1 comments about The Journal of a Civil War Surgeon.

1. A great read for anyone interested in the innerworkings of the Army of the Potomac. Dyer served closely with Gens. Hancock, Gibbon, Hooker, and Howard, giving pesonal insight to these men. He also goes into the lives to the fighing soldier in great detail. Being a top-notch surgeon, the men are always on the forefront of his mind. Dyer works tirelessly for the care and well being of the men. He is especially interested in making sure the men get vegetables, as Dyer is recognized as the first to realize that scurvy is a major problem in the Army. Perfect for anyone interested in how the medical corp oppereated from battlefield care, to the ambulence corp, to division hospitals up to to the large hospitals of the north. Tactfully edited by Chesson.

5 comments about As I Live and Breathe: Notes of a Patient-Doctor.

1. This is the best book I have ever read. Dr Jamie Weisman is my Doctor and she is very dedicated to her patians. She has really done wonders for me. Everyone should read this book to see that they are not the only ones having problems



2. Jamie Weisman is an excellent writer and a brave woman. She has been willing to accept the health problems she has been dealt and yet she chooses to grab life by the horns and live it. She acknowledges she is surrounded by a loving strong support system in her family of origin and her husband, and by giving that acknowledgement she also shows grace and strength.
   
   The warning comes from Jamie's spelling out the human mistakes that happen in the practice of medicine, even when the patient and the family advocates are watching closely.
   
   This is an excellent memoir in and of itself but I would also recommend it to anyone trying to be advocate for an ill relative or friend.



3. After witnessing the painful treatment and deaths of my in-laws recently, I was most interested in the author's account of her unbearable pain when her face was infected, and the problem she had in obtaining relief. She was a doctor herself and the staff knew her--yet she still had to beg for hours for relief. When will the medical profession treat pain adequately? I am disappointed that after enduring so much pain that she does not recognize this need. Overall, her courage is admirable, and we need more doctors who have endured chronic illness to write accounts that enlighten the general public.



4. I feel lucky to have been able to read this absolutely exquisite, yet at times gut wrenching, personal memoir, by a very gifted author who, it should be noted, is over twenty years younger than me. As one who has a very limited real life knowledge of medical life and death, it was an eye opener to (what sometimes seems) a completely different world. This is not only a sublime course in medical history and ethics, but a harrowing landscape of how the body can go wrong in myriad ways, and how the medical profession works its genius. The author has been through it from both sides too, and does not flinch in the telling. Not to be missed! Having read thousands of great books in nearly all fields, this is among the all-time best!



5. Dr. Weisman provides an insightful look into the unique life of a "patient-doctor" in As I Live and Breathe. She battles a chronic, severe immune system illness, at the same time juggling a medical career that is both rewarding and disheartening. The fight for life is sometimes won and sometimes lost, but she keeps a positive attitude through it all. This comes from the exceptional experience that she encounters everyday, through her disease. She uses the knowledge that she has gained from her own illness to create compassion and true sympathy for the patients that she treats. This is unique; this is where most doctors are lacking. She shows both the understanding and knowledge that is rare in the medical profession.
   This autobiography is not only about health and medical experience. It is about everything any human being encounters: marriage, childbearing, dealing with the loss of a loved one, and all the trials that comes with them. Dr. Weisman simply puts a spin on life, expressing it to the audience from a different point of view. She ponders on the unique perspectives of all the patients and families that she treats, and finds a positive force in all of them. She learns from her mistakes to help them better their lives. In a way, it is a sort of cycle, both parties feeding off the other.
   The power of family is important, she says; it provides an amazing support system for a patient that is much needed. She speaks fondly of her own family and the support that they provide, giving them credit for their undying courage and love. In wonder, she says, "I have never had to stand by and watch a loved one suffer the way my family has stood by me." She also admires her husband, saying, "[There was a] mix of joy I felt at asking another human being to share in the ambiguity of my life. I credit my husband with tremendous courage in loving me, someone whose future is from the start more fragile than others'." The relationship between family and patient is extraordinary, and Weisman does a wonderful job of depicting this with the sheer honesty that comes with an illness.
   This book is truly inspirational; the author takes the incredible situation that she is in, and turns it into a masterpiece of insight into the human mind. It expresses the core of the human spirit and everything it can endure. It shows the reader that one can overcome any obstacle and make light of a seemingly dark situation. It also proves that "bad days" are acceptable and "good days" are even better. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a good, honest read.

5 comments about The Magic of the Mask.

1. I'm so saddened that people would write such reviews.
   I read Louise' book and i doubt that any of the other reviewers actually have suffered from a trauma as extensive as Louise's- because if they had of they'd of been able to relate better and appreciate this book for what it truely is.. a gift.
   I was shopping in a supermarket a few weeks ago and i saw Louise. Feeling a bit embarassed i watched her from a distance. I watched a women run over to Louise- moving closer i heard what was going on. The women visably had had a major accident - her face arm and legs showed extensive scaring. The women's family where standing around her as she hugged Louise and she said "I read you book, thank you. It made such a difference to my recovery, someone else had been through it and survived, your feelings, the detail - it helped all of us" The women was crying as was Louise. I am sure that Louise is someone you could hate, she has worked so darn hard to get a life together, shes a survivor and people find that threatening. What courage it must of taken to exercise the demons out in this book - she turned what was a tragic accident in to an honest working tool to help others.. i wonder if any of the other reviews have had the courage to do something like that in their own lives? One thing is for sure thou, Louise's story is a hard one. Read the book if you need to know that someone else out there is suffering, someone else out there cares. Louise's life isnt a bed of roses, i doubt that it has all turned out perfect- on going surgery will be required, extensive trauma therapy, she'll never be a big actress, her dream wont come true. She will struggle all her life as a result of this accident. Hear her voice, read her story and remember that it takes Louise's kind of honestly and courage to survive sometimes.



2. After checking this book out at the library (thankfully I didn't waste my money on it) I read...and read...and read. Is it only me, or could I just not feel any sympathy for this woman? What pure fluff (I never made it through the entire book)! While her tragedy is one nobody would ever want to experience, it doesn't seemed to have changed her; all that remains is a rather large ego, and shallowness.

   One reviewer mentioned the book 'I Am the Central Park Jogger'. Now there's a woman who the reader comes away respecting and loving!!!




3. After reading one of the reviews on amazon which seemed a personal attack on the author as opposed to simply critiquing the book, my interest was piqued. I found it to be a very encouraging book and was pleased to have bought it. I was initially buying the Michael J Fox memoir which was linked to this. I think Louise is couragous and the book was very well written. To me this book was about making others realize the possibities we can over come when having a positive attitude. This book isn't about her mother or her father as the past review led me to believe, it is about so much more so if you want something uplifting this is a must-read.



4. Thank you "Forgettable Memoir" for helping me get past the guilt and understand why I felt so put off by this vampirically egotistical book! "Ordinary" as well as humility is key here-that of which is what drew me into Central Park Jogger: Patricia Meili never toots her own horn, despite significant and exceptional achievements in her professional life; yet Ashby open up with "I have an attractively symmetrical face."!!
   This emotional mastrubation is all about using technology to refuse to grow past her own superficial self-involved and honestly unpromising "career" when the accident would otherwise force her to be more than a mask. It's about suing for millions to badger and even emotionally blackmail doctors-despite all odds and realities-to build another mask. Hence her refusal to learn to do anything other than act to support herself. THIS is NOT growth-(evident in even her fathers pulling away when he can't fulfill her endless and insatiable needs for validation and "look at me look at me" attention-well many believe this egotism is why people get into acting anyway. As well as his clear discomfort & irritation w/her prompts to make him talk even more about HER for her book!) If trials, shock and disappointments catch us off balance to show us who we really are-then her essence and potential prove small and stunted indeed.
   I suppose I shouldn't even dignify discussing the dustjacket! I don't mean to be cruel. But if I didn't know her mother had died, (Even when she talks about this-it's about her mother not giving HER enough attention and support!) I would wonder if said mother had written the blurb. I'd never heard of Louise Ashby (and I'm an anglophile!) "One of the most beautiful women"? In drama that's an impossible order! Even someone like Angelina Jolie who defies all anatomical odds and looks like a CGI fantasy, can joke about being a funny "moppet"! Again Ashby looks fairly "ordinary" (a word for her which is like water to the wicked witch!) before and after the accident. An ordinarily healthy girl on the street you wouldn't pick out of the crowd or remember. Something which in a memoir of this nature should be an EXTRAORDINARY asset not anathema. Hey Louise: Humility is what makes you strong, exceptional, and for the superficial like you, beautiful!



5. Thank you "Forgettable Memoir" for helping me get past the guilt and understand why I felt so put off by this vampirically egotistical book! "Ordinary" as well as humility is key here-that of which is what drew me into Central Park Jogger: Patricia Meili never toots her own horn, despite significant and exceptional achievements in her professional life; yet Ashby open up with "I have an attractively symmetrical face."!!
   This emotional mastrubation is all about using technology to refuse to grow past her own superficial self-involved and honestly unpromising "career" when the accident would otherwise force her to be more than a mask. It's about suing for millions to badger and even emotionally blackmail doctors-despite all odds and realities-to build another mask. Hence her refusal to learn to do anything other than act to support herself. THIS is NOT growth-(evident in even her fathers pulling away when he can't fulfill her endless and insatiable needs for validation and "look at me look at me" attention-well many believe this egotism is why people get into acting anyway. As well as his clear discomfort & irritation w/her prompts to make him talk even more about HER for her book!) If trials, shock and disappointments catch us off balance to show us who we really are-then her essence and potential prove small and stunted indeed.
   I suppose I shouldn't even dignify discussing the dustjacket! I don't mean to be cruel. But if I didn't know her mother had died, (Even when she talks about this-it's about her mother not giving HER enough attention and support!) I would wonder if said mother had written the blurb. I'd never heard of Louise Ashby (and I'm an anglophile!) "One of the most beautiful women"? In drama that's an impossible order! Even someone like Angelina Jolie who defies all anatomical odds and looks like a CGI fantasy, can joke about being a funny "moppet"! Again Ashby looks fairly "ordinary" (a word for her which is like water to the wicked witch!) before and after the accident. An ordinarily healthy girl on the street you wouldn't pick out of the crowd or remember. Something which in a memoir of this nature should be an EXTRAORDINARY asset not anathema. Hey Louise: Humility is what makes you strong, exceptional, and for the superficial like you, beautiful!

5 comments about Kate's Journey: Triumph Over Adversity.

1. EXCELLENT BOOK/STORY OF A REMARKABLE WOMAN'S RECOVERY FROM A DEVESTATING CONDITION. I HAD READ THIS BOOK A WHILE AGO AND PURCHASED THIS AS A GIFT. VERY HARD TO PUT DOWN READ IN 2 DAYS!!! KATE IS A TRUE INSPIRATION TO ALL.
   ANY HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!!!
   KATES 2ND BOOK IS EVEN BETTER!!!
   KEEP UP THE EXCELLENT WORK KATE!!!



2. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as it not only is a true story of a very remarkable woman, but it is also very educational and enlightening of what a stroke victim endures. Very hard to put down--a must read!



3. Working as a chaplain with people who have suffered from strokes this book was recommended to me. There are many people that I minister to who are trapped within their bodies and I wonder the effectiveness of my prayers, monologues, reading scriptures and news article to them since they can't respond. After reading this book my eyes were opened. To see what Kate went through and what she experienced in a trapped body I am encouraged to continue to be there and communicate with those who are trapped within their body. Excellent book. I would recommend it to not only those who work with people who have had strokes but to anyone who wants to know more.



4. If you only get a chance to read a few good books a year; you should make this one of them. Kate Adamson has an unbelievable story to share. Suffering from a devastating stroke at the age of 33, Kate fights her way back with sheer grit and determination.
   
   This is an inspirational story for stroke survivors, caregivers, and anyone else that has been touched by a stroke. Even if you haven't been touched by a stroke, it's a powerful read. Kate tells her story with honesty, humor, and courage. I give it two thumbs up and highly recommend it.



5. Ever said, "I have a terrible headache?" Did you feel it was the worst headache you've ever had. Then you must read Kate's Journey.
   
   This book should be in the home of anyone that has ever had a headache, in the library of every neurologist, and in the hands of every therapist or any health care official that encounters stroke patients.
   
   Kate's Journey delivers hope through an amazing story of recovery. In a clever and ingenious way, Kate interjects humor in the story of her recovery from a devastating stroke and the complete disruption of the life she knew.
   
   Kate's Journey provides the key to not living a self-fulfilling prophecy of hopelessness when you or some you love is told there is, "No Hope." Kate's Journey provides the warning signs of stroke to those who may be experiencing the onset of a stroke and are totally unaware, and incredible insight to family members and friends of those whom may have already suffered the tragic disabilities of stroke. Think you're too young? Think you're in great shape? Read Kate's Journey before it's too late.
   
   Wondering how I could ever read a book about someone's stroke, quickly turned into wondering how I could ever put the book down. It was witty and filled with Kate's actual thoughts. I was now getting first hand the pain and thoughts that were going through the mind of my own husband. He was now living Kate's Journey, her nightmare of paralysis and the inability to speak.
   
   I recommend reading Kate's Journey, a story of recovery and hope, in lieu of books that deliver a message of acceptance of a devastating fate. I prefer the "Never Give Up" message contained within the pages of Kate's Journey; a story of bouncing back against all odds. Which would you rather read? It could happen in the blink of an eye. Stroke -- paralysis, complete devastation. Will you be next? Maybe not; if you read Kate's Journey Triumph Over Adversity.

   I have found Kate to be as outstanding as her book.

5 comments about Brilliant Idiot.

1. THis book was so so helpful when I found out my daughter was dyslexic and gifted. This man's journey is amazing and inspiring!



2. I always thought everybody struggled like I did until I read this book. For the first time in my 37 years of life, things made sense. His struggles, fears and victories were all things I could relate to. It was as if I was looking in a mirror. I took the 71 question quiz at the end of the book and scored high on all but two questions. I always thought dyslexia was the inablility to read because of transposing letters. Now I know it is far more than that. I have purchased a copy for each of my loved ones in hopes they will be able to understand me and my learning disorder. Best of all, I can use Abraham Schmitt as proof that I don't have to stay within the walls of my fear and limitation. I highly recommend this book to every school teacher, everyone who struggles with surmountable odds or fear of any kind, and people like me, who label themselves "a stupid genius". Not only is it an eye-opener about dyslexia, but it is an unforgetable story about an unforgetable man.



3. Dyslexia was not the only barrier Abraham Schmitt faced. Dr. Schmitt also had to adapt to the modern world of the mid 40's after having lived his whole life in a German-dialect Mennonite community that had not evolved in 200 years. His willingness to take large risk, leave behind his community, language and culture while doggedly working towards a college education is beyond admirable. His chronic fears and anxieties over being perceived as an idiotic 'peasant' are wrenching; as are the accounts of the cruel treatment he frequently received. There were thoughtless people, and beautifully caring people who are marvelously drawn in this book. His biography shows the miracles that will, faith, and determination to find your 'place' in the world, can acheive. It needs to be required reading for the chronically discouraged.



4. I could not but help reading this book over night.As a teacher in junior high school in Taiwan, I am quite accoutomed to kids have the same problems as Abraham described in this exotic book. I am absorbed by his tremendous effort to overcome his hereditary setback and use his right brain hemisphere to achive great success in a society designed by and for the left brain people. And I learned an important lesson in this book, a word in time is really a great help to people around you. Without the encouraging words, Abraham might have given himself in his early life when he felt frustrated and embarrassed. After reading this book, I am deeply concerned that I can help my students with my words just like those wonderful guys in Abraham's life who gave him kind concern and help. And those concern and help turned out to be a blessing to a poor yound man and make him be someone. Gee, that's great.Everyone needs someone else to encourage him, and everyone can be someone else's lucky-giver.



5. This book is excellent. I couldn't put it down. It is refreshing but sad to see how a dyslexic person struggles through even the smallest tasks. Mr schmitt tells about his dyslexic life. He is the brilliant idiot--he holds several college degrees but can't tie his shoes and can't teach school. Anyone who knows someone with a learning disability will enjoy this book. It will bring a better understanding of what a learning disabled person has to overcome--and provides proof positive that it can be done! It is a truly sad but remarkable journey that Mr. Schmitt will take you on if you read this book. You will laugh and cry and your heart will break. But such a happly ending.

2 comments about Mi vuelta a la vida.

1. Me parece un buen libro motivacional, lo recomiendo pues nos ensena a que siendo perseverantes podemos alcanzar nuestras metas y superar cualquier obstaculo de la vida....



2. This is one of the most inspirational biographies I have ever read, and comes from the truly remarkable life experiences of a determined young man. I loved every word!
   
   Early in the book, Lance Armstrong says ". . . that cancer was the best thing that happened to me." He goes on to say, "When I was sick I saw more beauty and triumph and truth in a single day than I ever saw in a bike race."
   
   Overcoming cancer and becoming an athletic champion in the grueling sport of bicycle racing require a toughness of spirit, mind, and body that is hard for most of us to imagine. This inspirational book portrays beautifully how one can start with the right spirit and overcome enormous obstacles.
   
   Although his doctors told him he had a 40 percent chance of surviving stage three testical cancer, this was mostly to keep his morale up. After he had recovered, his doctor admitted that is chances were around 3 percent, instead.
   
   While he was being treated for the cancer, no one thought that he might ever race again. He did decide to go through treatments that would leave open the possibility that his lungs (affected by the cancer) would still be functional and his coordination (through delicate brain surgery) would be unaffected. Within two years, he had won the Tour de France, a grueling race he had never done well in before he had cancer.
   
   Growing up, Lance Armstrong had little reason to suspect that he would become one of the world's greatest athletes. He was well into high school, still trying pretty unsuccessfully to make the football and swimming teams, before it became clear that he could become a significant cyclist. Pleased with the money that success brought, he had a tough time building the attitude of a champion to go with his remarkable endurance skills. Overcoming cancer helped him with that, as well as seeing the beauty around him.
   
   He met his wife at the press conference to announce the beginning of his foundation to fight cancer. They were married during his recovery, and recently became parents through the miracles of modern medicine.
   
   Of such wonderful stuff are role models made, something we have too few of these days.
   
   The story is told in a very open and matter-of-fact way. He is not trying to make himself into something that he isn't. Clearly, his purpose in writing this book is to help all of us fulfill our potential rather than to glorify himself.
   
   Please share this book with people who need this inspiration.

5 comments about Making an Exit: A Mother-Daughter Drama with Alzheimer's, Machine Tools, and Laughter.

1. Support World Alzheimer's Day (September 21st) and become a Champion in the fight to end Alzheimer's Disease. Sign up, get involved and HELP the more than 5 million Americans currently living with Alzheimer's. It's your move.
   http://www.actionalz.org/move/
   info@alz.org
   
   Help raise awareness of this devastating disease while supporting our goal to reach $1 million in donations. Whether you host a party using our exclusive tips from David Tutera, host a sporting event, like Round to Remember, or get your co-workers involved in the cause. All donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar by The Harrah's Foundation. Your help is sure to go a long way. Together we can put an end Alzheimer's.
   
   There are more than 5 million people in the United States living with Alzheimer's. The seventh leading cause of death in the United States, Alzheimers' is a common, progressive, and deadly disease. You probably know someone who suffers from it. Every 72 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer's. The direct and indirect costs of Alzheimer's and other dementia amount to more than $148 billion annually.
   
   The time to act is NOW. Click the link below to help make a double difference in the fight against Alzheimer's.
   www.actionalz.org/fundraising/
   info@alz.org
   
   The Alzheimer's Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.
   
   www.alz.org
   800/272-3900



2. This book is fascinating reading, and very inspirational for anyone who desires to make the most of the time remaining with their loved one with Alzheimers. This is not a "Stage of Alzheimers" primer, but a fascinating memoir of a daughter caring for her mother with Alzheimers. Elinor Fuchs' story is unique because she finds ways to turn the difficulties of her mother's Alzheimers into opportunities for love, care, and family healing.
   
   Elinor Fuchs, a professor of drama at Yale University, seems so comfortable in her mother's fractured world, and finds the laughter within always. One very poignant moment occurs when the author is trying to determine whether her mother would rather return to her home of 30 years, or stay in an assisted living facility. Her mother responds: "Why go back in life when you can go forward."
   
   This book will bring tears, laughter, and wisdom to those who take the time to savor it.
   
   Gerry Puhara



3. Elinor Fuchs writes of navigating the long-distance caregiver role, first with the help of part-time paid caregivers and then live-in caregivers. Care eventually moves to an assisted living facility and finally a nursing home. Fuchs marks each transition with mixed feelings over meeting her mother's dependency needs while trying to preserve her independence. Fortunately, her loving uncle was available to make decisions with her until his own death. Fuchs' intelligence, good humor, and compassion enable her to enjoy her mother in spite of her limitations. She begins to reframe the meaning of her mother's fractured language: "I see Lil not only as a `patient' and `sick.' But as an artist, spinning poetry of a private world, and I began to carry a little tape recorder to catch these exchanges." As a result, each chapter of the book begins with an excerpt that reveals their playful, wacky, and sometimes profound conversations. This memoir is filled with funny anecdotes that show how her mother retained her essential self well throughout the disease.
   
   This book is a joy to read. More than a narrative about aging and loss, it is a story of love's triumph. "The last ten years," writes Fuchs, "they were our best." If only more family caregivers in the midst of such adversity could grasp such an unexpected gift.



4. This is a wonderful book. It's about a downer subject-Alzheimer's---but manages to be funny, inspiring, hopeful and informative about the process of AD. Other reviewers are right---it is a page turner.
   So what an achievement---an upbeat, engrossing book about a human tragedy. I've read a lot of first person accounts about the dementia of a relative and this is the best. It should become a classic. And now the author Fuchs, who teaches at the Yale School of Drama, should make a play of this.



5. Laughter is the key to surviving a mother with Altzheimers. This story is so full of laughter and love that it eases the pain of the adventure, maybe not while its going on, but certainly after the "exit." It's a non-stop read at any stage of the experience even if you got along with your mother just fine.

3 comments about The Heroics of Falling Apart: One Couple's Breast Cancer Journey.

1. What a special book this is! My dear friend recently had a mastectomy. I wondered whether this book would be helpful to her or depressing. Once I started reading The Heroics of Falling Apart, I couldn't put it down. Each section gave me more insight into the world of coping with cancer. I learned about the torturous journey of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. I was grateful to have Judy's perspective as the patient and also Dan's point of view as the primary caregiver.
   
   A million thanks to the authors for sharing the intimate details of their experience. They provide a role model while underscoring that the only "right" decisions are those that are right for the patient. I know that my friend will benefit from reading this fascinating, inspirational story. I've put my copy in the lending library of my psychotherapy office and I expect it will get a lot of use. This is a book that belongs in every woman's library.
   
   Judy K. Underwood, Ph.D. Author of DYING: Finding Comfort and Guidance in a Story of a Peaceful Passing, [...]



2. A simple "thank you" would not be enough. Being "of age" and over 50 now, I have more than a number of friends who are experiencing breast cancer on many levels. This book and the emotional wallop it packs into every chapter provides a rare glimpse into the lives of a couple facing the disease. I have now gifted this book on several occasions to friends who are experiencing breast cancer. Although it may not be "appropriately timed" when given to those who are at the very beginning of learning about their own disease, it is a most wonderful resource for those who are further along the path of dealing and healing.



3. For anybody who has ever fallen apart -- or contemplated falling apart -- or just wondered what it would feel like to fall apart -- heroically or UNheroically-- and yet emerge from the triggering crises with one's body, mind and spirit not only still intact, but much stronger for it, Judy and Dan Gordon's book, The heroics of falling apart... One Couple's Breast Cancer Journey, is a MUST read. The roller coaster ride from hell that this amazing very much in love married couple took TOGETHER, but who wrote about it as if they were riding in separate cars, will make you feel not only as if you are alternately riding with each of them, but grateful that you were given the opportunity to do it without actually having to SIT in either of those cars. Grateful AND blessed!

3 comments about To Africa with Love.

1. "Passion" is the best word to describe the level of commitment of the Foulkes family to serve as medical missionaries in Zambia. The depth of their sacrifice, the length of their desire to reach people with the Truth, the height of their faith in God, and the width of their love for God's people were passionate. I could not put the book down, and when I had finished, wanted to share the book and its message with others. This family touched my family deeply, even before the book, as my grandmother had been a prayer warrior for them while they were on the mission field.



2. This account of a mission established, accomplished and continuing is not only inspiring but dynamic in overcoming obstacles and rejoicing in successes. It challenges one's faith
   to endure and soar through Christ's help. Difficult to lay the
   book down!



3. This book really inspires me to be a better person for Christ by helping others. I won't ever be a doctor and probably can't ever visit Africa, but this book takes you there without ever leaving your home. What Dr. Foulkes has been through losing some of his family and staying in Africa to make sure the people were brought the message of Christ is truly heart touching. I think this is a wonderful book and recommend it others.

5 comments about Singular Intimacies: Becoming a Doctor at Bellevue.

1. Singular Intimacies is a wonderful book, full of thoughtful stories, poingnant observations, and insightful revelations from the author about the nature of medicine, healing and the relationship between doctors and patients.
   
   It gives me great hope that Dr. Ofri is a leading light in modern medicine, because she exemplifies an honest and heartfelt approach to caring that is sorely needed in our overly technical healthcare system. Having doctors who are willing to be vulnerable at the same time they are competently sharing their amazing learning with their patients bodes well for the present and future of healing in this country.
   
   I encourage anyone interested in the changing of the guard in the medical field, or just interested in great stories from the frontlines of medicine, to read this book.



2. I read this book thinking that stories written by a doctor would be fascinating. I honestly got tired of hearing the author talk about crying every 10 minutes and all of her self esteem issues. I wanted to hear more stories and less personal musings. The stories were interesting in their own right, but went on WAY too long. I would have rather had a more brief description of events and more of them. (more about the patients much less whining and agonizing by the author).



3. I read this one for a med school discussion group. At first I disliked it, feeling like Dr. Ofri was really trumping up Bellvue, how great the hospital is and likewise everyone who works there. However, then she went on to describe her relative incompetence in her medical performance as she transitioned through the end of medical school and residency. At this point in my education, I can relate to her lack of experience and feelings of inadequacy during her training.
   This is a great book to read if you are interested in the inner workings of medical education and its impact on patient care, especially if you prefer to read about it via entertaining anecdotes rather than those nasty boring textbooks. A good read for med and pre-med students, as well as those just wanting to eavesdrop on the system of medical education.
   
   This part of the review is by Kristi Florek, Matt's wife:
   I also read this book for a class in medical school, like everyone else reviewing this book. I really enjoyed reading it "for fun" even though it was assigned. Each time I read the assigned chapters I had a hard time putting the book down, and read several more chapters. I found the book to be a good sampling of what life as a med student and a resident is like. Sometimes life is hard: days are long and sleepless, patients die, you don't know what to do, you get stuck with a needle, patients and staff are difficult. But sometimes life is great: you diagnose a difficult case, a baby is born, one of your superiors gives you a word of commendation, you feel like you're succeeding at becoming a doctor. It is an up and down world with huge swings of emotion. One thing I really identified with were her feelings of inadequacy, realizing that I am not alone in thinking that I have no idea what I am doing!
   Overall, a very good book for anyone with any interest in medicine and medical education.



4. How does medicine educate its upcoming doctors? When is it okay to let a medical student to do a procedure? Given a choice would you let a medical student do your surgery? In the big picture, young doctors need experience because they are the future. This is just one of the many issues surrounding medical education and the maturation of young doctors that Ofri tackles. Some stories will move you, others will demystify the aura surrounding doctors, other may make you think twice before going to the doctor. Ofri's humbleness and honesty allow the reader an inside look at the decision making process of a doctor as they go through their training, which is sometimes a marvelous progression of logic and efficiency, and other times a shot in the dark at best. A good quick read for anyone interested in medicine or what medical training is like.



5. Dr Ofri has written a moving account of a resident doctor's personal experiences. Residency program is indeed a trial (and training) by fire which can either melt or strengthen the heart of a novice doctor. Being a doctor myself, I have been to "hell and back" with many of my patients. There are quite a few Dr Sitkins in the world of medicine : humane and highly sensitive doctors hiding behind a facade who snap when the reality of the harsh world and its inequalities,espeically, in life and death situations become unbearable.