1 comments about Front-Line Nurse: British Nurses in World War II.

1. Personal accounts from the nurses who were there. Disappointingly lacking in details such as pay, attitudes, and supplies for the time period. Easy to read.

No comments about Flowers in Winter: Defeating Cancer: A Westerner's Chinese Journey.

No comments about Miracles & Memories.

5 comments about The Medic: Life and Death in the Last Days of World War II.

1. "'Aid Man!' ... He ran up to me. He shouted in my face. 'Aid Man!' He grabbed my shoulders, his mouth agape, heaving air. 'A man got his leg blowed off. Let's go!'" This was Leo Litwak's first shot of many to come at saving a life. Leo was a young Jewish boy being trained as a medic in South Carolina. It was February of 1943, and, sooner than he would have preferred, Leo would be immersed in World War II. This is a true story and an excellent one as well. Leo Litwak does a wonderful job telling the truth in this book leaving no goury details out. His book shows all aspects of the war. He shows the soft side, dark side, romantic side, and even the surprising side. Gloria Emerson from the Los Angeles Times states, "[This is a] book that should be given to every schoolboy in the country at the age of thirteen." I must agree with this statement because all the reality and accuracy in this book will inform them that there's not always a happy ending and that war is nothing like Hollywood.



2. I was expecting a more in-depth analysis into the combat and mental condition of a medic, but what I got was a long drawn out story of himself. There was no connection w/ his fellow men and if there was, it was just a misconception. Basically, he just want to forget about the war, the horror, and the cruelty behind it. If that is the case, then why write the book.



3. I was disappointed in this book. Maybe I went into it with too high an expectation. I knew going in, it was a dramatized version of Mr. Litwak's experiences but I expected more insight into his job as a medic. there were relatively few scenes of his actually work. In that way, I would say the title is misleading. It really is a book of one man's army service in Europe during the later days of World War II. He seems to have disliked everyone he served with and Mr. Litwak has the right to be. there were more sex stories than medic stories. the Sgt. Lucca story I thought would help me gain more insight into the author. But it left me looking for more of an explanation of how Mr. Litwak really felt. Did he like the Sgt. or not? He seems to have been hurt by his death but I am not sure.
   Thebook overall does help one experience WWII from a more realistic standpoint. But a non-fiction approach would have been more of a contribution.



4. Leo Litwak's recollections of his service in WWII as a combat medic is not what I had expected. I had anticipated a memoir - instead the book is essentially a collection of vignettes and impressions the author had during his service in Europe in the final year of the war. Litwak admits in his foreward that unit names and places had been changed, and that some individuals mentioned in the book were composites of personalities he knew. I appreciated his honesty.

   After reading the book, I also appreciated his honesty in presenting his perspective on the war. The graft and looting by "our boys." The whoring around. The detached neutrality of working on the wounded, and the non-chalance of seeing so much death so often. Not everyone who served in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) saw combat; and not everyone who saw combat in the ETO was there from the Normandy landing to V-E day. Litwak was honest about his service, his experiences, and his impressions.

   As a combat medic from a later war, I had anticipated experiences and recollections similar to my own. While we had some experiences in common, we had many more differences as we served in two very different times. Nonetheless, the honesty with which Litwak writes of his time in Europe is not a romanticized or sanitized version of WWII. And aside from the obvilious shortcomings of his composites, it is real at an emotional (if not strictly historical) level.




5. This is a very good read. It speaks a lot about the relationships that develop (good and bad) as much as the war.

No comments about Against the Current: The Memoirs of Boris Ragula (Footprints).

No comments about Seventh Son of a Seventh Son: The Life Story of a Healer.

5 comments about One Particular Harbor.

1. I have read all sorts of books on MS--- Medical journals, personal accounts, alternative healing.. This wonderful book brought me to new heights in my understanding of the disease.. I wanted to jump on a plane to Alaska and pick up where Janet left off! I loved her bravery, her honesty and especially her sincerity. I, too, am a vagabond and traveler with MS... One of my favorite books ever on the subject!



2. This book is great - positiveley the best book I've ever read. It follows the story of Janet, a woman with MS. Instantly, you feel as if Janet is an old friend. A good book for when you're feeling frustrated with the world and wishing you could do like Janet did...fly away to Alaska. A true story of adventure!



3. What an excellent, excellent, excellent book and a brilliant author. The author had the courage to share the often unspeakable truths of what can happen, which doctors NEVER tell you about. She also has a warm and charming way of infusing humor and inspiration so others to gain a sense of hope and to "go for their dreams and make them happen. I can't think of a gutsier auther!
   I loved it and would love to meet her!



4. I was on the fence about buying this book due to what seemed may be mostly about MS and it's horrors . But, took a chance and am glad I did . I realize it was first published in 1993 and here it is 2007 and I just got around to it .
   
   I was captivated by Ms. James sheer gutsiness ( is that a word ? )to leave the safety of her home and family to pursue a dream she might have otherwised put off like the rest of us do , thinking we have all the time in the world . She made me laugh , and made me shake my head at some of her antics before MS got a real hold on her . amazing adventure ..worth your time and $$$ .
   
   the last 1/3 of the book was un-nerving tho . I'm happy I didn't read it as a young girl , i would have been looking for every symptom . I learned more about MS then i wanted to also ....all the promises to her and every patient of that time over 30 years ago ...saying a cure was probably going to be found in a few years with all the research . How sad . they are no closer to a cure now then 30 years ago .
   
   I would have been terrified to go it alone in a state such as Alaska with no real friends waiting for me knowing that I had MS yet not knowing what to truly expect from it as being newly diagnosed and each case different.
   
   I do have many questions tho , BUT those I wrote in a letter to her home . I hope she is still with us . In any case ...God Bless and may she find peace & happiness wherever she is .



5. In this fascinating book, Janet Lee James describes her adventures while living in the Alaskan wilderness. While that may be enough of a challenge for many, this author suffers from multiple sclerosis. Coming to grips with this devastating diagnosis, Ms. James decides to live life to its fullest extent--and follows her dreams----to Alaska. She starts out in Anchorage working at a radio station, but eventually seeks out more remote areas of the state. Traveling to Cooper Landing, on the Kenai peninsula, Ms. James finds work as a cook/waitress/bar maid in a small lodge. As part of the deal, she can live for free in a rustic cabin. 60 feet up the side of a mountain, with no running water or electricity. This would normally be enough of a challenge for anyone, but imagine doing this with the exacerbations of MS. Ms. James provides an infinitely readable and entertaining book. She is frank and honest about the problems encountered with MS, some of which can be pretty humiliating. After reading this I immediately googled her name to see if she had written more books, but was unable to find her or any other books she has written. This book is highly recommended.

1 comments about The Legacy of Dr. Lamaze: The Story of the Man Who Changed Childbirth.

1. Through the excellent translation of Bruce Benderson comes this biography of Fernand Lamaze, written by his granddaughter who never knew him. Caroline Gutmann puts together an account of the life, work, and relationships of Lamaze through the use of family letters and papers. She uncovers the reasons why he sought to make childbirth less painful. Gutmann resists the temptation to sugarcoat Lamaze's weaknesses and failings, like keeping several mistresses despite his fairly happy marriage.

   In l951 Lamaze traveled to Russia, where Soviet doctors proudly showed him their method of "psychoprophylactic" childbirth. He was impressed (although in the light of history, one has to wonder just how successful their methods were, as so much of Soviet science has since been discounted). Lamaze refined their technique and began teaching his preparation exercises to women in their last three months of pregnancy. On a personal note: I have experienced Lamaze births for three of my four children. I smile to note that what we were taught to call only "contractions", never "pains," are now referred to as "pains" by Lamaze trainers. Apparently during labor many women exclaimed, "Contraction? What do you mean? That was a PAIN!" My experiences were not painless, but I am thankful to Lamaze for his legacy of educating women about what happens during childbirth, and about safeguarding the health of their newborn by not using pharmaceutical painkillers during birth.

   Gutmann writes in Gallic style, which may seem somewhat emotionally exaggerated and offputting to American readers, but her biography is a valuable contribution to the memory of a man who changed the way childbirth is accomplished for generations of women.

No comments about They Call Me the Hug Machine: John's Story.

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