No comments about The Forbidden Zone: A Nurse's Impressions of the First World War (Hesperus Modern Voices).

2 comments about On the Far Side of Liglig Mountain.

1. After reading Dr Hales first book - Don't let the goats eat the loquat trees, I couldn't wait to read this book. The reality of his adventures and the honesty of his faith made me long to return to Nepal. Being willing to forgo the luxuries of America, Dr Hale was led to serve in Nepal, raise a family and be a Christian witness to the people. The style of writing was quite enjoyable and the content real, so easy to imagine being right there with him. I could only hope for another book of his.



2. While reading this book, I often had to stop to read passages (even entire chapters) to my husband...I just had to share! It tells in an engaging way about life in a place I can only imagine...the armchair traveller will just get completely absorbed in this description of life far away. It's funny and extremely well-written. His "Don't Let the Goats Eat the Loquat Trees" should be read first for maximum enjoyment.

5 comments about Afternoons with Puppy: Inspirations from a Therapist and His Animals.

1. Afternoons With Puppy leaves you feeling uplifted! Fine allows the readers to get a glimpse into how he incorporates the animals in his therepy. The stories in the book are truly heart wrenching. As I read the book you could see how important a role animals can play in our lives. So many lessons can be learned from them (which Fine helps us understand). The book is well written and should be read by all pet lovers!



2. What an inspiring book! Dr. Fine delights the readers with stories that demonstrate the compassion and intuition of animals in a therapeutic alliance with people in pain. The healing and growth that occurs as a result of the collaboration between Dr. Fine and his 'assistants' serve as a reminder to us all of the powerful positive impact of our four legged friends.



3. What a great insight into the world of animal assisted therapy! You get a genuine sense of the love and compassion Dr. Fine has not only for his animals, but also for his patients. His animals are lucky to have him!



4. I'll never look at a golden the same way again! Not a pet, but a family member with unique contributions to make! What a beautifully written, flowing account of how lives can be enhanced and made truly better with the wisdom of animals.



5. Very impressed with the work that Dr. Aubury has done with his therapy work with the help of animals especially dogs. Interesting and fun to read his life's work. This book is an inspiration to do therapy work using animals.
   Thank you Dr. Aubury for your work in therapy and sharing what you have learn that helps you and patients.

1 comments about Hildegard Peplau: Psychiatric Nurse of the Century.

1. To understand Peplau's theory of interpersonal relationships, I decided to read this book. Since Peplau was a detail person and kept all kinds of records, this book is filled with fascinating stories of her life.Through her stories pictures emerge of who Peplau was, the state of nursing in the first half of the century and the importance of her theory for nursing. One of her goals was to change nursing from a job to a profession. Early on, there was no set curriculum for nursing. The stories you will read will change you and make you enthusiastic about the nursing profession. I believe this book will inspire nurses and anyone will find it a fascinating life story.

5 comments about The Story of San Michele.

1. How gratifying to read the other reviews, and to learn that others have also experienced and loved this book at different times in their lives. The remarkable thing about it is how Dr. Munthe speaks to us in different ways at different ages. As a teenager, I was impressed by the passions, even though a lot of the details were above my head. In my late twenties, the way he tried to balance career and his love for San Michele was very meaningful. As a 44-year-old, I was impressed (and saddened) with the loneliness of Dr. Munthe's struggle, with really only his animals for company. While he speaks of friends, he shares little about them. And nothing about a lasting romantic involvement.

   We all have our San Micheles. They may not be homes, but they are ideals toward which we strive. But for me, it exists only in my mind. Dr. Munthe was in some ways very lucky, yet also cursed, to be able to bring it to life.

   The only frustrating aspect of "San Michele" is that it is, as its author notes, a fragment. I am interested to learn more of this fascinating man. Does anyone know if any biographies are in print, or in English? Thank you.




2. My father had mentioned this book to me as a teenager. I read portions of it then, but have always wanted to read it in full. Finally, I found a paperback edition and found an absorbing and thought stimulating book. Dr. Munthe's care of the sick, his love of animals and the characters he describes, all will stay in my memory. This is not a book that you read once. I plan to read it again and again. Hopefully I will be able to visit Villa St. Michele some day and see the beauty of the place that he saw. I hope to find a bound edition with the photographs.



3. I came to this strange and wonderful book without the slightest inkling of what it was about -- simply because it was in the recommended reading for many guidebooks about Italy. First and foremost, it is an autobiography of a great physician and animal lover who just happened to spend some years of his life on Capri.

   Autobiographies can make for strange reading, especially when there are obvious omissions. Although Axel Munthe frequently accuses himself of being a ladies' man, there is no mention of any love interest by name or even generic description. (That reminds me of film director Josef von Sternberg's FUN IN A CHINESE LAUNDRY, where we learn in passing that the author was married because of a cryptic mention in a subordinate clause 300 pages into the book.) Also missing is any mention of Munthe's childhood, although I understand there is at least one other autobiography written by him (MEMORIES AND VAGARIES), which I have not read.

   There is, however, one section that does not appear in any autobiography that I have ever seen: An anticipation of Munthe's Last Judgment in Heaven following his death, with St. Peter, Moses, Athanasius, and St. Francis joining in the discussion.

   STORY OF SAN MICHELE ranges from Paris to Lapland, Rome, Naples, Calabria, and Capri. We see duels, medical cases of wealthy women with imaginary diseases, demonic housekeepers, quacks, midwives, prostitutes, victims of cholera and earthquakes, brigands, shamans, and even an alcoholic ape. Munthe is a magnificent raconteur, and his book is a joy to read and reread.




4. How can one write a review of The Story of San Michele that comes close to doing justice to the book? There are many humorous episodes, such as The Giant and Mamsell Agata, touches of the macabre in the description of the cholera epidemic in Naples, misadventures, like the journey to Sweden accompanying a young man (then his corpse). There are also angry moments, as when his dog Tom is brutally kicked by the slimy Vicomte Maurice. Who could not be moved by the story of the boy John, who was rescued by Munthe but never lived long enough to find a loving home. It is a book that includes many memorable events in a life that was very full indeed. Many of the chapters in this book could be made into marvelous films, given the right adaptation.
   
   The Story of San Michele is very well written, to say the least, and the many people, events and personal feelings of the author combine to make this a special adventure. Perhaps most special of all is Axel Munthe's relationship to animals that allowed him to get close, even to "wild" animals and have a special relationship with them. He was a man who held nature and all life in special regard but was pragmatic in the face of illness and death.
   
   I have had a copy since 1988 and I have given Axel Munthe's book as a gift and been thanked for the introduction. I could not recommend this book highly enough.



5. I read this wonderful book as a young man back in the sixties and I have just ordered a new version to recapture its wonderful moments
   
   But I also saw the film version many years ago.
   
   No I would be wery exited if anyone could lead me to a DVD or VHS version of the film

5 comments about Dr. Fisher's Life on the Ark: Green Alligators, Bushman, and Other "Hare-Raising" Tales from America's Most Popular Zoo and Around the World.

1. As a child, and still as an adult, I have always enjoyed seeing how things worked behind the scenes. Especially famous things, like theaters, bike factories, commercial bakeries. So it was really great to read this book and find out how it was to run a veterinary clinic, to be a zoo vet, and to get behind-the-scenes stories about life at the world famous Lincoln Park Zoo, especially from its 30-year director, Dr. Lester E. Fisher. Zoos are amazing places, and incredible things happen at them that the casual, or even the frequent, visitor will never see or hear about. Animal escapes, animal births and deaths, the movement of wild animals. This book is full of interesting, funny, and scary episodes of life in the zoo world. To top it off, we get to go on African wild animal photo safaris with Dr. Fisher in the latter portions of the book, and these trips give rise to a whole different kind of crazy and interesting happenings. This book will provide pleasure to all those who love zoos and animals, and also to those who simply enjoy engaging stories about the world and its inhabitants, human and otherwise.



2. Dr. Fisher's Life On The Ark is the autobiographical story of Lester E. Fisher and his adventures (and misadventures) arising from his responsibilities of being the director of the famous Lincoln Park Zoo. From the ups and downs of training at veterinary school, to safari adventures at Africa and around the world, to establishing a successful track record and legacy in gorilla breeding and much more, Dr. Fisher's Life On The Ark is a story of one man's real-life animal escapades, and his work to preserve and promote awareness while transforming one of the oldest, most-visted, and last free zoos in America. Highly recommended reading -- especially for animal lovers!



3. Every kid who grew up in Chicago in the 70s remembers Dr. Lester Fisher from his "Ark in the Park" segments on the Ray Rayner Show. Now, Dr. Fisher has written an interesting and anecdotal book about his years as head veterinarian and director at Lincoln Park Zoo.
   
   Here are his tales of gorillas getting out of their cages and being coaxed back in with snakes, of which they are afraid; of the polar bear whose fur turned green, and the polar bear who ate too many marshmallows; of the leopard who ate his own mate; of Prince Phillip visiting the zoo and getting ape waste thrown at him (and taking it very kindly); of the flamingo who flew away; of the chimpanzees who had "tea parties" - two of whom, Keo and June, are still living at the zoo. Fisher also talks about his appearances on TV, including the Halloween show in which he tried to pass his black cat off as a "Scottish wild cat." He ends the book with a long description of his African travels.
   
   The book is well-written and easy to read, and would be enjoyable for anyone interested in the inner workings of a major zoo. The photos are excellent - notice the spectacled bear and the gorillas. Chicagoans, of course, will enjoy this book even more. I wish he had included maps of the old and new zoo configurations, so I could see how things changed over the years, but that's a minor quibble from a long-time visitor.
   
   To sum up: You'll read about green alligators and long-necked geese, some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees, some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born, you'll enjoy this book even with no unicorns!



4. I love this book.
   
   None of the stories contained in this book are more than a few pages long, but each one is as fascinating and memorable as the last. Dr. Fisher's penchant for brevity may leave some readers wanting more details, but the the good doctor gives us just enough to get his stories across. His simplistic approach to storytelling gives the book an almost intimate feeling.
   
   The writing style may not be for everyone, but I felt like the pacing fit perfectly with the anecdotal nature of the stories. The whole book feels like you're sitting down with Dr. Fisher and he's just rattling off story after story about things that happened to him once. In some ways, it's the casual way that he talks about remarkable things (from taking care of Patton's dog to delivering a baby cow in the middle of a ferocious storm to tracking down escaped gorillas) that makes this book so interestings.
   
   Many of the stories are funny. Some of them are sad. All of them are fascinating.



5. This book tells some amazing stories of one man's experience with animals. I've met Dr. Fisher before and he is an amazing person. If you enjoy animal stories, I would highly recommend this book!

1 comments about The Excellent Doctor Blackwell: The Life of the First Female Physician.

1. ... the best biography of Elizabeth Blackwell ever written. ...
   
   Julia is a meticulous researcher. She personally visited every repository in Britain and America that has primary source materials relating to Blackwell. During these travels, she spoke on Blackwell at Upstate Medical University and the New York Academy of Medicine. Her use of the facts and images she found in these repositories is judicious, scholarly, and precise. Her narrative is abundant with quotes from diaries, correspondence, and other scarce or unique items, both manuscript and printed, all clearly documented. Each of these quotations is entirely germane to its matter at hand and most of them are quite fascinating. Every assertion Julia makes is well supported by primary sources.
   
   The book is also a real page turner. Julia paints a vivid portrait of an opinionated, controlling, ambitious, but benevolent, idealistic, and mostly optimistic Elizabeth growing up in a large, close-knit, non-conformist, intellectual, religious, abolitionist family characterized by intensely competitive sibling rivalry and beset by sine waves of financial prosperity and despair. The story reads so much like a novel that readers could sometimes forget they are reading history.
   
   Nevertheless, there are lacunae and ellipses. Expecting more detail in a certain section, I often felt frustrated when the narrative did not give it, but instead proceeded -- not abruptly, but decisively -- into another aspect of Blackwell's life. For example, Chapter Seven concerns her clinical training from March 9 to September 23, 1848, at "Old Blockley," the Philadelphia Almshouse, later Philadelphia General Hospital. Three times Julia mentions Blackwell's attending physician, "Dr. Benedict," with no first name and no further detail. Since he played a central role in Blackwell's life for six months and since she called him "the loveliest man the Almighty ever created," I would have liked to read a bit more about this "Dr. Benedict." [He was in fact Nathan Dow Benedict (1815-1871), a member of the University of Pennsylvania medical class of 1840, a Fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia since 1845, Amariah Brigham's successor at the New York State Asylum for Lunatics at Utica in 1849, and generally a rather interesting physician.]
   
   The book could easily -- and probably should -- be twice as long. Blackwell led a very exciting life which could be told in greater depth without boring readers. Julia's fluid and graceful writing style could support this extra length with no trouble. Blackwell's encounters with physicians like Benedict, Austin Flint, Clemence Sophia Lozier, and many others deserve more than just mentions and allusions.
   
   Blackwell did not become a physician because she was attracted to medicine or even to healing or compassion. Rather, she went into this field specifically to show the world what a properly motivated woman could achieve. Unlike the Seneca Falls feminists whom she criticized, she did not blame women's subservience and low social status on men. She believed instead that women's problems came mainly from their own lack of will to say and do what they most deeply believed was right. Moreover, she held that if women only exercised their natural moral superiority, infusing the ethos with maternal values, the world would be a better place.
   
   Julia excels at showing Blackwell's philosophical, political, and religious growth. She traces the character of Blackwell's moralism, which was woman-centered but not feminist, and the influence of François-Marie-Charles Fourier and William Henry Channing on the "Christian Socialism" that became her ideology.
   
   The scholarly apparatus is impeccable and the bibliography contains some real gems, such as Redelia Brisbane's biography of Elizabeth's sister Anna's lover, the Fourierist Albert Brisbane; John Closkey's history of Philadelphia General Hospital; and Flint's anonymous article, "Female Physicians," Buffalo Medical Journal, 3 (1848): 494-496.

1 comments about Broken Promises, Broken Dreams: The Stories of Jewish and Palestinian Trauma and Resilience.

1. If you are interested in understanding the stories of personal transformation of men and women who are fighting for justice in Israel and Palestine, this is the book for you. Dr. Rothchild shares her own personal journey as an American Jew who was raised to support Israel, but learned firsthand from working with peace activists in the US and in Palestine and Israel that the Palestinian narrative is powerful and transforming. Dr. Rothchild reports facts on the ground with insightful accuracy and in enlightening detail. If you keep an open mind, you too may find yourself challenging old assumptions and looking for new answers.

2 comments about Recollections of My Life.

1. This book contained many valuable insights into the life of one of the most influential neuroscientists ever. This book was an excellent read.



2. This is an interesting but somewhat strange book. It provides a really amazing view of what it was like to do science in those days, in particular about the various political maneuvering that was required to navigate the old spanish academic system. It also provides interesting insight into the personality of one of the greatest pioneers of cell biology. Unfortunately, part of his personality involves telling us all how great he was, so sometimes I found the book a little tiresome to read. I was also kind of disappointed in that it took a long time before he got around to covering the time when he actually made his important contributions to science. Still, for anyone interested in cell or neurobiology, or in the history of science, I would recommend this book fairly strongly as something they will enjoy.

5 comments about Across the Red Line: Stories from the Surgical Life.

1. A wonderful collection of stories about surgical life and how being a patient has made this surgeon a better health care provider. Karl does a terrific job of relating the hopes and fears that a surgeon has when performing his duties. The frailties and strengths of both patients and surgeons. Things that have gone right and things that haven't. The author has an obvious passion about his work and just as obvious compassion for his patients. Karl's unique writing style and skill really take the reader there. His descriptions of the feelings, moods and events are right on the mark.



2. naturally i give this 5 stars becaue the author is my uncle but it is truely a GREAT book a must read



3. If you have not read Dr. Karl's book you are missing this summer's #1 read. His insightful, thought provoking writing style takes you inside the operating room and so much more. I was deeply moved by his experiences and his notable style of writing about them.



4. I was totally engrossed with this book. I have read several books recounting the life of Doctors in training and although I also found those fascinating, this one was great because it came from a different perspective.
   I would sure feel much better facing a major medical need in my life with a sugeon who's understanding of the human condition is as keen as Dr. Karl's. Thanks for sharing you journey in medicine with us Dr. Karl.



5. I was a patient of Dr. Karl's back in April 2002. I was in my mid 30's and of course scared to death of surgery. Dr. Karl was the 4th surgeon that I had consulted. Once I met him, I knew he was the surgeon for me. His understanding of what I was going through, his grace, his medical experience. I could go on and on.
   
   When I heard he had written a book, I had to read it. As a patient of Dr. Karl's, when I was reading his book, I felt he was writing from his heart. There was no fluff in this book. Dr. Karl is a wonderful man, surgeon, person and spirit. I am sure Dr. Karl has touch so many people's lives. This book is a must read for patients and surgeons!
   Tammy (Brock) Cartiglia