1 comments about The Art of Living...The Art of Medicine the Wit and Wisdom of Life and Medicine: a Physician's Perspective.

1. .....read this book. This book was written from the heart. For the most part, it is written for an audience of young physicians but with an awareness that the patient may also be reading. It is told from the perspective of the experienced physician, in this case the author, Edward C. Rosenow III, M.D., who worked at Mayo Clinic for 31 years who learned "that many times the gift of caring and compassion are more effective in healing than the power of modern medicine." There are two main sections: The Art of Living and the Art of MedicinePeople will find it an invaluable guide for their own life and work.

   I particularly enjoyed the chapters on How to Be a Patient, Qualities of the Respected Person, Simplify Your Life, Your Relationship to People You Work With. The chapter called End of Life Issues was incredibly well done. Amazing work.

   A major philosophy repeated in the book was: "FAMILY, FRIENDS, FUN/FELLOWSHIP, FORGIVE, FORGET ....... work." The book is sprinkled with quotes collected by Dr. Rosenow over the years. Colette says, "What a wonderful life I've had, I only wish I realized it sooner!"

   The book is filled with lots of advice such as these gems from the section on volunteering:

   "The gift of self-giving can be as simple as smiling!"
   "The best thing you have to give is yourself!"
   "Volunteering develops compassion, improves your self-esteem, and creates a transient euphoria."

   The casual style of the writing gave me the feeling that I was listening and learning from a compassionate mentor. The book is published "on-demand." It is not a slickly produced or over-edited. I found that added to the charm. The author's voice was clear and true.

   Even if you are just interested in learning more about how a successful physician thinks and works, you'll enjoy this book. I know I'll be a better patient for reading it and I'm sure the care I receive will improve as a result.

No comments about They Have Feelings Too: Memoir of a Veterinarian.

1 comments about Life on the Line.

1. I read this book as an assignment for an Urban Affairs class in college. The size of the book was daunting, at first. However, it was very easy to read. There was a bit of a lull in the middle portion, but overall was an excellent story.

2 comments about Inner Strength: One Family's Experience With Cystic Fibrosis.

1. I appreciate the willingness of the author to share this remarkable story -- it creates additional awareness of the disease and generates funds to help researchers find beneficial treatments and a cure for this disease. Our son, Burke (who died due to CF in 1997), would very much have appreciated the family emphasis here.



2. Cloyce Jones is clearly a remarkable woman. She has a strength that most of us can only dream of. This book portrays her family's lives as they cope with death, illness and then the happiness that the birth of healthy child and eventually a successful lung tranplant for Tara bring. With CF it is often one challenge after another but this family found unending courage to battle on. I was saddened by the extra stress caused to a sick child by insurance rules that meant they had to travel hundreds of miles to retain their coverage. It was however warming to read of the joy that the 'Wish Upon a Star Foundation' was able to bring.

No comments about Fight the Good Fight.

No comments about The Recombinant DNA Controversy: A Memoir, Science, Politics, and the Public Interest 1974-1981.

5 comments about Nightingales: The Extraordinary Upbringing and Curious Life of Miss Florence Nightingale.

1. I found this read a bit on the dry side and at times almost pedantic. I am glad I read it, but it didn't really keep my attention as I had hoped.



2. What I love about Gillian Gill's biographies is the obvious extensive research of her subject. I had finished reading Gill's second biography on Mary Baker Eddy and was so impressed I knew in the Florence Nightingale biography I would find a well-researched and well-written history of a very complex woman. Gill's subjects are not always easy to understand, but through Gill's research you gain at least a clearer idea of the woman behind the "Lady with the Lamp". A wonderful biography worth reading. I especially enjoyed learning more about Nightingale's family and how important they were in creating Florence Nightingale.



3. I received the book within a few days of the order and it was in perfect condition. Excellent service!



4. I was looking forward to reading this because of the good reviews I had read about it, but frankly, I couldn't get past about page 50. I will perhaps try to get into it again, but the narrative did not hold my interest and was rather dry & academic in my opinion.



5. Overall, this very insightful book gives precise information on Florence Nightingale. The author gives incredible information about Nightingale and her immediate and extended family as well as friends. However, the author goes to the extreme several times presenting peripheral information that has nothing to do with Nightingale as in the case of her cousin suitor and spends pages discussing the Crimean War--none of which contributes to the "curious life" of Nightingale who was truly an extraordinary woman, especially given her time. Perhaps the author is trying to estabish certain things, but at times, the reading is tedious as one just wants the author to get on with it.

5 comments about Sarah's Song: A True Story of Love and Courage.

1. I want to thank those readers of my late daughter's book for their comments. To those who might not know, Janice died on Sept.28,1996. She had received transfusions in July and contracte Hepatitis C. She was no longer strong enough to fight off the infection. She was brave and hopeful to the end.



2. Sarah's Song is a wonderful book that takes you on the journey of a newly married couple's discovery of their HIV infection and the struggles they live through as they battle it. There is a bit of all of us in this couple. They could have been any of us or our friends. Their story will make you cry many times. It is told intelligently and with wit and courage.I read the book in 1996 and always wondered how Janice was doing. I see by her mothers' comments above that she did not survive. I had hoped she would. Get snuggled in bed, grab some tissues and hot tea and make an evening of this book. When you are done take a look at your life and count your blessings.



3. I loved this little book the first time I read it a few years ago. It's the sad, true story of William and Janice Burns and their struggle with AIDS. Janice tells her heartbreaking story in a clear, honest voice and there is little window dressing on the tragedy of this tale. It's so easy to identify with the Burns, they are so like anyone you would have gone to college with. I'm sad to learn of Janice's death, but I'm glad her mother has posted on here. Janice's words have touched many lives, far more than many other more superficial things in life.



4. This book was wonderfully written, yet extremely sad. A story of two very young, professional, and COURAGOUS people. What stands out most to me, is their courage. If I had found myself in their shoes, I could never handle it as Janice and her husband did. They accepted their fate and bravely lived life to the fullest. I see that Janice's mother has posted here. Your daughter was an inspiration. May she rest in the arms of our Lord
   Traci



5. The story of a loving couple that live and love a full life in the shadow of being HIV-positive.

No comments about Improve, Perfect, & Perpetuate: Dr. Nathan Smith and Early American Medical Education.

4 comments about Smile and Jump High! the True Story of Overcoming a Traumatic Brain Injury.

1. Smile And Jump High!: The True Story Of Overcoming A Traumatic Brain Injury is the moving and compelling testimony of Shannon, a young woman who suffered a near-fatal auto accident. A devastating brain injury forces Shannon to embark on a grueling four-year journey of gradually re-learning simple physical skills, walking, talking, and coping with residual effects that drastically impair her problem-solving ability, behavioral temperament, and more. The inclusion of citations from personal journals of close friends and family members bear testimony to a long struggle culminating in triumph and rebuilding one's life from the ground up. Smile And Jump High is very highly recommended reading, especially for anyone having to come to grips with the recovering process necessitated by catastrophic injury or illness.



2. Lots of valuable and good advice and resources for both craniotomy patients and caretakers. But the portrayal of NYC and its boroughs is incomplete and unfair (p. 179 of the softcover.) I had brain surgery in 2005 and I live in NJ and volunteer in NYC. I find the people there compassionate, thoughtful and considerate. That's 99.99% of them. They help me on the subway, across the street and do countless other nice things! Also, it's 2006 and Donald treats his wife, Sue, like chattel. He's very patronizing. I know what Sue had to do to make Donald and Shannon comfortable. She cooked, cleaned and did everything that a hard working Aide does. And believe me it's more work and more intense for a brain injured person.
   
   Donald goes through great pains and lots of analysis to explain the people, places, etc. that Shannon encounters. But on these matters it's a big miss.



3. This book proves that a person can do more than the doctors say he/she can; he can recover more fully, can have a better chance at a good, active, social life, and can eventually become independent, even if only in a few ways. Again, this is a book of hope for those of us who love and care for family members who are recovering from traumatic brain injuries. There will be a greater need for this type of book in the future as there are tremendous numbers of TBI's coming back from the Iraq/Afghanistan wars. My son is one of those survivors, with the "unseen injury".



4. Don Lloyd does a great job of bringing you into the journey his family endures while dealing with Shannon's accident and recovery. As someone who watched her best friend go through a similar injury, I found this book hitting close to home.
   
   Reading Don's words and thoughts took me back to the raw emotions I felt years ago, but gaining the different perspective a parent has. I admired Don and Sue's bravery as they let Shannon live on her own in Atlanta after the accident, and wondered if I would have had the courage to do that with my own child.
   
   I think that Don, Sue, Brian, Kelley and Shannon are all lucky to have had each other during such a trying time. Tragedies such as this can pull a family apart but they fused together and helped heal Shannon as a unit.
   
   Thank you Don and Shannon for allowing this window into your life to be open to others. God Bless you.