No comments about Kid Rex: The Inspiring True Account of a Life Salvaged from Despair, Anorexia and Dark Days in New York City.

1 comments about Rowing Without Oars: A Memoir of Living and Dying.

1. Ulla-Carin Lindquist's poignant personal journey with ALS is a well written account containing many end of life issues - end of life as one knows it, end of dreams for the future, the beginning of a different way of framing events of the past, and the slow deterioration of health and abilities once taken for granted. Relationships are explored while emotions are uncovered or discovered. This book is filled with real thoughts from an intelligent woman undergoing tremondous hardship, yet done with beauty and hope.
   
   Ulla-Carin was a popular newscaster on Swedish Television.
   
   Three parts of the book stayed with me (might be a spoiler if you're planning on reading the book - I'm not sure). One, when her now grown daughter describes that all she ever wanted when her mom was a busy career newswoman was to have a full day to spend with her, and she never could (ouch!)but now that Ulla-Carin is sick she has all of the time each day to spend as she wishes within her limitations - another, when her boys play communication games (very touching and some just for FUN!) and a thought her young son introduces into her life, and which she introduces earlier but then she ends the book.

No comments about A Journey Through Cancer.

1 comments about Iconoclast: Abraham Flexner and a Life in Learning.

1. Professor Thomas Neville Bonner who is a distinguished historian and has authored several books about medical education has produced a real literary gem in "Iconoclast-Abraham Flexner and a life in learning". Abraham Flexner and his brother Simon were true giants in reforming medical education and introducing scientific medical research respectively in the USA at the beginning of 20th century. Abraham Flexner's life story is traced with marked clarity and precision of details in this remarkable book. Professor Bonner informs us about his fascination with Abraham Flexner's work in the Introduction by reading his first book "The American College" followed by the famous "Flexner Report- Medical Education in the US and Canada" published in 1910. He then takes us through Abraham's early years growing up as the youngest son of poor Jewish immigrant parents in late 19th century in Reconstruction Louisville, Kentucky, his graduation from high school, attendance at the newly opened Johns Hopkins University and coming back to Louisville at age 19 to become a teacher at his alma mater, Louisville Male High School. Thereafter he becomes principal of his own highly successful preparatory school. At age 42, he " breaks free" from Louisville and enrolls at Harvard and subsequently at Oxford in Britain and then at Berlin University in Germany. On his return back to the U.S.A, he is commissioned by Henry Pritchett of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to survey 155 medical schools in North America. Flexner Report was a scathing critique of the deplorable conditions of the then extant medical schools and catapulted him into an education specialist status overnite.After being hired by the Rockefeller Foundation, Abraham Flexner was in a unique position to implement medical education reforms, start full-time plan and improve university-hospital affiliations by being able to disburse huge sums of Rockefeller largesse.Bonner points out the immense influence Abraham Flexner enjoyed being at the helm of an epochal reform movement in medical education. He was an author, a negotiator, a highly effective fund-raiser and a philanthropist. He established the Instiute for Advanced Study in Princeton, NJ which became an intellectual powerhouse , through the philanthropy of Louis Bamberger and was solely responsible for Albert Einstein's immigration to the USA. Abraham Flexner's long life was a multi-faceted and highly eventful one. Professor Bonner has done an admirable job in writing this thoroughly researched and definitive biography which will serve as a highly dependable reference work for future researchers. He writes with great clarity and conviction. The book reads like a novel with tremendous intrigue and drama. I recommend this book as a required reading for medical students, physicians and medical educators.General public will also find this book extremely enjoyable and informative

No comments about Reassessing Foucault: Power, Medicine and the Body (Studies in the Social History of Medicine).

1 comments about Snowshoe and Lancet: Memoirs of a Frontier Newfoundland Doctor.

1. Dr. Ecke's accounts are told with a bit of sterility, but he certainly enjoys his time in Newfoundland. It was a time when medical cures were limited, and the rural diet was a "made do" affair, but the people's spirit is contrasted against the stark landscape. Recommended read, especially for those familiar with the area or with ties to Notre Dame Bay, NF

5 comments about Florence Nightingale: Mystic, Visionary, Healer.

1. I was inspired to become a nurse by stories of the "lady with the lamp" but it took more than 30 years before I found this book and learned just why Florence Nightingale deserved to be my inspiration. The pictures alone are worth the price of this book, and the story too is well told.



2. Dr. Barbara Dossey, founder of the American Holistic Nursing Association, has written an inspiring and insightful biography of Florence Nightingale that has much to teach us about being bold, tough minded, task oriented, creative, passionate and compassionate. Nightingale conscientiously developed the strongly focused conceptual, organizational and networking skills that contributed to her formidable accomplishments in the fields of nursing, housing, sanitation and statistics and did it all despite chronic illness, criticism, sexism and other major life challenges. Most of all, we learn that Nightingale was a visionary and mystic, whose life story challenges all of us to know, accept and realize our God-given purpose in this world.



3. I knew of Florence Nightingale's nursing activities before reading this book but had no idea of the extent of her self-discipline, dedication and accomplishments. She was a systems analyst, administrator, networker and mystic who devoted her life to doing God's work. She was also a prolific writer of books, lay reports, pamphlets and thousands of letters. The author provides a wealth of background material describing the historic times and places associated with Florence Nightingale. One of the things I appreciated about this book were the many maps and photographs appropriately placed near the text about the person or places.



4. This is unquestionably the best biography of Nightingale ever written. The author reminds us that Nightingale was one of the first statisticians -- one of the first members of the statistical society in the U.K. and for many years the only woman member. Nightingale collected and published voluminous statistics about health care (she proved that the rate of childbirth fever was lower among women cared for by midwives vs those cared for by physicians and surmised correctly that the difference was that the midwives washed their hands and established hygiene in the birth chamber. The physicians came to the birth room covered with blood from dissections.) The germ theory of disease had not been developed -- but she was able to reduce the death rate in the hospitals in Crimea by ensuring cleanliness, safe water and good food for the patients.) She was also a suffragist and one of the first signers of a petition in support of suffrage put forward by her
   friends, the philosopher John Stuart Mill and his wife Harriet Taylor, who were prominent proponents of women's suffrage. Mill asked Nightingale to dedicate herself to the cause of female suffrage and she replied that there were others as qualified as she; she was needed to reform the British military, hospital and medical systems. Nightingale shook up the British military, hospital and medical establishments. She had many enemies because of her work -- and they became even more virulent when she was proved right. Unfortunately their calumnies persist to this day. While doing the work which first brought her to public attention she contracted Crimean Fever -- a common complaint of those who served in the Crimea War. Dossey points out that recent research indicates that Crimean Fever was probably brucellosis which was and is epidemic and endemic in the Crimea. (It occurs now, too, in the U.S. among persons who work with infected cattle.) Nightingale was a very devout Christian. At 17 she sought a direction for her life. She came to feel that she was called to serve the sick and took a vow of chastity when she was 17. Barbara Dossey is an R.N. with a Master's degree in nursing. She has written texts on intensive care nursing and on wholistic health. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing -- which signfies the high respect of her research peers for her work. This is the finest contribution she has made and that says a lot.



5. learn about the history of the nursing profession... very interesting... lots of beautiful pictures

No comments about F.M.: The Life of Frederick Matthias Alexander: Founder of the Alexander Technique.

5 comments about Learning Sickness: A Year With Crohn's Disease (Capital Discovery).

1. I purchased this book after reading a blurb in the local paper about the author speaking at Barnes & Noble. I was unable to attend but ordered it through Amazon. The book sounded like a helpful way to share what a Crohn's patient feels with my spouse/family. As it turns out, the author suffers from Crohn's of the colon only and does not experience the daily pain that 80% of patients do. The major issue for me wasn't even covered! The second problem I had with it was, no offence, it was written from a very male point of view. As a woman, ego & ability to deal with emotional issues are not experienced in the same way as an alpha male type. I think he just needed a Xanax! He does offer an entire chapter about the importance of being your own patient advocate & I think that's definitely an important point to cover when dealing with any chronic medical condition.



2. As a person who has struggled with Crohn's disease for years- I had hoped this book would offer some useful information. Instead, after buying it out of my now very meager income- I got to read some guy's diary about how he felt. It was not useful to me at all- except that it will hold the front door open to let the fresh air in. If you have Crohn's disease or suspect it- I beg you to read Jill Sklar's book or 'Straight from the gut'- both are available on Amazon and both are very, very helpful.



3. For years, myself, my friends, and my family have struggled with feeling helpless as my physical and mental health fluctuate due to the unpredictable nature of IBD. Jim's book offers the heartfelt insights about coping with chronic disease that I have been either too tired or too afraid to admit to even my closest companions. While this book offers an honest voice I can commiserate with, it is a much needed resource for anyone who wants to understand what it means to be sick with IBD. I cannot recommend this book highly enough for both the sufferer and those who want to learn more.



4. As a 30-year-old who had Crohns for the past 6 years, I was interested in this book. It was well written and sweet. I often had the same feelings the author had about taking the darn pills every day and always feeling sick.
   I also liked how he sat in church and prayed to feel better. I also went thru the, "Mad at God" stage b/c I was so sick and blamed him for my illness. It was nice to know that others feel the same way sometimes, and it helped ease a little of my guilt.
   Great book for a Crohns or UC patient...or their family and friends... :)



5. I picked up this book simply because I wanted to read a good memoir. Little did I know what else it would give me. Just a week after I ordered an advance copy of the book online, my 44 year old brother died as a result of complications from ulcerative colitis, a disease that I later learned is very similar to Crohn's disease. Reading Jim's book was an important part of my grieving process; his narrative gave me insight into the everyday experiences my brother must have had with his own health -- and I gained new respect for his struggle.

   Jim Lang has written an eloquent, piercing, yet down-to-earth chronicle of life with Crohn's disease. This book is the best kind of creative non-fiction: a memoir that tells the truth in a self-reflective but non-detached way. I highly recommend this book not only to those with connections to Crohn's, but to anyone seeking to understand the depth of human experience through memoir.

5 comments about Living Proof.

1. This is an entertaining book on a completely depressing subject. Hopefully Mr. Gearin-Tosh's tale will inspire others to do research and discover that chemotherapy does lack scientific proof of effectiveness and that scientific research has been done on the value of nutrition and other concepts.
   
   If you find yourself or a loved one has been diagnosed with any form of cancer, and if you are scientifically inclined, you might want to read "Complementary Oncology" written by some of the world's leading cancer researchers. Chemotherapy and radiation are *not* the only choices for treatment.



2. As someone who's had cancer, I found this book particularly wonderful for a variety of reasons. Not only do I admire Gearin-Tosh's independence and courage but I applaud the fact that he actually THINKS. And he sure can write too!

   For those of us who love language, Gearin-Tosh is a particular joy. How many cancer self-help books quote Chekhov and Shaw? And G-T also cites many cancer "memoirs" by folks who had conventional treatments (and died) like Liz Tilberis and John Diamond. The citations from these books are so very moving. (I was reminded of the late Gilda Radner's story many times, the suffering and the seemingly endless chemos she endured.)

   I also did what G-T did when I got my diagnosis--I reached out to everyone I knew who'd had cancer (and asked my friends to find me people to talk to) to find out how they dealt with it. I was particularly interested to know if they pursued any alternative therapies and to find out which ones. I now take many "anti-cancer" supplements and follow nutritional therapies that hopefully will discourage a recurrence of cancer. So far, so good. G-T says the cancer specialist Dr. Barlogie wanrs that the most important thing is not to have "a recurrence." Amen to that but I know many folks with cancer who've had chemo and radiation and experienced recurrences. If the medical profession had all the answers, there wouldn't be such a demand for books like this!! Not only does Gearin-Tosh think, write in an accessible format that's both charming and amusing, but he's a role model in courage.

   In the real world, many folks do both conventional protocols and alternative protocols for a variety of conditions including cancer. Often they don't tell their doctors because the doctors are hostile, indifferent or just plain ignorant. G-T's portraits of medical people are marvelous. In a few words, he sketches an entire person. I think this book would be very helpful for doctors too. A little humility is in order. I agree with Gearin-Tosh that medical exceptions should be studied, not dismissed as mere anomalies.

   People get entrenched in positions. G-T never said he'd "never" go the chemo route. but he did say it was a last resort. He also says he'd be thrilled if the medical community came up with a real "cure." But given the death rates and horrific side effects of conventional therapies at the time he embarked on his journey, the choice was his to make.

   The dirty secret of the medical profession is that cancer patients are guinea pigs for the most horrible therapies. And if we die from them, so what? We were going to do die anyway.

   A cancer diagnosis is indeed terrifying; but there's a lot to be said for empowering yourself. Hurrah for Michael Gearin-Tosh.




3. It was by coincidence I happened upon this wonderful book, if you believe in coincidences. The style and method of presentation of this dreadful subject of cancer was superb. To gain the perspective in writing of a person with documented access and audience to the most well respected oncology experts in the world was wonderful.

   I was diagnosed with the same disease as the author had and I had taken similar steps towards health. I experienced many of the same symptoms, many of the same dilibitating conversations on the rush to treatment put out by the traditional medical community. The author relied heavily on others to help him in his daily regime. In that he is fortunate. It was a stunning experience to me to find how many previous people in my life were suddenly unavailable. Suggestion: Do not ever be single and and diagnosed with cancer.

   I congratulate and salute M. Gearin-Tosh for publishing an easily read book on a difficult subject. The book draws the reader to the next chapter, and on and on. His list of references is great. Check with the public library for a copy of the book (where I found mine). This is not an average book by any stretch, I am buying a copy even after having read it.

   My large container of coffee is cooking on the stove Mr. Gearin-Tosh. Perhaps we can compare notes re oncology or better yet life in a few years over a cup of tea.




4. This is the book I have been waiting years for. Michael Gearin-Tosh describes a journey through the mazes of cancer therapies that is insighful, useful and a wonderful read. He calls the medical establishment to task and to their credit many of that community are paying attention.
   Mr. Gearin-Tosh is fair, evenhanded in his warnings and praises for both allopathic and alternative modalities- again useful to someone weighing the options. And finally in the description of his case the whys and wherefores of specific foods and vitamins are outlined.
   This is a great read that will save lives.



5. I read Professor Gearin-Tosh's book, Living Proof with mixed feelings. After plowing through page after page of language parsings and philosophical arguments, My thoughts about the homeopathic treatments he writes about are still mostly negative. His talent is with language and literature, and it shows.

   I simply can't rationalize that dietary supplements are cures! If that were the case, I reason, this terrible disease could readily be tamed. Unfortunately, in the real world, it is not; survival rates, no matter what courses are taken, are abysmal.

   Compelling arguments throughout the book have been made supporting his juice diets, vitamin-mineral supplements and coffee enemas. Towards the end of the book, Dr. Carmen Wheatley writes an electrifying and insightful essay entitled: "The Case of the .005% Survivor". It is an excellent investigation and case study of Multiple Myeloma. I still tend to look more favorably to conventional treatments with COMPETENT oncologists.