2 comments about Life of Henry Cornelius Agrippa: Doctor and Knight, Commonly known as a Magician.

1. IT'S A FAIRLY NICE BOOK BUT DRY AND OF NO USE FOR PERSONS WHO STUDY MAGIC IT CONTAINS SOME USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT THE LIFE OF CORNELIUS AGRIPPA BUT IT'S OCCULT USE IS ZERO ESPECIALY IF YOU HAVE READ AGRIPPAS 3 BOOKS ON OCCULT SCIENCE.ON THE OTHER HAND I WOULD DEEPLY RECOMENT IT FOR PERSONS INTERESTED IN AGRIPPAS LIFE OVERALL ,IN THE WAY SOCIETY AND PEOPLE USE TO (WORK)AND IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF A WORLD THIS EXTRAORDINARY MAN LIVED IN.



2. Morley's work is very much out of date at this point, and is only reprinted (so far as I can tell) because it is out of copyright and hence can be xeroxed cheaply. For a serious biography and critical assessment of Agrippa, see Charles Nauert, _Agrippa and the Crisis of Renaissance Thought_, which is hard to find but worth it. Morley's book is, however, chatty and enjoyable to read, and includes a number of humorous stories and suppositions about Agrippa's life and work. Morley's assessment of texts is very dubious indeed, although he can hardly be blamed, as he was after all writing in the mid-19th century. Occultists will find this book useless; historians may find some material here, but should start with Nauert. See also Marc van der Poel's book on Agrippa's orations, (...)

5 comments about Bone Marrow Boogie: The Dance of a Lifetime.

1. Much more than a cancer memoir, this book will appeal to anyone who has had to overcome adversity of any kind. Janie Starr shows a determination to live life fully no matter what the circumstances. From the cult of the zapped ones - those undergoing radiology treatments - to the dolphin tube - the CAT scan machine - Janie's unique humor and perspective are wonderfully poignant. Janie is obviously a woman of great strength and character whose journey you will find compelling. Musings about the meaning of hair, wistful identification with a Madrona tree who she considers a longtime friend, and her extraordinary capacity to transform her connections with people into meaningful encounters all make for a great read. My book goup is reading it now and I look forward to savoring it with other women at our next meeting. Ultimately, Janie's message is one of hope and a tenacious joe de vivre which you will find infectious.



2. In her inspiring and beautifully written book, Janie Starr takes us along on the journey that began when she found out she had lymphoma. Not only does she do battle with this very grave form of cancer, she also learns how to boogie, or rather, to boogie even better. This memoir gives some attention to the multiple and excruciating therapies that currently constitute cancer treatment, but much more attention is given to her search for self-knowledge through a variety of alternative strategies that can be as essential as radiation and chemotherapy for restoring health. She exposes a medical profession where some practice compassion, but many more project omnipotence and omniscience for lack of the words or feelings to deal with potentially terminal illness. Relations with those from her various communities (her parents, her family, her neighbors, her exercise and activist groups) are essential to her story. Her finely turned vignettes reveal the different ways men and women deal with cancer, as well as the variety of responses one can expect from friends, acquaintances and children. When the medical treatments end, the self-exploration continues. Ms. Starr writes eloquently about the relief of having survived, living with the fear of recurrence, and the continual questioning that facing cancer inevitably brings. Finally, this book is perhaps above all about becoming a writer, a sort of portrait of the artist as a middle-aged woman confronting cancer. This should raise a question for everyone who reads this book: Why wait for illness before learning to live life fully? Janie Starr clearly emerged from her illness as a dancer and an artist.



3. BONE MARROW BOOGIE is a book for all who have had cancer touch their lives in one way or another. Ms. Starr's prose (at times, "poetry" is a better description) leaves one thinking deeply about the ramifications of hearing that cancer has entered your life. Families, friends, and caregivers for those hearing this diagnosis will benefit greatly from this book. Certainly, those who face treatment will relate far more and find this book to be a tremendous support for the experience.

   Ms. Starr's honesty, sense of humor, and excellent writing makes this a wonderful book to give as a gift.....particularly when it is difficult to know what else to do!




4. My wife gave me this book, and I approached the read with a lot of skepticism. Now I know why she gave it to me. It's a wonderful book, honest and direct, with a sense of humor; difficult to acheive with this subject.

   My family has a moderate history of cancer, but one of the people was my father. Fear has caused me to avoid consciously thinking about it my whole life. This book gave me another way to approach the subject: with honesty and humor. I have not personally experienced cancer in my body, and hope I never do. However, the author, by approaching her story with incredible honesty and fearlessness as a writer, makes it possible to believe that I could deal with the fears and challenges if I must.

   I would recommend this book to anyone who has reached their 40's (as I have). I think we all begin to consider mortality at this age; we might as well approach it with honesty, no fear, and a sense of humor.




5. I loved her book. I laughed with her, cried with her, and connected with her on so many levels. It is not a book only about cancer survivorship, it is a book about the human spirit and how we choose to move through our pain/suffering. I thank her for sharing her beautiful spirit with us. I gave the book to a friend who is recovering from uterine cancer and she found the book to be inspirational. This book gives hope to others.

1 comments about A War Nurse's Diary: Sketches From A Belgian Field Hospital.

1. I found this title particuarly interesting as my Aunt served as a nurse during World War One, winning a Red Cross medal for her bravery, and as I was reading about this author's experiences I kept asking myself, 'I wonder if she and my aunt ever met?'
   
   This is a very moving account and I loved the story about the little dog 'Bombe' the nursing staff found amongst the ruins and adopted. I also liked the fact that this nurse was a bit of a rebel, and didn't always do as she was told..she had a mind of her own and confessed she and a friend were sometimes 'naughty' and sneaked off to ride on the officer's horses! You go, girl!

2 comments about Amazing Medical Stories.

1. This book is both informative and highly entertaining. Burden and Grant have distilled truly amazing stories of a medical ilk which pertain to and are of interest to both American and Canadian readers. I was fascinated by the pioneering medical research done by Alexander Graham Bell, especially his efforts to identify the location of the assassin's bullet in President Garfield, and Bell's breakthroughs in cancer and x-ray therapy. The new information on the Titanic and the weird coincidences which tie in the dead of the Titanic and the presence of her identical sister ship the Olympic with the Halifax explosion were downright spooky. The account of Dr. Brinkley's early "Viagra", the implantation of goats testicles in willing patients, really astounded me as to the extent people will go to rejuvenate sexual vitality.



2. Amazing Medical Stories with one from the Titanic! So it's highly recommended. You can check your local library for this but its doubtful they have it.

2 comments about The Unguarded Moment: A Surgeon's Discovery of the Barriers to Prescription of Inexpensive, Effective Healthcare in the Form of Therapeutic Exercise.

1. In an unguarded moment, one can have an accident, a moment of serendipity, an epiphany, or spontaneous healing. Throughout his life, Vert Mooney, M.D. has been lucky in his unguarded moments, usually finding a situation exactly right to further his research into healing painful physical conditions through therapeutic exercise.
   
   In The Unguarded Moment, Dr. Mooney explains why this effective treatment is so limited in general medical care. Readers learn about the concept of IRACS (ignore, ridicule, attack, copy, and steal) as well as the mysterious NHI (not invented here) and how these often keep a brilliant idea from reaching the general public.
   
   With healthcare costs on the rise, pharmaceutical and medical equipment manufacturing companies have their hands deeper and deeper into the pockets of consumers, often with questionable results. When innovative and inexpensive solutions for disease and pain are found, they are often suppressed, at the expense of the patient. The Unguarded Moment provides a jumping-off point for responsible patient-driven healthcare.
   --- from book's back cover



2. The Unguarded Moment is a great read--both a memoir of a great orthopaedic surgeon and also an examination of the problems he encountered in introducing a solution to one of the most costly medical problems. Recommended for health care professionals, for those with a "personal" interest in back pain, and for those concerned by the exorbitant cost of today's health care.

1 comments about Gifts of Time.

1. This book provides an incredible look into Epstein's Pediatric Neurosurgery program. It provides hope and amazement while showing a man who is what every doctor should be. By showing children who give all they can to live life to the fullest and the doctors who make it happen, this book will make you treasure life with all the joys and traumas it provides. It will force you to look at the good side of medicine, renewing a confidence that many have lost. In short this book, Gifts of Time by Fred Epstein, will educate you, fill you with faith, and restore your belief in not just medicine but in human kind. This is the best book you will ever read

No comments about Glimmers: A Journey i Alzheimer's Disease.

No comments about Living Legends: Six Stories About Successful Deaf People (Vol. 1).

No comments about Gone Country: NYU School of Medicine.

2 comments about Raymund Lully: Illuminated Doctor, Alchemist and Christian Mystic.

1. This is a good book. It provides a good review of Lully's life. However, it does not do much to explore the alchemical aspect of Lully's writing. Honestly, the reader is left with knowing about many of the legends about Raymund Lully, but still very little about the real man, or why it is that so many works were attributed to him after his 'death'. So if you want to know a little more about Lully, then I recommend this work. But if you want to know more about what Lully actually wrote, I would suggest looking elsewhere.



2. A small but illuminating work on Raymond Lully and how deeply misunderstood he was by so many and how finally at last, his accomplishments and works are being recognized for their true worth in the movement towards higher truth.