5 comments about Elijah's Cup: A Family's Journey into the Community and Culture of High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

1. This is an extraordinary, rare and unique book about an autistic child. The thing that makes it this way, is his mother's pure and loving acceptance of him, just the way he is. His mother's creative solutions to make living with him the best it can be. Everyone having anything to do with an autistic child, should read it, if only for the different point of view. The view that every child has value, and there is something to be said for treasuring him just for who he is.
   
   Elijah is a fascinating child. He has been able to absorb much comprehension about the world, and his own disability, and how to cope, through his endless questioning of his mother, and her amazingly patient, honest, and encouraging replies. He will be an adult with a tremendous advantage over other children like him, for having had Valerie Paradiz for a mother.



2. Valerie and Ben are devastated when their then 2-year-old son was diagnosed with autism in addition to epilepsy. Ben has trouble accepting the diagnosis and in time the marriage dissolved.
   
   Instead of condemning Elijah to a life of labels and misperceptions about autism, Valerie Paradiz educated her small upstate New York community as well as the world at large in this book about her personal experiences with autism. Her son and father are both on the spectrum and this book is one of many that points out the genetic basis autism has.
   
   Elijah was enrolled in special programs from the age of three and his greatest progress is made at home and with a friend he and Valerie meet. Sharron, an independent artist is herself struggling with Asperger's, the spectrum partner to autism. She recognizes in Elijah similar traits and experiences she contends with and finally receives a diagnosis. She bonded immediately with the boy and was his regular sitter for some years.
   
   I like the way Valerie worked with Elijah; I like the way she taught him more appropriate ways of responding to peers, such as Trevor in the chess club. Trevor came away with empowered with knowledge and a chance to be more accepting of someone he sees as being "different" and Elijah understands what he can do to regulate his behaviors and move more comfortably in social circles.
   
   I like the conversations mother and son had; I also like the outdoor programs for people on the autism/Asperger's (a/A) spectrum that are described in the book. Best of all, having autism is CELEBRATED!
   
   I've banged on the different drum for a long time about how being on the a/A spectrum is something to celebrate. People on the spectrum have novel perceptions and unique insights that many neurotypical (NT) counterparts do not. One misperception is that people with autism all think in pictures, which simply is not true. Ben Levinson, co-author of "Finding Ben" and Sean Barron, co-author of "There's a Boy In Here" are not picture thinkers and neither are many other people on the a/A spectrum.
   
   Meltdowns due to sensory overload are not uncommon among the spectrum. Sadly, the NT world often looks askance at those on the a/A spectrum simply from a lack of understanding of what people with autism contend with on a routine basis. Elijah, for example would vomit during thunderstorms as the noise upset him. I like the way another reviewer said in re a/A, "Vive la difference!" Wave that banner of interlocking puzzle pieces proudly - autism is NOT something to be ashamed of having!
   
   Two songs seem to underscore this book so perfectly - Herman Kelly & Life's "Let's Dance to the Drummer's Beat" and Linda Ronstadt & the Stone Poneys 1968 song, "(Beat of a) Different Drum." With more drums beating, you get quite a tune! With more drums being beaten, you have different drummers!
   
   People on the a/A spectrum enrich the world tremendously. The contributions are NOT limited to Temple Grandin, Andy Warhol and Einstein and other public figures. People with autism also provide ample opportunity to learn acceptance and realize the world is for everybody and not just the NT population. All too often, people on the a/A spectrum are expected to make all the concessions, especially social concessions to the NT world and try to keep track of the Tacit Social Codes & Rules, which always seem to change at the whims of the NT world.
   
   Now let's all march to our different drummers.



3. This was one of the first books I read after discovering my son had Asperger's. Valerie Paradiz's insight, vulnerability, and unswerving truth have helped me every day in dealing with my children... The joys and miracles, and the difficult, difficult challenges. I truly love this book and recommend it for a strong understanding of the human side of asperger's an the challenges a family faces.



4. Elijah's Cup is not ony a superb read that I would recommend to all teachers of children but also an adventurous journey into what it is to be autistic as well as to have aspergers syndrome. Paradiz writes beautifully, bringing her story to life in graphic detail while informing her reader in a broad and comprehensive manner concerning both Autism and Aspergers. She has a comprehensive index, bibliography, and reference section that will be of help to many. Tasha Halpert



5. Thank you for this miracle of a book. This is a beautiful and honest story about a very special family. The author has done a huge service for the autism community with this exquisitely written work.

5 comments about Losing My Mind: An Intimate Look at Life with Alzheimer's.

1. For those interested in this subject this book is an engaging and rewarding read. Some may find DeBaggio's anguish a bit excessive, but to me it was a genuine expression of his emotion, not buffered by what is 'proper'.



2. Mr. DeBaggio is so wonderful to have shared his experiences with diagnosis, physicians, others reactions, and his own struggle to understand and deal with what is happening to him. This book brought a new enlightenment to me, newly dealing with a family diagnosis. It is so easy to forget the person who is actually fighting with the disease when it affects so many in the family. His true account of what his feelings are throughout the months it took to write the book has given me more compassion for my mom and the ability to be angry at the disease as the culprit for all of the cruel things that are happening to all of us while we watch the progression. Thank you, Mr. DeBaggio, for opening my eyes to my mom's struggles.



3. 
   At one point in this sad autobiography the author states, "We are foolish, those of us who think we can escape the traps of aging." In Mr. Debaggio's case he found himself caught in one of those traps when he was 57 years old. Healthy and robust, with an optimistic look to the future he one day is told that he is a victim of early onset Alzheimer's disease. The author, who is a talented writer of books on gardening, decides to write a book describing his gradual mental deterioration.
   
   Losing My Mind shifts back and forth between comments on his present condition, excerpts from medical articles, and reminiscences on his past life. This is not an inspirational book. Mr. DeBaggio is depressed, frightened, and filled with despair over his future. Fortunately his writing skills are still intact enough that he can fluently describe his descent into the abyss.
   
   It is not the author alone who suffers. His wife is grief stricken that she is going to gradually lose her life's companion, and she feels totally frustrated in knowing that she can do nothing to help him. His grow son shares her grief, and also worries that he will eventually suffer the same illness.
   
   Increasingly he has to hunt for words to express himself. He raises herbs for a living, and begins to forget their names. He goes to a store to operate a copying machine, and finds he can't figure out how to operate this rather simple device. Writing this book helps him to hold on to our world. He spends a lot of time reminiscing about his childhood, because those memories still are clear in his mind.
   
   Mr. DeBaggio has received, as he puts it, a death sentence, and that thought remains constantly in mind. He courageously tackles each day one by one, but knows he is fighting a losing battle. I am an older person who has a deteriorating condition that gradually causes me increasing pain, so I have a glimmer of what he is going through. What will our status be next month, next year? It is interesting that he mentions that dealing with his diagnosis is one thing, but dealing with some of his well-wishers is often more difficult. There are the people who suggest that if he would just take some sort of sea weed or herbal medicine he would be restored to normal. Folks like that mean well, but their suggestions show a total lack of understanding of the forces at work in his physical condition, and, in a sense, diminish the seriousness of the problem (I've experienced the same thing).
   
   This book is remarkable. It gives us a view of the problems, thoughts and torment that are part of an Alzheimer's sufferer's life. It is anything but a joyous book. It is one that points out how close we live to the threat of ultimate disaster.



4. We can probably all relate to this title, however, this is a road map into the mind of Thomas DeBaggio, who was a professional herb grower and journalist, and how he dealt with his journey into Alzheimers disease. It wanders a bit, as the mind does with this disease, and your heart will go out to him struggling to be his own person.This disease robs you of your person.



5. This book was written by a gentleman with Alzheimer's disease. I had the privilege of hearing him read part of it in person. It is quite moving.

5 comments about Stuart: A Life Backwards.

1. This is probably one of the best biographies I have ever read. It was sad, tragic and hilarious in parts. I found myself actually laughing outloud several times. There are even a few recipes (not that anyone would want to use them) hidden in the chapters. I highly recommend this book to anyone, especially those in the social services field, as it ponders the questions of being for the lower eschelons of society and how they became that way. It was a very delightful read.



2. Alexander Masters, educated in Great Britain, son of American writers, tells the story of the life of Stuart Shorter. And he tells the story of his life in reverse, from the present to his birth, keeping you in suspense until much later in the book
   
   Stuart, 33 years old, is homeless, in and out of prison and the court system. He's addicted to drugs, alcohol, bouts of rage and self-mutilation. And in the first 200 pages or so, it is a grinding read of "chaos" and self-destruction where it's difficult to feel much sympathy for Stuart. You will learn much about the homeless (who are they, how did they get there, why are they still homeless) and also learn about the ineffectiveness of the court system, the prison system, the shelters and clinics.
   
   Then the story turns and you begin to understand how Stuart arrived at where he did and wonder how he's managed to survive as long as he has. Masters captures it beautifully in this passage:
   
   "People like Stuart - the lowest of the low on the streets, outcasts even among outcasts, the uneducated chaotic homeless, the real f***-ups - people who've had their social and school training looped off at twelve: they simply don't understand the way the big world works. They are as isolated from us normal, housed people as we are from them. If Stuart is a freak, then it is for opposite reasons: it is because he has had the superhuman strength not to be defeating by this isolation. It is because he has had the almost unbelievable social adroitness to be able to fit in smoothly with an educated, soft skinned person like myself and not make frightened have to death. If Stuart's a freak, I salute freaks."
   
   Then after page 200 or so, the story opens up to tell you about Stuart's childhood and you begin to see and feel his pain without being privy to any of the gruesome details. I won't share the details with you so you can dig in yourself but this is one of those books that you'll want to walk away from and leave unfinished because it's a struggle to read - and then you'll find weeks later you're glad to have persevered as you can't shake it from your mind.



3. I am totally baffled by the 23 glowing reviews offered in the front of this book. Masters has not moved me. In fact, I find him detached from his subject in all emotions excepting morbid curiosity and fatigue. Perhaps I am missing the boat because I am bringing a woman's perspective to male emotional expression, male bonding, etc. I slogged through 151 pages. I found Stuart interesting, but I quit reading because Master's style left me cold. I will most likely skip to the end (or beginning) in time for an upcoming book discussion. Another Amazon reviewer says that the book opened up for him when Stuart's childhood is revealed. Perhaps it will for me too.
   
   In my humble opinion, the novelty of the untraditional handling of the timeline, and a detailed window on an otherwise alien world are blinding reviewers to the fact that it is emotionally shallow. Several reviewers are impressed by Master's ability to take Stuart seriously.. ha, I'm pretty sure Stuart would have told the condescending buggers off. Wish he'd had a chance to do that.
   
   Like someone else has said, it never really pulled me in, and there may really be "too much of the author in it".



4. Stuart himself wanted this book to be '...something what people will read..." something with more humour and not "...b*llocks boring."
   This is where I think a few reviewers have misunderstood the humour in Stuart's life. Alexander, despite his and Stu's many differences, was very close to Stuart and therefore saw the humour in some of his situations - "Stuart liked his TV. He has thrown it at the wall twice and it still works."
   The dry humour amuses you and then the realisation of how unfortunate a given situation is hits you, which in my opinion gets the message across much better than a doom and gloom written book.
   Again, sleeping rough, Deaf Rob steals Deaf Jackie's hearing aid to stop her leaving him and whilst the visual that Masters describes is amusing...you can't get away from the underlying message of insecurities and neediness that the characters have - just the same as the rest of us!
   
   Of course serious issues like abuse, drugs, violence and homelessness aren't funny in themselves but people who live with everyday 'problems' such as a family member who has a disability or a mental illness often can find humour in some of their loved ones behaviour. Humour is a very human trait to get us through difficult patches otherwise we'd all be in a constant depression.
   
   I think there was actually a good mix of humour and poignancy, the latter often at the end of a chapter to make you think.
   
   As we travel further back in Stuart's life it's bound to be more unpleasant as it involves him being a child and we don't like reading about nasty or unjust things happening to children...but it's really well written and I thought the minimalistic use of photographs also had the effect I think the author was hoping for. Especially the one before the epilogue, of Stuart and Gavvy when they were very young - so normal looking and happy, lovely little children with their lives ahead of them.
   
   For all the praise I've given it I did find it hard going some of the time...mainly the first half of the book...not harrowing or anything just a bit tedious. I found myself re-reading pages and if asked to review it half way through would probably have given it a 2-3 star rating simply for the idea. However it got better as we read more and more about Stuart and his past and I found him witty, honest and actually full of common sense.
   
   It's so easy for people to walk by on the other side when it comes to the misfits in our society but reading this would surely make the hardest among us think again.



5. ... and if it were possible against the very impossibility of such an occurrence, I would have loved to change the epilogue of this book. Not just the epilogue, but so much else in between. And not because it's a badly written book, just the opposite. I believe that the author was able to capture the very essence of his friend Stuart Shorter and at the same time convey a strong message about the vulnerability of the innocent. It is a book about a man who suffered greatly throughout his life and as a result ended up on the streets.
   
   What Alexander Masters extrapolates from Stuart is a remarkable, incredible tale of a life lived on the edge at all times. Sometimes a river of words flow out of him. Sometimes they elude him (especially when recounting the worst parts of his life). But the author manages to get to the bottom of most of it and the reading is harrowing. And yet, despite all his terrible sufferings, drug abuse and physical problems, during some passages Stuart's humour got to me. Brief insights about life. One for all (on the mysteries of washing-machines): "I mean, you put ten socks in the machine and only seven come out, where DO they go?...And I'll tell you another thing, if you take the machine apart they ain't inside it neither." (how true!). To see that despite everything he is still able to smile conveys such... sweetness. Unfortunately, it is soon obliterated by other terrible details of his life. Still, I hope that opening up with the author after the initial reservations was somewhat therapeutic for Stuart.
   
   The book structure is original, dotted by drawings, writings and some pictures. Stuart's voice comes out strong. The author often closes a chapter with a new, revealing detail and a compelling need to find out more. This quickly leads the reader to the next chapter.
   Frustration and outrage over some details and circumstances made me swallow twice but I am glad I have read this book and made the acquaintance of Stuart Shorter. Books like these are eye-openers and rattle consciences.
   
   "Alexander, sort it out - you're the writer. I just done the living.". A quote from page zero, which really touched me.

4 comments about Alone in the Mainstream: A Deaf Woman Remembers Public School (Deaf Lives Series, Vol. 1).

1. In the question of mainstreaming children with handicaps, parents, educators and legislators all want to make the wisest choice possible. They would be well advised to read this compassionate, illuminating book by a woman who knows firsthand the experience of being isolated by the good intentions of her family and her schools. Gina Oliva compiles personal anecdotes, research and information as well as the voices of many others with similar experiences to provide a clear delineation of the problems and issues confronted by deaf students in a hearing environment. Ms. Oliva could have chosen to be bitter about her early experiences, but instead her courage and her intelligence in the face of daunting difficulties shine through on every page. This is an important book about a subject which is very much in the forefront of the debate about public education.



2. This quarter I had the amazing opportunity to take Brenda Brueggemann's class "The Disability Experience in the Contemporary World" at The Ohio State University. She encouraged me to read this book (that she happened to be the editor of), and I can't thank her enough! While at times I felt this book was a bit redundant, I think that is just a stylistic choice; it is Oliva's way of reiterating the profound impact these specific events had on her life. Personally, I agreed to read this book because I felt as a future teacher it is crucial for me to be aware of current issues and debates in education. I really feel all of the points addressed by Alone in the Mainstream are very real concerns that need to be considered by everyone involved. As a result, I would highly recommend this book to any educator; past, present, and especially future. The future of these highly capable students is dependent on the educational opportunities, and it is the responsibility of educators to be as informed and knowledgeable as we possibly can. While we can't turn back the hands of time and erase the painful experiences expressed by Oliva and others throughout the book, it is my hope that we can take actively work to create the possibility of a brighter future for d/Deaf and hard of hearing students. They have a lot to say about this issue, and it is time to stop and "listen."



3. Alone in the Mainstrain sensitively relates the experiences of the author growing up a hearing impaired child mainstreamed into the hearing world. Reaching out to others who have been similarly mainstreamed she presents a study of the effects of the mainstreaming experience on other deaf and hard of hearing people. Teachers and parents of both deaf and hard of hearing, as well as hearing, children would learn much from reading Oliva's combination autobiography/study. Frankly, I found it surprising how little I was aware of the social isolation experienced by a non-hearing person in a hearing environment. Oliva discusses how those individuals with a cochlear implant can still experience isolation in a room filled with many sounds
   Oliva advocates giving deaf children opportunities to be a part of both the deaf and hearing worlds. Through examples from her own rich life, she shows ways in which one can intertwine the two. I recommend this excellent book both as general autobiography and as an insightful study of the effects of mainstreaming, told by those most qualified to comment, those who have experienced it.



4. This book was on a list of 15 books for a speech disorder class. I chose it based on the information that was provided by Amazon, which was very accurate. The book provides insight of deaf and hard of hearing individuals who are mainstreamed in public schools, often feeling isolated and frustrated. I would recommend the book to any who is interested in knowing more about Deaf culture and the obstacles individuals encounter.

5 comments about Poster Child: A Memoir.

1. One of the best autobiographies I've read. It's heartwrenching, but with no self-pity. It's also funny and dry with great prose and turn of phrase. Outstanding!



2. Rapp's beautiful description takes you through the crowded streets of Korea, the romantic cafes of Dublin, the dingy offices of doctor after doctor as she tries to get a leg that fits, all the way to the brutally honest mirror in her bathroom. Or is it yours? Her story is frank and engaging. Her struggle one that each one of us can identify with at some point in our lives: the struggle to be "normal."
   Poster Child is one of those books that makes you question your own values and assumptions. Poster Child is one of those books that will stay with you forever.



3. I love to read memoirs, especially "little guy" memoirs. Celebrity memoirs are okay, especially if the celebrity is a writer, but time after time I'm drawn to books written by ordinary people. I find it easy to imagine myself in their lives. So it was small wonder that I gravitated to POSTER CHILD with its cover picture of a pert red-headed girl posing with her training bike. It's warm out. She's wearing shorts. Her artificial right leg looks like it's made of plastic; a bulb in its knee joint lets her pedal.
   
   Emily Rapp, the author and the poster child, turned out to be a remarkable writer. She told me her story in such detail, including emotional detail, that I was swept into her anguish of being a child and a young woman who had a portion of her leg amputated when four. I had no idea, really, when I picked up this book what living with an artificial leg would be like. But soon I felt I was alongside her as she went through dozens of operations to replace her artificial leg as she outgrew it.
   
   Listen to how clearly Rapp writes. "For my first fitting, I stood barefoot on the dirty floor of the changing room while the prosthetist took measurements of my stump. The stink of the healing wound was finally gone; the limb was clean. Now that the left foot had been removed, or "disarticulated"--the sharp sound of the word matching the rough nature of the action itself--I had my natural heel at the end of the short leg."
   
   But no wonder Rapp writes well. A Fulbright Scholarship recipient educated at Harvard, she is a professor in the M.F.A. program at Antioch University Los Angeles.
   
   I highly recommend this book, primarily for the skill with which Rapp leads us through the first thirty years of her life, showing us what it was like to live with her "grievous, irrevocable flaw." Unflinchingly honest and sometime darkly humorous, POSTER CHILD is written without sentiment. I watched her struggle to keep up with her fashionable friends, her agony about making love to a man (should she leave her prosthesis on? off?), her final, tenuous, gift of acceptance.
   
   An elegant writer, an amazing book.
   
   Marilyn Coffey is an award-winning writer of poetry and a widely published author of prose. Read her work at Amazon.com: GREAT PLAINS PATCHWORK, MARCELLA, or KANSAS QUARTERLY Vol. 15 No. 2.



4. This is a very special and unusual work. Emily's description of growing up with a deformed leg, and all that entailed is honest and difficult at times to read. Nonetheless, there is no self pity, just a straigtforward and detailed description of what it was like emotionally, physcially and spiritually. There is a lot of pain in this book but it is really a coming of age story as well. The writing is wonderful. It is very personal and yet informative especially about the efforts to obtain a prosthiesis that allowed Emily to function as normally as possible and the advancements made in the field over a 20 year period. Finally, the unwavering love and sacrifice of her parents was portrayed simply and gratefully. I read it twice and the second time was better!



5. I especially appreciated the authors in depth reflexions on disability and body image, both as a child and an adult, especially for women (in her case) but for all of us.

5 comments about The Boy Who Loved Windows: Opening The Heart And Mind Of A Child Threatened With Autism.

1. I bought this book because it had so many favorable reviews on this website. I've read approximately 25 books written by parents who have a child with ASD. This book is, by far, the worst I've read. I frequently found myself rolling my eyes while reading it.
   
   First of all, I firmly believe the mother is out of touch with reality. I wasn't surprised when, in the middle of her story, she writes that people were trying to get her to check into the local psychiatric ward. Her inability to spend time with her son and the rest of her family was unbelievable. She "weeped" when the REACH program wouldn't provide someone to take care of her son for most of his waking hours. The program supervisors told her time and again that her son did not need services - that he wasn't autistic!
   
   Second of all, her son was sensitive, not autistic! She didn't cure him of anything! Many babies like to look at windows because they like the color contrast. Many babies dislike a lot of noise. Her son, Walker, was pointing by his first birthday. He was talking like a pro by his second birthday. He was playing with other children, laughing, pretend playing, gesturing. Anyone who knows anything about ASD knows that these traits are commonly deficient in ASD children.
   
   As a parent of a child with ASD, I was irritated by her whole story. There are so many parents out there who really DO have children with ASD and we're doing everything we can to help them, including getting services through our local and state programs. To think that this author demanded so many resources from REACH, when they could have been given to a child who really DID have ASD is very sad. I really believe the author should change the subtitle of her book and remove the word "autism". Maybe she should have written - A child threatened by SENSITIVITY.



2. This book gave us hope and helped us to deal with our emotional dificulties. When we first received the diagnosis we did not know anything about autism. When we had strict ABA my son only cried after reading this book we started seeking the floortime approach and also used VBA and my child started to learn having fun. Recovery is possible. It is a hard work and we are still working as hard as we can but we have seen the light coming. The book is like if Pat were my friend giving me support and hope whenever I need it.
   Thanks, Mrs. Stacey.



3. When we were frustrated with the lack of fun during the ABA sessions, and my child had a very hard time with them, I read this book where Mrs. Stacey share her experience with a much more flexible model of therapy for her son, this model worked for my child and he started to learn.
   I am from Brazil and I was no able to find a floortime therapist. I contacted Mrs.Stacey and she OFFERED to help me guiding me WITHOUT charging a dollar!
   Then we found a therapsi but I must say not only the book is wonderful but Mrs Stacey is a wonderful woman with a big heart, taking her time to answer emails from someone she does not know and offering free help!
   I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
   Simone.



4. My son is on the autism spectrum. He sees an occupational therapist and speech therapist who have been trained in the Floortime approach used in this book. He also is in a therapeutic preschool program based on Floortime principles. These therapies have helped our son tremendously and, by extension, ehanced our family life.
   
   Based on my experience, it seems that the child in this book has a sensory processing disorder, rather than autism.
   
   The author is lucky that she caught it as early as she did. Most of us don't have the luxury of therapy starting when our children are 6 months old. In my son's case, we had Early Intervention services, but the therapists were inadequate. This author had a therapist who would stay three hours at a time, twice a week -- again, most of us don't have this luxury. The author also was able to ignore her other child to focus her energies on her affected child. For most of us, this is not possible.
   
   When reading autism memoirs, I've been annoyed because Applied Behavior Analysis is presented as "the only way". I'm glad that in this memoir, Floortime is getting some attention.



5. I have a 7 year old on the autism spectrum. There was much I could relate to, especially the logistic nightmares of having a kid that needs a lot more as well as having two younger siblings. The parents in the book are extremely devoted to the floortime program and also are very fortunate to receive a lot of help from various sources. I thought the book was a good intro to the principles of floortime.
   There is one complaint I have and it is the same that would go for a book like 'let me hear your voice' (ABA): It is the 'I went through hell and cured my kid and so could you if you were just working harder at it' mentality. For one - not every kid will respond to every or any treatment. Also - a kid or person does not have to be neurotypical to be loved and loving. I hate this genre of books where the writer never matures emotionally into being able to love their kid unconditionally. All love is put into changing or 'curring' the kid. In both books are segments where the writer looks at someone elses kid with autism and feels compelled to tell the parent that they need to work harder to change that kid and that it is not okay for your kid to sit there stimming or whatever. If you can only look at a person with a disability thinking that they are not okay and your love can only come in the form of wanting to change them, then you need to do some work on yourself ! I am not saying that you should not try treatments that will help but your love and life should not depend on them becoming neurotypical. If Walker would not have been one of the kids who were able to improve dramatically the writer would have lost her marriage and probably her sanity. She gambeled her life on curing her son and she won. But most people doing the same gamble will loose because it is a gamble and at the end of the day you better have some core strength and love for your kid and family to be okay if there is no cure.
   I don't consider her a role model. For a role model read a book like 'Elijah's cup'.

5 comments about Angelhead: My Brother's Descent into Madness.

1. Angelhead was a book that I would read over again.. It came from the heart. I wish I could express myself as well as Greg has done in this book about his brother. The story is powerful and well written. He has shared how mental illness affects the whole family.



2. A harrowing tale of one family's suffering through their son's mental disorder (schizophrenia). Told from his brother's perspective, I found it fascinating, but sad. It was a quick read for me. I would recommend it if you are interested in how mental illness can disrupt an entire family, but there are no real answers here. Parts of it are disturbing.



3. Recently having read "angelhead" in a day by Greg Bottoms I found a few disheartening things.
   
   I had seen this book many times an anticipated reading it, I had hoped it would have been similar to the account of "tell me I'm here" by Anne Deveson.
   
   Instead it was a story showing the tragedy that strikes where there is no compassion or help given in a time of desperation.
   
   Bottom's facts are clearly not researched. Although a good read for the story value I would not support taking his facts as good statistics as they are poorly researched:
   
   ""schizophrenics as a populace have a much higher instance of committing both murder and suicide (just during the writing of this book i have tallied six national news stories about paranoid schizophrenics committing homicide or multiple homicide and those mind you are only the ones making national news like the unabomber) violence against family is most common." -Greg Bottoms
   
   If Bottoms had researched his facts he would not have based them merely on News reports he personally had seen during his time of writing his personal account.
   
   with Homicide rates are typically quoted as per 100000 people per year in the USA.Where as murders by mentally ill are 55-60 per year.
   
   http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/248841.stm
   
   I feel Bottoms book should only be looked on as the perspective of one families experience with schizophrenia.
   
   The family lacked compassion, Bottoms noted that they did nothing for a great deal of time assuming he was merely reacting to prolonged use of drugs (even that not being a motivating enough reason to get him help).Even once understood he had a mental illness the family did nothing to help the son even sending him to another state with a one way ticket and a bit of cash until he showed up starving several months later.
   
   I feel the mother is the only one in the book who showed compassion towards her mentally ill son, who really tried. The youngest brother admitted he hated him and Bottoms stated he did deep down wish his brother with schizophrenia had died when he attempted suicide.
   
   I give the book a good rating for story value, I feel a vast majority of his statistics are poorly researched but if You would like an account of how one family dealt then this is one of many stories to take into account.



4. I was very disappointed with this book. With 38 generally positive reviews I borrowed Angelhead from my local library. I read it straight through. Unfortunately while the writing is gripping at times it is boring and repetitive at others. In part the story relies too much on the sensational and extreme nature of this family's dreadful experience. There is no question however that the story is fully heartbreaking throughout. Overall the author lacks insight except in the gaps both in a medical and a personal sense.
   
   While it is hard to overstate the grim prognosis and difficulty of schizophrenia, this case was clearly worsened by the parents' denial of the obvious disease including their denial of their own family history of mental illness. This is a typical trap and cautionary tale which the author fails to fully explore. On the other hand, even when the disease was diagnosed and acknowledged, their very typical difficulty in obtaining help for their son shows the inadequacy of the current mental health laws and the mental health system.
   
   I have watched as one young acquaintance descended into schizophrenia and have followed his ongoing struggle with this crushing disease. I know both personally and in my capacity as a nurse, many others who are permanently disabled by schizophrenia. The side effects of schizophrenia medications are truly dreadful but need to be dealt with in order to deal with the disease. This important medical fact is never mentioned by the author. While this is very much a story that needs to be told and read about this book is truly inadequate to the task.
   
   Two much better memoirs of the experience of schizophrenia which I have read recently are The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness and The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness



5. This book is work of art for me. It's style has depth, and is lyrical and brutal and bold and beautiful. This is one of the best written books I have read in my life - incuding literature/classics etc - and one of my very favorites.
   Angelhead opens up parts of the inner life that only one who has suffered can reveal. Greg does this powerfully. There is clarity to be found in madness. There is beauty in the deepest pain. There is love moving in its pages without sentimentality. Angelhead is a smart, sensitive portrayal of life both sane and insane (whatever that really means) and a book I will read again and again.
   
   Greg, if you're reading this, I'd love to speak with you.

5 comments about Inside the Halo and Beyond: The Anatomy of a Recovery.

1. Pulitzer prize winning poet-naturalist Maxine Kumin chronicles a period of nine months, from the horrible horse-and-carriage accident that left her with a 5% chance of survival, and an even tinier prospect of ever walking again, to the time she is once again able to scramble up steep hills on her farm in New Hampshire again, albeit with difficulty. Hers is a statistically improbable recovery brought about not just by discipline and determination, and certainly not by faith (she is an atheist), but by love -- her family's love of her, and her own love not just for husband, children and grandchildren, but for horses, dogs, birds, vegetable garden, the seasons, and above all art and her craft. A passionate biophiliac, Kumin's love of nature can not be separated from her love of others, or her will to survive. This is an inpsirational book at so many levels. I completed it within hours of getting my hands on it, with my husband (a medical doctor) urging me to keep going, because I was reading it out loud to him and to my thirteen year old son. Inside the Halo... is wise, upbeat, gorgeously written and utterly inspirational. Someone you know scheduled for an operation? Had an accident? Run into some discouraging news? Forget the card. Send this book.



2. Maxine Kumin has given us a gift. "Illness, disability, the specter of permanent damage... are deeply personal, immediate, and terrifying," she writes. Indeed. This chronicle of recovery from a cervical spinal injury sustained after her horse bolted is a courageous foray through the intense first ten months of recovery.

   More than a story of pluck and resilience this book delivers joy in its reaffirmation of what nourishes us: loving relationships. Relationships with husband, son, daughters, and friends--both old and newly formed in recovery-- and relationships to the land, to its bounty. It seems impossible for someone so connected to life to ever give up on it easily. Kumin narrates, in journal form, her struggles and how she didn't quit.

   Kumin's life unfolds in this book. We see the stoic formed when her adored father "hovered in the doorway" when she was ill as a child; the horse lover who takes "deep pleasure" in seeing her horses in action; the gardener describing cauliflower and broccoli lovingly planted in May from seeds started on living room windowsills; and the poet who says of her farmhouse, "All of my doors are held open by stones."

   The mother and wife are here, too. Kumin's daughter, Judith, spends months with her mother. It is comforting to read of a supportive, caring, daughter/mother relationship that flourishes during a time of great stress. Kumin is not afraid to tell us about moments of guilt and despair: "How I feel about my accident is quite simply that I screwed up everybody's life by living through it."

   All this is written within a flowing narrative style that is groomed by this writer's cumulative knowledge of what is important in language and life.

   Maxine Kumin is one of my favorite poets. I cheered when this well-paced chronicle lead to a spring when this writer was finally back in the "peaceful kingdom" of her farm in New Hampshire. I am grateful the author has offered a book that allows us to witness her struggle as she looked inward and reached out.




3. Maxine Kumin has given us a gift. "Illness, disability, the specter of permanent damage... are deeply personal, immediate, and terrifying," she writes. Indeed. This chronicle of recovery from a cervical spinal injury sustained after her horse bolted is a courageous foray through the intense first ten months of recovery.

   More than a story of pluck and resilience this book delivers joy in its reaffirmation of what nourishes us: loving relationships. Relationships with husband, son, daughters, and friends--both old and newly formed in recovery-- and relationships to the land, to its bounty. It seems impossible for someone so connected to life to ever give up on it easily. Kumin narrates, in journal form, her struggles and how she didn't quit.

   Kumin's life unfolds in this book. We see the stoic formed when her adored father "hovered in the doorway" when she was ill as a child; the horse lover who takes "deep pleasure" in seeing her horses in action; the gardener describing cauliflower and broccoli lovingly planted in May from seeds started on living room windowsills; and the poet who says of her farmhouse, "All of my doors are held open by stones."

   The mother and wife are here, too. Kumin's daughter, Judith, spends months with her mother. It is comforting to read of a supportive, caring, daughter/mother relationship that flourishes during a time of great stress. Kumin is not afraid to tell us about moments of guilt and despair: "How I feel about my accident is quite simply that I screwed up everybody's life by living through it."

   All this is written within a flowing narrative style that is groomed by this writer's cumulative knowledge of what is important in language and life.

   Maxine Kumin is one of my favorite poets. I cheered when this well-paced chronicle led to a spring when this writer was finally back in the "peaceful kingdom" of her farm in New Hampshire. I am grateful the author has offered a book that allows us to witness her struggle as she looked inward and reached out.




4. Putting thoughts into words is the salvation of many, particularly Maxine Kumin, who describes her recovery from paralysis in "Inside the Halo and Beyond." I was recently paralyzed myself, so I keenly identified with the account of her rehabilitation. Yet I felt pangs of jealousy because she walks again and the chances are nil this will happen to me.

   Still, this book deserves an all-star rating for Kumin's eloquent and starkly honest description of her connections to poetry, literature, current events, international suffering, nature, equestrian riches, gardening, familial and friendly relations. She evokes empapthy and compassion without resorting to sappy sentiment or references to God. She explains, "My agnosticism eroded eventually to the skeletal remains of atheism and there I still stand. I'm not sure whether I should envy or pity the faith of others. Yes, it would be nice to have, but it seems a luxury of pietism I cannot afford."

   Her love of words is eloquent: "I've always been a galloping reader, racing for information, hurtling past intervening advertisements or cartoons, breathless and fascinated with language."

   It's a fine book.




5. Like many of Maxine Kumin's devoted reader/fan/friends, I came to her poetry through Anne Sexton's poetry/life.

   However, as wonderful as Sexton's poetry is, and I love Anne Sexton's poetry, Maxine Kumin's poetry and prose can well stand on its own considerable merits.

   Inside The Halo is a wonderful, gutsy, thoughtful book.

   Having had some "orthopedic trauma" myself, though nowhere as severe as the accident Kumin survived, I can attest to the abundant truth she tells about the frustrations and joys of rehabilitation, and the "tough tenderness" of the best therapists.

   Kumin also speaks movingly of how her amazing husband, children, and grandchildren rallied to see her through.

   This is a difficult book to write about, because words like "uplifting" have become debased with casual use.

   However, I am of the unshakable opinion that all doctors, nurses, therapists, and lovers of great writing would find something real in this fine book.

5 comments about Under the Eye of the Clock.

1. To learn about such an exceptional poet who, without the faith of his family, would never have been revealed to the world, gives the reader a new view of people's limitations. I bought 12 copies of this book (when it was in print)and somehow have given them all away over time.



2. As a college English and literature instructor, I intend to make this book a required reading if it becomes available in print again. It should bless all readers because it becomes a reminder that NO matter what the circumstances, people should still be respected, loved, and appreciated. And, with this in mind, the reader may receive a self-esteem boost when being reminded of inner-personal value. I appreciate this book so much. I have three copies and continually loan them out.



3. Under the Eye of the Clock is the autobiography of Christopher Nolan, the talented young poet with cerebral palsy. He can't walk or talk or write in the usual manner. Since Nolan lacks the use of his hands, this book like Dam-Burst of Dreams, the book of poems that preceded it, was written by means of a typing stick affixed to his head. The book succeeds both as pure artistry and as a window into the world of the disabled. Nolan has re-named himself Joseph Meehan and told his story entirely in the objectivity of the third person. This brilliant stroke allows him to avoid excessive self-pity while making his sufferings and triumphs real and deep. Nolan's use of language had earned him comparisons with James Joyce, Yeats, and Dylan Thomas. Nolan stretches the meanings and implications of words, rearranges their spelling, and even invents new ones to communicate his moods and perceptions and illuminate life, his own and those he observes, with his unique poet's sensibility.



4. Christopher Nolan's "Under The Eye Of The Clock" is an autobiographical account of his incredibly awe-inspiring and miraculous life. Born a cripple, he could have been consigned to the rubbish heap but instead and against all odds became a celebrated writer of this Whitbread Book winner, "The Banyan Tree" as well as an early book of poems. Without taking anything away from Joseph Meehan (a self portrait of Nolan), he couldn't have overcome his debilitating handicaps to scale the heights he did without the steady support and tender loving care of his family. A father, mother and sister who are such warm and emotionally intelligent human beings anybody would be blessed and proud to have them as family. The school principals, teachers and fellow students who accepted him, nurtured him and gave him the chance to prove himself equal to the best among physically whole human specimens are themselves shining examples of humanity who deserve as much recognition in Nolan's lifestory. Although it has been compared with James Joyce's "Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man", it is in reality nothing like it. Whereas Joyce's work is for the most part depressing and full of pain and harshness, Nolan's story is so morally uplifting you almost forget its grave subject matter. Nolan's dazzling and inventive writing style is also unique and something to relish. He coins and mints new words which have a yet found a conventional meaning but are so emotionally accurate you know they're right. Read this if you're feeling down and need something to restore your faith in mankind !



5. I found my way to this book after I had read "The Banyan Tree" by Christopher Nolan. This was a book that I read and reviewed back in February, and ever since I have been mystified why the book never seemed to gain the wide acceptance of readers. All of the reviews that have been posted by readers for "The Banyan Tree" have been 5 star reviews, and the same is the case for "Under The Eye Of The Clock".

   If you read you understand how difficult it is to write anything, much less a full book, and then have it selected for and win a prestigious award. In the case of the book I review now it was the 1987 Whitbred Award that was awarded to Mr. Nolan. All very impressive, but that's just the start.

   This is an autobiography written by a very young man who next wrote the book "The Banyan Tree" and would take 12 years to do so. This is a painfully candid, but uplifting book about a man with the support of a wonderful Family overcomes extreme realities that are his life to become an Author of international renown.

   Mr. Nolan cannot speak, he can barely move at all. He types with what he calls his "Unicorn Stick" that he wears on his head, and even then his head must be supported while he works.

   An Autobiography is a courageous work if honestly presented. When you add Mr. Nolan's additional challenges he faces as a writer, and as a person living with his physical issues it becomes an extraordinary autobiographical book.

   I hope more readers find Mr. Nolan, he is a unique writer of immense talent, and if you pass by his work you deprive yourself of great literature.

5 comments about The House on Beartown Road: A Memoir of Learning and Forgetting.

1. I found "The House on Beartown Road" shelved in our local library (Pound Ridge, NY) under Mental Health/Alzheimer's. I don't know who decides these things, but this wonderful memoir ought to be prominently placed along with other contemporary memoirs. Elizabeth Cohen is a fine writer and she deserves recognition for this generous tribute to her 80-year-old father, Sandy, to her daughter -- one year old Ava, and to new-found neighbors on Beartown Road and to friends in the Binghamton, NY, community. Sandy and Ava of these are at opposite ends of the verbal spectrum, one forgetting language and the other learning. Elizabeth Cohen herself is there in the middle, somehow trying to work full time as a reporter, managing day care for the two people who depend on her, figuring out how to survive the winter in one of the nation's true snow-belts, and keeping her own sanity as a harrassed single mother.My own mother is 97 with Alzheimer's and I have a one-year old granddaughter, so this book is close to the bone in many ways. I tell everybody about it. I use it in the memoir course I teach. I want to keep it to survive as a classic memoir and as a year-long account by an un-self-pitying caregiver. Elinore Standard Pound Ridge, NY



2. Few books have brought me to tears. This one did. The author writes in a matter-of-fact way about the heart-wrenching disease of Alheimer's, its impact to her life, and the lives of those around her. I didn't want the book to end. It is a quick read. Great book.



3. What a wonderful book. I have noticed that many who review this book are intimately involved in Alzheimers, be they professional or private care-givers. I don't have anyone in my immediate family with Alzheimers, but I read this as a potential gift to a friend who does. I am grateful that I was motivated to read this lovely, loving account of a disease and the way if effects those who are near it. The author and her family serve as reminders that love comes in all forms, and may be asked of you at the most inconvient moments. Don't wait until you have Alzheimers in your family to read this book. So much gentle learning to be done, so much joy to be given, so many miles we go, travellers through life.



4. In September 2004's Australian Reader's Digest, the story "The Unlikely Gift" had me in tears. It moved me so much that I searched out and ordered the book it was taken from - "The House on Beartown Road". I had been mourning the
   death of a favourite and much loved friend who died from the ravages of a similar brain disease (vascular dementia). Although her body died recently, the soul and the entity that I loved which made her who she was, was taken from me many years ago when the diagnosis was made and the slow but inevitable slide began.
   
   My friend Kath, whom I met in 1980, taught me joy and sharing, she took me into her family as if I was one of her own. As I am of a different background, she taught me to enjoy roast dinners and chocolate ripple cakes. She was a favourite auntie, a surrogate mother and most of all, a best friend. In the later years, I have been unable to be in her presence,
   as I couldn't reconcile the angry, violent person as being the same caring friend I had known. She was diagnosed in her 60's which is much too early and didn't allow her to enjoy her twilight years with those she loved and who loved her.
   
   Elizabeth Cohen's book is a beautiful and simply told homage to the reality of family life and in my opinion, a must read.



5. The author writes of her father's decent into Alzheimer's Disease (being more
   and more child like in his progression of the disease and her young son growing up from a toddler to young boyhood..the opposite ends of the spectrum. A very moving book. I may reread this one.