5 comments about Where is the Mango Princess?.

1. I found this account of a severe brain injury and the bumpy road to recovery very moving. I ask will there be more to Cathy and her husband's experiences
   written as a memoir at some later date? Maybe not this book was published in September 2000. Worth the read!



2. I read this book in four nights, right before bed. I tore through it like no other memoir before. This book, for me, was like reading my own parents' memoir. My father suffered a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) when I was four/five years old. Of course, so much of what was available to the author's husband was simply not around 45 years ago. I understand so much more why my father acted the way he did for the remaining 16 years of his life. This book is powerful. It is honest, raw, intense, lighthearted at times, funny, sad, well written and easy to read (though the subject matter is quite painful at times)... an all around excellent book. I am so glad that I read it, and plan to keep this one.



3. We read this book for book club and we all loved it. Only now I understand what my cousin and his family have gone through after he had an bicycle accident and was in a coma for three days. The writer clearly describes the pain and anguish she and her daughter went through. I admire her absolute commitment to her husband and getting him back on his feet and back to a "regular" life. This is a great and informational book to read for everybody who comes into contact with a person with brain injury.



4. An honest telling of head injury and what family will experience.
   
   I was shocked at what her daughter, Kelly, was exposed to - I have since read that the author now regrets this. Rehab is NO PLACE for children - or an endless stream of friends. I am sad that her husband's privacy was taken away in order to project 'normalcy' or the authors belief in emotional honesty. She should have protected her husband and her daughter. THIS is the time when you close the door to the world outside and tend to your family - as best you can.
   
   I feel for the author. How quickly the nurses/non-doctors put forth a 'professional opinion' about brain injury. As I often say: Everybody wants to be a doctor, nobody want to go to medical school. You have to see brain injury over a long span of time, which is years and decades. A nurse who sees them admitted and discharged knows next to nothing, unless personally affected.
   
   The beginning of the story was confusing to me because the marriage had so little intimacy. The parents were 2 ships in the night and then they had a child. This little girl was utterly alone through a waking nightmare. I hope she finds the support that she will need as she grows up.
   
   Eventually, the author acknowledges her lack of connection to husband and child and explains herself in a way that is somewhat satisfying.
   
   I appreciate her honesty in the discussion on disinhibition. You can count on it happening and it's real hard to explain to people - especially when you have to.
   
   Worth reading, though disturbing in ways the author may not have intended.



5. Crimmon's book was heart-wrenching to read. The story of her husband's TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and the after effects of it on her life, his life and their daughter have to be read to be understood. I can't do it justice. She keeps a good sense of humor throughout the book but there is certainly an underlying cynical and bitter tone throughout. Not that I can blame her. It's real. It's life and a it ain't pretty. Personally, after reading this I literally wanted to make all my loved ones wear helmets each day after reading about the hell that TBI can put a family through.

5 comments about Riding the Bus with My Sister: A True Life Journey.

1. and on and on and on..............a shorter memoir maybe I could have, maybe, plodded through without so much difficulty.



2. This book isn't for everyone, but anyone who lives with a mildy retarded family member will see this book as an eye-opening and touching memoir of the highs and lows of living and coping and dealing with a person such as Beth, the author's sister, with whom she agrees to ride the city buses with over the course of a year.
   
   The chapters are beautifully interweaved with flashbacks to the author's childhood with Beth, who is 18 months younger than the author. The parents' coping with Beth, and how the rest of the family deals with this headstrong and independent girl without once ever mentioning the words "mild retardation" and yet determined to keep together as a family in the early 1960s bring this book to life for many Babyboomers. Rachel did a lot of research on the subject to write for this book, and inserts statistics at logical moments without ever tiring the reader.
   
   Along with the encounters on the bus are small vignettes of the various and varied drivers who deal with Beth on a daily basis. Bus drivers are profiled coming from all aspects of society. Some like Beth, others do not, and many came forward to talk about Beth and her incessant chats while sitting in the front of crowded buses with strangers all around her. Bus drivers are her friends, are her mentors, are her romantic interests and Beth at times reminds us of our girlish teenage crushes...and she is 39 years old while the story takes place.
   
   Although this book mostly deals with Beth and her daily bus rides around town, the author also talks about her own failings; her recent break-up, her move to a new apartment, and we see how dealing with Beth, and talking with bus drivers, help Rachel find the answers for her own troubles.
   
   This book may not be for everyone. One must have a close experience with a person such as Beth to understand the many detailed and sometimes long-drawn-out episodes of city bus travel to truly appreciate this book. Beth is beautifully portrayed in this book, and with all her flaws and handicaps we can see a bit our ourselves through her daily bus journeys.
   
   Read this book with patience and understanding for the mildy retarded people in our society. We all know and have dealt with our own Cools Beths.



3. I found this book to be very interesting and moving. It has really made a mark on my heart. I have a special needs child who unlike "Cool Beth" is not treated differently by many, yet sees some of the same prejudices. It was nice to read a book that shows how a person can live on their own and have the same things that so called "normal" people can. I appreciated that Beth knew right from wrong and is not afraid to express that to the world around her. We can all learn from that. The annoyance that Rachel gets from Beth is such a tough feeling for a sibling/parent, but a genuine one and written with such truth. This will not be enjoyed by all, but all can learn from it.



4. This is not a book I would have chosen, but I read it for my book club and was pleasantly surprised. When I saw an endorsement from Rosie O'Donnell on the front cover of this book, I was expecting something more sentimental, along the lines of a Lifetime Channel movie, to lie within the pages. Instead, I found a powerful tribute to people on society's fringe and a meaningfully insightful story.
   
   The story centers around a workaholic writer/teacher, Rachel Simon, who runs out of ideas for her newspaper work and decides to spend a year shadowing her mildly mentally retarded sister, Beth. Beth has chucked working and living in a group home for a hedonistic life in her own apartment, filling her days happily riding the city's busses. Simon takes what could be a boring or sappy story and makes something marvelous out of Beth's mundane, repetitive life by her keen observation and analysis of the details of this routine. She does an excellent job of looking at life through Beth's eyes and of showing how the mentally challenged are at times similar to the rest of us and yet at other times vastly different and difficult to comprehend.
   
   Naturally Beth's efforts to live independently in the manner she desires create enormous frustration for her family and even the professionals involved in her "case." How to help someone in Beth's situation is complicated. How much help can family and professionals give versus how much help should they give? How many decisions can she safely, competently make on her own? Simon shows us that there are no easy answers, as she attempts to establish her own place in her sister's life.
   
   The book is beautifully written, hard to put down, and filled with insights and wisdom that would make Irma Bombeck proud. The author was surprised at how much she learned from Beth's limitations and her world, and you will be too.



5. This book is an engaging, fast read. I was especially interested in Rachel Simon's flashbacks. We learn what caused her mental retardation, we see her experiences and Rachel's, we also suffer with the children as mom continues in a downward spiral. All of these flashbacks, distinguished by italic font, are worthy of a book all their own.
   
   Beth Simon is hard to like. She is loud, immature, unhygenic, and self-centered. She is also capable of holding down a job- she just chooses not to. What makes it worse is that she tells her fellow passengers that she doesn't work because she doesn't want to- always reminding them of her disability check. What type of endurance would you need, if you were riding the bus with Beth, heading to your job? Many people can't handle it. And Beth is oblivious to the reasons why people dislike her- she's a capable woman who won't better herself.
   
   In Rachel's relationship with Beth, the story is not sugar-coated. Rachel gets very annoyed with Beth: ' Damn it Beth, shut up! my dark voice erupts. Look at you- same expression, same seat, same stupefying conversation.
   and
   "When I started riding the buses, I remember, I thought of the people who didn't like Beth as insensitive and narrow-minded. Now I find myself more sympathetic to their point of view. Yes, some of them are coarse and offensively vocal. But she is so loud. And she talks all the time. About nothing. I know many of us babble on about nothing, too, but she does it over and over and over- and over and over and over- and it's really eroding the limits of my endurance. Dad used to tell us he came to dread their car rides to work for precisely the same reasons. That was twenty years ago."
   
   However, Rachel's interaction with every bus driver are so profound. She always seems to be learning something from them. And it's always about how they changed their philosophies so they could lead happier lives. Ugh, it was too corny and simplistic for me!
   
   Further, I was uninterested in how Rachel changed in relations to men and other people. I only wanted to see her relationship with Beth. Yes, Rachel Simon gives Beth and the bus rides credit for changing her life- but I really have no desire to know anything else about Rachel Simon in the late 90s (when the story takes place). Tell me more about Beth, including more altercations with drives and passengers, more about her obsessions with the drivers, more about her self-centered domination of every bus ride.
   
   " Beth is ignoring the parade of costumes in the street and gazing adoringly at Cliff- and with a jolt, I know what scares me.
   It's not just the same old crush with a new face, or the same olf song with the same wrong words. It's not just the pattern she doesn't see, or care about, and therefore cannot or will not change.
   It's that Beth seems to need a cataclysmic event for her to change in any way- an event like our mother's complete abdication of her responsibility to protect her own child, Juanita's rejection, or Rodolpho's abandonment. This seems true whether she's being called upon to develop resorucefulness, assertiveness, or just basic self-restraint. I look at her and feel a clutch in my throat. What will it take now?
   Is this all there will ever be to her life? "

2 comments about Change in the Weather: Life After Stroke.

1. I found Mark's book very informative. I am living with a father that had a stroke last year and it was interesting to compare the stroke and recovery process. The major differences between the stories is that my father is 81 and I found him within five minutes of the stroke so he was able to benefit from the clot busting medication. Many of the rehab exercises for my father are similar to Mark's. Until I read this book I had not been able to get this information from someone that had experienced stroke or was caregiver for a stroke patient. All too often when I spoke to someone that had a loved one suffer a stroke their story usually ended with a death shortly after the stroke. I'm thankful I found him so quickly and that he survived the clot busting medicine. They let you know when you sign the consent that your loved one might not survive it. That is an awesome responsibility for anyone. I've encouraged everyone I know to talk to their loved ones so they will know how you feel should they every have to make that decision for you.



2. 
   
   MarkMcEwen has written an excellent book for those who have had a stroke or are caring for someone who has had one. His positive message is one of hope for all.

5 comments about Let Me Hear Your Voice: A Family's Triumph over Autism.

1. THIS IS THE SECOND BOOK I READ AFTER MY GRANDSON WAS DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM. IT IS EXTREMELY WELL WRITTEN AND FILLED WITH INFORMATION ALL PARENTS/FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF A NEWLY DIAGNOSED AUTISTIC CHILD SHOULD KNOW. IT WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH A NEW SENSE OF HOPE AND DIRECTION TO FINDING AND PROVIDING THE BEST INTERVENTIONS/TREATMENTS TO RECOVER YOUR CHILD FROM AUTISM. I HIGHLY RECCOMMEND IT!



2. I know aba does wonders for some forms of autism and I know this book has been a big part of getting the word out.
   Like the author I have three kids though my son's autism was present from birth. One theme that is a huge issue for many families and was absent from the book: lack of resources. We are a middle class family with one car living in a fixer-upper and debt.And compared to many we do very well. Her senario of having a nanny and paying out of pocket for lots of therapy are way way beyond our means. Our insurance does not cover any therapy and they run at $140 per hour. Anytime I work with my son I have to find & pay someone to watch my twin toddlers. This runs steep pretty fast and her descriptions of traveling, affording 20+ hours a week of kid therapy, seeing scores of doctors (a one-time evaluation by a neurologist costs 5 thousand dollars in our city) and having time for her own self and nannies just left me marveling. Most families affected by autism do struggle enourmously financially and logistically from day to day. And most kids are not as responsive as her kids were to the therapy.
   I am very happy for her success and glad she is spreading the word on ABA but I think she misses how most families have to struggle with the basics .



3. Exceptional book. Not just for those with autistic family members. A must read.



4. the most honest look at her story and the trials and tribulations that came with it. EXCELLENT READ



5. Maurice enlightens the mind to the real world. The struggles that her family endured to help their children and the future of autism on research development. She writes this from the time when blame was placed upon the mother. She tells how she dealt with her emotions of that blame. This is an excellent book for a parent of a child with autism or an educator alike.

5 comments about Eleven Seconds: A Story of Tragedy, Courage & Triumph.

1. On Oct. 20, 1995, two of my friends and I gleefully took our seats in Walter Brown arena. We'd saved up the money to purchase season tickets (huge money for undergraduates), and couldn't wait to see the triple crown banner be raised. The beginning of the night was all of the heartpounding celebration it could be.
   
   And then only a short time later, that all changed--That night of joy became one of profound sadness as we watched a (then) unknown freshman player fall to the ice, motionless. It was the first and only time I've personally witnessed someone injured so severely.
   
   Since that night, I've kept up from time to time to see what Travis is doing, how he's doing, and am constantly amazed at how he's fighting. He is an inspiration, and his book should be on anyone's reading list.



2. In Eleven Seconds, a story about a young man at the age of twenty-one living life and one event happens to change it all. Playing in his first collegiate game of hockey, Travis Roy crashed the corner after a dump in, tripped, fell, and broke his fourth vertebrae and becomes paralyzed from his neck down. This single event changes the way he and his family act towards each other. The story goes through his amazing recovery and the heart and determination he had. The author portrays Travis Roy as a hero to those that are in deep pain or trouble. He accomplishes this by showing the good and bad times in his recovery stages. After a few months at the hospital, Travis Roy wants to get back into the world and show that this freak accident will not keep him down. He returns to college and tries to become a normal student, but this is impossible because he has become a well-known person due to the accident. The grit and determination of Mr. Roy and his family members through the hard times to get to a level of peace and acceptance of what has happend is amazing. This story makes you, the reader, feel that you just need to make the best of the hand that is dealt and that if anything goes wrong you just have to deal with it and make the best of the situation. Eleven Seconds is a great book and should be read by all.



3. Initially I was drawn to this book because it involved my passion, hockey. But Travis' story moved me deeply. Once I started reading this book I could not put it down. I was really interested in the affect his accident would have on his relationship with his girlfriend and I was rooting for them to stay together. I'll be honest I'm pretty bummed things didn't work out between them. But this was a great story of a very inspirational person. It truly made me want to make a contribution to his foundation which I plan on doing. I would recommend this book to anyone not just fans of hockey. Good Luck in the future Trav!



4. I read this book in two days! Travis Roy is an incredible person who has lived through a tragic experience. I applaud him for setting up a foundation to help other people with spinal cord injuries. As a teacher, I would love to have him speak at my school!



5. Travis Roy is an inspirational man, he tells everyone about the emotional state that he was through during the whole entire situation. He created a foundation that didn't just help him but helped others with the same situation. Before reading this I didn't know the process of paralysis victims, but after I was fully aware of what paralysis victims went through emotionally and physically.
   
   It is a great story for people that don't even really like hockey because any person could get paralyzed any given day. So after reading this story it made me aware of how a single mans pain can express the words of thousands.
   
   The reason why I recommend this book is because it is the story of a man that enjoyed everyday life before being paralyzed, then after 11 seconds of hockey his life completely changed, but he fought through the pain and lived everyday to the fullest and always kept his mind looking positively. He wants to walk again and keeps thinking that he can, one thing that could possibly just keep him going everyday.
   
   So this is a must read for everyone, I strongly recommend it because it makes people explicitly aware of what paralyzed people go through. After reading the book it will make you look at people in wheelchairs differently. If you do choose to read this book, enjoy it and keep in mind that Travis Roy is much luckier than many.

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 Road Map to Holland: How I Found My Way Through My Son's First Two Years With Down Syndrome.

1. The book arrived and I read it in less than twenty-four hours and that was on a busy weekend of attending Paralympic events. I have been trying to decide what to write...other than "read this now if you are a mom". Sure, it is a book written by a mom of a special needs child, but her words resonate with all moms. Words of reality...words of frustration...words of love...read them.
   
   I keep thinking perhaps it is because of time spent in NICU with our oldest son...or the special needs diagnoses times three of our younger sons which my husband and I have faced that drew me into this book. No. It is Jennifer's honest words about the moments of fear and uncertainty of motherhood.
   
   If you are a mom, read "Road Map To Holland". If you are a mom of a special needs child...or perhaps like me, of several special needs children...read "Road Map To Holland". If there exists a writer able to more fluidly weave words...I've never read her work.
   
   Thank you, Jennifer, for sympathizing with and understanding me. You have indeed shared your spirit, and that is a beautiful gift.
   
   Note...For parents of children with Down Syndrome, the book's appendix offers a plethora of resources, additional reading titles and a glossary of terminology.



2. I couldn't put this book down.
   
   The author writes about her experience with premature delivery of twins, one of whom is diagnosed with Down syndrome, and the first two years of their life.
   
   This isn't just a story of a mom having to come to terms with that trip to Holland, but an honest mom's story--of balancing the arrival of twins with her preschooler, the affect that her situation had on friendships--both good and bad, her marriage, and her perception of herself as a woman.
   
   This is an excellent book--honest without being morose, uplifting without coming across as saccharine-sweet. A must read for all moms.



3. This book is wonderful! As a new mom with a son with DS, I cannot express how accurate this book depicts the wide range of emotions, confusion, feelings of being lost and guilt, and most of all love we all feel for our children. This book should be handed out in the hospital before you leave with your child. It would help to ease so much fear and help you understand, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! I was in tears so many times through out this book and remember thinking, "YES, that is exactly how I feel/felt!"....HIGHLY recommend to anyone and everyone! If you don't understand DS, read this and educate yourself!! Great book!



4. In ROAD MAP TO HOLLAND Jennifer Graf Groneberg reveals a lifetime of lessons learned in a very short time-span. Her message of hope resonates with the joy of her ultimate discovery that one of the greatest gifts she can give her children is to simply teach them how to love. Read this book, read Jennifer's blog, and join in a celebration of a unique family with a mom-writer at the helm who's gracious and generous enough to invite us all along on her ongoing journey of discovery.



5. This book took my breath away with its factual, emotional, and honest capturing of the journey through the birth, diagnosis, and early growth of a child with Down syndrome. Groneberg clearly displays the confusion, guilt, exhaustion, fear, and (later) unparalleled joy that the news, 'Your baby has Down syndrome' brings. I hope that all new parents of babies with DS will read this book and find validation, encouragement, and most of all hope as they walk through the initial maze of doctors' offices, therapy appointments and stacks of insurance papers. Groneberg rightly emphasizes that the delights and treasures brought to their family by their son with DS makes it all worth it.
   
   I think this book should be the first thing a parent receives from the hospital, along with the diagnosis of Down syndrome. If it were, so many new parents would be spared some of the misconceptions, confusion, and fear that often accompanies the initial diagnosis. If you are a doctor, family member, or therapist in contact with new parents of babies with DS, please consider giving them this book. It will do them a world of good.

5 comments about The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal.

1. I rarely have any time for reading, but I made the time for this book. I finished it last night around 3:00 am. Jonathan Mooney is honest and insightful and isn't afraid to set aside his perspective in order to uncover the capacities and beauty and communal connection of others. Ok, now that I have waxed philosophical, let me say that I have a child who has Down Syndrome and this book made me a better parent, not necessarily because of my child's "disability", but because I now have a better understanding of every person's right to a place in my community, in your community all over the world, every person. After reading this book it will be harder for anyone to justify extreme prejudice or segregation, which is more alive and well in our country and any of us would care to admit. Thank You Jonathan.



2. This author came to speak to my son's class in Oakland. My son came home raving about Jonathan and how he "really really gets it." I ordered this book and could not put it down. As a parent of twins with LD, I can tell you, he really, really gets it. My sons have had the same type of classes/teachers described in the book, and yes, they are out there and they do exist. I know,let's blame the parents for abdicating responsiblity and basically being the problem. All parents of special needs kids have heard the same responses from the employees of the public system. The system "sucks" and we/they continue to deny it. I plan on giving this book to all my friends for Christmas. Read it. Even if this is not your kid, I can attest to the fact that there are millions of these "lost kids" out there with no heroes out there to rescue them.



3. What a must-read for all of us! And I do mean all of us. In The Short Bus, Jonathan Mooney travels far outside his own experience and across America to discover for himself (and us) what it means to experience life in America if one is not "normal." His journey and the conclusions he draws from it provide profound contributions to America's self view as a society and culture. It offers a much needed look in the mirror.
   The short bus for Jon, and for all students labeled LD, symbolizes the well intentioned but nonetheless painful humiliation administered daily to the children relegated to it. Our children were labeled and then separated from their peers and their classroom because they didn't fit or belong in the classroom with the "normal" kids. Hoping to rediscover and heal from the pain inflicted by these experiences, Jon tours some of America's other labeled individuals: a deaf and blind student who curses her teachers in sign language, an eccentric man with Aspergers who creates his own community connections in remarkable ways, and a young woman with Down Syndrome who is so unforgettable, her story continues to both haunt and comfort me long after putting the book down. With each individual, Jon explores his own feelings of wariness, prejudice and confusion that most of us experience but rarely admit when we confront folks who are clearly "not normal" or "disabled." He comes to know each of them, overcoming his feelings and soon understands their incredible gifts and how important they are to us as a community. We see, as he sees, the important and precious place each holds in the fabric of society. As we become increasingly engaged with our new acquaintances and learn to appreciate them in inimitable ways, we begin to cry out against "the tyranny of normalcy" because we discover how thoroughly the notion of "normalcy" threatens the heart of humanity.
   It is a coming of age story, to be sure, but The Short Bus is far more important and much bigger than a personal journey. In addition, Jon's research and analysis provide us with a historical, medical and sociological context for the labels assigned to each of the marvelous individuals we meet on the short bus. Jon's voice is always honest and questioning, his insight intelligent and boundless, and of course, the book, like the author, is rich in humor.
   The Short Bus is ultimately a celebration of life, providing a roadmap to empowerment and a deep appreciation for diversity, underscoring society's need to do so. It's an honest, painful, humorous and always engaging journey, and it's well worth the ride.



4. I didn't ride the short bus; I came from a previous generation. However, Jonathan's experience rang true. I didn't hear any false notes. Getting my doctorate didn't take away the scars from the educational system. But I came from a different era. That's why I couldn't believe my eyes when I read the one negative review posted by J O'neil.
   
   Certain words have an emotional impact and are only said to hurt. To publically shame a LD person for mispelling something is familiar and one of the most abusive things we can experience. It's a not-so-sublte way in our culture to win an agrument or to announce to the world that you think someone is stupid. Spelling is a gift that many LD people don't have, even though we possess many marvelous gifts. Yet O'Neil, a principal of a LD program no-less, did this. What is most disturbing is that this person seems blind to the irony. There are good teachers who fight this sick system, where these attitudes are tolerated. Thanks to J O'neil, the problem is all there in a paragraph--everything that Jonathan articulated. As I said, I found his insights about school true and I thank him for expanding the conversation.
   
   Jonathan also takes on the issue of "normal," something that gets kicked around loosely but seldom discussed in depth. His reflections allowed me to look beyond myself, again, to the bigger question of how we all fit in this larger community. He does this in a way that's both fair and sensitive. Thanks.



5. I thought this book was going to offer some hope and practical wisdom.
   Rather, its a chronicle of the author's search for validation that offers no real insight into how one can deal with ADD (unless railing against norms helps.) Though the heart of his "success" story is to have graduated from Brown, he does not actually seem to have overcome anything to do so - its just another adventure on his way to who knows where. He's a likeable character and the stories of his trip across country are amusing enough. But I was pretty sick of his obsessive musings about his girlfriend and seriously worried about the families that reached out to him for advice and encouragement for their own "beyond normal" children. He was admittedly not equipped for either, other than to say: I was once a "tard" on the short bus but now I'm here!! I wish him all the best anyway.

5 comments about Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence.

1. Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence is a life story that makes demands on the reader not unlike a yoga or rehabilitation stretch. Just when you think that it is too much to bear, there is a moment of breakthrough, of grace, that makes it possible to perverere. I devoured this book in less than a day because of its style and conviction--and because the therapeutic presence of Matthew Sanford on the page is palpable. Waking will resonate with readers who have sustained a physical loss, who have been traumatized, and/or who are open to the possibility of a different type of healing. I also believe it could help health care workers understand from the inside-out what it is like to live in a body altered by the unexpected. I found this book by accident while googling the phrase "trauma and transcendence." The subtitle precisely sums up the book's theme. My only complaint is its brevity (241 pages). It could have easily been double that length, sharing greater details of Sanford's life with paralysis and the yoga practice that echoes his own deep well of wisdom and courage.



2. Incredible story. So sad and yet the dominant feeling is truly one of transcendence and the inner strength of Matt and his family. It certainly puts life in perspective and insires us to focus on the wholeness of our lives as he does, not what we sometimes perceive as lacking. It's a quick read and one that every yoga student should read.



3. I have read this book now three times over. It is one of the best books I have ever read. It is one of those books that makes you stop and take a look at your life and make changes. The book is extremely well written. The way Matt tells his tragic story and adds his insight makes you admire him greatly. The way he worries about his family in the midst of his own tragedy makes you fall in love with him. The way the story turns out and the way he lives his life presently makes you want to meet him and tell him how much his story has touched you.



4. This memoir was a very fast read for me. I got very interested in the many directions that the authors life went. It awakened something in me as well. I will look up the authors website..to learn even more. This memoir was also very touching.



5. Matt Sanford is my hero!!! He has tremendous courage and wisdom despite being dealt some really tough blows in his young life. Somehow, he has managed through a lot of hard work to use what he's learned and share it through words that speak volumes to me about what's really important in life. I read a ton of books; this one is in my top 5 book ever. It made me cringe, wince, laugh, remember, cry, hurt, and most of all cherish my life in a deeper way than I ever knew possible.
   
   Even if you think that you don't want to read anything that would make you "hurt or wince", this is one of those books that also reminds us to appreciate our connection both to our inner selves and others.
   
   Thank you Matt. . . you're too awesome for words!

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