5 comments about Strong at the Broken Places: Voices of Illness, a Chorus of Hope.

1. I was drawn to this book because I admire how the author Richard continues his life as a brilliant journalist despite a chronic illness. And because last year for the first time I was in the hospital myself for several days unexpectedly. Yes, for the first time in my life it was me in the hospital bed. AND I realized how challenging it is just to be INSIDE the hospital, let alone think about dealing with a chronic illness and living a life of hope. You know sometimes it's tough to keep up hope every day. This book is like six different volumes in a way -- it tells the story of five different 'citizens of sickness' and then a collective meeting with them all. You will find it a) inspirational -- b) informational and it will live on in YOU. I keep thinking of Denise who as the author says traded an impossible challenge (of conquering ALS) with a rigorous task (going to Antartica to see the penguins) she could complete. How come we all don't make plans to see the penguins or whatever it is that symbolizes our own vision in life? Each story of each person is more poignant than the other. This is not sniveling stuff-- it's real and not all nicey nice either. But it is fascinating to see how these people including the author turn their anger into fuel to keep going. Richard talks straight to you with his writing. I often feel like I'm sitting in a coffee shop or yes, a bar having a beer with this guy...he's honest. IT'S NOT EASY...heck it's really TOUGH and other words that won't get pass the Amazon cyber censors. BUT it is inspiring to thing that we may all be strong at our own broken places. Too often those of us from challenging families or who face chronic illness, pain or other obstacles feel 'defective' because of our difference. The author shows how to channel that into strength. This is a great book for anyone going through a life transition -- divorce or a major move or graduation or starting a new venture. For it is in the challenges that we discover opportunities. ENJOY -- every parent, every therapist, every doctor, every counselor and everyone into self-improvement will want to read these real words.



2. Some people may "understand" chronic illness like they are watching news video of a destructive Midwest twister - it's always happening to some other family. The statistics show otherwise. Richard Cohen does not take the reader on a pristine glass-bottom boat tour of devastating illnesses. "Strong at the Broken Places" tips the boat over and tosses the reader into the waters to swim - for a moment. Honesty begins with a trusted conversation. Cohen invites us to the table with five people, who each bluntly detail their brutal struggles with different chronic diseases. The respectful dialogue reveals that we may all have more in common with them than we care to admit. In the face of catastrophic events, we will all wish to have the strength that they have shown. Their lives set landmarks to guide others through their own realizations, acceptance and constructive determination.
   Thank you, Denise, Buzz, Ben, Sarah, Larry and especially Richard, for sharing your strengths and fostering the humanity in all of us.



3. Book: Strong at the Broken Places: Voices of Illness, a Chorus of Hope by Richard M. Cohen
   
   About: Cohen gets the stories of five people with chronic illnesses: Denise with ALS, Buzz with cancer, Ben with muscular dystrophy, Sarah with Crohn's disease and Larry with bipolar disorder.
   
   Pros: The 5 people's stories are varied and moving.
   
   Cons: Cohen does not let his subjects just tell their stories, which would have lead to a much better book as the five people profiled are very interesting, instead Cohen just seems to get in their way. A choice quote: "I'd rather hear this kid chew than listen to him talk about dying." While interviewing, He seems to try to get his subjects to say what he wants to hear and inserts far too much of his own struggle with MS and cancer as many statements that with "When I..." instead of focusing on the person he's supposed to be profiling. His analysis of the five adds very little and includes such groundbreaking lines as "Cancer is no fun. Neither are diseases of the bowel."



4. I believe this book is a must read for everyone. It touches you, it pulls you, it makes you want to scream and yell, it breaks you apart and puts you back together...but most importantly, it makes you appreciate all that is good about your life.
   
   I have Crohns disease and I have a mental illness, two of the topics touched upon in this book. But I am a better person today for having read Strong At The Broken Places because I know that, in spite of my infirmities, I am strong and I will survive.
   
   Thank you Richard Cohen!!!



5. This is an excellent book and very hard to put down. I have some physical problems and thought this book may help me. It truly did! When you read these stories you realized that there are people that have many more struggles in life, but yet they keep going, and most with a great attitude. I'm going to do less whining about my aches and pains.

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

1. This book has excellent insite to the challenges of people with HIV. Great read!



2. I happened across this book and was immediately drawn into it. The author is a remarkable human being with deep empathy and sympathy with some of the first casualties of the AIDS epidemic. As a Tennessee native, this story was very interesting to me; it chronicles the spread of the disease not long after the disease was recognized. The personal stories of all concerned are engrossing, and it's heartbreaking because in those early days the medical profession had nothing to offer the sufferers--and suffer they surely did, regardless of how they contracted the disease, and the book includes stories of those who got it through blood transfusions. The human connections between this Indian doctor who was born in Ethiopia and the people of east Tennessee, made at the most basic level, are what makes this book powerful; yet the author does not excuse his own shortcomings which eventually led to the failure of his marriage. I couldn't put it down and finished it in about 3 days - and then immediately got his other book, The Tennis Partner. (Another reviewer said this is fiction - but it's nonfiction. I found it in the biography section of the public library.)



3. My Own Country is Abraham Verghese's unique recount of his experience fighting AIDS at the dawn of the epidemic. Like other infectious disease specialists, Verghese is immediately immersed in AIDS, and it soon dominates his profession. the author traces the penetration of the disease as the city comes to grips with AIDS and its unwanted victims. Often without the support of his colleagues and family, Verghese treats an ever increasing number of patients. Including the estranged brother of a colleague, a gay couple intent on breaking it`s taboo, and man and his wife who contract AIDS through a contaminated blood transfusion. Though this memoir, Verghese reveals his own confusions about homosexuality, and wrestles with the his own sympathy for his patients and the prejudices of his colleagues. As one of his nurses says "'I don't think we should have bothered in the first place...he deserved what he got and I don't see why we should have to take care of him.'"
   Verghese can become wearisome in his consistent use of the term "miracle center" to describe his workplace and tends to drone on at many points, becoming unnecessarily detailed when writing about the specifics in his work and family life which somewhat take away from his insights. Also, Verghese's family is obviously important to him, and he hints time and time again at problems with his wife, however he never fully develops their relationship. "My work with AIDS in the community fell into this chasm between us. AIDS was like another wild friend, a friend from a different social stratum, a friend I indulged but no longer brought to the house or even discussed with her." Despite this, the author tells a terrific, unforgettable story of the not only the lives and feelings of the patients, but everyone it affects.



4. This based-on the author's true-story details the time he was just starting out as a doctor. He picked a Hospital in smalltown United States where he would be the infectious disease specialist. Suddenly, cases of AIDS appeared even in that small town. It was the 80's epidemic and as it spread from the big cities AIDS victims were met with fear and a lack of compassion from most doctors. Verghese was one of the few who truly listened to and cared for his patients through such a terrible disease.



5. In "My Own Country" Dr. Abraham Verghese tells the story of the emergence of AIDS in rural Tennessee from his perspective as a new foreign doctor. In the process of describing the increased presence of the disease in his community, Dr. Verghese also tells the personal stories of his patients as well as his own story - how working with the disease opens his mind to new perspectives as well as the toll it places on him personally. The author's narrative style is compassionately captivating, managing to entertain and inform at the same time. I'd highly recommend it for those seeking to learn more about what being a good doctor is like or about the difficulties faced by those that had to deal with the disease in its emergent era.

5 comments about Cracked: Life on the Edge in a Rehab Clinic.

1. This book speaks with the hard facts of an encylopedia but reads like a novel when talking about the very real problem of addiction



2. Dr. Drew is one of my favorite radio show hosts. He is upfront, honest, and an incredibly dedicated individual. Cracked is simply an extension of his amazing career. If you're interested in the thinking and process of addiction treatment, Cracked offers an insider's look at the world within the walls of a rehab center.



3. Dr. Drew transcends the glib advice given by many in pop-psychology culture with a profound yet down to Earth wisdom about the human condition. This is his story about the interaction of codependency and addiction in treatment. His understanding of both topics is deep, and he expresses it with great clarity. Drew writes about his own struggle with codependency:
   
   "[Childhood] Traumas ... leave imprints on parts of the brain that don't have a sense of time. The memory gives the sense that the trauma is always happening. As a result, I grew up with a feeling that there's a catastrophe waiting around every corner. I can't remember a time when I have not felt anxious. My response has been to try to control everything and everyone. I am a perfectionist. I rescue people. I have to make sure no one else gets carted away....
   
   "Of course it's unreal to think I should be able to save everyone or that everyone should listen to me or both. How dare I insist all my patients cooperate with my need to rescue? But thats exactly what did."
   
   Through his decades of treating addiction, Drew explains what he has learned about society and mental health. From the book:
   
   "If I get angry it's at the bigger picture. In general, our culture offers us solutions that inly intensify our problems. I'm prone to rant about this, I know -- but after all, surgeons are permitted to rage against cigarettes and fatty foods, psychologists about poor communication skills. So why shouldn't I go off on the culture? ....
   
   "To me, mental health isn't always about feeling good. Nor is it always about avoiding depression. Nor is it about being happy. As I define it, mental health is about accepting reality on reality's terms."
   
   I highly recommended this book not only for people in recovery, but for anyone interested in mental health.



4. I bought this book because I LOVE Loveline, and more specifically Adam and Dr Drew. I was listening to old episodes online and there is about a two year period where Drew chatters about how proud he is of this book every day so I tracked it down online.
   
   I now find myself wishing that I, like Drew's lover Adam, had not read this book. The book is poorly written from page 1 and even my deep and true love for Drew could not carry me through to the end. I think this is the fault of the ghostwriter. The essential story is interesting and Drew's advice is always great, but the language was boring and cliched. It's really unfortunate because the book could have been great.
   
   To hear Dr. Drew's wisdom on addiction and messed up families (which I highly recommend because he is incredibly insightful) you should watch Celebrity Rehab on VH1. It reminds me a lot of this book, but it's Drew without the filter of a terrible ghostwriter. Or if you are truly nuts, listening to old Adam and Drew Loveline eps online is probably equivalent to a few years of therapy.



5. I as an avid listener of Loveline, I had to pick this book up and I have to admit this book touched me. The chapter where Drew explained what addiction was did drag a bit and was poorly written but once you break past that the book tells a profound and engaging story that quietly sheds light on a darker side of our society.
   
   A must read.

5 comments about The Soul of a Doctor: Harvard Medical Students Face Life and Death.

1. This is a great book. It tells the story of Harvard medical school graduates and their interactions with patients. Some of the stories are particularly moving and give hope, others remind me of how difficult it must be to become a doctor. Nearly all of the stories are well written. This book would be a great gift for anyone starting medical school, anyone who has an interest in medicine or even someone with a passing interest who watches television shows like Grey's Anatomy.



2. I have been very interested in becoming a doctor for a very long time, as such, I like to read as many books as possible about individual's experiences as a doctor or while becoming a doctor. I do feel as though some of the experiences shown were very intimate, but overall I just couldn't force myself to maintain interest. I feel as though the students who wrote these accounts received more benefit from writing them thean I did from reading them.



3. all of the true stories in this book have promise - they are interesting and thought provoking but unfortunately, the writers never follow through with the outcomes. You meet a patient, find out their problem - usually involving some sort of dillema for the dr. - they make their point but the outcome is left out. Did the patient die? They never say. (even a brief update after the essay would make a difference).



4. Getting to understand someone else's point of view is always wonderful. This book helped me imagine what it is like to be given a gift to heal and then have to learn what that means in real life. This book is not just for medical minded people but for everyone as the lessons these students learn can be applied to all of our lives/works. If nothing else, I am thankful for my health and all the doctors/nurses in my life.



5. If you ever wondered what it feels like to become a physician, I would highly recommend reading this book. Not designed to be entertaining but is instead an intimate look into the real life experiences of young and idealistic medical students as they move from the classroom to encounter the realities of patient care and the limitations of the health care system. These are very powerful and human stories, sometimes disturbing and heartwrenching and other times more positive. It's hard to imagine anyone reading this book and not be profoundly moved.

5 comments about My Lobotomy.

1. I loved this book! I just cannot fathom that a young boy went through all of this. I am so happy Mr. Dully has a good life now.
   
   I found this book fascinating in many ways. Just the fact that a "doctor" could even think of doing an ice pick lobotomy baffles me!
   
   Go on Howard's journey through life to find out the answers on 'why' this happened. The reasons will shock you.
   
   I loved this book so much I have written a more in depth article review on this fascinating book on another site.
   
   Thank you Howard for sharing your story.



2. This book was very well put together. I'm glad he shared his painful story and I'm thankful he was able to help other people by doing this.



3. Howard Dully is an incredible, brave man who has endured the unendurable. This memoir is well-worth reading. Not only do we get a closer look at the life of a lobotomy survivor, but we also get to see a close-up of the monster himself - Walter Freeman. This look at Freeman reminds us that evil is often banal.
   
   Howard's earnest desire to forgive his father, to bond with him, even after all the abuse Howard endured, is truly amazing.
   
   Someone make a film of this story!
   
   - Christine Hamilton Johnson



4. I am a big fan of reading memoirs and just the title alone on this book had me intrigued. This is a painful, yet beautiful story about a 12 yr old boy who just needed more affection and love in his life. Instead, he was given a lobotomy. The story tells about what happened after the lobotomy and how in his 40's he went searching for answers and in the end finally finds peace.
   
   I almost didn't finish the book, as I felt some chapters were a bit choppy and yet other pieces of the story were unnecessarily long. I'm glad that I stuck with it, because the end of this story makes it worth the read.



5. 
   Mostly because his stepmother didn't like him, Howard Dully received a lobotomy from Walter Freeman at the age of 12. Like many people, I was distressed and outraged as I read this story. It is an honest and fascinating memoir of a man who overcame the trauma of a devastating childhood and who searched relentlessly to ultimately understand his life.
   
   What strikes me is that Howard is the one who had the lobotomy, yet his parents and psychiatrist are the ones who seem devoid of any human feeling. As I read the story I more than once wished a lobotomy on all three of them.
   
   Today, I have read, lobotomies are "rare". Yet, with anti-psychotic medication, psycho-stimulants and electroshock, bio-psychiatrists who insist that mental illness is caused by a "chemical imbalance" are still damaging the brains and souls of children in dysfunctional families.

5 comments about The Lord God Made Them All (All Creatures Great & Small).

1. I think we've all heard of ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL. The book was brilliantly written in every way, and I thought that was that. But then he wrote a sequel, and I marveled that it was at least as great as the original. Then he did it to me again with a third book. The titles come from a famous poem or hymn, by the way. He used the second verse, for the creatures, then the first, then the third, and now we're at the fourth.
   
   I'm going to say it again. I believe I'm enjoying this one most of all. All the humor, all the spot-on accurate observation of animals, of both the four-legged and the two-legged variety. And, I'm feeling this time, a maturity in the veterinarian, the author, and the person. He still has the ability to write a chapter so touching or sad that I stop and wipe my eyes, and then read a few more so I can laugh before I put the book away for the evening.
   
   So I've read four in a row by this guy, and they all get five stars. I ordered all of mine from Amazon, but you in "the west" can probably just swing by your local library. Do so.



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. I was verey satisfied with the whole process of ordering
   on-line and I will continue buying books this way.



4. As an animal lover, if I were to be restricted to a single author on my bookshelves, it would be James Herriot, hands down. All four books by James Herriot, The English Country Veterinarian, comprise a collection of stories that remain unsurpassed in all animal literature.



5. In this fourth edition you will have everything you are use to in a James Herriot book. Eccentric pet owners, nutty business partners, fun loving animals, and the author who reveals his heartfelt love and admiration for the animals he cares so deeply for. Only the souless few won't be touched by these humorous stories of animal and human interactions. Mr. Herriot shows just how much better the world is because of the animals who inhabit our daily lives.

5 comments about The Real James Herriot: A Memoir of My Father.

1. The book arrived in a timely manner in excellent condition. I am enjoying reading about the life of this gifted, gentle and compassionate man and his family and the descriptions of the countryside and the people of Yorkshire/Glasgow and that area. A good read to help me appreciate and aim for a slower, gentler pace of life.



2. This is a good peek into the true life of James Herriot as written by his son. His son gives his own views and anecdotes of James Herriot. I have really enjoyed reading it and getting to know the author and his characters better.



3. How often do we find that the man behind the myth isn't all he's cracked up to be? Well, that most definitely is NOT the case in this loving biography of the world's best-known vet, James Herriot, by his son Jim Wight. (If you're wondering about the different last names, it's because James Herriot was actually a pseudonym for James Alfred Wight, known all his life as Alf.) This is a tribute to a cherished father and, as the author notes, best friend who always considered himself "99 parts vet and 1 part author," which must be why he remained the decent and down-to-earth individual he was, unspoiled by fame and fortune that would have turned the head of a lesser man. I was moved to find that the individual was as nice if not nicer than portrayed in his books and as appreciated by his friends and family as he was by his fans. Anyone who loved the other main characters in the series, namely Siegfried and Tristan, will also enjoy discovering more about them as well. This is a wonderful, heartwarming, well-written biography of a remarkable human being by one of those who knew him best.



4. In addition to answering many questions you might have, this book also fills in gaps you probably don't know exist.
   
   An excellent chronological biography for the lover of all things James Herriot.



5. I was hoping to learn more about the characters and relationships of the main human characters in the real life. Unfortunately, the book did not offer much in this respect. There was much repetition of the stories that a good Herriot fan would already know well from his books. I got an impression that in real life the relationships of the partners in the practice were less charming than in the books and TV series. But the book still was fun to read.

5 comments about Don't Bet against Me!: Beating the Odds Against Breast Cancer and in Life.

1. Wonderful book with lots of information about breast cancer. Also a great story on Deanna's life and such a down to earth person. She is just a sweetheart and you will love her. Don't Bet against Me!: Beating the Odds Against Breast Cancer and in Life I also bought the book for a friend that has breast cancer and is going through chemo and she has found the book to be a great comfort.



2. She is a very brave woman who because of who she is will inspire women to get through whatever God puts in front of them. She is someone who has not let being in the public eye to change them into someone they are not. But has stayed true to herself and is doing wonderful things for others.



3. In a word? Inspirational. This lady has faith and talks freely about it. I believe this to be an ideal gift to share with someone facing this disease; they may well be comforted.



4. This is an excellent book about a woman's journey with breast cancer. Deanna Favre is the wife of Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers. She describes her dealing with breast cancer, the aftermath of it and her struggle to survive and live with a deadly disease. Her and her husband have started a foundation dealing with breast cancer and continue to work tirelessly for the foundation. Reading the book brings forth a variety of emotions and I would recommend this book to everyone especially those who have been touched by breast cancer in some way.



5. This book is totally awesome. A great insight by Deanna from her life with Brett to her cancer and beyond. A book worth reading.

5 comments about The Scalpel and the Silver Bear: The First Navajo Woman Surgeon Combines Western Medicine and Traditional Healing.

1. Lori Arviso Alvord walks in two worlds. Raised on the Navajo reservation in New Mexico -- "the rez" -- she is the daughter of a Navajo man and a white woman. Carrying this dichotomy into her education and career, she went from the reservation high school to Dartmouth College, then found her path to Stanford University School of Medicine and a surgical residency in New Mexico.
   
   As the first Navajo woman surgeon, she learned to integrate the science-based world of medicine and the spirit-based Native American culture. The importance of the singing cures, native healing practices, and other spiritual traditions was brought home to her when she observed her patients' outcomes. Surgical skill was often not enough when delivered without respect for the language, culture and spirituality of the Navajo patients.
   
   The main focus of this memoir is Dr. Alvord's path to acceptance of the first Navajo principles: balance, harmony and wholeness, known as "Walking in Beauty." Along the way we learn a great deal about Native American history and culture, sensitively presented.
   
   Dr. Alvord speaks of the cultural bases for Native American alcoholism and the prevalence of gang culture, monumental threats to the health and well-being of her people. The healing of these ills will never be achieved in the operating room alone, and many patients' stories illustrate this lesson effectively.
   
   The outcome of Dr. Alvord's journey is signaled from the beginning, as is often the case with a memoir. While this may dilute the dramatic tension of her story, we're rewarded with a thoughtful and inspiring look at one woman's life and work, in all its contexts. I recommend this book to readers young and old who have an interest in the cultural aspects of medical care.
   
   Linda Bulger, 2008



2. Daughter of a full-blooded Navajo father and white mother, Lori Arviso Alvord grew up on a New Mexico reservation in a family that took pride in its native heritage, but followed few of the traditional ways. She attended Navajo schools but never learned the language; she knew her clan relationships and enjoyed the security of tribal connections but seldom attended ceremonies or understood the depth of meaning in the Navajo concept "Walk In Beauty."
   
   Such a person might expect to shed the remnants of tribal culture on leaving the reservation to become a high-powered surgeon, a career that by its very nature flies in the face of Navajo precepts like privacy and self-effacement.
   
   Indeed, throughout her memoir, co-authored by Elizabeth Cohen Van Pelt, Alvord seems to straddle two worlds separated by an uncomfortable gulf. She first looked upon the deepness of that gulf at Dartmouth.
   
   "For a girl who had never been far from Crownpoint, New Mexico, the green felt incredibly juicy, lush, beautiful and threatening." Unable to see the horizon, she felt claustrophobic. But the culture shock was worse. "I thought people talked too much, laughed too loud, asked too many personal questions, and had no respect for privacy." Navajos do not put themselves forward and cooperation is valued over competition. Not a good prescription for success at an Ivy League school.
   
   At Dartmouth she began to feel her tribal identity more strongly and wonder if a kinaalda ceremony (a celebration of womanhood) would have helped empower her in such alien surroundings. But not until after medical school at Stanford, where she was forced to break numerous taboos (Navajo never touch the dead, for instance) and joined a profession where it is essential to ask prying, intimate questions and invade another's personal space at will, did Alvord really begin to explore the philosophical grounding of Navajo culture.
   
   Becoming a surgeon at the Gallup Indian Medical Center, close to the reservation, Alvord notices that her patients do better when they are calm and relaxed, that harmony - even in the operating room when the patient is unconscious - is important for recovery.
   
   She grows more interested in the Navajo philosophy that "everything in life is connected and influences everything else." To "Walk in Beauty" a person strives to live in balance, symmetry and harmony with everything and everyone else.
   
   While this is an ancient precept, held in common with many other cultures and enjoying something of a renaissance in American medicine today, Alvord comes up with a particularly striking example. One of her surgery patients, a young woman, was the first to die of a strange illness that swept through the Navajo nation, killing 11.
   
   A doctor working for the Centers for Disease Control, Ben Muneta, visited a medicine man, a hataalii, who told him "the illness was caused by an excess of rainfall, which had caused the pinon trees to bear too much fruit." There was "a significant deviation from the natural harmony of the world."
   
   The medicine man showed a sand painting of a mouse and said that twice before in years of excess rainfall a similar disease had struck. " `Look to the mouse,' " he said. Weeks later the CDC determined that the Hantavirus was contracted from the droppings of infected deer mice. The deer mouse population had surged due to an excess of pinon nuts. "It was the rain."
   
   Alvord's tone is quiet, reserved. It does not seem easy for her to describe the alcoholism of her charming father or the difficulties and generosity of her (married at 16) mother. Though she takes us to a nightlong ceremony for the sick and celebrates the strength her patients draw from medicine-man visits, she never explains why it takes her so long to visit a hitaalii during her own pregnancy. Or why she never approaches a medicine man to discuss cross-cultural treatments despite her growing conviction of the efficacy of the "whole body" approach.
   
   While most of the book concentrates on her work and her struggle to reconcile cultures, she provides a wide, sad look at reservation life, beset by poverty and "white mans'" diseases. The long grief of history resides in the alcoholism and the self-loathing of so many - a balance that can never be put right.
   
   At last Alvord leaves. Seeing it as the next natural step in her own "life trail", she returns to Dartmouth as a surgeon and a dean of minority and student affairs. At Dartmouth, she hopes, she can teach the Navajo "Walk In Beauty" principles to new doctors as well as working within the established system to bring better care to her own people.



3. I am full-blooded Navajo, I was taught to believe in my traditonal ways and it disappoints me that she has talked about very scared ceremonies.



4. --Dr Alvord writes about her journeys as a Native American student and physician. The book seems clearly designed for non-technical readers rather than the professional medical community, and there's little medical jargon. She uses her own difficult pregnancy and the death of a beloved grandmother as case studies in integrating Western medicine and Navajo ideas.
   --On the one hand, it's worth reading this book just to hear such an inspirational story from such a role model. Dr Alvord tells her story with dignity and courage and she has many good ideas about listening to patients and integrating Balance and Harmony in our profession (although these ideas don't seem as radical or as rare within the medical community as she seems to imply, and I don't think she does anyone a great service by implying they are).
   --On the other hand, the authors remained disappointingly abstract, even given the limitations of confidentiality and space. The stories of Navajo healing barely scratched the surface and the book was pretty scanty with practical advice that would help non-Native healers understand Native American patients. I'd love to have heard her perspectives on the magnitude of Native American health problems, how she handled the constant pressures of time and funding, or how she successfully used traditional Native American methods to help manage serious medical-social problems (i.e. alcohol use, diabetogenic diets, family pressures, basic compliance and responsibility issues, etc). In short, I'd like to have heard more about her successes.
   --The book's perspective gives a good counterpoint to those who criticize Western medicine as too impersonal/sterile/uncaring/whatever, while they fail to demonstrate how to predictably improve things and still efficiently deliver technically competent health care to people with different levels of motivation and understanding. Western medicine works beautifully in its own niche, but it will be made to work less efficiently if we mess around with the wrong things. Perhaps medicine will improve if we balance the responsibilities of patients to live a healthy lifestyle with the responsibilities of healers to carefully listen to patients and then help them heal.
   --This book did not practically help me to do this, so I cannot give it five stars despite my respect for her credentials. I do look forward to a sequel.
   --Other books which may be of interest include Blessings (by Dr. A. Organick), The Dancing Healers, and Primary Care of Native American Patients.



5. I picked up this book and I could NOT put it down. What a wonderful journey described here....how she interlocks traditional medicine with Navajo, how harmony and positive spirit is such a process in the healing world. You will not be disappointed with this read. I have shared this with all those close to me. Make it part of your list

5 comments about Population: 485 (P.S.).

1. From the little I'd read about this book, I expected some warm, perhaps funny vignettes about life in a rural town. This book is much more! It's laugh-out-loud funny: I read several passages to my family. It also gives an insider's view of the world of volunteer firefighting and EMT/ambulance work. The author uses an impressive range of voices--from "local yokel" to knowledgeable medical professional, essay writer, and lover of poetry. My favorite book of the year so far!



2. MIchael Perry is a good writer. Any reader will feel instantly at home and comfortable reading one of his books. Population 485 accurately describes life in a small town. People know and care for each other. This emotion comes through in Population 485. If you want to feel good about the spirit of America, read this book.



3. I was hoping to find some real insight into small town living. What i got was a long winded version of a story that could have been better expressed as a short story.
   I recommend reading the last chapter and skipping the rest.



4. I thought after reading Michael Perry's essays, this would reflect life in his small town of New Auburn. It is much more about life, yes, in a small town area, but full of vast emotions. He may have not learned to polka but he knows how to live and understand people's unusual appearances and behaviors and accept them as they are. We should all register for this life lesson.



5. Mike Perry is one of the best new authors to come along in a while. We started off reading/listening to this book (audiobook), and now my entire friends and family can't get enough of him. I recently saw him at a reading in Seattle, and he's just as great in person.
   
   Funny, real, honest - if you can understand the beauty of old cars, relationships, loving people that aren't perfect (who is?), and can still be open-minded to people of all beliefs, then Mike's your kinda guy.