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.

No comments about Robert Guthrie--The Pku Story: Crusade Against Mental Retardation.

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.

5 comments about The Neglected and Abused: A Physician's Year in Haiti.

1. As a pre-med major hoping to work in Third World Countries, this book speaks straight to my heart. Bentivegna is brilliant and completely honest about the suffering in Haiti. I found myself laughing in earnest at his awkward culture shock and horrified by the people that came to him for help. He has a heart of gold and a mind to match; his spirit and humanity are revealed to the public and I am in awe of his character. Bentivegna is a man I would have loved to meet and work alongside of in Haiti and his book is a testament of his work. I recommend this for anyone and everyone. It is wildly intellectual without seeming dull. It is shocking, grotesque and painful, but very true. I have seen Haiti with my eyes and he speaks from the heart with real clarity.



2. "Neglected and Abused" is a must read for anyone going to Haiti as a medical volunteer (or anyone going to Haiti for any reason). I was captivated by Dr. Joe's tales of medicine in a country with so few resources. I have been going to Haiti as a medical missionary for two years now and I found this book to be an excellent account of the medical situation in Haiti. I think this book would be a wise read for anyone planning a trip to give you an idea of what you are about to face. Dr. Joe's experience took place in the late 1980's before the embargo and the subsequent further deterioration of the health situation in Haiti. Keep that in mind when you read this book - things are worse now.



3. I am not Haitian, but I have been to Haiti many times and the book seems to present a very realistic picture of the people and problems in Haiti. Dr. Bentivegna simply tells it like it is--he realizes that problems like malnutrition, unsanitary water, and lack of vaccination programs and birth control compound any doctor's best efforts to provide medical care to the poor in Haiti. He does not hide his frustration as he encounters these things and others as his year in Haiti progresses. Along these lines, he states in the epilogue: "The problems that initially seemed so easy to solve became infinitely complex the better I understood them" (p. 161).

   The title of the last chapter in the book is "Questions Without Answers," and includes story upon story of ethical dilemmas he encountered in Haiti (which are so different from the dilemmas encountered in 1st-world medicine), and how he chose to act in these situations. They illustrate how gray the lines can be, and how he had to, as he says, "play God" in Haiti. He also points out the problems that occur when people and groups attempt to impliment short-term solutions to long-term problems. It's very eye-opening.

   In the midst of this, it is obvious that Dr. Bentivegna loves and respects the Haitian people, and that he is torn by their plight. Sadly, though this book was written more than a decade ago, it might as well have been written last month. We can only hope and pray that Aristide's leadership will bring infrastructural changes and economic development to Haiti in the coming years. It is only these things, as Bentivegna notes, that will provide long-term change in Haiti.




4. Despite this book being a little bit older, it is still relevant. It is an excellent review of Haitian medicine, as seen by an American. A great, great read. Buy it, if you're going on a short-term or long-term missions trip. 10 stars!



5. Bentevegna, in his simple and straightforward writing style, is sure to gain the attention and interest of readers. As a predecessor to a first trip to Haiti, I found this book extremely useful in an understanding of the people and the poor state of medical care in Haiti. An excellent choice for both those recently becoming familiar with this fascinating country and experts alike.

4 comments about Smile and Jump High! the True Story of Overcoming a Traumatic Brain Injury.

1. Don Lloyd does a great job of bringing you into the journey his family endures while dealing with Shannon's accident and recovery. As someone who watched her best friend go through a similar injury, I found this book hitting close to home.
   
   Reading Don's words and thoughts took me back to the raw emotions I felt years ago, but gaining the different perspective a parent has. I admired Don and Sue's bravery as they let Shannon live on her own in Atlanta after the accident, and wondered if I would have had the courage to do that with my own child.
   
   I think that Don, Sue, Brian, Kelley and Shannon are all lucky to have had each other during such a trying time. Tragedies such as this can pull a family apart but they fused together and helped heal Shannon as a unit.
   
   Thank you Don and Shannon for allowing this window into your life to be open to others. God Bless you.



2. This book proves that a person can do more than the doctors say he/she can; he can recover more fully, can have a better chance at a good, active, social life, and can eventually become independent, even if only in a few ways. Again, this is a book of hope for those of us who love and care for family members who are recovering from traumatic brain injuries. There will be a greater need for this type of book in the future as there are tremendous numbers of TBI's coming back from the Iraq/Afghanistan wars. My son is one of those survivors, with the "unseen injury".



3. Lots of valuable and good advice and resources for both craniotomy patients and caretakers. But the portrayal of NYC and its boroughs is incomplete and unfair (p. 179 of the softcover.) I had brain surgery in 2005 and I live in NJ and volunteer in NYC. I find the people there compassionate, thoughtful and considerate. That's 99.99% of them. They help me on the subway, across the street and do countless other nice things! Also, it's 2006 and Donald treats his wife, Sue, like chattel. He's very patronizing. I know what Sue had to do to make Donald and Shannon comfortable. She cooked, cleaned and did everything that a hard working Aide does. And believe me it's more work and more intense for a brain injured person.
   
   Donald goes through great pains and lots of analysis to explain the people, places, etc. that Shannon encounters. But on these matters it's a big miss.



4. Smile And Jump High!: The True Story Of Overcoming A Traumatic Brain Injury is the moving and compelling testimony of Shannon, a young woman who suffered a near-fatal auto accident. A devastating brain injury forces Shannon to embark on a grueling four-year journey of gradually re-learning simple physical skills, walking, talking, and coping with residual effects that drastically impair her problem-solving ability, behavioral temperament, and more. The inclusion of citations from personal journals of close friends and family members bear testimony to a long struggle culminating in triumph and rebuilding one's life from the ground up. Smile And Jump High is very highly recommended reading, especially for anyone having to come to grips with the recovering process necessitated by catastrophic injury or illness.

No comments about Improve, Perfect, & Perpetuate: Dr. Nathan Smith and Early American Medical Education.

5 comments about Nightingales: The Extraordinary Upbringing and Curious Life of Miss Florence Nightingale.

1. Overall, this very insightful book gives precise information on Florence Nightingale. The author gives incredible information about Nightingale and her immediate and extended family as well as friends. However, the author goes to the extreme several times presenting peripheral information that has nothing to do with Nightingale as in the case of her cousin suitor and spends pages discussing the Crimean War--none of which contributes to the "curious life" of Nightingale who was truly an extraordinary woman, especially given her time. Perhaps the author is trying to estabish certain things, but at times, the reading is tedious as one just wants the author to get on with it.



2. I was looking forward to reading this because of the good reviews I had read about it, but frankly, I couldn't get past about page 50. I will perhaps try to get into it again, but the narrative did not hold my interest and was rather dry & academic in my opinion.



3. I received the book within a few days of the order and it was in perfect condition. Excellent service!



4. What I love about Gillian Gill's biographies is the obvious extensive research of her subject. I had finished reading Gill's second biography on Mary Baker Eddy and was so impressed I knew in the Florence Nightingale biography I would find a well-researched and well-written history of a very complex woman. Gill's subjects are not always easy to understand, but through Gill's research you gain at least a clearer idea of the woman behind the "Lady with the Lamp". A wonderful biography worth reading. I especially enjoyed learning more about Nightingale's family and how important they were in creating Florence Nightingale.



5. I found this read a bit on the dry side and at times almost pedantic. I am glad I read it, but it didn't really keep my attention as I had hoped.

No comments about Fight the Good Fight.

2 comments about Inner Strength: One Family's Experience With Cystic Fibrosis.

1. Cloyce Jones is clearly a remarkable woman. She has a strength that most of us can only dream of. This book portrays her family's lives as they cope with death, illness and then the happiness that the birth of healthy child and eventually a successful lung tranplant for Tara bring. With CF it is often one challenge after another but this family found unending courage to battle on. I was saddened by the extra stress caused to a sick child by insurance rules that meant they had to travel hundreds of miles to retain their coverage. It was however warming to read of the joy that the 'Wish Upon a Star Foundation' was able to bring.



2. I appreciate the willingness of the author to share this remarkable story -- it creates additional awareness of the disease and generates funds to help researchers find beneficial treatments and a cure for this disease. Our son, Burke (who died due to CF in 1997), would very much have appreciated the family emphasis here.

1 comments about The Art of Living...The Art of Medicine the Wit and Wisdom of Life and Medicine: a Physician's Perspective.

1. .....read this book. This book was written from the heart. For the most part, it is written for an audience of young physicians but with an awareness that the patient may also be reading. It is told from the perspective of the experienced physician, in this case the author, Edward C. Rosenow III, M.D., who worked at Mayo Clinic for 31 years who learned "that many times the gift of caring and compassion are more effective in healing than the power of modern medicine." There are two main sections: The Art of Living and the Art of MedicinePeople will find it an invaluable guide for their own life and work.

   I particularly enjoyed the chapters on How to Be a Patient, Qualities of the Respected Person, Simplify Your Life, Your Relationship to People You Work With. The chapter called End of Life Issues was incredibly well done. Amazing work.

   A major philosophy repeated in the book was: "FAMILY, FRIENDS, FUN/FELLOWSHIP, FORGIVE, FORGET ....... work." The book is sprinkled with quotes collected by Dr. Rosenow over the years. Colette says, "What a wonderful life I've had, I only wish I realized it sooner!"

   The book is filled with lots of advice such as these gems from the section on volunteering:

   "The gift of self-giving can be as simple as smiling!"
   "The best thing you have to give is yourself!"
   "Volunteering develops compassion, improves your self-esteem, and creates a transient euphoria."

   The casual style of the writing gave me the feeling that I was listening and learning from a compassionate mentor. The book is published "on-demand." It is not a slickly produced or over-edited. I found that added to the charm. The author's voice was clear and true.

   Even if you are just interested in learning more about how a successful physician thinks and works, you'll enjoy this book. I know I'll be a better patient for reading it and I'm sure the care I receive will improve as a result.