2 comments about Life Is a Blessing: A Biography of Jerome Lejeune-Geneticist, Doctor, Father.

1. On impulse, I bought this book for a son-in-law who is a research scientist in immunology. I snuck in a read before I mailed it, and I was enthralled.

   Being more of a logical than an emotional mind, I too rarely shed tears when reading a book. But in the case of Jerome Lejeune, his daughter Clara so captures the love and courage of the man, that I tear up again now as I write this review. The only other book I can remember affecting me this way is Henri Gheon's biography of the Cure d'Ars.

   Now I must buy a second copy of the book to give to a long lost friend, a man who loved his Down Syndrome daughter. Bill is not of a theistic mind, and maybe this is the book he needs to encounter the love of God.




2. Dr. Lejeune was a great scientist and physician who was first and foremost a great human being. This is not a comprehensive bio, but rather an intimate memoir by a loving daughter. It suceeds in offering a revealing portrait of what a life lived with integrity to deeply held principles looks like. It allowed Dr. Lejeune to possess the courage and character to count the cost of taking an unpopular stand and to unflinchingly sacrifice wealth and prestige, including a nobel prize, to stand on his convictions. At peace with himself and God, he faced the end of life without apologies or bitterness. When I want to offer medical students a heroic role model I need look no futher.

No comments about The Demon Under the Microscope: From Battlefield Hospitals to Nazis Labs, One Doctor's Heroic Search for the World's First Miracle Drug.

1 comments about Demon Doctors: Physicians as Serial Killers.

1. Demon Doctors: Physicians As Serial Killers by Kenneth V. Iserson (Professor of Emergency Medicine and Director of the Arizona Bioethics Program, University of Arizona College of Medicine) is an informed and informative survey and study of physicians who became serial killers. Dr. Iverson addresses such critical questions as how doctors actually killed their patients, whether they share any common characteristics, and if there have been many physician-killers in history. The first volume in a planned series, Demon Doctors profiles eight of the most heinous physician mass murderers who violated the solemn oath to "do no harm" and exploited the patient-doctor relationship for their own nefarious ends. Demon Doctors is recommended for Medical History, Medical Ethics, and True Crime supplemental reading lists and academic reference collections.

1 comments about Picasso's Woman: A Breast Cancer Story.

1. Roz MacPhee is a true heroine in every sense. I had some contact with Roz, as she did the majority of her writing in my friend's cabin, just north of Vancouver, Canada. Everything I know of her is reconfirmed in Picasso's Woman. She was a woman of spunk, intelligence, warmth, and unfailing humour. Her story is one that is all too common, but she captures it with such a keen sense of reality and humour, that it can't help but be inspirational to families who are effected by this disease. I applaud her for having the courage and generosity to help others try to understand the emotions and fears that women with breast cancer experience.

5 comments about Cooked: An Inner City Nursing Memoir.

1. I was given this book by a friend. I am not from Chicago nor am I a nurse, but I sat down with it and read it from cover to cover in one sitting in an afternoon. I was particularly interested in the time frame of the early 1970's and her descriptions of the various social and political changes going on at the time. I was in secretarial school at the time, and her description of the preciseness of the uniform hemlines and tea time at the nursing school made me think of the white gloves we were required to wear and the "etiquette" of the times we were required to learn. I came away with a newfound respect for the nursing profession and for the challenges she faced. I was particularly stunned to read the current statistics regarding the shortage of nurses in our nation. Karels wrote this book 20 years after quitting the nursing profession. I give her kuddos for the thoroughness of her memories and research.



2. I received a copy of the original release of this book from a friend and had to order my own to be a permanant part of my library. I worked at Cook County Hospital and was impressed with the accurate depiction of the condtions and atmosphere of this incredible institution at that time. It was not perfect, but I remember people striving to make it so along with the great compassion of many dedicated professionals working wth limited resources.
   
   This book took me on personal journey of remembrance, but I feel it can give anyone an insight into the workings of a hospital designed to serve the most needy in a big city.



3. Carol's book was just fabulous - I have read it many times and found it very difficult to put down. I am also a Cook County grad,and Carol has done a great job of helping those who were a part of the that experience stay connected. Memories of CCSN will live on forever thanks to her great skills as a writer (as I recall, she was also an excellent nursing student!) All of us who were once a part of County loved and hated it so much and all at the same time. Thanks, Carol, for sharing with all of us who were part of that great time. Mary Jane(Pratt)McWilliams RN



4. For anyone who has ever been a nursing student this book will bring back memories, of happy times and stressful experiences. For those examining the historical struggle in nursing education this book provides good insight, not only into the student experience, but also into the larger economic and political domains during the early 1970's. The book is written with intelligence and compassion. Readers will marvel at the endurance and wisdom of nurses and the nursing profession.



5. Not coming from a nursing or health care background,I nevertheless thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Karel's book. Each chapter was a new vignette that helped me to identify with the challenging,sometimes shocking life of a novice nurse in an inner city hospital. Its full of passion, joy, humor and wonder. I enjoyed it so much that I have encouraged some friends and nurses that I know to read it, and they have all told me how much they appreciated my recommendation.

1 comments about Facing Cancer With God's Help: A Personal Journey.

1. This was a great book - small and easy to read! Jeanne Martin shares the fears, anxiety, anger, and emotions she and her family face while she is battling cancer - and she wraps it all in a spiritual package. She truly 'speaks' to cancer warriors, as well as those battling other serious illnesses. You really feel you know the author intimately and marvel at her humor, her ability to trust in God, and to experience peace while going through various treatments. Reading this book is an uplifting experience - everyone who suffers from cancer or has a family member with cancer should read this book. It is a great spiritual resource to keep in a briefcase or purse.

5 comments about April Fool's Day: A Modern Love Story.

1. APRIL FOOL'S DAY was the hardest book Bryce Courtenay ever wrote, and it's also one of the hardest books I ever read. I started it (the first time) on a Friday evening and did nothing but read (and occasionally try to sleep) until I had finished it -- I couldn't imagine stepping out of the middle of the story into my own life. I've read this book, given it away, bought it again, several times: it's not a book you can forget.
   
   Courtenay's son Damon was born in Australia with severe haemophilia. Along with the moving story of an afflicted but strong-spirited boy, Courtenay paints a bitter and angry picture of the Australian medical community at that time, steeped in paternalism and political expediency.
   
   Several times a week Damon would bleed into his joints, and his father would take him to the hospital for infusion of Factor VIII to induce clotting. In other countries families were allowed to stock Factor VIII and infuse at home, minimizing both disruption to the family and permanent damage to joints. This was not permitted in Australia, to the extreme detriment of haemophiliacs and their families.
   
   Worse than this, the screening and fractionation of donated blood in Australia did not at that time meet safety standards known and required in other countries. Damon contracted AIDS from the contaminated Australian blood supply and died of that disease on April Fool's Day in 1991.
   
   The book is saturated with the author's bitterness, and the reader can't fail to walk his angry path with him. You WANT it to have been different, you WANT to find a justification or at least an exculpation for the medical mismanagement of Damon and the entire cohort of haemophiliacs in that time and place.
   
   You'll find a celebration of Damon's spirit and his family's faithful support. You'll find love that fights tooth and nail for Damon. But you won't find forgiveness or exoneration, and if you're like me you'll think you should, and keep reading the book again looking for it -- in yourself if not in the author.
   
   Courtenay's work (THE POWER OF ONE, TANDIA, WHITETHORN, etc) appears not to be well known in the United States, although he's highly regarded in his birth county (South Africa) and adopted country (Australia). APRIL FOOL'S DAY should be more widely known. It's a challenging read with a personal message the reader has to translate and tease apart. Read it for that challenge.



2. I gotta say one thing; WELL DONE BRYCE!!!! first, i didn't cry; i'm not real sentimental, but i was very touched and i think that damon was a man of steel; going through 24 years of pain and suffering. i wanted to cry when damon's friends came over. well done, courtenays.



3. This book affected me so deeply and has stayed with me since I first read it years ago. Having lost a loved one to AIDS I could relate to Bryce Courtenay's pain and I could feel the anger and passion he felt writing this book. Through Bryce's amazing talent for telling a story I felt I really knew Damon and his family. When I got to the last page I let out a deep sigh and cried for Damon, for my own loved one and for everyone affected by AIDS. I thank Bryce for having the courage to write this important book and for sharing Damon's life with us all.
   
   I've read several of Bryce Courtenay's books and every one is a gem. I'm only disappointed that his books are not published in The United States and not readily available in our local bookstores.
   
   I highly recommend this book to everyone and I know you'll be hooked on Bryce forever afterward.



4. I am a fan of Bryce Courtenay, and have read all his books. This one tells the true story of his last son, Damon, who was born with haemophilia and went through a very hard life, still one full of love and joy. I found myself crying for what happened to Damon, from the purple head episode in hospital to the AIDS he caught during a blood transfusion. And I do completely agree with what Damon said, whatever your problem is, HEALTH is a gift, the most precious one we possess, together with LOVE. The book is about love against the odds, the prejudice, the injustice of a health and political system in Australia in the 1980s; it is full of details and vivid images, and I can imagine how hard it was for the author to write about his own experience, and the suffering in trying to explain in a clear way what exactly happened to him and his family those days. Everyone who has been through a quite serious illness will love this book, as I did. Thanks, Bryce.



5. I bought this book when we lived in Australia from 1993/1994. I have since read the book over and over again and have lent it to family and friends under the strict mandate that they must return it to me upon completion. This is the most moving book I have ever read and it will be one that I will keep forever. I cried, I laughed, I cheered and I was inspired by Damon's courage and determination to not only live a normal life but to overcome the stigma associated with HIV/AIDs. Bryce Courtney has written a beautiful testimonally to his son's life. I hope every parent loves their child as much as the Courtney's did to not only let him live his life but to also allow him to die with dignity. His girlfriend, Celeste, was also amazing. How many of us could stand by our significant others knowing what she did about the ultimate outcome.

   This book is a must read on everyone's list, I am only sorry that it is out of print.

3 comments about Fearless Presence: The Story of Lt. Col. Nola Forrest, Who Led the Army Nurses Through Heat, Rain, Mud, and Enemy Fire in World War II.

1. In the history of great women soldiers, the biography of Lt.Col. Nola Forrest is a MUST read. It is the incredible true story of a tough, determined and resourceful woman leader, who knew how to get things done in the midst of combat operations. Eleanor Stoddard, a former writer for Time magazine and US News and World Report, has crafted a well-researched and fascinating story of Lt. Col. Forrest's experiences, along with that of registered nurses of her generation. I highly recommend this book not only to military women and nurses, but also to anyone interested in what talented women can accomplish under extremely difficult circumstances. -- Col. Jo Rusin, US Army Ret., author of Move to the Front: Leadership Secrets from a Woman Soldier



2. The reader is provided with a compelling story ... [which] can foster a sense of pride in the dedication and accomplishments of Army nurses ... as a personal note, the reviewer highly recommends this inspirational book.
   
   -- LTC Larry Moss, reviewer for The Connection



3. Reviewed by A.J. Cooper for Reader Views (2/07)
   
   "Fearless Presence" is a story of World War II and the years just prior to the war from the view of a nurse, Nola Forrest. She was born in Minnesota but wanted so much more than to stay there. Nola Forrest wanted the opportunity to travel and see the world. She was given the opportunity while in college; she was recruited to go to nursing school against the wishes of her family. They felt it would be a terribly hard life that she was not accustomed to and tried everything in their powers to dissuade her from the path of nursing.
   
   The beginning of Nola's career with the army was when she entered the Army Nurse Corps Reserve in 1924. The nurses' had the same ranks as their male counter parts but received much lower pay. This did not stop Nola from taking the position. The story follows Nola all over the United States and abroad highlighting many of the positions she held in nursing and in administering nurses. Nola is also given a permanent position in the Army Nurse Corps and finally in 1942 the ranks of the woman and men in the Army are equal pay. She was sent to the Southwest Pacific Area to oversee operations and to ensure nurses taken care of properly. What she found was nurses trying to perform their duties in less than manageable circumstances with little or no personal supplies in most areas. During this time period nurses were taken as Prisoners of War in one of history's worst camps in the Philippines, Bataan and Corregidor.
   
   I think anyone that has an interest in history would be interested in this book. Learning of the nurses taken as Prisoners of War was shocking to me. I only remember hearing about all of the men interned but certainly not the women. I took for granted that nurses had always been a part of wars and did not realize that for years nurses did not play an important part at the war fronts to help save the troops. Because of World War II it was shown that women nurses could survive and perform just as well as the men at the front under terrible conditions. They faced diseases that soldiers had not faced before and did everything in their power to ensure every soldier was taken care of.
   
   I really enjoyed this book and was glad that I had the opportunity to not only learn something new, but to learn about an admirable person, Lt. Col. Nola Forrest. She led a full and rewarding life and it took a considerate person to take the time to research and follow-up with the Colonel. I would recommend "Fearless Presence" to anyone and look forward to sharing it with family and friends. This is not only a story of a determined person but a very determined woman who really cared about everyone around her.

2 comments about The Curious Man: The Life and Works of Dr. Hans Nieper.

1. This brilliant man was a threat to all conventional pharmacologically-driven medicine in this country and I am not surprised that they shut him down. His research found the answers to many of the major systemic diseases which are bankrupting this country such as: cancer, heart disease, diabetes and multiple sclerosis and his cures are still standard in Europe and Japan where Big Pharma has less power than here. Medical students owe it to themselves to investigate his thinking before they are sucked in to the blind, uncurious, dogma-ridden, superstitious and ineffective world of conventional medicine.
   John McClure, Belmont, Vermont



2. dr neiper will always be remebered to me as a true hero in alternative medicine! my spouse has multiple sclerosis and without his works, she would be alot worse off today! his findings stunned the american fda and they forbade him entrance into the U.S. because his cures were not approved by our ever protecting FDA. what is the FDA protecting us from? getting well? Thank you Dr.Neiper for your books,writings, and for helping my spouse!

5 comments about Reminisce With Me.

1. Growing up in Lima, Ohio during the Depression Era was a time of great adventures for Duke Murray! In these affectionate memoirs, Duke (aka. Dr. Emmett Murray, a retired family physician), tells 35 favorite stories from his boyhood years in the Midwest.
   After some early mishaps, Duke's entry into grade school opens new worlds of enjoyment. Horace Mann Grade School and its vast playgrounds get long and affectionate descriptions. Adventures on his own find Duke up at dawn to watch the Big Top circuses set up, hauling huge ice blocks while working at Lima Ice and Coal, training the family beagle to hunt and to win show prizes, and taking X-rays of steel castings at a tank plant. Duke helps an eccentric neighbor go after night crawlers, and he faces death and family alcoholism in a school friend's life.
   The book conveys the atmosphere of daily life in the 1930s, and Murray's contemporaries will find many a brand name and Age of Radio show to identify with. But Duke Murray goes beyond these to describe also the sounds, the tastes and the smells of the time. "Saturday Night in Lima, 1930s Style" is a golden example of his talent for evoking atmosphere.
   Murray communicates a special fascination with life on the farm and the industry and humor of farming people. He describes the big meals, the homemade ice cream and grapes from the arbor. But his fondest memories are of making hay, raising chickens, cattle and hogs, and watching his aunts put up canned food stores for company in the days before modern refrigeration.
   The book goes on to describe the dawning realization by America of the inevitability of World War II, and the rather frightening experiences of enlistment and service by all the three Murray sons in the U.S. Army. The book's chronology ends with Duke Murray in medical school, entertaining himself by winning a tall tale radio contest in Columbus, and singing barbershop quartets with his dissecting partners over their cadaver.
   These tales will be especially enjoyed by fans of Lima and Allen County, who will respond with glee to references such as the Lima Rescue Mission and the Kewpie Hamburger Restaurant. However, the stories are more than local memoirs in that they evoke the 1930s overall, and depict the universal struggles of a young person learning to fill his shoes in America.
   The book includes a map of Duke's old neighborhood, his immediate family tree, an appreciation of his storytelling history, and contact information. Come Reminisce with Me sounds a note of optimism with its attitude that life presents experiences from which lessons may often be derived. Dr. Murray shows that happiness and laughter can happen anywhere, and that life may not be perfect, but that it still offers a lot to enjoy, appreciate and be grateful for at every turn.
   Reviewed by Robb Murray, July 1, 2003



2. Dr. Murray sews together his stories seamlessly. The stories are both quaint and hysterical. His eye for detail gets down to the last inch of the scene. He has a way of drawing you into the story so that you won't want to miss a beat. This book is great for the summer beach bag.



3. I must confess that my initial interest in "Come Reminisce with Me" was one of local history. But what I discovered was something deeper than descriptions of Lima, Ohio in the 1930s. Murray's simple style and delicious imagery of youthful experiences took me back to a time in my own life when each day was a new adventure. These memories are intricately woven with humor and humility, joy and compassion, leading the reader through youthful rites of passage on the road to evolving maturity.

   Share this book with your friends, kids and grandkids and watch what happens. It's sure to spark dialogue about some of life's most endearing and enduring experiences and values.

   Patricia Smith
   Allen County Museum




4. This is a book of many Special Stories. So well written you feel you were there. It is one of those books you cannot stop reading till you finish that last Story.



5. This book transforms you back to a simpler time in life and one where neighbors really cared about each other.Life at the time might not have seemed so easy but loyalty, manners, patriotic spirit and faith were essential ingredients to a wonderful childhood in the Midwest. You can almost picture yourself in the middle of the neighborhood the author describes and can visualize the characters he describes. It is so pleasant to read.