5 comments about The Intern Blues: The Timeless Classic About the Making of a Doctor.

1. I agree with some reviewers that the book is tedious at times and pleasant and entailing at others. I also agree with the author that the experiences in this book are not unique. The book is written in a journal style summarizing each of the three interns' own 'tape-recorded' account of their stories on a month by month basis. Hence, at times you may think the book is not very well structured or written because the whole book really seems like a word-for-word retyping of what each intern said to their tape recorder.
   
   It's tedious because so many times the reader (me in specific) gets aggrevated with a constant "same old, same old" coming from the interns. Pretty much, every month the interns complain about exactly the same thing: long and dehumanizing hours, lack of sleep, lack of social contact with other peers (Amy keeps on talking about her daughter all the time, which also gets frustrating after a while). What makes the book interesting, though, are some of the stories that the interns manage to describe in between all the complaining: stories about a mother of a patient trying to kill an intern because she thought the intern molested the little infant by doing a straight catheterization (actually that was the author's story). But nonetheless, plenty of very interesting experiences.
   
   Also, what's nice about the book is that you get a perspective from both males and a female, interns with no kids and a kid. Unfortunately no experiences from completely single interns, but Mark comes close.
   
   One thing I didn't like about the stories, but got used to it, was that some aren't explained to the end. They stop as if in the middle of the most interesting moment where you want to know more as to what happened to the patient. That's because once these interns sign the patient out to another unit they lose contact with that patient and only rarely follow up. You realize soon that this book isn't about the medical diagnosis and treatments but about the experiences, fears, anxiety, and emotional dilemmas these interns must go through to survive.
   
   Overall, I liked it quite a bit and still recommend it. But don't read it if you're (for example) a fourth year med student who is easily disturbed and already frightened about the internship. Reading it might only stress you more.



2. This book is not intended to be entertaining, it's meant to portray the hard year of internship. But somehow, it still manages to be a good read. For someone who wants to get an idea about what it's like to take call every fourth night and get very little sleep, dealing with life and death in a very difficult arena, it is a nice start. The book is composed of transcribed audio recordings from the interns on their experiences.
   
   I'm not going to lie. They whine a lot. If you don't have the patience for that or don't like to be unloaded upon, this may not be the book for you. And it can be depressing, and droning, and hard to read. What keeps you going is the urge to know what becomes of these interns.
   
   They're actually pretty entertaining themselves. The two guys, Mark and Andy, have a great sarcastic sense of humor that keeps the book afloat and that the young woman and new mother, Amy, lacks. Her chapters move the slowest.
   
   While it isn't the most optimistic in the world (One of Mark's excerpts reads, "There was a point there where I swear I was this close to taking all the charts, throwing them out the window, and saying 'Forget it! I'm sorry I ever applied to medical school! I never really wanted to be a doctor anyway!') and advises against the intern-to-be reading, it is ultimately a satisfying and honest account, without any processing or gloss. It is gritty, and it is real, from nights in the Bronx's Jonas Bronck ER to the intern's personal lives. They're young and inexpirienced doctors without yet the trademark sense of entitlement and confidence. We watch as they grow into their white coat.



3. I served a nine-month rotating internship at St. Joseph Hospital in Denver Colorado. Having done much of my training at Tulane Medical Center, I decided I wanted to be in a Louisiana public hospital for my residency. I returned to New Orleans and completed my internship and residency at Charity.
   Although the internships in the book took place at large New York City hospitals, like Charity they both primarily serve medically indigent populations.
   The emotional struggles (combined with the organizational conflicts) described in the book hit home. These individual stories highlight the common thread of experience shared by all physician's who refined their skills in public ERs.



4. Another book by Marion that is an easy read and really tells the whole story behind becoming a doctor. There are several interns that tell their story through internship. Great book if you are interested in the meidcal field.



5. Oustanding book! Action-packed! Gives one an enormous appreciation for all that interns must endure to become doctors. Each of the three interns profiled in the book provides a unique look at what their internship year was like in an extremely diverse environment at a pediatric training program in the Bronx, NY. Read it twice!

5 comments about Switching Time: A Doctor's Harrowing Story of Treating a Woman with 17 Personalities.

1. This is a fascinating book, one that documents the courage and trust of both the therapist and his client. It speaks, in an amazing way, to the alliance in search of healing that these two configured.
   
   unlike other reviewers, I did not find the description of abuse to be lurid or egregious, but rather, presented in a way that makes the point as to what would cause such an extreme self-protective reaction as to "split". For me, the accounting of abuse was haunting, as some elements of it reflect my own, and as a result, I have read this book slowly, and with some self-care, a course of action I suggest to anyone with a complex childhood who reads this book
   
   My own DID has been less dramatic; unlike Karen, my alters remained coconscious. Nonetheless,I fully understand the self-care and trust needed to integrate is formidable, and I applaud Karen for her courageous journey and - for the willingness to speak her truth in a manner that may help others.
   
   This book does speak to the unspeakable, and I am saddened for those that remain in disbelief about the nature and existance of extreme physical and sexual abuse. It does happen. Fortunately, because of some skilled therapists and some driven/focused clients, one can heal and create an adult life of some richness and personal joy, as the book so ably speaks to. My own healing journey has resulted in a similar merging of personae, with a resultant ease of life on a daily basis.



2. Oh my gosh! This was an awesome book. I couldn't put it down. It was insightful, informative, and well writen. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in psychology of any form. This book is from the doctors side. He kept detailed notes about his session with the subject the book is based upon. I found it fascinating, from the prospect of a person who has long desired to go into this field as a professional. This is one of the best books I have read in the psychology field.



3. The case study of Karen and her 17 personalities makes for fascinating reading. She certainly would be the case of a lifetime for any psychiatrist, and she sounds like someone who has gone through more than anyone should have to bear, and you feel like she almost was lucky her mind made the personalities for her, or she probably would have been dead or totally dysfunctional. For the most part, the book is well written, and I was eager to read more and find out what happened next.
   
   I did of course have the questions most people would probably have---is all this really true? Did she really have all those people inside her? Did she really suffer the Satanic-like abuse she tells of? I have no reason to doubt her, I guess, but I know memories can be altered in many ways and I do wonder if hers were somehow.
   
   I also had questions about ego. The author certainly thinks well of himself. I guess you have to, as part of this kind of therapy, as so much seems to be about thinking that the client is developing feelings for you, or that a small word from you can really change things a huge amount. I did appreciate the fact he eventually stopped charging Karen.
   
   I also wonder if it's really a usual thing to hear about physical abuse in a marriage and not make sure police are aware of it. I don't know all the laws involved, but that kept popping into my mind!
   
   Overall, if you like reading about interesting psychological cases, this would probably be a book for you.



4. I have been fascinated by multiple personality stories since I read Sybil in high school, and have read several accounts. All are fascinating, but what I felt set this one apart is its organization. It is a reader-friendly telling, but also focuses on how the therapist worked to bring the personalities together to create a whole, as well as the story of her past.



5. This is one of the most fascinating books I have read in my long career of reading. Many years ago I read Sybil and found it to be a page turner but this book is even more interesting and makes the unbelievable totally believable. Coming from the perspective of the psychiatrist treating the case gives the book a very unique style. I recommend it whole heartedly and hope the patient, Karen, writes a follow up ten years from now and lets us know how she has prospered.

5 comments about Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal.

1. I am presurgery and this book helps to calm me and encourage me to think positively.



2. For years I refused to read this book after a friend's recommendation thinking that it would be another "feel good" attempt . Boy was I wrong! This book is one of the most extraordinary pieces of writing I have ever encountered. I have read it over and over again many times (the stories are short enough that allow you to read at your own pace). It has actually become sort of a "guide to Life" for me. Furthermore, as story-telling itself goes, is simply masterful. Dr. Remen is a powerful communicator and her wisdom goes beyond "new age". It is a groundbreaking work about mystery, awe and Life with a capital "L".



3. Beautiful sweet touching book that helped me get me through some tough times. Celebrates the human spirit.
   
   I recently had the privilege of hearing the author speak. she is an amazing woman.



4. Rachel Naomi Remen believes in the healing power of stories. She trained as a pediatrician and expected to practice traditional medicine much as her father and other male members of her family had done before her, but something happened to change her carefully planned course.
   
   In the introduction to Kitchen Table Wisdom, Remen tells how her male colleagues frequently knocked on her office door to ask for her help with a crying patient. They believed that she, as a woman, would know what to do. Though she knew no more than they, she felt flattered that they came to her and felt that this helped her be more a part of their exclusive "Old Boys Network." She began to spend more and more time listening to patients share their fears and feelings of living with a terminal disease.
   
   Since the age of fifteen, Remen has suffered from Crohn's disease. As she listened to her patients, she began to feel less lonely and isolated. Probably, her guidance and uncanny understanding of her patients stemmed from her familiarity with physical and emotional pain.
   
   Kitchen Table Wisdom is a compilation of eighty-eight poignant stories that Remen heard over many years, as well as stories of her own life. Her stories demonstrate her belief that a larger process is at work in all our lives and that human beings are "unfinished, a work in progress." She believes we come into the world whole but lose faith in our wholeness and become discouraged by feelings of not being pretty enough, smart enough, etc. " ... our wholeness exists in us now," she writes, "Trapped though it may be, it can be called upon for guidance, direction and most fundamentally, comfort."
   
   No retelling of Remen's stories can do them justice. One of my favorites is "The Question"--a story told by a patient named Tim (now a cardiologist) of his experience at the age of fifteen with his father, who was in the last stages of Alzheimer¹s disease. At the time, his father had not spoken for ten years and was totally helpless. Tim and his brother were alone with their father when he suddenly slumped over and fell to the floor. The brother was calling 911 when both boys heard a voice commanding, "Don't call 911, son. Tell your mother that I love her. Tell her that I am all right." With those words, the man died. An autopsy later revealed that Tim's father's brain had been entirely destroyed by the disease. Tim never stops wondering who spoke those final words. He tells Dr. Remen, "Much of life can never be explained but only witnessed."
   
   The author believes that talking about and sharing one¹s feelings revives memories that can lead to important new insights about one¹s life, bringing about a healing that formal treatment is unable to offer. She says that Shamans believe illness is a direct indication of soul loss. The soul, she explains, is that which is aware of the sacredness we carry and the sacredness that exists in the external world as well. Losing our appreciation for our sacredness, living with sadness, with feelings of unworthiness can manifest illness.
   
   "Life is the ultimate teacher...," she writes. "It is through experience, and not scientific knowledge or expert academic training alone that we learn our deepest lessons." In her lectures and writings, Dr. Remen likes to tell of a sign on the wall of a room in Florida where the elderly come to play Bingo. It reads, "You Have to Be Present to Win." And so it is in life.
   
   by Duffie Bart
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   reviewing books by, for, and about women



5. There was a seeming dual purpose motivating the author to write this book. Remen is a medical doctor who basically tells the stories about how her professional experiences moved her closer to, rather than away from, emotional involvement with her clients particularly as it pertained to the connection between one's spirituality and recovery,amongst other things.
   Remen also shares some very deep and moving stories that were shared with her by her clients once she became a therapist.
   It's a wonderful read and will be helpful to anyone seeking spiritual enlightenment and motivation.

5 comments about Body of Work: Meditations on Mortality from the Human Anatomy Lab.

1. We have all thought of death. We have all imagined our bodies rotting after death. Many prefer incinerating their bodies, preferring ashes to decaying flesh. However, not all religions allow cremation, and thus, some of us are stuck with living with the thought of a decaying body. This thought is scary to most of us.
   
   All of life is about death and decay. Every day, people around us die. Within our own body, death looms all the time. Cells in my body are dying as I write this. Indeed, we are born to die. And maybe we die to be reborn, sort of like a computer reboot. Some scientists believe death is beneficial to evolution, knocking off the weak genes and improving them in subsequent generations. If we all lived forever, evolution would have no opportunity to improve us. Death can therefore be looked upon as a way of improving ourselves, or an evolutionary upgrade. Any of you been watching the TV series Heroes?
   
   In this book, you will follow the life of a medical student during her journey in body dissection. You will learn what it is like being around a dead body. What does a dead body smell like? What is it like cutting a dead body into pieces? Can a dead body know what we are doing to it? Those are all questions, among many others, medical students (as well as philosophers) ask all the time. And you'll be joining the circle and asking many more questions at the end of this book.
   
   The author traces the history of body dissection, and actually flies first to Italy for her research. In the old days, doctors were desperate for dead bodies in order to learn more about the functions of the living body, and thus help the living. But not many people would volunteer to donate their body to science. The business of body-snatching was thus born. Bodies were often stolen from cemeteries. So prevalent was this practice at the time that families hired armed guards to watch over their family's burial grounds. The poor obviously could not afford such luxury, and their bodies were often stolen and then sold to hospitals.
   
   Fresh bodies earned the most money. A body sold right after death earned more than a day or more old cadaver. This gave rise to another business: killing the patients before they die. Why wait for a person to die? Kill him and give his body for research, and earn big money! Real criminals just killed a person, whether ill or not, and then sold his body. Why wait for the person to be terminally ill?
   
   Not only was there the fear of having your body stolen from the cemetery, but there also was the fear of being donated for research while being still alive. This often happened, and there are many stories of people having been buried alive! This of course gave rise to the tales of zombies! In fact, many acted as zombies for they were partially brain dead from oxygen deprivation. A person can quickly exhaust the oxygen supply in a coffin!
   
   Prevalent at the time was live dissection. This was the preferred method, since the body is still alive, and doctors can better study and understand the functions of the body. But honestly, who would want to be cut off while still alive in the name of science? Unfortunately, many did not have a say. Prisoners were often used as live dissection subjects!
   
   The author tells some horror stories that happened during her medical school. For example, students would cut off the penis of a cadaver and insert it into the vagina of another cadaver. How disrespectful to the dead! There are many other similar stories. Having sex with a dead body is not unheard off.
   
   What is it like transporting a dead body, or part of a dead body? Does the body become an object for study, or the thought that this body was once a person lingers in one's mind? What is it like being in a room alone with twenty dead bodies?
   
   I found it interesting that nowadays medical schools and hospitals are very cautious about which bodies they purchase. For example, if a person just died, the hospital or school researches the person's name and checks whether a student from the same family is one of their resident students. Could you imagine dissecting the body of your own father or uncle? Many psychologists will tell you that the dissection of a body gives trauma to a person, regardless whether the deceased is known or unknown to the dissector.
   
   Nowadays, there is a movement to dissect bodies using 3D software and virtual computer programs. Maybe one day soon, all the dead can rest in peace.
   
   A very prevalent multi-billion business nowadays is selling body parts. Many body parts are sold by poor people. Many body parts are taken from people forcefully. I once saw a movie about an American tourist going on a holiday in a South American Country, meeting a woman at a bar, who later drugs him. He wakes up in his hotel bathtub in icy water. One of his kidneys was surgically removed to be sold! Such stories do happen. There are reports that this is now happening in Iraq, with organs either sold by the person or being forcefully removed!
   
   One important question you will ask yourself at the end of this book: will you give your body for medical research? I already answered this question for myself.
   
   This is one of the best books I have read. The author has a great writing style, poetic at times. You will not be able to put this book down. And you will be scared out of your wits!



2. It's certainly an interesting concept for a book--observe the process of first-year anatomy lab at a medical school and watch the fur fly. There are a lot of good details here from Montross on both what the process means in historical terms as well as how it affects those who do it. However, Montross' prose when it comes to her self-observation is too simplistic to carry this book much beyond average. She writes in the tone of an emotional fourteen year-old on an online journal complaining about how someone has wronged her--the descriptions are too emotionally-loaded, too extravagant, too...much to do anything other than get in the way. But if you move quickly through these parts, there's a lot of good to see here as well. Mildly recommended.



3. XXXXX
   
   "When I listen to any patient's heartbeat or lungs, or feel for someone's liver or pulse, or find tendons to tap with my hammer in order to test for reflexes, the structures I picture hidden beneath the skin are all--all of them--Eve's. [Eve was the name the author gave to the cadaver she had to dissect during her first year of medical school.]...I cannot begin to know what led Eve to give me such a gift [of her dead body for dissection], whether it was practicality or altruism or cynicism or love of science or some other, equally unknowable, aspect of her personality or life. What I do know is that she neither knew me nor knew anything about me, and yet she bequeathed to me this offering, unthinkable for centuries, that has formed the foundation of my ability to heal...Bit by bit, I cut up and dismantled her [dead body], a beautiful old woman who came to me whole. The lessons her body taught me are of critical importance to my knowledge of medicine, but her selfless gesture of donation will be my lasting example of how much it is possible to give a total stranger in the hopes of healing."
   
   The above is found in this mesmerizing book, a memoir authored by Christine Montross, M.D. (now a resident in psychiatry at Brown University.)
   
   This book brought many memories back for me as I at one time had to do some dissecting of a human body. The author does not clarify this but dissection is a technique used to study the structure of the body, whereas anatomy is a field of scientific study. Studying the body by dissection is called macroscopic or gross anatomy.
   
   This book is not only about Montross' dissection of Eve during her first year in medical school. Montross was so affected by her dissecting experience with Eve that she set out to learn more about the history of cadavers and the discipline of anatomy. Her curiosity took her from such places as an autopsy lab in Ireland to the University of Padua in Italy (where Andreas Vesalius (1514 to 1564), a forefather of anatomy, once studied); she also learned about other things such as about body snatchers, grave robbers, and anatomists who practised on live criminals (called vivisection).
   
   The author also sprinkles throughout the book her own views about various issues including her thoughts on becoming a doctor. Here is one of my favourites that I can identify with:
   
   "It's not that med school is difficult conceptually, it's just that there's such an incredible amount of information to learn and attempt to retain [or memorize]. There is no need yet for any kind of original thought. So far our learning is regurgitation at its most pure."
   
   At the beginning of each chapter is a back and white image or picture. All these images (except one) are from the first anatomy book (actually book series) entitled "De Humani Corporis Fabrica" (1543), literally meaning "The Fabric of the Human Body" by A. Vesalius, who was, as mentioned above, a forefather of anatomy.
   
   Also, at the beginning of each chapter is a thought-provoking quotation from others. This is my favourite since it is so true based on my own experience:
   
   "Anatomical textbooks give the misleading impression that everything in the [body] is immediately distinguishable. The unsuspecting student plunges into the laboratory carcase expecting to find these neat arrangements [found in the text] repeated in [the cadaver], and the blurred confusion which he [or she] actually meets often produces a sense of despair." (Jonathan Miller)
   
   Finally, my only minor complaint with this book concerns a section in the last chapter where the author pays homage to her grandparents. I felt that this section was a bit too long.
   
   In conclusion, this is truly a unique book--lyrical, insightful, introspective--that takes the grossness out of gross anatomy!!
   
   (first published 2007; preface; 12 chapters; epilogue; main narrative 290 pages; bibliography; acknowledgements)
   
   <>
   
   XXXXX



4. This is the book I should have written, wish I had written, and Dr. Montross does it so much better than I ever could have. My experience dissecting a cadaver in medical school was 30 years ago, and her thoughts, musings, and observations of herself and others helped me know I was not alone. This experience does have an effect on students, and it is not even remotely addressed in a way that allows the students to process their full range of emotional response in a safe and supportive manner.
   This book opens the door to a psychological but little discussed trauma that is the initiation of a medical career.
   Bravo and thank you!



5. I was almost EMBARASSED to let people see me buying this book! I was somehow afraid people would think me odd, gross, macabre, etc. However, as soon as I began reading the book I was taken in, and almost couldn't put it down! I am recommending this book to everyone I know. It is an amazing, eye-opening, gentle view of "life" after death, as in what happens to our bodies and what goes on in the minds of those who are still living. This is an excellent book for anybody interested in medicine, life, human nature, death, the body, you NAME IT! EXCELLENT BOOK!

5 comments about Balancing Heaven and Earth: A Memoir of Visions, Dreams, and Realizations.

1. When I'm asked for the most influential books in my life, this is the one that tops my list. As someone who reads 50-200 books a year, that's a big list. I've given it as gifts, quoted it in sermons, referred to it as a spiritual counselor, used it for my own growth and have come back to it over and over since it was first published. I happened upon these reviews while ordering Johnson's latest CD, Golden World, which I'm thrilled to know has been produced. I've read all his books and agree with other reviewers that this is the best, or at any rate, the one that has provided a helpful road map for my life and experiences, and hence, for the many whom I also touch. For those of us, and there are numerous souls, who have had extraordinary tastes of the Golden World (and its inhabitants), "balancing heaven and earth" for the rest of one's life is a daily task; sometimes grace, often a struggle. His words in this memoir (my paraphrase): "there have always been those whose job it is to tend the borders between the worlds" gave me context when I first needed it. His book "We," while it didn't save me from romantic errors (and he writes: "the genie"--e.g. romantic love--"can't be put back in the bottle,") did, again, provide a context for healing and future lessons ("the depression is always in direct proportion to the inflation that preceded it.)His experiences with Krishnamurthi, recounted in this book, gave me important lessons as a teacher, e.g."don't try to give an old man's wisdom to a young person," and his lessons on sainthood have been extremely important as well. If you are living the inner journey, have any sort of spiritual life, and especially, if like Parsifal, Johnson's oft-referred to mythic model, have suffered the agony and the ecstasy of a visit to the Grail Castle and then "lost" it, this book is for you.



2. Beginning in his youth, Robert Johnson shares a frank history of his spiritual development through his entire life, through the lens of a master of Jungian theories and concepts. He describes his early experiences and wounding, his early adult years following the "slender threads" that guide him to finding God's will for him. He describes his sensitive personality type and its close connection to a world both present and just beyond our grasp. His life demonstrates a beautiful rendition of following the spiritual path and its relationship to development from a Jungian perspective. He is as humble and unassuming in his writing as I suspect he was in life. This biography is a beautiful portait of a man's life lived well in the pursuit of following God's will. It demonstrates the unique understanding that can be developed by pursuing life from a Jungian perspective spiritually. I would recommend this book to people who have some sense of the breadth of Jungian psychology and some sense of their own "type", as well as some general concept of type dynamics and the concept of the shadow or inferior function. It is thoroughly engrossing and enjoyable. I would recommend it especially to middle to older age adults, seminarians, or others pursuing their personal spiritual development.



3. I learned a great deal from this book. It gave me a basic understanding of Jungian analysis, in particular how dreams are used to tap into the sub-conscious mind and help identify one's personal "destiny" or "thread" as Johnson describes it. I appreciated his several visions of the "Golden World" and how he sought, throughout his life, to re-experience this heightened state of awareness. He also describes how we project our desires onto others in order to experience this sense of connection. I loved Mr. Johnson's experiences in India, and the way he immersed himself in the culture and learned so much about their distinct way of viewing the world. I hope to read another of his books.



4. Sometimes I think if I was being scurried away to a desert island I would only bring Robert Johnson, Robert Bly, and James Hollis books because these three are such amazing writers and thinkers. This autobiography is so heartfelt and real and just a total gem all around, Don't miss it- or any of his other books, especially He, She, We, and Ecstacy.



5. Robert Johnson has been a great teacher, mentor, and inspiration for many in the exploration of the inner world, and ultimately the discovery for what he has known as 'the golden world'.It is a homecoming and a place of bliss and repose. I had the privilege to study and share time with Robert in the U.S. and India. He provided for me a taste of that world and a living inspiration in the very real possibility of developing a sacred and blissful rapport between the inner and outer worlds we inhabit. I was delighted to find in this book my own tiny contribution in suggesting to Robert that he take a polaroid camera to India. The realm of Enlightenment is the destiny of all humanity, and here is the humble story of one man who is pointing for us the way to follow... if we are willing to find the courage to do so.

5 comments about Don't Leave Me This Way: Or When I Get Back on My Feet You'll Be Sorry.

1. I loved this book. Though Julia has a reason to be bitter,
   she is anything but. Her spirit, humor, family and positive
   attitude support her as she soldiers on. It is a lesson for
   us all.
   As an aside, make sure you don't have any medications with
   PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE in your cabinet. It got taken off the
   market in 2005.



2. Final Stroke I used this book during my research for my novel and found it uplifting. I was a caregiver for a stroke survivor and used my experiences in my fiction writing. I applaud Julia for this fine work.



3. What a wonderful view of what it is like to be on the receiving end of patient care. This book opens up a whole new way of looking at life and how people portray themselves. Also it gives you an appreciation for all the things that you may not know your taking for granted. Great book with great heart. Would read it again and again.



4. This is yet another insight into the hellish situation that exists when healthy people become incapacitated and end up in rehab or nursing home situations. (For comparison, read Joni Eareckson's autobiography and Stephen Thompson's Genesis: A Portrait of Spinal Cord Injury. Each one of these author's stories begin in different decades, but all, including Julia Garrison, describe first-hand similar experiences of dealing with a health-care system that is both abusive and neglectful).
   
   If Julia's family hadn't been there for her, including a devoted husband, mother and eight brothers, she would have quickly withered and died in a nursing home. A simple request for tampons was denied, and she was offered adult diapers as a substitute, because the home didn't stock tampons or even pads. It was far easier for the nursing home staff to have a compliant patient in diapers, rather than an ornery, loud and gutsy 37-year-old woman who refused to roll over and accept the cards that fate had laid out for her.
   
   The medical profession will move heaven and earth to save the life of an accident or stroke victim, but then doesn't seem to know what to do with the patients whose lives they have just saved. Julia Fox Garrison, with an insane will to survive, and surrounded by the love of her family, took charge of her own recovery and made her own plans for the rest of her life, the one she would have to live after she was discharged from the hospital and sent home.
   
   
   Garrison's book is must reading for anyone whose life has been altered by a single event. Life does somehow go on, and the book is blessedly free of the heavy-handed preaching that often accompanies the retelling of tragic true-life stories.



5. I read the first two paragraphs, stopped, and read them again. I then got up from my comfy chair, found my husband and daughter and read the first two paragraphs aloud to them. We were all blown away. The rest of Julia Garrison's story is just as breathtaking. I couldn't put it down. I cried hard twice and laughed out loud too many times to count. When I finished, I just sat for a long while with the book in my hands, looking at the cover, wishing for more. I'm the same age the author was when, without warning, she had a massive stroke, and her life changed forever. So I keep imagining myself in her shoes, wondering if I possess the courage, determination, and positive attitude Julia has, wondering if I would survive...and then thrive. I don't know, but I know this: Her story inhabits me now. And I carry her messages of positive attitude, dignity, and hope with me. This book should be read by everyone who has ever been a patient, everyone who has ever faced overwhelming obstacles, every doctor, and definitely every medical student. Have I left anyone out?

5 comments about Blindsided: Lifting a Life Above Illness: A Reluctant Memoir.

1. BLINDSIDED by Richard Cohen. This is not just a book for for those dealing with MS, Although it could be the story of my family. It is the story of a man and his family who takes the blows and then gets up and keeps on going. It may not be the path was originally planned but they find a way to go go on. It is an uplifting story to those who fight physical problems and despair and find a way to go on. God bless you Richard Cohen, Meredith Viera and your children.



2. I really didn't like this book..from the first page. I never did try to pick it up again. Not worth your time.



3. This is one of my favorite memoirs. Mr. Cohen writes beautifully about a not so beautiful subject, chronic illness. I hear he has another book out and I plan to look it up and order it as soon as I finish this review. Thank you for giving a voice to chronic illness Richard.



4. Richard M Cohen is amazing person. I really enjoy read this book. I found it very interest and good.



5. Mr. Cohen is a huge black hole; I once did not feel his love for his children...my impression is that he was after all a very lucky man. he managed to put up with a demanding career, had the big luck in a great woman and I think wonderful kids...Instead of bitching so much, be thankful Mr. Cohen for what you have! In other country or other financial situation you would be long gone.

5 comments about Unnatural Death: Confessions of a Medical Examiner.

1. Interesting content, really poor writing. The whole book had no clear path. Just poorly organized.



2. Dr. Michael Baden is married to Linda Kenney Baden who is representing Phil Spector in his criminal trial in the murder of Lana Clarkson, a Hollywood actress. Dr. Baden's book is an easy read, very informative, and revealing. He cuts out the nonsense that goes into conspiracy theories like John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, etc. as well as explains the differences between classes even in death as the upper classes do their best to cover up embarrassing situations like the woman choking. Dr. Baden is great at explaining why death occurs and the importance of forensics pathologists and medical examiners needed in our country. There is no doubt that some cases can be suspicious if not investigated further. I do believe that anybody who gets cremated should have an autopsy in order to know that the death was not caused by homicide but by natural causes. Anyway, Dr. Baden's experiences and his dedication to his career as a medical examiner in New York City is most helpful in probably explaining the process of his profession which he loves very much. His wife is an attorney who specializes in the forensics part of the crime. I would have liked to have seen photos of the author and others in their dedicated profession.



3. What a read!! If you think a dead person has no info to give after their loss of life, you are dead wrong. Amazing what can be learned from a body even after some time AND how this arthur knows how to explain all of these findings in detail. I learned so much about what happens to a body after death, the time period when certain items occur, and what these details can tell a coroner who knows what he is looking for and how. I also learned that all medical examiners are not really qualified to give a complete/accurate autopsy results. Let me say this...if you ever considered a murder, or suspected a murder, or are not sure if someone you know was murdered....READ THIS BOOK...THIS IS A BOOK YOU WILL NOT WANT TO PUT DOWN AND WILL LEAVE YOU HUNGRY FOR MORE OF THIS TYPE INFO!!



4. I got this book because of a recommendation from my boss and it was GREAT. She was right- I can't put it down. I am entranced and it's described just right. Very interesting book! :)



5. This is a very good book if you are interested in forensic science; it's probably not for everyone. It goes hand in hand with the series on HBO.

5 comments about Don't Bet against Me!: Beating the Odds Against Breast Cancer and in Life.

1. This book is totally awesome. A great insight by Deanna from her life with Brett to her cancer and beyond. A book worth reading.



2. This is an excellent book about a woman's journey with breast cancer. Deanna Favre is the wife of Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers. She describes her dealing with breast cancer, the aftermath of it and her struggle to survive and live with a deadly disease. Her and her husband have started a foundation dealing with breast cancer and continue to work tirelessly for the foundation. Reading the book brings forth a variety of emotions and I would recommend this book to everyone especially those who have been touched by breast cancer in some way.



3. In a word? Inspirational. This lady has faith and talks freely about it. I believe this to be an ideal gift to share with someone facing this disease; they may well be comforted.



4. She is a very brave woman who because of who she is will inspire women to get through whatever God puts in front of them. She is someone who has not let being in the public eye to change them into someone they are not. But has stayed true to herself and is doing wonderful things for others.



5. Wonderful book with lots of information about breast cancer. Also a great story on Deanna's life and such a down to earth person. She is just a sweetheart and you will love her. Don't Bet against Me!: Beating the Odds Against Breast Cancer and in Life I also bought the book for a friend that has breast cancer and is going through chemo and she has found the book to be a great comfort.

5 comments about Gift of Pain, The.

1. Dr. Paul Brand's "The Gift of Pain" (with Philip Yancey co-authoring) is probably my favorite-ever book. It reads like a mystery, a biography and a story-teller's yarn all at the same time. Be careful - once you pick this book up you won't want to put it down; the dishes will pile up in the sink and you'll stay up later than you should, reading by flashlight if necessary. Apart from the Bible, I can't recall any other book that has been so uplifting to my soul. It is the only book that, after reading a library copy, I bought not one but two copies: one to keep and one to loan out to anyone I can encourage to read it. The Brand/Yancey team also wrote two other excellent works ("In His Image" and "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made"), and there is a biography of Dr. Brand entitled "Ten Fingers for God." All well worth reading, but "Pain" is by far the best. My only regret is not having met Dr. Brand personally. If I had to choose one man (apart from Jesus himself) to point out to my son and tell him, "Grow up to be like that man," it would be Dr. Paul Brand. Do your soul a favor; read this book!



2. This was the first book that introduced me to the writing of Philip Yancey. He is a truly great writer and this story of Dr. Brand's life is exceptional. I suffer with chronic pain and have for many years. I was profoundly impacted by the wisdom of this book and found that reading it has made a healing difference in how I view my pain. Not only that, the tale of Dr. Brand's life is fascinating. I never knew much at all about leprosy and thought it was a disease of the past.
   
   I think the title can deter some people from reading it. I remember hearing about it when I wasn't in chronic pain and it definitely did not sound like a subject I wanted to dwell on. For some reason, though, I purchased it and put it up on a shelf for years. One day I happened on it--when I was ready to read it.
   
   Do miss this. The human body and the God who designed it is truly amazing.



3. I have not quite finished reading this book (though I've skimmed the last chapters and know some of their content), but I am so excited about it that I could not wait to post this review! Be forewarned: those reviewers who used the phrases "can't put it down" and "the dishes will stack up" and "a page-turner" are not exaggerating. Every day I look forward to the time when I can open this book again and read, and I have lost not a few hours of sleep staying up late to read just a little more.
   
   Paul Brand's account, expressed in Yancey's superb writing, of his investigation of the causes of leprosy and its devastating effects reads like a detective story, with pieces of the puzzle falling into place one by one. The stories of successes and failures are always placed in the context of the lives of real people. Brand's reflections on pain are never heavy-handed, always instructive, sometimes challenging, often humbling and awe-provoking.
   
   If you work in the medical field, as I do, I cannot urge you strongly enough to read this book!! It should be required reading in every medical school, nursing school and PT/OT school. I have already started to re-tune my approach to patients with pain a little, and I have begun rethinking my own pain of various kinds.
   
   Paul Brand was a compassionate genius of the highest order. I've never heard that he won a Nobel Prize for medicine or the Nobel Peace prize, but he should have. He applied his genius with sacrificial energy, enthusiasm, humility and humanity to helping "the least of these".
   
   I wish I had read this book sooner. I recommend it more highly than I can express.



4. I am a hand therapist, an occupational therapist who specializes in hand and upper extremity conditions and injuries. Paul Brand was an amazing man, an inspiring teacher and writer. Of course Philip Yancey coauthored this book, but this is Brand's own voice. It reads much like his professional writing, with clear and vivid analogies to explain difficult concepts. I never had the privilege of working with him, but I was lucky enough to spend time with him at various conferences and courses. He was a deeply spiritual man who spoke with both authority and humility, and possessed a sparkling sense of humor.
   
   The book does not by any means cover Dr. Brand's entire career, but sheds a very bright light on the groundbreaking work he did with Hansen's disease (leprosy) patients. In the US, he moved to the Carville, Louisiana Hansen's disease center and continued to publish his writing, and to teach and guide hand surgeons and hand therapists. He was made an honorary member of the American Society of Hand Therapists, one of many honors showered on him throughout his distinguished career.
   
   Please read this book. It will inspire you and give you fascinating food for thought.



5. This book is a moving account, part biographical, part medical that gives incredible insight into the experience of pain. Pain is protective and a subjective experience. Dr. Brand makes things imminently clear and understandable. Great read.