5 comments about Twitch and Shout: A Touretter's Tale.

1. Taken from the perspective of an author who lives with Tourette's Syndrome, Lowell Handler provides one of the most vivid everyday observances to a most uncontrollable disorder. What most people have little grasp on, Handler often uses humility and humor to set examples of how only one living with this handicap can describe.
   
   Tourette's Syndrome is usually spotted early before the age of eighteen, found to impair males more than females (almost three to one). Tourette's creates involuntary movements and tics that usually cannot be controlled by the person. Vocally, inappropriate language and animal sounds is the most common dysfunction towards the disorder's spontaneous combustion.
   
   Twitch & Shout gives an inspirational account of a man that survives triumphantly, documenting the good and the bad as an author, photographer and moviemaker, on top of personal and love interest. People with Tourette's lead normal and healthy lives, but the journey sometimes is not. Feeling comfortable means comprehending the diagnoses. Handler evokes a great deal of self into the findings of this book.
   
   SIDENOTE
   Handler filmed a documentary also called Twitch & Shout before the book was published. This can be found at select local libraries on a VHS format. The video shows some different perspectives that the book cannot illustrate. VERY RECOMMENDED.



2. Many Touretters will say that Tourette's gives rhythm to not only movement and speech, but thought and life as well. This book, with its energetic, pulsing, and sometimes explosive rhythm, certainly seems to bear that out.

   The author, who has Tourette's syndrome himself, describes the way Tourette's interplays with and shapes his life, in an integrated way even when he sees it as an interference. He meets people with varying kinds and degrees of Tourette's, along with Oliver Sacks, a famous neurologist who studies people with Tourette's.

   As a person whose tics are too mild for me to really consider them a part of me, I found it interesting to see what life is like with tics that integrate themselves into every part of a person's life. I noticed parallels between the attitudes of some Touretters toward Tourette's and the attitude of many autistic people toward autism, where there's not as much of a line to be drawn between a condition and a person's personality as a purely medical/disease model would make it sound. This book was both interesting and genuinely enjoyable to read.




3. Twitch and Shout is a fascinating, moving, and informative account of an artistic young man (the author) who confronts his Tourette Syndrome head on, deliberately living at full tilt in defiance of the much misunderstood disorder.

   Moments of transcendent prose alternate with hilarious and sometimes sad memoir.

   As an artist and advocate of mastery, I appreciated how the author's challenges shaped his journey, bringing him numerous triumphs, as photographer, author, friend and lover. With objectivity and grace, he discovered that Tourette informed part of who he was, and acted almost as a language or culture, at times a heightened state.

   I was moved by this perspective, and aspire to its message, that we should not only accept our rough edges, but see them as the parameters of our genius.




4. I was so impressed with the frankness and openess of this book. Handler allows its reader into a world that there are not many doors for those without TS. He helps the reader explore the humor of TS, the complexity of TS and the comradery between Touretters. This book is profoundly honest. It is a must read for those readers interested in Tourette Syndrome.



5. I was very disappointed that the author spent so much time using TS as an excuse for his immoral lifestyle. I'd rather not have read about his sex life & drug use.

   The book almost seemed to give the impression that all of us who have TS (yes, that means me too) go around living this way.

   The book actually did have a few pages that were worth reading so I gave it two stars rather than one.

5 comments about Survivor: Taking Control of Your Fight against Cancer.

1. Ms. Landro is the quintessential reporter who 'reported' the biggest story of her life, and thereby saved it in the process. She described how she took charge of her battle against leukemia, rather than ceding her life to what looked like very dangerous medicine, and it worked. Landro's story is about the incredible power of a bright and utterly rational person to shape her destiny and survive because of it. The book belongs in hotel rooms with the Gideon Bible (no, INSTEAD of the Gideon Bible...) and ought to be dispensed in pharmacies and physicians offices. It's the ultimate celebration of the human will to survive.



2. Reviewing this book gives me problems. My spouse is awaiting a bone marrow transplant for CML, the same disease that Landro had. And in many ways, this book was very good, empowering us by leading us to good websites, recommending the book Mira's Month for my small daughter , and letting us know what to expect as far as side effects, etc. What I think the book lacks is emotion/humanness--although there are times that Landro tells us how she feels, much more ofetn things are summed up by "just get through it." I also believe that Landro's experiences with her transplant may not be as relative to people like us, who have financial concerns, who have small children, who are not fortunate enough to have a perfect sibling match (we do, happily, have perfect unrelated donor matches--bless them!). I think that Landro's choice to not name her husband was unsettling--although she probably chose not to in order to respect his privacy, I feel it would have been better to state that at the outset--I was left with the impression that although he did accompany her through a very difficult time, he was not worthy of a name. Another very real problem I have with this book is its title--I believe that it is a marketing ploy, because I do not believe IN ANY WAY that this book is about "taking control of your fight against cancer"--it is about one woman's bone marrow transplant, and I knew that going in; had I bought this book thinking it would empower me to fight against cancer, I would be very disappointed, because although one or two chapters may deal with that, it certainly is not true of the whole book. I would whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone undergoing a BMT, but I would not recommend it to someone with prostate cancer or melanoma--it simply is not relevent to cancers that do not require a BMT. I am asking our friends to buy it, because it is very relevant to OUR type of cancer and our need for a BMT--but may not be to other people who are not in this particular boat.



3. Laura Landro tells her story of survival from chronic myelogenous leukemia and bone marrow transplantation with the excitement and fullness of fine fiction.

   As she enters " the netherworld of medicine", Laura's journalist's instincts kick in. Information proves crucial, for she must choose between two cancer centers with subtly differing treatment protocols and prepare for the certain loss of ovarian function to chemotherapy.

   Attitude and humor help pass the darkest sickroom days. Imagine watching Laura, pallid from anemia and bloated from steroids, primp, preparing her face for the future. A reading of her mother's daily log defines determination and suggests, incidentally, that fine writing must be hereditary. Humor is good medicine: Her brothers' constant high spirits penetrate the wall of pain. Her colleagues from "The Wall Street Journal" perform a hilarious video skit that pulls her toward the future.

   Support materializes from friends and "the ranks of afflicted want to reach out to you...and put you in touch with experts who helped them." At a near breaking point for Laura, Marilyn's unforgettable letter plums the depths and eloquence of friendship.

   Healing goes beyond hospital walls.

   If Survivor is a "survival guide" for patients, it is equally a primer for healthcare providers in the information age. Patients who arrive with Internet pages are today's survivors. Like Laura Landro, they plan to "come out on the other side". Doctors couldn't play on a better team.




4. Laura has done an excellent job of not only sharing an intensely personal cancer experience, but she has also gathered together multiple resources and self-advocacy behaviors under one bookcover to aide all individuals, families or friends confronted with the same. Her forthright honesty, ability to include even the little daily details of living/surviving, and her fantastic sense of humor blend together to give a sense of control and hope to all of us. Almost everyone today is touched in some way by cancer, whether it be ourselves, a family member or a friend. We can all learn from what Laura has shared. I commend her greatly for such an insightful and useful book.



5. The brilliance of Laura's book is in the use of her keen intellect to save her own life. The lessons she teaches us can be used by any patient in any disease to be the system...and beat the disease that threatens their life.

1 comments about Miracle Man of the Western Front Dr. Varaztad H. Kazanjian: Pioneer Plastic Surgeon.

1. The Miracle Man is an inspiring piece of work about a truly unique individual, who lived the American dream against all odds and managed to revolutionize the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery. Amid the turmoil of World War I and a campaign of genocide by the Turkish government against the Armenian people, Kazanjian, a dentist with broken English, managed to bring some peace to the ravaged allied soldiers. Revered on the battlefield, Kazanjian found himself relegated once again upon his return home to the US. However, this is the story of a resilient man and impressively, one who maintained his humble and humane attitude in life. This is an important piece of history for all to read.

No comments about Between the Dying and the Dead: Dr. Jack Kevorkian's Life and the Battle to Legalize Euthanasia.

No comments about Erik Erikson.

No comments about Ships of Mercy: The Remarkable Fleet Bringing Hope to the World's Forgotten Poor.

No comments about Carl Gustav Jung (Key Figures in Counselling and Psychotherapy series).

5 comments about Curing the Incurable.

1. It should be pointed out that this book was written before the DMD or CRAB drugs were used to help suppress MS. Chemotherapy is only used in aggressive relapsing-remitting MS and in conjunction with Copaxone now. Jacqueline Rigg wrote this book from her experiences with active MS, over 20 years ago.
   I found this book's recipes to be quite useful. I don't believe that there is a 'cure' for MS, but that it is best to examine all options.
   Personally, diet plus DMD has worked very nicely for me. However....this could have happened anyway.
   Sticking rigidly to a diet just because it has worked for someone else is very common and can be encountered in all diet groups, Raw, Vegan, Best Bet, Swank, Atkins, you name it, there will be diet evangelists and their devout followers.
   Diet is not a religion and it's time that people grew up about this. The same goes for medicine.
   When you live with a disease that can affect your body differently each day, you learn the hard lesson of living without absolutes.



2. In '97 I was diagnosed with MS. Someone told me about this book and I ordered it. Its a best buy with the best advise!!! A must read for anyone who seeks to listen to the inner self. Don't do as I did. Read the book and follow it. I wasted a lot of time before I finally followed it and my own inner self to wellness.



3. This was fantastic. my partner has been diagnosed with ms but chooses not to take medication. this book has helped both of us and has improved his symptoms no end. it is so good to read a book that isn't full of medical terminology but just states things how they are. easy to read, easy to understand and the recipes really do taste good



4. I thought this was a terrific book on using nutrition and related approaches to "heal" MS, primarily because Ms. Rigg does not advocate any one particular approach but rather emphasizes the need for each person with MS (or any other health challenge) to do lots of research and figure out what works best for him or her. Her emphasis on keeping a diary to record reactions to different foods and the inclusion of many recipes are both practical and useful ways to help the person with MS. After almost a decade with this disease, I am tired of medication and even more of insurance companies, and am committed to trying the nutritional approach to MS by starting a diary this week. Thanks Ms. Rigg!



5. Jacque Rigg dared to do what the medical establishment tells the patient is iether incorrect or ineffected... taking control of your own health and denying the establishment 16K a year to pay for harmful pharmacueticals. I agree whole heartedly with most of what I have read. I myself refuse to take the medications which cause tremendous side effects, often leading to a host of other illnesses and disorders. I have turned only to organic/living foods, magnetic matresses, yoga, prayer, nutritional supplements, acupuncture and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. In a matter of four months, almost all of my symptoms have disappeared. This I know, is not due a "natural" remission, but my body's capacity to heal itself through proper nutrition and lifestyle. This is a wonderful introductory guide for those seeking to avoid the horrendous side effects associated with traditional "western" medicine. There are however several other natural protocols not included in the book that readers may also want to explore. Ironically, I am an Epidemiologist who teaches at a medical school, but who under any and all circumstances would follow Rigg's advise before taking the toxic medications which are currently available to MS patients. Thank you Jacque for a "true" contribution to the field of health. There are many of us out here who truly love and respect you for your efforts. Dr. Liza Molina

5 comments about The Year of Reading Proust: A Memoir in Real Time.

1. I cannot add to what earlier reviewers have said: "tediously self-indulgent";"trite";"sheds very little light on Proust";"too bad I couldn't rate this 0 stars because 1 star is one too many";"She misses the whole meaning of Proust. She and everything she stands for is what Proust mocks"; and,"I loved Rose's critical biography of Virginia Woolf and now (I expected) her clarity and insights would be extended to her own life and to Proust. What a disappointment. Rose's candor is amazing, because it reveals a rather shallow and self-satisfied woman. Her use of Proust is quite minimal and superficial." Her use of Proust consists mostly of a Proustian quote at beginning of each chapter, most of which don't seem all that relevant.
   
   Am I glad I bought "A Year of Reading Proust"? Yes. (at a discount price) Would I pick it up again? Yes. Will I read it again? Possibly, looking for something I missed. The best part of the book: her 12 page-list of recommended reading. Much of the list appears to be self-promotion, but it provides insight to what successful authors recommend.



2. An essayist's way of writing a book is to pile up one chapter after another. The opening section of SWANN'S WAY seems, slow, static to Rose. The author read Proust for more than a year. At the time of the writing of this book she had not yet read the sixth volume, IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME.
   
   Every reader of Proust has to find his own reason for moving ahead. Reading Proust is what Rose did when she first got up in the morning. For a year she made Proust the business of her life. At the end of BUDDING GROVE Marcel refers to himself as a human naturalist. Reading Proust gave Rose mastery of the social life she lived in Key West. Reading Proust made Rose a connoisseur of similes. Proust provides the literary equivalent of the freeze frame.
   
   By volume five, reading Proust had become essential escapism. The author lives with a fear of disaster. She like an even-textured daily life. Joyce, Woolf, and Proust compressed time, one day, etc., and wove strands, themes around chronological points, developing deep time and other devices. Proust and the author both had happy childhoods.
   
   When her father was dying Phyllis Rose could only tolerate reading THE DEATH OF IVAN ILYICH. Time moves in only one direction, toward weakness and death. Aging artists come to value their secondary talents. The volume takes off from the themes of Proust to recount other facts and matters of concern to the writer. It seems that Annie Dillard and the writer are soul mates. Cancer scares and parental deaths in their age group seem frequent.
   
   Hemingway started writing FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS in Key West. His large house with Pauline attracted too many guests. He left Florida for Cuba, seeking peace and quiet. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was so popular in Florida that even her maid wrote a book.
   
   A literary work is an experience in time. Novels are the most uncondensable literary works. Every reader in reading reads himself. The writer of a memoir, the volume under review is a memoir, is a traveler in time.



3. There are characters in Proust that are so cartoonishly shallow, vain, parochial, and lacking in self-knowledge that one laughs in spite of thinking no such person could exist in real life.
   
   Phyllis Rose proves that such people do exist.
   
   Of course it is possible that her book is a satiric fiction disguised as autobiography. If so, it is not funny enough. (Learn from Proust!) If this really is an autobiography, it is surprising that an author would allow publication of something that makes her look so ridiculous.



4. Ms Rose is without a doubt a talented writer, but her work here is tediously self-indulgent and trite and sheds very little light on Proust, or indeed on his effect on her. Give it a miss and read the master! I don't think I'll be visiting Ms Rose's other work anytime soon...



5. Too bad I couldn't rate this 0 stars because 1 star in one too many. This book is essentially and "hey, look at me and the people I know and the circles I have access to." She misses the whole meaning of Proust. She and everything she stands for is what he mocks.

   Not all is lost because this book (if one can call it that) gives me hope that I can get a book published one of these days

No comments about It's a Lovely Day, Outside.