5 comments about State of the Heart: A Medical Tourist's True Story of Lifesaving Surgery in India.

1. You won't believe the account of this experience. What happens when people are proactive about arranging with the hospital to pay out of pocket for an expensive surgery? What conditions do they encounter when they trek to India to have it done affordably? Where does the money go when we or our insurance company pays some 4000% of the cost of the same surgery done in another country? Warning, this book will spawn as many new questions as it answers. You won't find this stuff out anywhere else. Just read it.



2. WOW! Like any great piece of art, this book achieves the impossible - it speaks to a wide range of fundamental topics and raises profound questions, while simultaneously remaining very accessible, open to interpretation, and close to home. By staying within the context of her fascinating personal memoir, the author avoids political preaching and dry statistics. She doesn't tell you about the problems with our health-care system - she SHOWS you. She doesn't tell you what India was like - she takes you there. Come to your own conclusions about the developing world, about medical tourism, about our country's inability to take care of its citizens. But first, read this book.



3. I thouroughly enjoyed reading about this and realized that its much more affordable to do it this way, i.e. combining travelling abroad and major surgery, than to help finance the huge insurance complex in this country.



4. I've never known anything about India beyond dealing with customer service reps named "Buzz," "Chuck" and "Barbie" who mysteriously have heavy Indian accents. This book gives me a whole new vision of this fascinating country.
   
   The medical saga is exciting but also tragic, in that it should never have had to happen. Look at the city life described in the book; look at city life in our country. Now ask: Why would a productive American citizen have to travel to India for affordable health care? Can't we take care of our own? This book examines the whys and hows of getting medical care overseas with the facts enveloped in a readable, personal story.



5. State of the Heart shines a glaring spotlight on our broken health care system here in the United States. To think that a $200,000 procedure here can be done for less than $10,000 in India is unbelievable.
   
   As one of millions of Americans who can't afford health insurance, after reading this book I would have no problem going to India for care. In Howard's case, the treatment he received in the hospital there was much better than the treatment he got in the hospital here in the States, at a fraction of the cost.
   
   This book also gives you a sense of the streets of India, the sights and sounds, so different from our own. It portrays the people of India as gracious, caring souls.
   
   I can only hope if the situation ever arises, I will have a guardian angel like Maggi to help me through it!

4 comments about Doctor Hyde - A True Story of Addiction and Redemption.

1. I was intimately involved with the Locnikars for the second part of the book, and found the first part a little hard to believe, until I spoke with a friend who was at the party with Moe on the roof with the Ak47. She confirmed the mound of coke in the closet and more, this was before she read te book!. I thought it was just made up to sell books, it was reality.
   
   Doc left out ALOT in the second half, mostly for fear of getting sued I am guessing. There were even more sad and funny stories that could have been told. I am sure he left some things out to spare certain people allot of shame. I glad he didn't include anything on me. I personally witnessed the morning after the part about the all-consuming paranoia with the ripping apart of the house, it was truly amazing on one hand and also a little scary that a man could do that much damage in one night.
   
   There is definitely enough material here for a movie, but I think that would need to glamorize the badness and the madness too much to fit with Doc's sense of wanting to help others stay out of this dangerous territory.
   
   All in all a very interesting read, you will most likely read it in one sitting. It isn't as funny as it could have been, but I guess that wasn't the point.



2. If I didn't know this was a true story I would think this is the new fictional HBO series,about rampant drug use and addiction in the "doctor world" instead of the "underworld". Dr. Locnikar had demons to conquer that to the reader appeared to be beyond hope. I couldn't stop reading and even after many months since I've read it, I think about it...especially the last paragraph!



3. "Doctor Hyde" provides an inside view of a drug addict's thought processes in a surreal world which exists in our own neighborhoods even though we ignore the very thought that we live among such travesty.
   
   It is a shocking reality-check that makes one wonder why and how this can happen to the average individual and yet this is a real-life account of an invincible plastic surgeon who falls victim to an addiction that drives him to near-death and eventual resurrection.
   
   Riveting and disheartening, you will cling to the book with hope and prayer this once-defiant character finds the strength to free himself from the clutches of narcotics. You will leave the book with the fear your children will never follow the same path to hell.
   
   A must read for a look inside America's greatest problem...drug addiction.
   
   Dr. Locnikar, "May God be with you" in your daily struggles.



4. I was saddened to read about what has happened to doc. I will always admire him as a person and consider him a friend. I wish him all the best that life has to offer and hope he finds happiness.
   
   He was the best surgeon and I will never find another I respect or trust more.
   
   sincerely
   J. Mills

5 comments about The Red Devil: To Hell with Cancer--And Back.

1. I loved this book so much...I even blogged about it:
   
   [...]
   
   I got this book in the mail over the weekend, but I didn't begin reading it until last night. I crawled into bed and picked it up off my nightstand. I was mentally exhausted from writing most of the day, but this clever little book kept me up.
   
   Katherine's memoir through breast cancer at age 32, divorce and career is witty (I have literally laughed out loud), informative (well researched info on cancer) and empowering. She's brave and honest as hell.
   
   Cons (or warning): It can be tough to read the treatment portions, but hey, it's a reality right????
   
   I highly recommend the book for young female cancer survivors, and young female cancer patients. Please get a copy for yourself or a loved one- they will thank you!
   
   The Red Devil Rocks and so does Katherine!
   
   Love & Light,
   
   Regina



2. This book keeps me sane when I start freaking out about my own lousy diagnosis. I first read about it in OPRAH magazine, and bought it after my Stage 3C diagnosis at age 45. Her strength and honesty, and spectacular fight with cancer have really helped me. When you have an advanced diagnosis, and are facing multiple surgeries, chemo, and rads, you don't want to read about some whiney Stage 1 chick who's getting a lumpectomy and rads.
   This author goes through all the horrors of cancer treatment and multiple recurrances, with a sense of humor. I love this book!



3. Katherine Russel Rich's stirring memoir of her struggle with breast cancer takes the reader on a harrowing journey from the end of Rich's marriage in 1988 and her almost immediate discovery that she had cancer, through chemotherapy, to the discovery that her cancer had metastasized into her bones, and finally to her resolute remission and the reconstruction of her life. Rich, who was only 32 and living a fast, glamorous (booze, fatty food, and cigarette filled) life as a magazine editor in New York, was floored by the realization that she had cancer, and at first tried to downplay the terrible physical and psychological effects of her disease and treatment. Yet Rich finds that denial and isolation only make her chemotherapy more painful and exhausting, and that the wry wit she uses to fend off her feelings of hopelessness, victimhood, and dependency can only last so long.
   Despite the way the author lays bare her emotions, this book is no made-for-T.V. movie or sappy Hallmark card. Rich is acerbic and analytical, looking back on her experience and pointing out both her triumphs and her failings. At 32 she considered herself far too young to develop cancer, and her doctors felt the same way. Some of the book's most powerful moments are those in which Rich realizes her doctor's failings--discouraging her from having a mammogram or a biopsy, failing to explain her disease in anything but technical jargon, rushing her into procedures without helping her determine what would actually be best for her. It is in these retrospective moments that Rich provides the most scientific, biological information about cancer; this is no textbook, but the explanations of the multicellular manifestations of cancer and the actions of chemotherapy drugs provide a stable background that would benefit anyone faced with Rich's diagnosis. Stronger still is Rich's candid description of the havoc and exhaustion wreaked by her chemotherapy cocktail. She spares no details, using vivid language to evoke her experience.
   For me, this book gave cancer a face, one with which I could identify. While Rich's battle with cancer began the year I was born, and she was taking far more risks with her health than I do, I was affected by the testimony of an active, intellectual woman, unsettled and supposedly in the prime of life. Rich's use of dark humor and unflinching self-analysis, and her evasion of stick-sweet platitudes about her victory over the disease, make the book not only instructive, but at times even fun. This is not to say, of course, that cancer is funny--but by remaining human, instead of presenting herself as a heroic martyr, Rich made me like her as a whole person, not just a victim. This understanding allowed me to imagine myself in her place, and to wonder how I would fare, faced with the pain, tiredness, and deadliness of cancer.
   Two of her experiences bear important messages for society: First, Rich found herself increasingly isolated once she began telling people she had cancer. Even though she continued working, she had very little contact with coworkers or former friends--only few, including her ex-husband, persevered with her. This isolation made her disease even more unbearable, and slowed her recovery, even dulling her will to live. Second, Rich did not make a full recovery. After being told she was "cured," her cancer reappeared, this time spread through seven sites in her bones. This not-quite success story shows us that cancer remains a mortal threat, and, conversely, that small victories--like Rich's survival beyond the single year projected for her--matter.



4. I would recommend this book to anyone with breast cancer who enjoys reading other's story of breast cancer. It is well written, easy to read and hard to put down. If you don't like reading books that show the darker side of breast cancer and all that entails, then don't buy this book. Not only does this book show you the dark, miserable, lonely side of dealing with breast cancer, but gives you many examples of miracles, hope, humor and I laughed out loud at the ms patient who decided to join the breast cancer support group. Hilarous. I loved it because of the truthful way she portrayed this disease and it's impact on the woman, her mate, her family, work and work relationships, oncologists, the medical system in general etc. She has a wonderfully delightful way of writing her story. Would read anything else she publishes based on that fact alone.



5. For a cancer survivor to record the whole nasty experience and not succumb to the fear that the words she writes will be her last is so courageous and selfless. They don't have to share, but they do. My mother-in-law is in her second remission from ovarian cancer. As a family member who so dearly loves her and wishes this evil cancer would be silenced, Kathy's novel is refreshing. I agree with the fact a cancer patient has to keep her head in the game. Trusting one doctor is foolish when you're gambling with your life. It's better to ask, then lose time. Loved it.

5 comments about No Footprints in the Sand - A Memoir of Kalaupapa.

1. we loved this story I didn't not realize there was a history on these
   people. and it was done so well I would recommend you read Malaki first
   then this book after. good read



2. Aloha kakou,
   Outstanding collaborative effort by two very important Native Hawaiian voices. This wonderful portrait details a man`s life spent well--dealing with the challenges and trials of surviving Hansen`s disease in Kalaupapa, Moloka`i. Not an in depth about Hansen`s or Kalaupapa, this is Henry`s story, his life, loves, talents and legacy. Henry tells his story, through Sally-Jo`s sensitive handling, with the self effacing, off hand manner of a true local Bruddah. Typical of Hawaiians of his generation, he can do a handful of difficult things really well. This celebration of a life lived with purpose also shows what can result from a life lived purposefully with Aloha. I strongly recommend this book.



3. Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (3/07)
   
   This is an amazing story. It is Henry's story. Henry Nalielua, diagnosed with Hansen's disease at the age of ten, was branded leprous. "No Footprints in the Sand" is an important memoir. It tells of the journey that took Henry from a sugar plantation community on the Island of Hawaii to Kalaupapa, a remote settlement on the Hawaiian island of Molokai.
   
   Nalaielua's story is inspiring. Even in exile, with lifelong medical and physical challenges and isolation from his family, he faced life with hope, perseverance, courage, and humor. Henry learned to draw and paint. He became an artist. Henry loved music and mastered the ukulele and upright bass. He became a musician. Henry's mind was sharp. He was determined and quick-to-learn. He became an historian. Henry has also served on numerous public agency advisory boards. When the facility at Kalaupapa was named a National Historic Park, Henry became a guide for park visitors. He still resides at Kalaupapa
   
   Co-author Sally-Jo Bowman worked determinedly over a period of years to help bring Henry's story to publication. She first met Henry in 1995, when he helped her with on-site research at Kaluapapa for several magazine articles about the Hansen's disease colony.
   
   Henry's story is unforgettable. It is told with intimacy and openness. "No Footprints in the Sand" is a heartwarming memoir that will inspire anyone facing adversity, long term illness, or needing encouragement. This was a very positive reading experience.



4. In his powerful first book, "Uncle Henry" Nalaielua tells a story that has rarely been told, of a dark moment of Hawai'i's history; not from the distant viewpoint of the historian, but from the first-person testimony of its survivor.
   
   With honesty, humor and vivid detail, Henry's courageous tale touched my soul, so profoundly, that I kept wanting to know more. I couldn't put it down and finished it in one sitting, wishing that it wouldn't end. It stirred emotions in the same way as Paulo Coelho's, "The Alchemist," in its message of following one's dream, despite all obstacles. (Except, this is no fable; it is a real life piece.)
   
   Along with his brilliant co-author, Sally-Jo Bowman, he weaves an intimate story of strength and perserverence, which will surely be known for decades to come as one of the islands' finest mo`olelo.
   
   This is a must read for everyone and makes for a wonderful gift. It will touch you in surprising ways, and make you want to meet this incredible man and the spiritual place that he would finally call, "home."



5. I've now given away so many copies of No Footprints that I should have bought a dozen or twenty at wholesale. Henry's is an amazing story of a kolohe kanaka - naughty Hawaiian - who had the misfortune to contract a dreaded disease in 1936. Sally-Jo Bowman's input makes it a fascinating read. Sounds just like Henry sat down and wrote it all by himself, but we know it doesn't work that way. I chuckled at Henry's can-do attitude. Man after my own heart. I'm glad the book includes all his Casanova events. What a guy, a real renaissance kanaka kane - Hawaiian man. Great title!

5 comments about The Dressing Station: A Surgeon's Chronicle of War and Medicine.

1. I'm something of a junkie for medical narrative but Kaplin has it down to an art form. Kaplin's extensive experience working as a physician in the worlds most underserved and dangerous, war torn areas combined with his gift as a storyteller make for an engaging read. The books flows nicely for the most part, but the author occasionally slips into dry, self-indulgent commentaries on world affairs.



2. This book was appealing to me on two levels; it gave me some insight on what life is like as a physician, and also allowed me to experience a wide variety of social microcosms.
   
   He is a man that does not know how to put down roots, and while that is his occasionally his curse, it is our blessing. He lives a life in political exile. He moves from country to country, giving us a glimpse of how each one approaches health care. As if that is not enough, he volunteers for combat surgery under extremely trying conditions. Don't worry, I only gave you a few chapters, there are many more "lives" he leads!
   
   In all of this, his witty, warm, and yet objective style of writing bring each account to life. I would love to meet this man, and through this book I felt that I did...in a manner of speaking.
   
   I strongly recommend this book, if you are looking for a true account that is positively affirming and yet highly educational.



3. Kaplan has written a piece that isn't necessarily profound, but provided some new perspectives on international medicine for me. Indeed, as another reviewer remarked, he sees the world of modern medicine through socialist glasses. This should not, however, prevent anyone from picking up this book--I strongly disagree with him on many of his analyses of American health care, yet still enjoyed his intelligent, often humorous writing. As a future surgeon, I found his career and experiences fascinating, and once again proving that practicing medicine in Suburbia USA and making money are not the necessary components of a fulfilling career.



4. An interesting book about a remarkable doctor's travels. He comes across as quite honest, even a bit naive at times. He never gets into discussions of humanitarian philosophy (i.e. working as a surgeon for an insurgent force isn't exactly neutral). Indeed, it's unclear as to how much he knows about it in general. I think this actually makes for a better story as he is quite forthright. It is also interesting to follow his exploits with what are clearly some fly-by-night aid groups. Despite a somewhat awkward ending - in which he attempts to make philosophical connections between his work with over-stressed executives and his prior international work - overall it makes a fine read.



5. This is a surprisingly well-written book that is an exhilarating journey with the surgeon-author who has been to most places on Earth and has remarkably vivid stories to tell. This book is a must for anyone in the medical professions who has any interest in working or volunteering abroad. It lays to rest many of the myths of international relief work; in addition, Kaplan does well to strip romanticism from what can be grueling and brutal conditions. Highly recommended.

3 comments about Look up for Yes.

1. I thought that the book was exelent and that Julia could have talked more about her family and more about Goldwater. Overall she did a fantastic job at writing this book.



2. A nurse recommended the book to my sister. She said it changed the way she treats patients. My sister read it in one afternoon. It makes you think and reminds you to count your blessings!



3. Those who weap because they have no shoes should meet this woman who has no feet, no hands, no voice, no normalcy. And yet she greets the day with poetry and refuses -- against odds few people could bear -- to loosen her grip on reality, on the future, on hope. Where some autobiographical writers might seek our pity, Julia demands our respect. Where some labor to generate tears, Julia aims to generate cheers -- and at times outbursts of profanity. Her story is a fast, easy-to-follow read packed with flashbacks, present-day tales and, the most essential element of all, hope

5 comments about Falling Leaves: The True Story of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter.

1. Although there are hundreds of reviews, I had to review this book because it had such an impact on me. I think this book is wonderful. It is a captivating story. I read it complete in one night, I just could not put it down!
   
   Adeline is a beautiful story teller, with an exceptional eye for detail. Although I loved the book, there was a strange voice that would creep into the story. Almost as if there was a repressed part of herself that could not hide from this book: it is a young Adeline still hoping to be the apple of her father's eye; and for her family to appreciate, love and respect her.
   
   It is a sad story that shocks readers with the inhumanity that families can inflict on one of their own. It is still beautiful and hopeful, even in its most miserable moments.
   
   Highly recommend



2. This book was beautifully written and gripping from the start. The reviewer who complained of Adeline's "whining" tone, is being unfair. I don't see her as whiny, but rather somewhat detached as she recounts the emptiness of her childhood. In fact, I want her to scream and kick and rebell, maybe even whine, yet she does none of that. Whining is even more emotion than I think she allows herself to feel. She endured a childhood with certain material wealth but vastly lacking in emotional wealth.
   Adeline takes the emotional abuse because she knows nothing else. Her father is the true villain for caring more about his trophy wife than his own family's happiness. He is oblivious to his children's emotional needs. He disappoints more than the stepmom for choosing to abandon children that he chose to bring into the world. He manipulates and plays them one against the other for his own selfish desires.
   After long periods of thinking about this book, I've come to my own understanding of why she managed to salvage a happy life out of such a miserable upbringing. It is the very belief, albeit blatently false, that her family would one day accept her, that makes her continue to push for their love and not give up. Children are frequently unable to find fault with their loved ones. It is that very "innocence" that protected her from worse harm, the knowledge that acceptance would never, ever, be forthcoming.



3. The heartbreaking story of an unwanted, abused, neglected child who never ceases to try and earn her family's affections. If you have ever experienced these feelings,no matter what your race, you will LOVE this book. It moved me to tears and I could not put it down once I started reading it.



4. ...with that whine? Self serving, whiney, horrible. I just don't get it. No comparison to anything by Frank McCort, Amy Tan or anyone like them.



5. Adeline Yen Mah, the youngest daughter of a prominent chinese businessman and his young half-chinese, half-french new wife, shows a poignant and vivid picture of life as a most unwanted Chinese daughter growing up during the cultural revolution in mid- 20th century China. Despite horrible mistreatment and abuse by her step-mother, Yen Mah slowly flourished from a sad, quiet girl to a successful physician living in the United States because of the love and encourgement of one unempowered Aunt. A heartwrenching read, this autobiography is proof that even when 'bad things happen to good people', knowing one has done the 'right thing' is priceless indeed.

5 comments about Warrior Soul: The Memoir of a Navy SEAL.

1. Although this book provides a glimpse inside the Navy Seals from an team leader's perspective, it was generally dry and drawn out ,spending a lot of time on Beruit and providing a lot of background information and editorials on the politics etc of that event that I am not interested in. This guy is a stud- no doubt, but I found myself skipping through the pages to find something interesting.



2. Seriously, this was an AWESOME BOOK. Reading the stories I was amazed at what kind of sh.. Mr. Pfarrer got himself into. From BUD/S to Beirut to Banana Republics to Cancer.. he's been at the front row of many key world events, as well as personal ones. (And I'm sure there's a few more that haven't been reported)
   
   The book was very compelling. And he did a great job writing. I really had a tough time putting it down. I always wanted to read "just one more story".
   
   I also enjoyed how it didn't glamorize, but also wasn't falsely modest. Chuck seems like a solid human being--and certainly went above and beyond in his service and in life. And he shares much of his experiences through the book.
   
   Anyhow, thank you Mr. Pfarrer!
   
   ps: and remember, it's "air-BORNE!!"



3. An excellent account of SEAL training and operations. Chuck Pfarrer is a veteran of the Beirut war and a witness to the car bombing called the first act of terrorism by our current enemies. He is a combat veteran and a former Naval officer. His Navy experience is important because he recalls the beginning of the war on terror , namely the situation in Beirut. This is an important book.



4. I would never have guessed that this book was written by a purely military man and not an actual writer.
   
   My son is a navy seal, and though I was in the Marines, I don't know too much about them, so I try to read everything I can when I get the chance to try and understand what they go through. Why a lot of them join, why they go through the training, why the training is they way it is. This book hit all those points spot on. Although I as well as everyone am aware there is nothing in the world like Navy seal training, this book does give us probably the most in depth view into the world that I've come across as of yet. It will leave you with a sense of awe at what a human is capable of physically, mentally and emotionally. These are men amongst men.



5. Now this was a great memoir/biography of a Navy SEAL, one that showed what the SEAL went through for selection, training and operations. Pfarrer is an accomplished screenwriter and his account of his SEAL exploits in Warrior Soul definitely make him an accomplished and more rounded writer. Through his writing we are given vivid images that allow us to put ourselves in his shoes and see and experience what he went through. We, of course, will never know how it truly feels and the pain and endurance that they go through, but we at least can understand.
   
   Pfarrer does wonderfully in the beginning in describing what he went through as a SEAL in Team 4. He painted a picture of his childhood through his college years, letting us track his path in becoming such an elite soldier. We are treated to a brief operation in Latin America before spending the middle of the book on his exploits in Beirut. I for one was not aware of how bad Beirut was and Pfarrer did such a great job in describing his day to day life that I felt as though I could understand what was going on in that war torn city. Pfarrer spent a good deal of time on it, and rightly so, because of the profound affect it had on his life.
   
   The latter few chapters were devoted to Pfarrer's stint as an officer of SEAL Team 6, the Black Op Team that was even more tough and hard to get in to and performed much more specific and dangerous tasks than the normal SEAL. Through this we get to see some of his training and what he went through before and after, as well as a decent section on some of the history behind Marcinko, Gormly and the formation of Team 6. We don't get to see too much of the action of Team 6 because of the nature of the missions, but we did get to see a few of the more publicized missions they went on, such as the hostage situation on the cruise ship Achille Lauro.
   
   Despite not seeing too much of what went on in SEAL Team 6 we are treated to a great account of an officer in the SEALs. Where Marcinko's account had a lot of character from the way he wrote, Pfarrer's account is much more polished. I would definitely recommend Warrior Soul to anyone looking for a good military history.
   
   5 stars.

5 comments about Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness.

1. Sad, but not hopeless, biographical account of a young musician stricken with a horrifying illness. Heartfelt & honest without being overly sentimental. Written in a captivating & sometimes humorous tone, not witholding any details. I have been reading this as a physician, and will recommend the book to any young patients I have with grave illnesses.



2. I'd been a fan of EBTG for quite awhile before this book came out. Their soothing music has always been a favorite so I was really interested to see what this book was all about.
   
   It turned out to be a very disturbing account of Ben Watt's freak-show illness, blow by blow. His commentary is riveting and one gets the feeling that he does not feel sorry for himself in the least, but instead follows his own story as if he is an observer who also happens to be its main character.
   
   I was heartened to read toward the end of the book Watt's own musings on what may have brought all his health problems about. Though he left it vague, his illness seems to be among those new "diseases of civilization" caused by many factors in our surroundings that lead to hard-to-define ailments where environmental toxicity and the overuse of pharmaceutical medicines are certainly not to be discounted.
   
   In any case it seems that his passion for music transcended all, and was at least in part a contributor to his recovery. Most of all he deserves a thanks for telling his story, unadulterated. For sure it has made this reader not feel so isolated.



3. I purchase this book many years ago simply because I was a big ebtg fan. I casually knew what he had been thorugh and felt terrible for him, but was going through the process of losing and then grieving for a loved one.
   When I read the book, it offered me a perspective on what life may have been like for my loved one as he suffered illness. What a wonderful gift Ben Watt has given. He writes without self-pity, in his lyrical style without being flowery or glossing over the ugliness of illness. I am so glad that he survived for selfish reasons-the music he (&Tracey) has(have) produced (before and after the illness) has been a diverse gift to the world.
   And I am so greatful that he wrote this book. Experiencing the death of a loved one through being a spectator to horrible illness, was, in a strange way one of life's best gifts to me. No I didn't learn to be greatful for my health and all that crap-I learned that true joy comes from giving to another and expecting nothing in return. Ben Watt's Patient, gave me an extra perspective on that experience, and sometimes helps me to remember the life-lesson from it all.
   In summation, read Patient for more of Watt's lyrical writing, read it to find a surprisingly good story with plot twists and turns, read it to learn what severe illness truly is. Fascinating. A gift-thank you.



4. The fact that Watt's story lacks a significant plot (outside of the onset, diagnosis, and treatment of his rare condition) is largely forgivable. For those of us who know Watt primarily as a musician/songwriter, the somewhat static storyline here is acceptable. All that's missing from "Patient" is Everything But The Girl's enlightening bed of music to be heard under Ben's delicately articulated prose. Typical of many great songs, Watt occasionally blurs the line between the first- and third-person narration, and "Patient" is better off for it. Perhaps even better than the great writing, though, is the genuine and intimate portal into the lives of Ben and Tracey rarely afforded to EBTG fans. It's a relatively short read, but each page gives plenty to be absorbed as the result of Ben's crafty alliteration and his uncensored, yet careful, approach to the fog of medical lexicon. Not for the weak of heart--or stomach--Watt's book exacts distinct feelings of sobriety and contemplation...with an ending portrait that expertly convey's his trademark understated hope.



5. I'll admit I picked this up mostly out of curiosity as a longtime fan of Everything But the Girl. What kept me reading, however, was Ben Watt's skill as a writer. His story is gripping and harrowing, but told with a dry wit and wonderful observations. This book is not just about one man coming to terms with serious illness, but how that experience affected his relationships with his loved ones and his view of himself. This would be a great book for anyone in the health care field to read; it gives you a sense of the patient as a full human being, not just a "problem" to be fixed. Ben Watt's writing skills are as strong as his ample skills as a musician/songwriter. This book has my highest recommendation.

5 comments about A Random Act: An Inspiring True Story of Fighting to Survive and Choosing to Forgive.

1. Not possible to review, as I never received this item.
   Please refund my money.



2. I was really impressed with this book. Cindi is a remarkable woman to come through so much physical and mental pain and then to be able to forgive and move on with her life. It makes you grateful for what you have in life and shows you that amongst all the evil in the world there are still so many good people, helping each other. I really enjoyed reading this book and would urge others to do so.



3. It took courage to live thru this horrible attack and more courage to write so honestly about her pain and then to be able to forgive the anonymous attacker.



4. This was a great book! I really enjoyed the positive attitude that Cindi demonstrated throughout this extremely difficult time in her life. I thought it was a fabulous read! I was finished with the book in three days!



5. This is an incredible story of an amazing woman who fought (and in many ways is still fighting) a horrific and totally senseless crime. Her very personal journey of survival is truly an inspiration to us all,and I thank her for having the courage to share it. She is helping to make the world a better and safer place. While it is often very difficult, forgiveness is NOT an option: it is a necessary part of this life. The bondages of anger, bitterness and depression that accompany unforgiveness far outweigh the original pain of whatever we may have encountered.When we release those who hurt us to God's justice, we free ourselves of any and all bondages and then our own healing can begin.
   The only complaint I would have about this book is that it tended to drag a bit once I got past the half-way mark.Otherwise it is a powerful read.
   God's blessings to Cindi and all her family!