's a short book, but leaves a lasting impression. I recommend!



5. This was entertaining, but a little too cynical for my taste. I have been an EMT for 3 years and have not experienced as much as he has, but it seems as if he needs a change of pace.
   
   Not a bad book, just not the best I have read on this subject.

No comments about Discovering the Center: A Surgeon's Spiritual Journey.

No comments about Dr. Mary: The Story of Dr. Mary Fulstone, a Nevada Pioneer.

No comments about A Southern Practice: The Diary and Autobiography of Charles A. Hentz, M.D (Publications of the Southern Texts Society).

1 comments about An Ethical Physician.

1. Interesting insight into southern justice and history by the subject,who was neither ethical (self proclaimed) nor honest,who practiced chicanery rather than medicine and thoroughly enjoyed it.
   All his travels are hard to believe but his adventures into polygamy and justification add, sex to the story.
   There is plenty of adventure,bigotry and greed to satisfy the reader.
   Interesting book.Fact or fiction.

4 comments about When Clowns Cry.

1. It is one thing to have the courage this author has to have survived such a truama and, another to have written this true story and, yet another and most importantly to have the courage and stand up and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. This inspirational book is one that will touch many lives and will live forever in ones heart. It is also a most beautiful love story that will make grown women and men cry.



2. I found this book to not only be uplifting but also very rewarding. For those who face obstacles in their life, this book will surely be uplifting and rewarding!



3. I have just finished reading this book and am anxious to see it go to the top of every reading list and a movie, too. It is such a captivating read and also such a revealing study of personal experience in a mysterious world of the mind out of control because of mind altering drugs even if they are being prescribed by doctors. It was so very incouraging to see there is hope and life afterward. Frank Wray, I applaud you!



4. Due to the nature of the diseases, FSH, Cogenial, Limb-Girdle, and Mysenthia Gravis, all of the Muscular Dystrophy family, the medical profession failed to recognize the symptons of these debilitating diseases and diagnosed this condition as depression which resulted in being in several state mental hospitals for years and given powerful anti-psychotic drugs causing hallucinations which reflected to a beautiful childhood. However, with the quick response of a didicated team of drs. from California the correct diagnosis of MD was discovered and treatment was given and the book tells of a beautiful love story as its ending. Not always the easiest read because of such a trauma but it shows the reader the awful consequences resulting from a physical illness such as muscular dystrophy mistaken by outstanding doctors for a mental illness.

No comments about Heal Thyself: Nicholas Culpeper and the Seventeenth-Century Struggle to Bring Medicine to the People.

5 comments about Sam: The Boy Behind The Mask.

1. This is the extraordinary story of Sam Lightner, a boy who showed me more about beauty and courage than anyone I've ever known. He has the toughness and persistence of any *ten* adults, and his parents and brother and sister are simply angels. The author's top-notch reporting and soulful writing make for an enlightening read.

   I'm usually more of a "library rat" than a book buyer, but this is one book I'm adding to my personal collection. Read Sam's amazing story, and pass it on to your family and friends.




2. This story will touch your heart in an incredibe way! The author reaches inside you and grabs your heart, in order to take you from the day of his birth, when Sam's problems started, though his recovery process, after his surgery. The book is so well written and it invites you to view Sam's experiences in an up-close and personal way. If you want to learn about what life really means, or if you have a teenager that feels self-conscious, read this. This book makes you realize that inspiration can come from anywhere and that you should count your blessings and be happy for what God has given you. Learn from Sam and live.



3. Sam Lightner was born with a horribly deforming vascular tumor on the left side of his face that was so disfiguring and otherworldly that an adult at a Halloween party complimented for his marvelous costume. This is the kind of situation that Sam has lived with since he was an infant - the stares, the laughter, the shock, the misunderstandings. If any story teaches the lesson of appreciating a person's heart rather than his appearance, it is this one.

   Sam was born with a large vascular tumor on the left side of his place that progressively compromised not only his appearance but also his basic vital functions including breathing and eating. It took a few courageous physicians to treat his condition. Drs. Marler and Mulleken at Boston Children's and Dr. Wehby in Portland are a few of the doctors that enabled Sam to have a fighting chance. What makes this book such a compelling read is not only the heroics of Sam's physicians but the courage of Sam and his family. Hallman delivers Sam's struggle to fit in with such an emotional impact that I had to quit reading the book in parts to take a breather. Sam's family is portrayed as truly remarkable, and their handling of Sam's problems is a lesson to be learned by all.

   Unfortunately, the book leaves us hanging (not the author's fault) because Sam's story is not finished. He most likely will undergo further plastic surgery to shape his face, and he may undergo additional operations if his tumor returns.

   Hopefully, this book can teach us a little about how to give respect to those like Sam who need support rather than the stares we often give them.




4. This book is an excellent reading assignment for a student who thinks they want to be a doctor, especially a pediatrician or surgeon. It is a good choice to use in differentiating the curriculum for a gifted student in a regular health occupations classroom. My students enjoyed it very much.



5. I absolutely adored this book. The story of Sam is amazing, compelling, and most of all, humbling. Since reading it four years ago, I have found myself looking more for the good things of life instead of finding tiny, unimportant details to criticize. In that, I can truly say this book was life-changing for me. Sam, wherever you are, I hope that you are well and happy. You are a role model for us all with your courage and point of view!