No comments about I Am Not Afraid.

5 comments about Out of the Black Hole: The Patient's Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression.

1. Three months ago, Charles and I started a business relationship to help him promote the issue of Vagus Nerve Stimulation to medical and depression blogs, and to help me better understand the treatment, he gave me a copy of the book to read.
   
   I haven't written a book review for a client before, but the difference between the Charles depicted in the book and the Charles of today is nothing short of miraculous. I would never have believed that the man I speak to weekly was a sufferer of depression, much less someone who went through a major episode that lasted years.
   
   The book is well-written - it approaches the subject matter with a dry with and a self-effacing manner, but also an urgent call for those not suffering to understand what their loved ones are going through.
   
   The end of the book is filled with appendices that give a lot of information for readers to follow up with, and Charles of course is working on adding as much information as he can to his website. If you are interested in the Vagus implant, I would highly suggest this book.



2. Mr. Donovan articulated wonderfully and insightfully what all depression sufferers are only able to barely explain or even share. This is a story that marries a very personal subject, with this new FDA approved treatment. Buy his book and don't leave home with out it.



3. I am a candidate for VNS and am pursuing the surgery avidly.
   
   The good thing about the book is it collects a lot of information that a person could find on his/her own and puts into a "handbook" format.
   
   For example, I did a lot of research on VNS prior to reading this book and only in Mr. Donovan's book did I learn that the battery needs surgical replacement after a period of time.
   
   I think it is an excellent resource for amyone who has drug resistant depression.
   
   As more information about the efficacy of VNS for depression becomes available, I hope Mr. Donovan will update his book.
   
   Clearly, VNS as an adjunct treatment for major depression is in its infancy. It is very new and there may be contraindications that will not appear for years post implant.
   
   So I hope that Mr. Donovan will continue to publish more material as more material becomes available.
   
   He writes for the average person like me; in other words, you do not have to be a vascular surgeon or psychiatrist to benefit from this book.
   
   Mr. Donovan's story is on the current DVD that Cybertronics produced for individuals considering VNS.
   
   His story was very well told and gave me a ray of hope that I might benefit from VNS given that my HMO will underwrite the expenses of this procedure.
   
   VNS is not an inexpensive treatment; therefore, some people may be turned down again and again.
   
   The good thing is a VNS nurse case manager arbitrates and advocates for the individual who is a candidate for VNS.
   
   My advice to anyone considering this surgery is to read this book, participate in the bi monthly teleconferences and request the information from Cybertronics.



4. People with treatment-resistant depression need to explore all their options. _Out of the Black Hole_ presents one of those options in a way laypeople can understand. Charles E. Donovan's story will be familiar to many people who have suffered from chronic depression. It can also help the friends and families of people with depression to better understand the illness. No one should have to struggle with an illness that can be treated, even if the treatment might seem extreme. There is nothing in this world that compares to the feeling of lifting depression after decades of suffering. Whatever it takes to achieve that relief is worth the time, effort, money and risk. I hope VNS will become a more common treatment option for those who can't be pulled out of the pit by other means. Thank you for writing this book.



5. I bought this book when my psychiatrist suggested this implant 2.5 years ago. I was reluctant, as usual because nothing up to that point had worked. I was diagnosed with Major Depression when I was 17. I am now 38. My depression is now classified as refractive or treatment resistant. So, after reading this bright shiny missive, I HAD SO MUCH HOPE. I agreed to the procedure, the insurance agreed, etc. 2 years post op, with the stimulator on full blast, I have been suicidal for the past six months, and am back on multiple medications at high doses, my doctor telling me to consider ECT...my absolute last resort. My doctor reports than none of her patients have received benefit from this device, with one actually returning to the surgeon that implanted it to have it removed. She was told they could only remove half of it. Mr. Donovan's account seems, in hindsight, not objective, and unrealistically positive. But then, at that point in my life I was desperately grasping at any tiny piece of hope that I could find, and there was limited personal accounts of this procedure and device out there. I find myself at that point once again. Desparate. I only know the story he put in the book, and if it is true ( in light of all of the fictional biographies ala James Frey)and this device was a miracle for him, then blessings to him. I'm just wondering where that leaves the rest of us stuck with this hunk of metal implanted in our chests that DO NOT WORK. Still grasping...
   I would suggest that if a psychiatrists suggests this procedure to anyone, if you read this book, read it with a huge grain of salt beside you. And research the hell out of it and ALL possible alternatives, such as Eastern Medicine. Be informed and be objective, as much as one can be in "the black hole" of depression. At least the "Black Hole" part in the title was accurate.

5 comments about The Question of David: A Disabled Mother's Journey Through Adoption, Family, and Life.

1. The Question of David should be required reading for all adoptive and prospective adoptive parents. Their disabilities notwithstanding, the Jacobsons took on a huge responsibility with unlimited risk by adopting a child thought to have disabilities of his own. I laughed and cried and ached all through the story. As an adoptive parent of a child with ADHD, I found Denise's struggle with day-to-day issues an inspiration. How does she do it? Cheers to the Jacobson's and to David!



2. This book is a touching look at motherhood and all of its challenges. As a first time mother, I related to the same feelings of inadequacy, doubt, hope and elation that Denise so poignantly describes. My hat goes off to the Jacobsons who share their aspirations and who serve as an inspiration for all parents and parents to be whether they are disabled or not.



3. Denise made me both laugh and cry - somethimes at the same time. This is a WONDERFUL book about determination, ingenuity and grit all combined with a non-stop sense of humor. Denise shows us how it is possible for people with severe disabilities to thrive dispite society's limiting attitudes. I loved the book.



4. I think this is one of the best books I have ever read. The author does a great job of taking you into her world. This is a must read for anyone with a disability who has ever been told they cannot do something. Also a must read for those without disabilities to see that the abilities of people with disabilities are limitless. I look forward to future books by this talented author.



5. This was a very heartwarming story. Reading this book gave me insight to Denise. It's truly amazing everything her and Neil went through to adopt David. I thought it would be an "OK" book, but I was wrong. It was fantastic. I couldn't put it down. I reccomend this book for everyone, as everyone will find something in it to relate too.

1 comments about Breathless.

1. I loved Desalvo's Crazy in the Kitchen and was very eager to read this book, as both my sons have asthma. However, I found this read extremely irritating. Of course, one can only write from one's own perspective, but Desalvo's perspective on asthma is so very different than that of so many asthma sufferers, young children. She seems overly involved in her own illness, and fascinated by her own symptoms, which do not seem terribly severe to me. Mainly, however, I was annoyed by her view of asthma as a illness caused by emotional trauma---a view that has long been discredited. Certainly it's a more interesting topic to write about than it would be to attribute asthma to traditional medical causes, and it allows her to explore asthma in literature, but it also reminds me of those bashing "refrigerator mothers" for autism. I think her asthma could be quite easily explained in part by living near NYC and driving through polluted air each day, and working in a closed building near smokers.
   
   I think this book should be seen as a survey of asthmatics in literature, and not in any way as a depiction and explanation of asthma as a disease.

5 comments about A Whole New Life: An Illness and a Healing (Scribner Classics).

1. A very honest emotional description of experiences while dealing with a cancer, a surgery, radiation, learning how to live with pain as a companion, learning how to live as a "gimp"--word used by the author, and many other superbly described experiences. Just the right touch, just the right doze. Very subtle and lithe. Joy to read.



2. 
   This is a book about severe illness and recovery. It is a true story of hope and healing told without self-pity. Price writes of being faced with a diagnosis of severe cancer of the spine. "Some vital impulse spared me needing to reiterate the world's most frequent and pointless question in the face of disaster - Why? Why me? I never asked it; the only answer is of course: Why not?"
   
   In the same candid, sometimes funny, yet always affecting words, the popular and prolific author tells of his battle with disease. First struck down in 1984, he suffered through surgery, days of agonizing pain and was eventually confined to a wheelchair, unable to function professionally or personally.
   
   He later sought treatment with a hypnotist at Duke University's psychiatric department with beneficial results. Throughout, Price gives credit to the power of prayer, which he calls "the first strong prop beneath my own collapse."
   
   This is not only the story of an illness and recovery, it is the saga of resolve when confronted with a frightening enemy, and it is a tale of family and friendships, the human network that supports us.
   
   Highly recommended.
   
   - Gail Cooke



3. Should be mandatory reading of all Medical Students and Residents. Disease process as seen and documentd by a patient. The physical, emotional, and spiritual swings a patient goes through during a long protracted illness.



4. The best compliment I can provide is I'm buying more copies to give to friends. The book is thought provoking as well as extraordinarily uplifting.



5. THis is a great inspirational book for anyone suffering from a major life changing injury.

5 comments about Jacqueline Du Pre: Her Life, Her Music, Her Legend.

1. Elizabeth Wilson knew Jacueline du Pre and while such a relationship may not produce a good biography, this is an excellent one. This book is much needed, particularly following the film "Hilary and Jackie." This book answers all the questions about Ms. du Pre and gives us clear insight into who she was and how she came to be the woman who was unquestionably one of the great instrumentalists of the 20th century. I found myself reading this book and listening to recordings of Ms. du Pre play; an unbeatable combination.



2. Du Pre-philes are going to be flush with pleasure after reading this. It's a scholarly work that seemingly pins down every concert that Du Pre ever played, often with mini-reviews of the performances. It's far preferable to the trashy "Hilary and Jackie" and does far better service to Du Pre's life and art. Thankfully, the ending segments dealing with Du Pre's illness are short and to the point.

   American readers should be aware that this is a VERY "British" book. Wilson uses British spelling and grammar throughout, and assumes a knowledge of the local geography. Like many British writers, Wilson has a charming ignorance of America, and even goes as far as to "correct" our spelling - "The Lincoln Centre (sic)", "Pittsburg (sic)", "The Carnegie Hall (sic)". On page 300, a truck stop in the Midwest is hilariously referred to as a "highway transport cafe."

   Recommended for Du Pre's many fans.




3. A sensitive book on the life of Du Pre as a musician and a person. This book contains detail reviews of Du Pre's playing in concerts. The readers will be Wilson also tell us about her life and struggles apart from her performing life. Good balance biography.



4. Jacqueline du Pré was a child prodigy on the cello. She made her debut at the age of 16, having been held back by her mother and cello teacher. But once she hit the stage - she became an international star. Her playing was so interpretive that she was often criticized for detracting from the music. However, she also influenced many notable classical musicians of our time with her fervent interpretations of the cello repetoire. Her career as a cellist, however, was short-lived as, at the age of 27, she was diagnosed with MS. Her cheerful demeanor and courageous outlook on life is chronicled here, as are most of her performances.

   This biography, while some times reading like a discography of Jacqueline du Pré is a very biased toward du Pré's husband's point of view, but much more even-handed about du Pré than Hilary and Jackie. However, Elizabeth Wilson is herself a cellist and student of du Pré and she makes a lot of assumptions that the reader will also have a thorough understanding of certain musical terminology such as up or down bow or glissando. This is an interesting book, but may be terdious to anyone who does not have a thorough grounding in the cello repetoire, classical music or the playing of a stringed instrument.




5. When looking for a biography of Du Pré, I consciously avoided the ill-reputed memoir by her siblings and opted for this "more balanced" account. However, Wilson clearly has as many stakes in her recounting of Du Pré's life as Hilary and Piers du Pré had, and whatever the merits of this book, objectivity is not among them. I guess people who knew their subject personally rarely make good biographers, and in that respect the involvement of Barenboim in this venture is worrisome. Wilson's over-the-top, sustained exaltation almost becomes the verbal equivalent of du Pré's larger-than-life style of playing. But even a performer of this stature can give only one "best ever" concert, not ten or twenty...
   There can be no question about du Pré's extraordinary talent and charisma. Her 1965 Elgar disc still stands firm as one of the absolute must-haves of classical recordings. Why can't Wilson let that be enough, why the need to describe her subject as if she were a creature of all-round unearthly perfection? Du Pré has suffered much from the fact that her precocious talent set her apart from "normal" people; Wilson widens the gulf rather than bridging it, thus posthumously compounding the trauma. The fact of the matter is that du Pré was not only an extraordinary musician, but also an ordinary, flesh and blood, and therefore flawed human being.
   In Wilson's rendering, however, du Pré is literally flawless. This is most evident in her reporting on less than perfect concert performances. The blame is immediately diverted from the cellist: the instrument was no good; the conductor was unsympathetic; the orchestra was sloppy... When citing some insightful critical reviews of Du Pré's New York debut, rather than using them to add profile to her image, Wilson again jumps into defensive mode, not afraid to draw the embarrassingly feeble conclusion that these 'nit-picking' critics simply weren't able to open up to du Pré's artistry. She won't hesitate either to then go on and tell us why she, Wilson, thinks it was actually a very good performance - as if her personal opinion is of any particular interest to the reader.
   Worse, by letting go of objectivity, Wilson ignores the core dilemma of du Pré's playing: the overbearing presence of her personality in it, often overruling the intentions of the composer and sometimes reducing the music, as one reviewer astutely observed, to a mere "plaything". It explains her lack of interest in composers, backgrounds, or scores of the works she played; it may also explain why she chose to spend the tragically brief decade of her musical maturity playing the same, unadventurous handful of works over and over again, rather than exploring (let alone inspiring) new repertoire. She contented herself with works that were apt vehicles for her style of playing and was quick to drop pieces that did not immediately "fit" her (e.g. Shostakovich's First Cello concerto, or the Britten Cello Symphony). Wilson off-handedly explains Du Pré's narrow choice of repertoire with the extraordinary and nonsensical claim that the literature for solo cello is relatively limited. Why, even the father of her brother in law, Gerald Finzi, wrote a wonderful cello concerto she never played.
   Insights into the personality and psychology of the cellist are completely absent. How du Pré's personality worked, and why, remains completely unclear. Her refusal to accept real responsibilities, exemplified by the willy-nilly cancellation of concert appointments, suggests a certain immaturity - but Wilson simply files it under "spontaneity". Baffling contradictions abound. Du Pré needed an audience to be able to play, we're told, yet she played exactly the same whether she was in a recording studio or in concert. She remained simple and unassuming, yet was very picky when it came to selecting orchestra's with which she did and didn't want to play. The marriage to Barenboim was heaven itself, nevertheless all of a sudden they are breaking up and both conducting extramarital affairs, dramatic developments that are mentioned by Wilson out-of-the-blue, and as quickly passed over.
   By avoiding going into these thorny questions and glossing over du Pré's image, the book quickly becomes repetitive, even boring. We are told ad nauseam how strongly du Pré communicated through her playing, how rich her musical intuitions were, and how everybody instantly fell in love with her. Endless paeans of praise fill page after page. Claims are made that at times stretch credulity: did Muscovites really burst into tears by the dozens at hearing Du Pré play something as innocuous as Haydn's C major concerto? Was she really able to imagine the orchestral accompaniment of the Delius concerto from the solo voice alone at first acquaintance? Or are we crossing the line between biography and mythology?
   The breathless adoration unfortunately also goes at the cost of accuracy. The violinist is called Buswell, not Buzwell; Gerald Finzi died in 1956, not 1959; halfway through the Moscow chapter Natalia Gutman suddenly changes into Natasha; - even musical terms are misspelled: we come across things like "spicatto" and "fermato".
   By the time Wilson arrives at the harrowing final illness (dispatched very succinctly, by the way), she has put du Pré at such a distance from the reader and humanity in general that it is almost impossible to feel moved at all at this devastating tragedy. I will now be seeking out "A genius in the family", where hopefully Jackie will reemerge as a human being.

4 comments about Learning to Walk Again: How Guillain Barre Taught Me to Walk a Different Path.

1. I am going through recovery from GBS. Reading this book has been a great experience for me; once a received it, I couldn't put it down until I finished it. Ann's experience is very similar to mine and her book helped me in a therapeutic way; I re-lived many emotions, situations, funny moments, etc., and learned a little bit more about this syndrome. I recommend this book for people who are going through recovery as well as for those caregivers around them.



2. As a fellow GBS survivor, I was eager to read Ms. Brandt's account of her experience. This disease does not discriminate when it strikes, and every person has a different journey. I suppose when you've been struck with such a life-altering experience, from out of nowhere, you seek connection and explanation.

   The book touches upon the elementary aspects of GBS, and poses some important questions. Like Ms. Brandt, I spent a good deal of time while in my recovery stage trying to prevent what had happened to me from happening to others. She reaches out to others who are in the acute phase of the disease through patient visitation, to other survivors through meetings and symposiums, and to the medical community through this book.

   Why had we been promised that we'd "get it all back"? Why isn't post-rehabilitation fatigue addressed as a separate phase of the syndrome?

   This book asks some important questions, and I hope that its publication will serve as a catalyst to get them answered.




3. Ann's personal story is an an amazing meld of
   knowledge of Guillain Barre and the painful (and
   humorous)process of her Recovery. A good read
   for anyone seeking hope and progress through a
   chronic illness, whether patient or caregiver.



4. I became engrossed with the book 'Learning to Walk Again' as soon as I began reading it. I read it in one sitting. I learned about the difficulty of getting a correct diagonosis when dealing with various doctors and hospitals.And how you have to be persistant. It was a nightmare for Ann because of the pain she felt, until a diagonosis was found.Patients must not be seduced in believing that they just need therapy, and that it's all in their head! This book is on the cutting edge when it comes to information about Guillain Barre disease. Ann's first hand experience with the disease will help patients and families struggling with similar issues. It will act like a road map for them. It will help them to push and ask questions of their doctors. The book is well-researched about this little-known disease.
   In addition to the excellent information this book shares, it also delves into the important relationship between family members and how supportive and helpful they were to each other. Caregivers carry a heavy burden, and this book discusses the give and take that is necessary between partners and other family members.
   I also liked the writing style. Although the topic was difficult, the writing style was easy and conversational and even touched on humor. I visualized many of the scenes, a great indication of a good book, which this certainly was.
   I recommend this book to anyone who has a family member or friend suffering with this disease or other challening body problems.

1 comments about The Story of a Cancer Cure.

1. This is the kind of book I will read more than once, or even many times. It is a how-to for people seeking to develop their psychic abilities, or self-talk, and help their health in the process. There are other books on inner talk, power of positive thinking, programmed self-talk from psychologists, but this book is written by a psychic. It's not technical, though it will require a close read. Best of all, it's not another formula book from overeducated shrinks and MDs. It is sort of intuitive psychoneuroimmunology, even though that term wasn't mentioned to my recollection. It is like books on self-hypnosis, which teach to access the unconscious. I was very interested in this book because there have been times in life when I'm very intuitive, but it is not an on-demand thing. It is elusive. Often I don't know what will be accurate, what won't. This book offers an alternative to conventional psychology and to Kahuna lore. If I had only a few books for cancer patients, I'd want this book along with The Ph Miracle, Secret Science Behind Miracles (about Hawaiian Kahunas), probably Hulda Clark's and a book on energy medicine. A very curious book, I really like it!

3 comments about A Healing Family.

1. Hard to believe that no one else has written a review of this book because it is excellent... Oe's manner of dealing with his son's affliction and the effects it has on his family is truly amazing... His manner is truly one of love and serenity.... Without any reservations, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about "heart"...



2. Kenzaburo Oe, the Japanese novelist who won the 1994 Nobel Prize for Literature, was 28 when his son, Hikari, was born. This event was the most important in Oe's life. Born with a herniated brain, Hikari has needed almost constant care since birth. "A Healing Family" is Oe's first non-fiction attempt to make sense of Hikari's life and the effect it has had on the people around him, most importantly his family.

   This beautiful book shows the profound love, affection and pride the Oe family take in Hikari's accomplishments and happiness. From the age of five, Hikari has been obsessed with classical music, and eventually began to compose pieces for piano and violin. Much of "A Healing Family" concerns Oe's attempts to understand his son through music.

   "A Healing Family" is a book everyone should read. Finely crafted, perceptive, intelligent and moving, it shows us again that compassion and empathy can make all the difference in the world.




3. My first book by Kenzaburo was Silent Cry. Recently I read A Healing Family and found that I really liked it a lot. Yukari's illustrations were beautiful. This book made me feel closer to Oe's family. It is very heart-warming.

   At the time I read it, I was in the process of deciding whether to get my wisdom teeth extracted by a dentist or an oral surgeon. I heard that my face would be bruised and swollen, my jaws unhinged, etc. after the surgery. It was quite unnerving just to think about it. Then I read that Hikari has to make weekly visits to the dentist, and that his epileptic pills make his gum terribly swollen. I felt that I am in a much much better situation than some people. It was a consolation to read this book.

   One thing I don't quite like about most of Kenzaburo's books is that he refers to a lot of other European writers and their works, which I find hard to understand. Well, that's just my ignorance.

No comments about Solo Flight: A Bipolar Odyssey.