5 comments about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

1. In the very first chapter of this work, Henrietta Flacks and family members are quoted directly in settings and intimate conversations, but no sources are given. Without these substantiations it is fiction and cast doubt upon the credulity of the rest of work. And I so much looked forward to this material.



2. This was probably one the most interesting books I have ever read. Why do most people not know about HeLa cells? This should be mandatory reading in high school! An amazing story of how one woman's life and death touches our own everyday. Rebecca Skloot does a wonderful job bringing the charecters to life and making us feel like we know them all. Thank you Rebecca for all the hard work. It was definetly worth it!



3. This book is excellent on so many different levels. It is the fascinating, true life story of a family living in an era gone by as well as a book that makes you stop and think about the moral dilemmas intrinsic to scientific advancements as well as the immorality of racism. The author is obviously personally involved but a factual reporter. She doesn't preach but leaves it to the reader to examine issues that we rarely think about. I read this book in a day and couldn't put it down.



4. I found this book to be very well written. This book is written in a way to be understood. My heart breaks for the Lacks family. Ms. Skloot asks and answers all the questions you find yourself wondering about.



5. I found that i could not put this book down! It was thought provoking and well written. Very good insight into the history of medicinal research in the U.S. and how people are used in this country without their knowlege to "further the common good". Paints a very good picture of how the less fortunate among us can be used to further the quality of health care in the United States without being able to afford the benefits that they helped create!! A very timely book for the current health care debate!

5 comments about Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World (Random House Reader's Circle).

1. Wow, this one blew me totally away. I have never written a review before but I feel compelled to in this instance. Tracy Kidder has long been one of my favorite authors. His book, Among Schoolchildren is one of my favorite books. I was prepared to like this book. What I was not prepared for was the impact it would make on me. This truly is a story that reinforced for me my belief in "the power of one". Paul Farmer is a name that should be on everyone's lips. His commitment to providing healthcare to the world's most impoverished people is a testament to what can be done through dedication and hard work. This book was an eye opener for me and a call to action. I am going to recommend this book to everyone I know. I am also advocating for PIH and their mission in Haiti as loudly as I can. Personally I am committing myself to find a genuine was to make a difference. Everyone should read this book!



2. "It is so easy, at least for me, to mistake a person's material resources for his interior ones." ~ Tracy Kidder, Mountains Beyond Mountains
   
   Today I finished Tracy Kidder's excellent book about Paul Farmer and his nonprofit, Partners in Health, a global nonprofit organization, started in Haiti, that has changed the perception of basic health care from a privilege to a social justice. Being able to have the tools to heal is a birth right, not something reserved for the wealthy and powerful. Paul Farmer has given his life for this simply articulated belief: every life matters equally.
   
   Biography and autobiography is a fascinating thing. While we hear about someone else's journey, we cannot help but examine our own. By viewing someone else's place in the world, their contributions to humanity, we begin to consider and re-consider our place, our contribution.
   
   As I left yoga class today, my head was swimming. I've got too much information coming at me a million miles an hour: at work, in yoga class, in my volunteer hours, from my friends and family. I'm trying to date as much as I can, and then also leave some time each day for myself. For my own thoughts and reflections. My life is bursting with, well, life.
   
   And then I finished Mountains Beyond Mountains, and I let out a huge sigh of relief. I'm trying to just manage my own little corner of the world. Paul Farmer is out there actually saving many corners of the Earth - the most desperate, the poorest, the ones that need immediate attention before they decay entirely beyond any recognition. He is Atlas, and he will not shrug.
   
   So give me yoga asanas, Sanskrit, sacred hindu texts, new technology, org chart after org chart, change and then more change, and any and every trouble and triumph of my many beautiful friends and family members. I can take it all in, and still feel whole and complete, still take care of my own heart and body and soul. I've got this.
   
   If Paul Farmer can wrap his mind around treating TB, HIV / AIDS, and everything that comes along with that, in Haiti, Peru, Russia, Guatemala, Roxbury, and Lesotho to name just a few of the regions of the world his worked has touched, then surely I can do my fair share. After all, we are all just people, fallible, imperfect, stunning examples of grace. There is always more to do, always. And that is a beautiful realization. The Haitians say it best, "There are always mountains beyond mountains." Let us hope that our work is never really done, and let's celebrate that.



3. One should not pick up Tracy Kidder's Mountains Beyond Mountains unless one is ready to question one's moral worldview and value system. One shouldn't start reading this book unless one is comfortable admitting to not doing enough to make the world a better place for others. And one especially should not digest this work unless one is prepared to feel inadequate and inspired at the same time.
   
   Kidder introduces us to the book's protagonist, Paul Farmer, and takes us through Farmer's remarkable life, from his childhood living in a bus to his ascension to the very peak of academia and health care. In chronicling Farmer's path from childhood through high school, college, Haiti, and other countries, Kidder provides a deep and at times disturbing state of man.
   
   Many have heard Farmer's story. He grew up in a low-income household, but through a love of learning and his inherent brilliance got into Duke University, where he thrived academically, if not socially. Inspired by a number of factors, Farmer began working in health facilities in Haiti. He gained entrance into Harvard Medical School after having established himself working in Haiti. Soon, his organization, Partners in Health, was training dozens of health care personnel in Haiti and around the world and providing much-needed healthcare to those who needed it most but could afford it least.
   
   Farmer's accomplishments are shockingly moving. What may be more interesting to the reader who seeks a little bit of Farmer's magic potion is just how all of this happened. Kidder spends enough time with Farmer over the years that he becomes to truly know Farmer the doctor, Farmer the motivator, Farmer the leader, Farmer the firebrand, and Farmer the man. Not surprisingly, Kidder grows increasingly affectionate towards Farmer. There are points in the book where Kidder seems to have finally found a kink in Farmer's armor. One such situation involved Farmer's decision to fly a sick child to Boston for treatment. It turned out that the great expense did not save the child, who appeared to have had little chance to begin with.
   
   But as always, Farmer has an answer to Kidder's challenges. Everyone, regardless of birth, deserves to be cared for. Each of us make decisions daily in which we justify why we don't spend our lives helping others, our money building that which is broken. What makes Farmer's idealism and optimism believable, against all odds, is complicated. Farmer was gifted with an intellect that knows few peers. He attended universities that have provided him with the requisite connections and resources to turn his ideas into hospitals. He was very fortunate to have a funder, Tom White, who opened his checkbook to bail Farmer out whenever necessary.
   
   Regardless of the perfect circumstances, it took one man to make it all happen. For those who say it's impossible to lead a meaningful, full life doing something you love, while also accumulating immense global power and stature, may I recommend this book. Just don't say I didn't warn you. It may just make you want to quit your job and instead use your skills for the betterment of mankind.



4. Here is a hero of the first water. He uses all his advantages of race and education to make a difference in the lives of the poor in Haiti, Chili, and Russia. This book paints pictures of the plights of victims of poverty and illnesses such as tuberculosis,and aids, and of the methods Dr. Farmer uses to bring about change. It is inspirational.



5. Well written informative book. Could not put it down. Dr. Farmer and those who work with him are an incredible bunch. We can all learn from their relentless pursuit to correct social injustice in the medical arena. Dr. Farmer's insightful view of Haitian society is right on the money. Myself, born in Haiti, Dr. Farmer's views on the cultural dynamics of the country thought me a thing or two about my own birth nation.
   Highly recommended to all.

5 comments about My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey.

1. This was a gift to my future daughter-in-law. I am a male nursing student. As a result of reading this book, I have been deeply influenced to pursue neuroscience, with hopes to work in ICU, as my route to advancement. It is the only book I have ever read twice. My copy was a gift from a fellow student who knew it would have a profound affect on me in "my pursuit to be the best nurse possible."
   
   I was most moved by the very first item in Appendix B, in the list Dr. Taylor devised of "Forty Things I Needed the Most [in her recovery from the stroke] which states, "1. I am not stupid. I am wounded. Please respect me." Dr. Taylor is an incredible inspiration and I intend to be a nurse professional who will make a difference to those who suffer brain trauma and require sensitive and understanding caregivers.



2. A very interesting description of an unusual situation. Gives an insight into the functioning and recovering of a damaged brain.



3. A must read for every person. It is a bit text bookish in the beginning but you'll understand why as you read it. It truly makes you think!



4. "I unconditionally love my cells with an open heart and grateful mind. Spontaneously throughout the day, I acknowledge their existence and enthusiastically cheer them on. I am a wonderful living being capable of beaming my energy into the world, only because of them. When my bowels move, I cheer my cells for clearing that waste out of my body. When my urine flows, I admire the volume my bladder cells are capable of storing." And so it goes.
   
   There are valuable, interesting sections of this book. Specifically, chapters 2 and 3 when she is discussing basics of brain science and current theories of what hemisphere of the brain controls what thought processes. It is truly interesting that the analytical, linear, quantitative left hemisphere is very different from the calmer, empathetic right hemisphere. How they interact to create a view of the world is fascinating. However, after two chapters of engaging brain science, Taylor says, "I encourage you to explore myriad current literature about...the brain." As in, without this book. She then follows with a play-by-play of her own stroke, her loss of the left brain, and tapping into the "total oneness" of her right brain. The most tedious section of the book is the next 100 pages or so after her stroke describing the pre-op and recovery period, endlessly listing how she couldn't read, so she had to learn; and she couldn't write, so she had to learn; and she couldn't do math, so she had to learn. On and on it went until we came to why she supposedly wrote the book: her stroke of insight.
   
   And what is her stroke of insight? If you feel agitated, morose, angry, frustrated, or stressed-out, simply step to the right and become one with the universe. Simple.
   
   I don't want to trivialize the potentially immense, therapeutic value a person can get from meditation, or "quieting the left brain" to find a state of inner peace. The search for inner peace is admirable and we should all be so lucky to find ourselves in states of tranquility and ease. But Taylor trivializes how one gets there and she glorifies her own stroke as the key to what lead her to this insight. Who wouldn't feel grateful to see the sun rise another day after nearly dying?!
   
   She then starts to write like a typical "New Age" spiritual guru (read: above quotation). She meditates (okay), prays (I'll tolerate it), praises her cells for defecating (ummm...what?), loves "vocal tuning with sounding bowls", and "also draws Angel Cards several times a day." Seriously. Angel Cards.
   
   This book is a missed opportunity. She wants to share with the world her knowledge of the right brain and that if we could only tap into it on a given moment the world would be free of war and anger and global warming. Brain science? Cool. Useless, baloney, new age mysticism? Vomit-inducing. Then again, next time I'm feeling a little stressed, I might whip out my Angel Cards while I'm taking a dump just to see what happens.



5. For anyone who is interested in patterns of thought as they relate to body and brain functioning or who is interested in the physical basis of mysticism, This book is irreplaceable!

5 comments about Strength in What Remains.

1. The beginning of this book pulled me in quickly, and then it lost me. And the more Tracy Kidder pulled himself into the story, the faster it lost me. Some of his explanations of the political situation in Rwanda & Burundi were confusing, and hard to wade through. I was most interested in following Deo and his personal account. To me that's the most poignant way to learn about the struggles and situations in other countries and cultures is to truly see it through the eyes of the people who've been there.
   
   It's tough to compare stories of Africa when I know there is tremendous suffering and struggle in so many countries. Each story and each struggle is unique, and to compare one to the other seems like it could minimize the horror. That's not my intention, but I've read other true accounts of struggles in Africa that made me feel more, made me care more. Kidder's book lacks solid direction and wanders terribly. I wanted to care more, and instead I had a very difficult time even finishing it.



2. A book like "Strength in What Remains" forces you to question your faith in the human race and helps restore it at the same time. Tracy Kidder brings us the indelible Deo, a Burundian medical student who survives the Burundian genocide in the mid-90s. He "escapes" to New York City with virtually no money and no friends or family to turn to for help and support and eventually returns to Burundi to set up a medical clinic for the poor. His survival and success causes anyone who anyone reading this book to ask themselves whether they could have not only survived such circumstances, but prospered after what he had been through. We view Deo with a sense of awe and respect for what he went through, how he overcame those nearly insurmountable obstacles and where he is now. If this book can't lift your spirits, you may not have a heart that is beating.
   
   A few things make this book stand out above others of this genre. First, Kidder's use of flashback to alternate between the "present" and Deo's life in Burundi, escape to NY and eventual return to Burundi is far more effective and engaging than a linear approach to storytelling. The second thing Kidder does well is bring us closer to secondary characters that intersect and are instrumental in Deo's resurrection -- from the ex-nun who first befriends Deo in NY, to the Wolf's, the couple that take Deo in to live with them, to Dr. Paul Farmer. In other books, these secondary characters often remain nameless and faceless with little credit or importance placed on their role in helping the main protagonist overcome their obstacles. Kidder brings us close to these characters and reinforces their contributions in helping Deo overcome his past and becoming his new, extended family in his adopted homeland of America.
   
   "Strength in What Remains" has a palpable undercurrent of "fear" throughout the book. This tone is set early with the stark horror as Deo hides from the ethnic killers and narrowly avoids the same fate. However, this fear remains with us through Deo's journey --- from the degrading and denigrating employer/boss Deo has at the grocery store to his first visit to Burundi during the reconciliation where tension and fear still lurks underneath the surface.
   
   This is a book not to be missed. This is a book about survival and redemption that will leave a lasting imprint on anyone fortunate to get to know Deo's story.



3. "Strength of What Remains" was a reading selection for my book club and I was the discussion leader. I read the book twice - once in print and the second time in audio. Because of the geography of Brundi, the audio version does not work well. This is the 5th Kidder book that I have read and my least favorite. It seems that Tracy Kidder got bored with the subject and wanted to fill the last pages with words. The book really needs a map of Brundi and a time line for Tutsi/Hutu issues. I urge readers to research Brundi and Rwanda on the Internet and search on "Strength of What Remains" on You Tube. It will make reading a better experience. I good map of Brundi is hard to find on the Internet, but a map should be close at hand when you reed the book. BBC has an adequate time line on the Internet that will be a help.



4. The subject of Tracy Kidder's book has experienced horrors those of us lucky enough to have been born in the first world probably can't begin to comprehend. Deogratias Niyizonkia, known as Deo, grew up in the central African mountains of Burundi, one of the poorest countries in the world. He overcame what might have seemed to be difficult odds--isolation and poverty--to enter medical school. He was nearing graduation when his world was shattered by a genocide that erupted in Burundi and neighboring Rwanda in 1993.
   
   Kidder's narrative begins with Deo's arrival at JFK Airport in New York the following year. For the first half of the book, Kidder does a remarkable job of putting us in Deo's shoes. We see and hear what he sees and hears, without the benefit of understanding much of what is going on around him as he struggles to master a new language and life in a strange new land. Deo endured indignities great and small, but finally found a path to a home, stability, and eventual entry into medical school in the United States.
   
   In the second half of the book, Kidder enters the narrative, as he meets Deo and gradually wins his trust and persuades him to tell his story. The two travel back to Burundi and retrace Deo's steps to freedom. It's a remarkable tale of survival and a remarkable story of the human will to transcend the worst horrors. Deo's ordeal could have killed him, or left him a walking shell, devoid of purpose. Instead, the world gained a man of great strength and compassion. Thanks to Kidder's gifts as a storyteller, we are privileged to get to know him.--William C. Hall



5. "Strength in What Remains is the story of Deogratias," as the author writes (more succinctly than I could) in his post on Amazon.com, "a young man from the central African nation of Burundi. In 1993, through no fault of his own, he was forced onto a terrifying journey, a journey that split his life in two. First he made a six-months-long escape, on foot, from ethnic violence in Burundi and from genocide in Rwanda. Then, in a strange twist of fate, he was, as it were, transported to New York City, where it sometimes seemed that his travails had only just begun."
   
   Deo, as he is called, was a medical student in Burundi when the genocidal campaign was launched. He fled on foot for hundreds of miles through the bloodcurdling upheaval of both Burundi and Rwanda and eventually arrived in New York, penniless, friendless, and hungry. Kidder relates Deo's story both before and after his escape from the violence in East Africa, through an Ivy League education at university and medical school to his current work building a medical clinic in his homeland, a disciple of the famed Dr. Paul Farmer (the subject of Kidder's next book).
   
   Tracy Kidder is one of America's most accomplished nonfiction writers. He has won most of the major awards that writers can receive. I was first attracted to his work two decades ago through The Soul of a New Machine, his now-classic look at the fast-changing computer industry, which was an extraordinary experience for me. Kidder seems to write where his instincts take him, covering such diverse topics as his home town and building a house to the exotic stories of Deo and Paul Farmer. Everything of Kidder's that I've read has been rewarding. I recommend Strength in What Remains for the sheer humanity of its subject -- and its author.
   
   (From Mal Warwick's Blog on Books)

3 comments about Genius on the Edge: The Bizarre Double Life of Dr. William Stewart Halsted.

1. I applaud Dr. Imber's effort to bring more attention to the very interesting life of Dr. Halsted, but that this is the former's doctors first attempt at writing a serious non-fiction book is painfully evident. At a certain point, I became tired of the disjointed sentences and literary cliches, and it made the book very difficult to finish,. Admittedly, I did not.



2. Genius on the Edge by Dr. Gerald Imber MD
   Kaplan Publishing
   
   Title of the Review: Genius Recognized
   
   Reviewed by: Dr. Joseph S. Maresca CPA, CISA
   
   The author, Dr. Gerald Imber, MD does an excellent job of
   documenting the life and times of Dr. William S. Halsted MD.
   Dr. William Stewart Halsted was educated in New York initially.
   He attended Yale and the College of Physicians and Surgeons
   at 23rd St. and 4th Av. in NYC.
   
   Scholastically, he graduated in the top 10 of his class
   and won $100 in an essay contest for the description of
   the arteries of the neck. He worked at
   New York Hospital and read extensive surgical
   scholarship written in Europe. He held positions at
   Blackwell's Island and Emigrant Hospital, although the
   workload was staggering .
   
   At an early age, he began to understand the intricacies
   of blood group incompatibility. He found that intestinal
   anastomosis using fine silk sutures incorporating the submucosal
   layer withstood the pressures of normal bodily functions.
   He demonstrated this aspect graphically.
   
   By 1889, rubber sterile gloves were introduced to protect
   the skin from irritation. Halsted perfected radical surgery
   with extensive fine suturing for breast cancer.
   He reconstructed hernia defects in the groin by using muscle
   and tough fascial sheath of the oblique muscles of the lower
   abdomen to reconstruct the inguinal canal floor. Halsted sutured
   the muscles and fascia to Poupart's ligament, an anatomical
   inguinal ligament that traverses the iliac bone of the pubis.
   Strong silk sutures were used to tighten the internal abdominal
   ring as well. These suturing techniques could have important
   application for the repair of dropped bladders, major surgical
   intestinal resections, downsizing mega-intestines (over 27 feet )
   and complications from radical hysterectomies.
   He perfected hernia repair and found that silver (Ag) had
   antiseptic qualities as well.
   
   On April 4, 1892, Halsted was made a Professor of Surgery,
   although he had no formal institution to practice the art
   at the time. By 1900, he perfected two gold standard operations,
   placed surgeons' hands in sterile gloves and commenced a
   training system for 3 generations of the most influential
   surgeons in the USA.
   
   Today, some of Dr. Halsted's techniques could be enshrined
   in modern artificial intelligence and "Advice-Giving" systems
   and processes on knowledge databases.
   
   Cushing was the most impressive of a group of 17 Halsted
   residents. He was the first to use anesthesia in hernia
   repair, the first to operate on the pituitary gland ;and,
   the first to routinely open the skull to
   decompress the brain and develop neurological surgical
   prototypes.
   
   Halsted performed the first successful excision of an
   aneurysm of a major blood vessel. He passed on from
   lobar pneumonia on 9-7- 1922.
   The work is a classic covering the slow but steady
   evolution of basic surgery in the late 19th century and early
   20th century. The presentation would make excellent
   reading for a wide constituency of journalists, historians,
   physicians and academicians everywhere .
   
   Dr. Joseph S. Maresca CPA, CISA



3. Dr. Gerald Imber will change your views of what it means to be a doctor and a patient, to be sick and to be well. While tracing the convoluted evolution of modern surgery, Imber also chronicles the prodigious, twisted career of the greatest surgeon in American history. As he modernized medicine - introducing such life-sparing novelties as anesthesia, scrubsuits, handwashing, sterlized instruments, even while the medical establishment strenuously resisted his innovations -- Halsted himself descended into a dark, secretive abyss of cocaine abuse and closeted homosexuality. Yet Halsted's techniques and his teaching were so unimpeachably sound, they remain the model for practicing and teaching surgery today. Halsted's story is written with such clarity, it will appeal universally - along the way, Imber's tale encompasses, among other matters, 19th-century American and European history, and some commendably high and lamentably low examples of the human condition. It is a wonder Halsted never had a biography before; we should be very grateful that Dr. Gerald Imber took on this daunting task. His impressive scholarship never gets in the way of good story telling. The charm, humor, and authority of the author's voice shines warmly throughout the sprawling narrative.

5 comments about My Own Country: A Doctor's Story.

1. It was delivered very quickly, which I was pleased about. However, there was a small blood-like stain on the book, which I wish I knew about before purchasing.



2. Dr. Verghese's book is a heartfelt tale of two stories: his own foreign-born family's inclusion and exclusion in a rural Tennessee community, and the inclusion and exclusion of his patients within their own community. Dr. Verghese is an infectious disease doctor who predominantly treats HIV positive patients. He did his residency in Johnson City, TN and found himself to be much like his patients--outcasts. The book flips between the stories of his patients and those of his own family, both the sad, anger-producing stories and those that make you cry.
   
   Verghese is a talented writer and captures a pull in me. I highly recommend this story. The lessons learned can be applied to anyone finding themselves excluded or in the minority.



3. This is a frankly written history of the author's experiences with the coming of HIV to a small southern town (the author is an infectious diseases expert). Very interesting and easy to read.



4. This book was well-written from a compassionate doctor's viewpoint. The subject matter, although very sad, was (and still is) largely overlooked by a majority of urbanites who may have dealt with the same circumstances.
   Tragic but uplifting.



5. Vergheses is as sensitive a physician as he is a writer. I recommend both his books of nonfiction and his recent amazing novel

5 comments about Doctor of the Heart: My Life in Medicine.

1. My dad listens to this doctor every weekend since he had heart surgery in June. He asked for this book for Christmas. He read it in less than a week and enjoyed it very much.



2. I watch the doctor every Sunday on Fox and wanted to
   find out more about him and his qualifications.It made me wish he was my personal doctor. The book is easy reading and very enjoyable.Doctor of the Heart: My Life in Medicine



3. Dr. Rosenfeld's book was charming, informative, and fun. I enjoyed hearing about his growing up in Montreal. My husband has family whom we have visited in Montreal, so I know some of the places that he talks about and about the French separetist situation. In many instances, Dr. Rosenfeld was in the right place at the right time. I love his show on Fox on Sunday morning--I always pick up good tips.
   I would love to hav Dr. Rosenfeld as my cardiologist!
   
   Keep on working, Dr. Rosenfeld!!
   
   Joyce Goodman



4. Very interesting-great to know the Doctor was a regular fellow before med.school and still is one I would like to go to as my physician.



5. BOUGHT THIS AS A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR MY WIFE AND SHE LOVES IT. SHE WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE.

5 comments about The Shaking Woman or A History of My Nerves.

1. Like several other readers, I found this book rather disappointing. First, Hustvedt has only had a few -- maybe two or three -- shaking incidents, all of which occurred during public speaking. (The glib response, "Well, avoid public speaking" doesn't even get a mention.) Clearly Hustvedt has a privileged life; she doesn't work for a living, she spends days consulting with doctors, sitting in on medical lectures, and doing a lot of reading. The majority of the book is a summary of historical and current ruminations on the mind-body problem (yes, Descartes, Locke, et al.), psychoanalysis, hysteria, migraines, and dreams. If you've done any reading in this area, the words "Salpetriere" and "bicameral," and the story of that darned man who thought his wife was a hat should give you an idea of the well-trodden ground here. I expected better.



2. Written in spell binding first person, this book tells of the author's struggle to control her shaking, and of her phychological pressures that drove her to shake in the first place. Excellent book for those of us who like the science of the mind.



3. Health problems with neurological basis have long intrigued doctors and prompted them to describe their observations to the lay audience, with the flag example of Dr. Oliver Sacks, whose excellent books have been bestsellers for years. The nervous system, with its obvious connection to the mind, and, in turn to the spiritual, is a mysterious subject, very tempting and rewarding to the writers of fiction. Many book protagonists, more or less famous, have been afflicted with epilepsy, schizophrenia, psychosis or syndromes described more recently. Examples span from Dostoyevsky's "Idiot", to Lethem's "Motherless Brooklyn".
   
   Siri Hustvedt, and accomplished novelist with an interest in psychiatric disorders and a teacher of patients, in her newest book "The shaking woman or a history of my nerves" brilliantly connects the science and literary tradition, describing her own case and her quest to understand its provenance. She begins with the first onset of tremors, when she was delivering a speech during her father's funeral. Scared and determined to harness the symptoms, she did a lot of research on epilepsy, hysteria, brain trauma, and split personality. She delivers, in beautiful, clear prose, an in-depth analysis of her case in the historical context, with digressions into literature and controversial cases, discussting the phenomenon of artists, often suffering from some form of "disease of the mind".
   
   Clearly, as a writer of fiction with a most personal connection to the subject, Hustvedt does not offer and objective, scientific article. Despite presenting many points of view of different authorities on the subject and citing original articles, she does not lose an intimate relationship with "the shaking woman", her other self, and has very strong opinions, discussing matters, which are still a mystery, even for specialists.
   
   This slim volume, written with passion and thoroughly researched (an extensive bibliography at the end helps to choose further reading) is a gem for anyone interested in unexplained nervous breakdowns and their manifestations, but at the same time it is the most personal, autobiographical study, a memoir by someone with extraordinary sensitivity and imagination, which cannot be missed.



4. An interesting journey of one woman through a myriad of doctors, psychiatrists, hospitalization, seemingly numerous medical tests after she had, and through other, episodes that resemble a neurological disorder. She (and apparently her doctors) linked this to her giving a speech after her father's death, and again at other times.
   
   The author described her search for answers in a medical system, which likely failed her, and perhaps caused iatrogenic anxiety and sadly resignation to acceptance of a basically hysterical illness.
   
   In the end, the author is left with no answers, no resolve, yet one heck of a book education on the history of how illness that alludes the medical community are pushed off into "psychiatric illness", or listed as syndromes, and so on, whch in many cases causes iatrogenic (physician caused) anxiety and uncertainty - especially when the communication between doctor and patient is poor, which unfortunately is becoming more and more prevalent, as doctors become more and more impersonal, listen to the first sentence of two we tell them, and miss the rest, and then adding to the problem, EMR or Electronic Medical Records, which can lead to one error being passed to other doctors and thus lead to misdiagnosis, and worse - even death.
   
   I would recommend this book if you are not aware of how any not easy to diagnose illness usually gets thrown into the trash can, with lazy doctors and with insurance companies who will not pay for what needs to be done in order to correctly diagnose, OR if you are not aware that allopathic medicine doesn't have all the answers - and even with a great doctor or great team of doctors, a patient may be left with miscommunications between patient and doctor, doctor to doctor, and other errors in charting, etc.
   
   If nothing else, it shows how someone who believes everything their doctor tell her can lead to a lot of wasted time, and eventually no diagnoses, or a misdiagnosis and in some cases, even death.
   
   This gal went through one heck of a journey, and it seems she learned more from her own studies and experiences than from her own doctors, and was left with really no answers to the question of what is causing her to "shake".
   
   I thought it was interesting that in the beginning her legs turns reddish purple when she has her first episode.
   
   I wonder if she's checked her medical records for accuracy?
   
   This woman is lucky that her problem seems to be limited to an episodic illness, and not a chronic day to day health problem.
   
   It makes one with a chronic condition that is not easily diagnosed wonder if seeing a doctor might not be just a waste of money. Unfortunately, some have chronic illness complicated by chronic pain, which may require gluing oneself to a hip with the medical community.



5. I've put off writing a review of this book, for it's difficult to judge. At times, I found it close to brilliant, and if one finds psychiatry and neurology interesting, as I do, it is often simply fascinating. Yet, saying that this book rambles is an understatement. I have a review copy, and perhaps it will be edited, but there are no chapters in this book. It is as if Siri Hustvedt opened up her brain and invited us in (which is not a bad thing). She's an excellent and engaging writer, whether she's describing her personal experience with her unexplained shaking, or introducing us to the ideas of Freud or the many other sources she cites in this book.
   
   The subtitle, "A History of My Nerves" is a bit of a misnomer. Hustvedt is not the most personal writer. This is less of a memoir (something I happen to appreciate) and more of a extended musing on mind-body illness, psychiatry, and neurology, with many engrossing case studies thrown in for good measure. One case study just happens to be the author. It's a grab bag. The cliche, "take what you like and leave the rest", would be a useful approach to reading this book.
   
   So, yes, this book is disorganized. One doesn't quite know what to expect from page to page. At times, I found this quite enjoyable, but my mind works in a similar way, seeing connections that cause me to go off on tangents, and coming back again, or not. Some people don't appreciate this in the least! In "The Shaking Woman" the topic at hand subtly morphs from page to page. I don't mind coming along for the ride, but I did find that I wasn't drawn to reading the book because of this. I kept it in my handbag for weeks, and wound up reading it when only while I was in between appointments. I felt drawn in while reading, to be sure, and often quite stimulated by what I was reading, but as a whole, the book just does not hang together. My review title, "worth a dip, at least" is how I felt. I enjoyed my intermittent dips into Siri Hustvedt's research and life. I believe it could have been a truly great book, and a good editor could have helped a lot. At times, "The Shaking Woman" was as good as Oliver Sacks' best writing. If you enjoy Sacks, you will enjoy this book, but you may experience the same frustration as I did - what a loss that it was not the book it could have been! If you require reading something that stays on topic, is neatly linear, and have little patience for disorganization, tangents, and a bit of surprise in your non-fiction, I do caution that your frustration may be too great to warrant a reading. I like some surprises in life, and in reading, so it was worth it for me.
   
   In a way, it's rather a shame that we generally don't have the patience for rambling, and that I feel I must write such a caution about this book. In conversation, one might have said to Siri, "get to the point!" or ". . .and your point is?" I would not have, for I found "visiting" with her to be a delight in small doses. I learned much, wanted to learn more, enjoyed myself. That could be enough. In spite of my cautions and small frustrations, I am tempted to give this book five star just for bucking falling prey to being just another overly personal dragging oneself through one's own mud memoir, but I can not, for this book could certainly have been better, as I've already written. Oliver Sacks' "A Leg To Stand On" is a perfect example of intertwining the personal with the theoretical.
   
   However, there are more than enough well-organized, tightly focused, but poorly written and less intelligent books out there. I feel we ought to be able to have more patience with books that pose as many questions as they answer. This book is certainly one of those. It is an exploration, not an explanation.

5 comments about Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story.

1. After seeing the movie, it is good to read the book and get the REAL story. This doctor is amazing not because of his medical prowess necessarily, but as a human being and brother-in-Christ. What a loving man. And his mother - I wish my mother would have been more proactive in my life. She is a great human being, but a little push would have gone a long way. Dr. Carson and his brother have reaped the harvest of a loving, caring and spiritual home. Thank you for writing about your feelings in this book. Hope Cross



2. This book is a inspiration to all involved in the health care field, and having faith in oneself to fulfilling your dreams. You can do anything you set your mind to conquer...Great book.....



3. I red this book many years ago and it was inspiring for me then through my university education and is still today at my work. I ordered this book for a friend of mine who does not understand Croatian but I'm glad that this book is available in Croatian launguage as well. This book is a great gift to both children and adults.



4. This is an excellent and inspirational book! A definite must read for all! I finished it and now my children are reading it.



5. Inspirational. A great High School reading assignment. I hear PBS did a film about this book.

5 comments about The Tennis Partner.

1. Dr. Abraham Verghese is going through a difficult time when he meets fourth-year medical student David Smith at his El Paso teaching hospital. Verghese has moved his wife and two young sons to El Paso hoping for a fresh start, but his marriage is already in trouble and he will soon find himself living apart from his wife and boys. Australian David Smith is a Texas Tech student at the El Paso hospital to complete his final year before moving on to the next stage of his medical studies. Smith is going through a difficult time of his own, one that constantly threatens to ruin his life, if not end it entirely.
   
   The two seem destined to hit it off - and, soon, they will be more than teacher and student, they will be close friends. They share two passions in life: medicine and tennis. Smith is good enough to have played the game professionally for a while, and Verghese loves tennis so much that he has been keeping journals about his progress in the sport since he was a boy. Both Verghese and Smith need something to distract them from the stress of their daily lives and the local tennis club becomes their common refuge.
   
   It is only later that Dr. Verghese learns that Smith is in El Paso to repeat his fourth-year studies - and why - and that Smith is very fortunate to have been given a second chance at the process. David Smith is addicted to cocaine and it is destroying him. Despite being subject to random drug testing, regular AA-style meetings, and the monitoring of a sponsor if he is to keep his place in the school, Smith has to struggle mightily every day not to give in to his craving for the drug. That his professional future depends on him remaining sober will not be enough to make it happen.
   
   "The Tennis Partner" is the story of a unique friendship between two men at a time in their lives when each man is in desperate need of the kind of support that only a close male friend can offer. At the hospital, Dr. Verghese is the teacher and mentor that Smith so badly needs; on the tennis court, Smith is the teacher, Verghese the student. When Dr. Verghese realizes that Smith is relapsing into his addiction, he finds it difficult to decide what his obligations are. Does he respond as Smith's friend or as his teacher? Do his obligations to the hospital override those he feels toward David as the only friend David Smith seems to have in the world?
   
   Those readers who discovered Abraham Verghese through his wonderful 2009 novel, "Cutting for Stone," will already know what a powerful fiction writer the man is. They will be happy to find that he displays the same skill level in 1998's "The Tennis Partner," his second memoir. The tragedy of David Smith's life provides the focal point of the book but, along the way, Verghese explores topics as varied as fatherhood, marriage, the health care system along the southern U.S. border, friendship, addiction, and loyalty.



2. I really enjoyed this book. It dived headlong into the story and kept drawing me back in when I began to get a little bored with the tennis narratives. His discussion of, and obvious affection for, El Paso was intriguing. Can't wait to read his next book.



3. I was one of many individuals to have the privilege of knowing Dr. Verghese and David Smith through my association with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso. The story relating to David's tragic life and death hit me like it happened only yesterday. David was a person that everyone liked. He had a promising career as a physician who wanted to specialize in Emergency Medicine. Unfortunately, his drug addiction brought about his tragic end. This book should be read by anyone that has or is suffering from a drug addiction. From Dr. Verghese's story, one will be drawn into the promise and the darkness that overtook a young man before he could visualize and follow his dream.



4. 
   This book was not what I expected, but so much more!
   With the drug problem we are experiencing in the world today, this novel opened my eyes as to how pervasive and devasting addictions are and how far reaching the effects spread.
   Beautifully written and the characters were so well developed as to come alive and stay with me long after I finished reading it.
   Looking forward to reading his newest novel, CUTTING FOR STONE as this author is a master storyteller!



5. I read this many years ago and was reminded of it when I saw Verghese had a new book coming out. If you get a chance, read this book because it is one of the best, most heart-breaking stories you will ever find. The only thing better would be to meet this man in person.