4 comments about Connecting the Pieces: The Discovery of Early-Onset Bipolar Disorder.

1. Ethan Martinez is one of my good friends, and this book was amazing. it showed how much him and his mother both have struggled to get through his disoder.



2. This book is a wonderful resource for anyone touched by early onset bipolar disorder. Told from the viewpoint of a mother and her son, the story recounts the years of misdiagnosis, struggles with school, and the difficulty explaining what might look like defiant behaviors to others. Ms. Kratt and her son, Ethan, both write from their own perspectives, giving the reader the opportunity to gain much understanding of this complex mental illness. It is a hopeful story, and parents struggling with understanding a child with this diagnosis will find comfort and helpful information.



3. This is one family's journey to find answers and relief. It is told "side by side" as the left page is by mom and the right side by son.



4. Diane is a mom who has and is doing everything possible to help her son overcome the obstacles of having bipolar disorder to have a successful and happy life. Her knowledge of the resources available and her ideas about improving care for children with bipolar disorder are inspiring. I'd recommend this book for teachers, school administrators, coaches, counselors and especially parents struggling with this issue.

5 comments about I Know You Really Love Me: A Psychiatrist's Account of Stalking and Obsessive Love.

1. This book examines one psychiatrist's horrific experience with erotomania, a form of stalking where the pursuers carry a delusion that their victims are in love with them, despite all evidence to the contrary. Whereas most stalkers are consumed with their obsession for their victims, 10% of all stalkers are erotomanic.
   
   Through the course of the book we see the author transform from a naïve young psychiatrist to a seasoned professional, after a routine appointment with a seemingly innocuous female patient escalates into a stalking nightmare from hell. Every aspect of the author's life is eventually invaded, and all interpersonal and legal approaches to discourage the erotomanic prove fruitless. It's not unusual for erotomanics to stalk their prey for eight to ten years, and in this interesting book we get an insider's view of the entire journey.
   
   As a mental health professional, Orion does a good job with a challenging task: Sharing as much information as possible without revealing identifies or breaking the confidentiality of her patients, or in this case, further endangering herself or her loved ones. Such a terrifying experience might have conquered most professionals, and certainly most of the general public, but in writing this book Orion refuses to succumb to the victim mentality. Her selfless sharing of her own experiences provides a valuable opportunity for both professionals and lay persons to learn how to arm themselves against similar invasions.
   
   This is a great book for understanding the dynamics of erotomania from both personal and clinical perspectives. It is also a timeless book, just as pertinent today as it was when it was written. It includes many interesting examples of stalking, and erotomania in particular, involving everyday citizens as well as celebrities. This is recommended reading for anyone wanting to understand stalking in general, and erotomania in particular.



2. Dr. Orion does tell us what little she chooses to tell about her experiences with "Fran," the obviously disturbed former patient who became her stalker, but at least half of the book is filler about erotomania in general, some famous celebrity stalking cases, and other things I'd already read elsewhere (and you probably have, too). The again, she has footnotes culled from sources such like Redbook and People magazine.
   
   The back cover makes this book sound a lot more gripping than it is. Trust me, it's not thrilling. It's boring. Obviously it wasn't boring to Orion; fair enough. But I'm not certain what contribution she thinks she's making to the body of knowledge already out there.
   
   And I have a real problem with psychiatrists who write books targeted to the general public about real people who were once in their care, however briefly. My impression from reading this book is that everyone in the behavioral and mental health community feels free to talk about their patients. And whether that's true or not, Orion's done that community, as well as the public, a real disservice.
   
   I'm just grateful she was never my doctor.



3. The author, psychiatrist Doreen Orion, wrote this book to educate others about stalking, especially of the erotomanic variety. Erotomania is best known to most of us through mass media, which reports on those creepy individuals who go around convinced that celebrities are in love with them, married to them, etc. But this kind of stalking also happens to regular folks -- like Orion, whose chance encounter with a psychiatric patient turned into a years-long ordeal, with the patient following her, sneaking into her house, phoning, leaving letters, and even traveling from state to state to maintain unwanted contact with Orion.
   
   Orion recounts her ordeal and intersperses it with information she learned when she applied her psychiatric and research skills to her own predicament. The result is what she intends. Her own experiences cause us to empathize with her, and putting ourselves in her shoes, we can see that being stalked (even by a person unlikely ever to attack one physically) is a harrowing, psychologically draining, altogether awful ordeal. Over and over, Orion ran into people who, never having experienced it, consider such devotion from another no more than a nuisance. Orion proves differently. And her description of the psychological condition of erotomania and the development of laws to counter it are interesting, and deep enough to teach something new even to those with long experience in the medical or criminal justice fields.
   
   On the other hand, Orion's conclusions about what to do with the problem of erotomania seem to directly contradict what she says in her book. After noting again and again that punishment does not stop erotomanic stalkers, she says that maybe if they are punished more, they will stop. Longer imprisonment is probably a good idea, if only because while stalkers are in prison may be the only time their victims get any rest, but Orion's justified anger may be affecting her clinical judgment when she says extra punishment will do anything else.
   
   And this is clearly Orion's first book, and possibly her editor's too. She misspells "aid" as "aide" and "loath" as "loathe," errors a spell-checker can't catch but she or her editor should have, and her writing starts out bland and clumsy. What is remarkable about this is how quickly her writing improves over the course of the book. In the beginning, I was wondering whether I could endure her style long enough to finish, but by the end she had found her voice and I was turning pages frantically.
   
   Even before Orion's writing gels, though, the information she imparts makes her book a worthwhile read. There is more to the "celebrity stalker" type than meets the eye, and there are more of them than we know. Those who work in medicine or the law, especially, need to learn what Orion is teaching.



4. In a highly readable form, this book very well presents the facts concerning stalking. It would have benefitted from a decent editor (for example, to get rid of inappropriate use of subjunctive, change "led" for "lead,") but overall, I recommend it strongly.
   Leah complains that another reviewer mistakenly stated that Tim, Dr. Orion's husband, was her supervisor. It is Leah who is mistaken: on page 102, she explicitly states that they met when he was her resident supervisor and she a medical student.



5. Actually, if you look on page 114 of the paperback edition- the author writes,"Ever since the day Tim and I had met, I as the fourth year medical student and he as the second-year resident assigned to supervise me..." Her fiance was, in fact, her supervisor for awhile. I don't think this fact detracts the the book's overall impact and importance, however.

5 comments about All Things Wise and Wonderful.

1. The third book in the series and you know exactly what to expect. Yes, folks, it is every bit as entertaining as the first two, and that's probably all you need to know. But I'll go ahead and mention that he spends some time in the RAF during World War II, which we knew he would as the second book ended. I'll also mention that he and Helen have a baby, which you probably expected. One of the great joys of his writing is discovery, so I'd hate to screw that up with a spoiler, but these two tidbits are on the back cover anyway. Oh, and halfway through it, I predicted an ending in advance, and I only had to read 1000 pages by this guy before that happened. It's still great, great stuff, and you know you'll love it.



2. I read his books as a teen and loved them. Bought the whole set for my grandsons, [teens]. They laughed until they cried. [so did I].



3. If you like animals you will enjoy all James Herriot's books. This is one of a series of delightful books. Reading one will make you want to read the next one. I can read them over and over.



4. I have the complete series of All Creatures Great and Small books now. This was the last one and I loved it as much as I loved the others. He was a fantastic writer and having been born and raised on a farm I can appreciate a lot of what he talks about. I also have his cat and dog stories books and loved them just as much.



5. The books arrived so quickly that I got to take my time
   wrapping the books.

3 comments about The Father of Forensics: The Groundbreaking Cases of Sir Bernard Spilsbury, and the Beginnings of ModernCSI.

1. Evans' writing is very compelling and pushes you easily along the dateline of modern forensic techniques. His storytelling skills are marvelous and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I am only part way through and find myself trying to savor every page by reading only a little at a time. I don't want this book to end!



2. Colin Evans has written a number of excellent books on forensics and this one is just as much of an edge-of-your-seat page-turner as the others, if not more so. The book's focus is on a subset of the many cases in which Britain's Sir Bernard Spilsbury was involved as the much revered, indeed legendary, forensic pathologist. The main highlights of Spilsbury's life are also included. The author's writing style is as witty as it is engaging, often tongue-in-cheek. The words that he uses to describing these many cases seem to be very carefully selected and put together. But it is much more likely that this excellent style of writing simply comes naturally to this most gifted author; I cannot praise it enough. This book will be indispensable to anyone who enjoys reading well-crafted true crime stories in which forensics plays an important role. Very highly recommended!



3. I've read accounts of other forensic pathologists at the turn of the century, but this one is easiest to digest. It has a smooth reading style, lays out the crimes in sufficient detail that you can follow the 'plot' and then shows how Spilsbury and his associates helped lay the forensic groundwork for conviction. Cases include such well-known murders as "The Brides in the Bath," among others.
   
   Besides the fascination at watching the growth of forensics at the hands of the pioneers (Spilsbury doesn't get all the kudos in this book) you also catch a glimpse of the personal toll exacted by the long hours and hideous conditions.
   
   For readers keen to see a glimpse of early forensic technique and the men behind the emerging technology, I highly recommend Evan's informative book.

5 comments about Life, Death & Bialys: A Father/Son Baking Story.

1. I got started on a father-son memoir kick after reading David Gilmour's The Film Club, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I wanted a similar book that would mix poignancy and humor. A hot book right now is David Scheff's A Beautiful Boy, but I didb't want to read something that heartbreaking (about a son's methamphetamine addiction). This book delivered exactly what I was looking for. Schaffer does a masterful job of addressing his own anger over his father's abandonment of him at a young age, with humorous anecdotes about how stubborn and difficult his father was. Shortly before his father's death -- the father has terminal cancer -- Dylan and his father spend a week at the French Culinary Institute to take a course on artisanal baking. The details on how to make baguettes and properly prepare dough offer perfectly timed breaks from the rather harrowing story of how difficult it was for Dylan to be left behind to be raised by a chroncially depressed mother, who, when he reached adult age, would commit suicide. Dylan has some great ruminations about what it means to forgive a parent, even when they've done something that is unforgivable. He writes self assuredly, and with amazing candor about his own limitations and overpowering emotions. If you want to laugh, be moved, and gain some great insight into child/parental relationships, I strongly recommend this book.



2. I've heaped heartfelt praise on two of his fiction works. Someone forwarded him my reviews and we've exchanged a bit of email correspondence. If you remember me writing that "Uncle Dylan convinced me to wear a bicycle helmet," this is the guy. I let a few of his articles carry my other newsletter when it was slumping, after thanking him profusely for giving me permission. So, I sure hope this book doesn't suck. I'd hate to bag my buddy here, since "he saved my life." Keep this in mind if you, too, aspire to review books. Authors might read your words.
   
   One of the first things I learned from the book is that I should stop calling him Uncle Dylan. He was born three months before my little brother was.
   
   "I haven't spent more than a day or two alone with him in thirty years." Thus writes Dylan about his father, who ran off when Dylan was 6 years old. His mom, who had four kids and no husband, was institutionalized. If you're one of those readers who has no idea what such relationships are like, none whatsoever, Dylan can show you in less than two pages and put a knowing smile on your face.
   
   Dad's calling out of the blue about them taking a baking class together, but Dad's got metastatic and lung cancer and will probably be dead before the class starts. If you're already a natural-born author, regardless of whether or not your personal backstory is part of the reason, how do you not write about this if it happens to you? And this is non-fiction, by the way. Seven days together, getting to know each other. Can they avoid the family history that long, as they have all these years?
   
   It's the shortest book I've ever read by Dylan Schaffer. If you're an author, you appreciate how hard he worked to make it that way. It's also witty, observant, irreverant, moving, and understated. A quick read that will give you much -- please excuse the pun -- food for thought. I can't imagine anyone not being glad that he or she read it. I certainly am.



3. I could not put this book down which made it hard to get to work and keep my appointments, not to even mention getting sleep. I think I expected something mildly amusing, a respite from the reality of life, but what I found was more real than life (mine, anyway), very very touching and unbelievably funny. Even the acknowledgements were very funny. Sort of an amuse bouche - but at the end. All of you who are reading this review must already know that this is a book about a disfunctional family but what makes it unique is Dylan's compassion, his unbelievable tolerance and a week in a baking class with his very annoying father whom Dylan nonetheless loves. Dylan Schaffer I love you! I finished the book last night. I ordered your other two published books today.



4. In this, the age of the memoir, there are few as well-written and poignant as this one. The subject -- the author's struggle to connect with and understand his dying father -- is not unfamiliar. But this book stands out, and is exceptional in several important ways.
   
   First of all, the writing is suburb. This book was a pleasure to read, and, like a well-crafted novel, it demanded that I keep turning its pages. In many places it is laugh-out-loud funny and in others, heart-breaking. Fans of literary writing will find plenty of interesting sentences -- Schaffer knows how to work with words -- but the writing is never over-wrought, and is accessible and conversational throughout.
   
   Secondly, Schaffer's honesty, insightfulness, and self-effacing humor makes him a likable narrator. In this way he reminds me of David Sedaris. From the very beginning of the book, when he fears that he's lost his wife's cat (who loathes him), you'll be laughing with him and feel like he's a friend.
   
   Most importantly, the author's father, the iconoclastic Flip Schaffer, is one of the most complex, intelligent, fascinating characters you'll ever see described in print. Despite his foibles, by the end of the book you'll have succumbed to his irresistible, curmudgeonly charm, and you'll wish you'd had a chance to know him yourself. You will also, like the author, lament that he didn't play a bigger part in his son's life.
   
   If you're a parent or a child, you'll find something in this book that will touch you, and make you consider your own relationships with those you love. This is more than we can expect from most books. Buy it. You won't regret it.



5. Dylan Schaffer has really performed a miracle, in writing a truly engaging and funny book about a very grim subject. Both his childhood and the impending death of his father were obviously tough subjects, and a lesser writer would have written an unreadably sad or disutrbing book. But somehow, both as a writer and, apparently, as a person, Schaffer has managed to pull the beauty and the humor out of a devastating situation, and allow the reader to experience it. What a triumph -- both the book and the life.

4 comments about Somerset Maugham: A Life.

1. Over the years W. Somerset Maugham has become one of if not my favorite author. His Novels, plays and short stories capture his time and social circumstances perfectly. He is the consumate Edwardian writer.
   Jeffrey Meyer has produced a great biography that combines well researched details of Mauham's personal life with analysis of his work from various periods of his long and prolific career.
   This is a wonderful biography, that fully immerses the reader in the world of Maugham as a writer and a man who had obvious shortcomings but yet emerges from this as a sympathetic character. There is much here for the fan of Maugham that will illuminate some of his better known characterizations as being based on individuals in his life.
   Overall I found this to be a highly readable and very enjoyable literary biography and I will be sure to check out more of Meyers' work as well as revisit some of Maugham's as a result of having read this.



2. I discovered Somerset Maugham about 10 years ago. I had ignored his works before that because my brain reacts in a not-so-polite way to books in the "classics" section: it goes into REM mode.
   
   I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy his works, although there were parts that were somewhat disturbing and many of his short stories seem to have a similar plot.
   
   This biography has helped me understand where the writer was coming from. Sadly, now I am a bit more disturbed about the human being behind the writer. But since I am a reader, it is the writer whom I can judge.
   
   Why four instead of five stars? Because of some repetitions, without which I would have had saved some time, maybe to re-read "The Moon and Sixpence".



3. Maugham is one of the best authors of the 20th C. and Mr. Meyers not only does an excellent job summing up his life but a notable job analyzing his works. Through this meandering work we are able to learn much about Maugham as a person (some of which I did not care to know as it shattered my image of him) and about his private life. The book alo does an excellent job charcterising [...]. All in all a worthwhile book.



4. Jeffrey Meyers is a prolific biographer of literary figures whose books are hit-and-miss - while never less than professional, they are sometimes excellent and sometimes disappointing, depending on the rapport that Meyers has with his subject. But they are always marked by his remarkable industry and erudition. I've enjoyed most of them very much, and his last book, on George Orwell, was excellent.

   I'm delighted to say that his new book on W. Somerset Maugham is just as good. It's possible that Meyers feels a rapport with Maugham because, like his subject, Meyers is fantastically prolific and not given his due by the intelligentsia. Whatever the reason, this is an excellent biography of an underrated writer, and immediately becomes the standard life of its subject.

   Maugham was a very fertile writer and, like anyone who writes a lot, his production is uneven. Some of his books -- "Of Human Bondage" and "Cakes and Ale" come to mind -- will live as long as any English novels of the last century. Others, such as his historical novel about Machiavelli, "Then and Now," which Edmund Wilson used to unfairly trash his entire body of work in a 1946 New Yorker review, will most likely be forgotten. But Maugham wrote brilliantly in virtually every genre, from the essay to the spy story (his "Ashenden" had a noticeable influence on Ian Fleming's creation James Bond) to the travel book to plays (he once had four plays on the West End at once -- a feat that's been seldom duplicated) to the novel and short story, and the best of his work will live. Meyers illuminates his life with understanding and tact, and avoids (or at least does his best to downplay) the prurient detail so indulged in by other, more sensational biographers (Ted Morgan leaps to mind).

   So if you're at all intrigued by the most successful author of his time, or if you're already a fan of his work and would like a sympathetic (yet not uncritical) look at his life, I would highly recommend Jeffrey Meyers new biography. And I can't wait to see which author he tackles next.

No comments about Mary Breckinridge: The Frontier Nursing Service and Rural Health in Appalachia.

5 comments about Long Goodbye: The Deaths of Nancy Cruzan.

1. no matter the side you take in the persistent vegetative state, this book exposes you to the intricate details of life and death matters. William Colby is not only an outstanding lawyer but a great author. the book is detailed with facts and carries you into a world that we dont normally think about or decide to ignore: the world of legal matters concerning death and what happens if this is a personal matter. you'll learn a lot from this book aside from it being an interesting and engaging read!!!!!!!!!



2. I really am enjoying this book. Although I am reading it as an assignment, I believe I would have read it regardless.



3. Long Goodbye: The Deaths Of Nancy Cruzan by William H. Colby is the in-depth and true story of a judicial trial concerning Nancy Cruzan, a woman who was thrown from her vehicle and suffered horrific injuries. Since that tragic accident, Nancy has remained in a coma for five years, until her family abandoned hope for her revival and requested the removal of Nancy's feeding tube so her life could end peacefully. But the state intervened and denied the family's wishes. Thus began a extended legal battle began over who had the authority and the right to authorize the end of medical intervention with respect to a patient like Nancy. Long Goodbye is a profoundly emotional story of striving to do what one hopes is the right thing, in accordance with the wishes of those who cannot speak for themselves -- and the role of government to intrude into family and medical issues. This is a profoundly important issue that plays out in our hospitals and nursing homes every day. At the crux of the matter is the right to life, the right to die, and who has the final authority over a loved one caught up in a plight similar to Nancy Cruzan and her family.



4. Despite this book being written by the lawyer who represented the parents of Nancy Cruzan who wanted feeding apparatus to be withdrawn and thus to have Nancy die, this book presents the issues and the struggle fairly and even-handedly. This is shown in a way since after reading it I conclude the U.S Supreme Court's decision was right--in the circumstances shown the family could without monetary loss have permitted their child to not be starved to death. The account of the trial and of the appellate history of the case is absorbing and shows the author is an able lawyer, admirable in representing his clients. I have no hesitancy in saying if it had been my child I would not have gone to the efforts which Nancy's father went to in order to have his child die. But psychologically Nancy's parents wanted the living death to end and their lawyer was right to seek the relief his clients desired. An extraordinary book.



5. During my training as a chaplain at Baylor University Medical Center, it was considered part of the "dues" of training that one would take lots of being on-call at the hospital for handling of emergencies. To that end, there was a "call room" where a chaplain could catch a little sleep, while waiting. On one of those sleepless nights in the call room, I viewed a Frontline special on the story of Nancy Beth Cruzan. She was a young woman, fully alive, who, as a result of a terrible accident, would become a test case for end-of-life matters for years to come. After seeing that special, I was deeply touched by the need to convey what our wishes were for the ends of our lives.

   The Nancy Beth Cruzan case took the better part of ten years before resolution. The lawyer who fought for her right to be disconnected from the feeding tube was William Colby, the author of this outstanding book. Those of us on the front lines of trying to help families prepare for the issues they will face at the end of life will find insight into the ramifications of that case, as well as grist for the mill of the work that we are doing.

   Colby is a highly readable author (at times, I felt like I was reading a Grisham novel), the Cruzan's case is deeply compelling, the story is truly tragic, and readers will come away with an appreciation of the law and concepts that are involved in pursuing these matters. There are several important story lines running throughout this volume: There are the lawyers, one who pulls an unexpected punch; the politicians, aiming for re-election; the Cruzans, especially Nancy's father, Joe, a salt-of-the-earth laborer, broken to the core over the loss of his little girl; a common sense probate judge, just trying to do the right thing; and the right-to-life movement (with whom we generally have sympathy, but not in this case). Indeed, under the skillful telling of Mr. Colby, law itself becomes a character, fickle at times, inflexible at others, and, at the last, compassionate.

   ElderHope heartily recommends this excellent book.

5 comments about A Life That Matters: The Legacy of Terri Schiavo -- A Lesson for Us All.

1. This is the Schiendler's recounting of the events that led to their daughter Terri Schiavo being removed from life support. It is a very highly emotional story. How could it be otherwise? However, the emotions get in the way of the facts of the case. Many of the alledged events they say happened before and after Terri's collaspe, never happened. Even at the end of the book, they discount the findings of her autopsy. I honestly believe this book was written for monetary gain. Sensationalism always sells better than the facts. To get the complete story I reccomend the book "Terri" by Mike Schiavo.



2. Regardless of how you feel about the case, I read the book with an open mind. I could see how the Schindlers really felt and how they viewed their son-in-law Michael Schiavo. Of course, he could have divorced Terri and moved on with his life but he didn't. He stayed for 15 years plus the 6 married years of life. This book paints a complex portrait of the marriage and family relationships. Before the media stepped in, Terri's family fought hard to maintain their daughter's life even if it was in a state of almost wheelchair bound and hospitalized. According to Michael, Terri never wanted to live like that and I couldn't imagine anybody living the remainder of life like Terri did all those years. While her family was comforted by Terri's existence, we will never know what Terri might have wished for in the first place. There are no winners, neither Michael nor the Schindlers won anything here. Terri had a right to die just as she had a right to live. I don't know what happened that February night in 1990 that would cause her to live in such a state. According to the autopsy report which I read, she wasn't abused or neglected. She was treated and liked by the hospital staff. You wonder if Michael made the right decision in fighting for Terri. It would have been easier to let go and give her back to her parents and siblings. They would have cared for her regardless of the expenses but who would it be for the Schindlers or Terri's happiness. We'll never know the truth. I keep thinking about the family of Ron Goldman when I read this book. it was told from the Schindlers' points of view which made it confusing after a while. Still, I know that Terri is at peace somewhere which comforts the Schindlers to know that Terri is in heaven and that her life mattered to so many people. She had one miracle, she brought Jesse Jackson and Sean Hannity in a room together to pray for her joked Glenn Beck. Rest in peace, Terri and Ron, where-ever you may be right now.



3. I first read Michael Shiavo's book and decided to read this to get "the other side" of the story. Michael Shiavos' account was pretty compelling and I wondered if I'd be able to give this viewpoint fair consideration.
   
   In the end, reading this book reinforced to me that there is always more than one side to a story. The book is emotionally compelling and certainly brings a different perspective on Michael's personality and behavior. However, the book ignores and glosses over many things established as fact in court. Michael Shiavo, Judge Greer, George Felos, and everybody that disagreed with the Shindlers are judged to be either intellectually, emotionally, or morally dishonest. The Schindlers make many innuendos in footnotes throughout the book (the most significant that Michael strangled Terri which was the cause of her collapse), but they are based on no credible evidence. They completely ignore factual medical evidence that contradicts their claims that Terri was conscious and could intellectually react to her environment.
   
   As I read the book, I felt compassion for Mary Schindler and her family, but I also got the impression that they were in severe denial and unwilling to look at any evidence that didn't support their hopes for Terri.
   
   One interesting thing to note was that in Michael Schiavo's book he said that Terri was taken to the emergency room for what seems to have been food substance in Terri's lungs. He suspected that the Schindler family was trying to feed Terri by the mouth against the doctor's instructions (swallowing tests showed she could not swallow food). In the Schindler's book, they reveal that people were indeed trying to feed Terri by mouth. The timeline isn't clear, so this may or may not explain what happened to Terri in this regard.
   
   Having read Michael's book, and having read other sources, I felt that the Schindler's book played pretty loose with the facts (or just ignored them). It is an emotionally compelling story, and if that is what you are looking for I can recommend the book. If you are looking for a discussion of the important facts of the case from the Schindlers' perspective, you will be disappointed.
   
   It is difficult to review a book like this. It is a perspective piece and how can you give a low rating on someone's perspective? In the end, I think you have to take into account how broad, perceptive, and insightful the perspective seems to be. This book didn't provide much in that regard.



4. Anyone gushing over the "concerned and loving" parent's of Terri Shiavo really needs to read Michael Shiavo's book on the life and death of his wife. Unlike "Terri's Family," he uses real documents, court and hospital records to support his case. He also exposes the Shindler's (in particular, Bob), as being much less concerned with their their daughter's treatment and more more concerned with affording a bigger condo.
   
   Terri is finally resting in peace.



5. I hate trying to assign stars to a book like this. It's a very controversial topic, and one that I have strong opinions on. Still, I don't assume that everyone who disagrees with me is wrong, wrong, wrong. I have too much sympathy for all the combatants. I wish there had been a way to work it out peaceably.
   
   There have been four books written by or with the cooperation of the principals in this case, and I have listed them in the productwiki. This came out at approximately the same time as Michael Schiavo's Terri: The Truth. It is interesting to see how the two books use the same witness, Cindi Shook, pp. 105-113 of this book and pp. 179-189 of Schiavo's. One might think that there were two different women.
   
   The backbone of this narrative is by Mary Schindler, with other members of the family narrating specific events. This was a trifle confusing at first, but I rapidly got used to it. It reads pretty smoothly and has explanatory notes at the bottom of the page. It includes a section of color family photographs and four affadavits by doctors. Frustratingly enough, there is no index in any of the four books, so it is difficult to compare their handling of specific issues.
   
   The Schindlers have three basic arguments: 1. Terri was not in a persistent vegetative state (PVS); 2. Even if she was in PVS, she left no instructions; 3. Even if she was was in PVS and left clear instructions "There is not now and never has been a 'right' to die" (p.221). That last statement not only makes the other two moot, and but I cannot help but wonder if to the Schindlers and their supporters, it justified saying just about anything in the first two arguments. With all the oversight that the case received, they simply don't convince me of the first two arguments. Michael Schiavo would have to have organized and sustained a large cabal of amoral doctors and judges, beginning before the case became famous and he became a poster-child for right-to-die issues, and continuing through a glare of publicity. Even assuming that they had no morals or professional ethics, Schiavo wasn't a politically powerful man, and the malpractice settlement simply wasn't that large, considering the expenses
   
   The family strikes me as befuddled by grief. Despite their conviction that it really isn't relevant, the Schindlers still insist in the face of the autopsy that the doctors' diagnosis of PVS was wrong, the wild coincidence that it was confirmed is explained by the process of dying. Mary Schindler's description of her daughter as "healthy" is mind-boggling, even if she was at least minimally conscious. It strikes me as both delusional and heart-breaking. Bobby Schindler states: (p. 231): "Remember, most hospitals and many doctors WANT YOU TO DIE. It's convenient that way and much less expensive" [emphasis in the original]. I find that absolutely incredible! I can't imagine how so many people I know, including myself, have walked into those death traps and escaped!
   
   I hope the Schindlers find consolation in their campaigns, but their agenda scares me. I believe that there should be a right-to-die, there is legally a right, I've left written instructions, and I certainly don't want the Schindlers and their ilk harassing my family. I wish the Schindlers all the luck in the world in creating their free hospital for those who want it, but I don't. I wonder which will take precendence: the political campaign or the hospital? I think it should be the latter: if the Schindlers can provide good care, then they might lovingly and gentle change people's minds in individual cases.
   
   Certainly worth reading, but it doesn't convince me.

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

1. A crisp and informative account of one SEAL's career. Authentic and written by a (now) professional writer and screenplay author. So much written about the SpecOps community has been pumped up, selfserving ego tripping (Rogue Warrior et al) that it is refreshing to read an interesting and factual (I believe) account of SEAL operations and training. This book is more than sensational glorification of a violent and dangerous profession; it emphasizes the dedication and self discipline needed to endure physical and mental hardships almost beyond belief. The Kindle edition was well formatted with only a few minor hyphenation mistakes and the included photographs were pretty good. One thing that comes across loud and clear in this account is that SEAL operators are usually intelligent and resourceful, not just tough. We are blessed as Americans to have such men standing between us and evil.



2. Overall, I was pleased with Chuck Pfarrer's autobiography. I felt this is a good book which focused on the man rather than a high profile SEAL. Chuck takes us through his childhood to his combat tour at Beirut and the tragic bombing of the Marines barrack to his short time at Team Six. I felt he explained everything quite well.
   
   I felt some parts were left blank. For example, he cheated on his wife several times, and even more so I wonder why Chuck did what he did. He explained several times how bad he felt about his cheating, but I didn't felt like he explained it well enough. Also, the part with Sam (I don't think I got that name right) in Beirut and how scared Sam was and how Chuck called him a chicken and how no one liked him. I was surprised by this and even more so, later on after the bombing, Sam actually volunteered to go on the mission to spot for the French fighters who bombed the terrorist's bases. Why did Chuck left out many of the details on him?
   
   I recommend this book to anyone interested in just Military stuff, not only SEAL stuff. I think the book is well written enough so that you understand the person behind the SEAL, instead of just the SEAL.
   
   On a side note, about the cover, I thought I recognized it from somewhere and I think I found it. It was the cover used for a early 1990s computer game called SEAL Teams. I felt that was kind of cool and I believe the front cover is a man during the Vietnam era.



3. 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.



4. 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!!"



5. 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.