5 comments about Cutting Remarks: Insights and Recollections of a Surgeon.

1. I liked Dr. Swab's book very much..I think he is a clever and interesting person who knows how to tell a story well. I like his blog stories too! Lynne in Oregon



2. I bought this as a gift for my son, currently attending medical school. I happened to look through the book before wrapping it up and became so engrossed I had to read it cover to cover, trying hard to be very careful not to crease the pages or spine. A slop of coffee spilled on a page as I shook with laughter at one of the stories in the book, gave away that I was now gifting a not so pristine book. No matter, my son loved it and has shared it with his friends. Meanwhile, I have become a daily reader of Dr. Schwab's blog at http://surgeonsblog.blogspot.com.



3. Every medical student should read this before starting third year. Above all, this gives insights into the mindset of a first rate surgeon. The culture and work ethic of surgeons has not changed much since the 70's when I trained as a pathologist. As a bonus, the book has beautifully written explanations of the surgical details. And unforgettable humor. This will leave you a lot more inspired than "The House of God". Hospital administrators, RN's and surgeon's spouses would also benefit from this book.



4. This book is hysterical. There were parts when I could not stop laughing. It gives a nice, well-rounded view of this surgeon's life. Interesting read.



5. I found this book to be interesting for the fact he tells what surgery and the medical field was like back in the seventies. You can see how far things have come since then. He sounds like an awesome and insightful doctor. Wish there were more like him instead of some of the ones he describes in this book.

5 comments about Maimonides (Jewish Encounters).

1. Maimonidies' two biggest contributions to civilization were his religious writings, and medical practice. As author Sherwin Nuland himself points out, Maimonidies' truest, lasting legacy are his religious writings. Yet probably because he himself is a doctor, Sherwin Nuland emphasizes the medical Maimonidies at the expense of not giving the religious Maimonidies his proper due. When reading this book, Maimonidies sounded like quite an ordinary man, nothing special, and the truth is, as a doctor he was nothing special. Yet in religious circles, he is a giant. This specialness of Maimonidies was lost in this short biography of this great man.



2. The most interesting parts of this book focus on Maimonides the physician (as opposed to Maimonides the religious leader, where Nuland's discussion is a bit too sparse here and there). Maimonides (known to most Jews as Rambam) did not develop new medical knowledge, but wrote ten books synthesizing existing medical knowledge in a clear and concise way, and even occasionally criticizing the Greco-Roman masters whose works dominated medieval medicine. By the low standards of the Middle Ages, this passed for genius.
   
   Nuland links Rambam's religious and medical careers by pointing out that in both areas, Rambam focused heavily on codifying existing knowledge in ways that would be easy for the public to use.
   
   Nuland also engages in interesting speculation about a variety of other issues, including:
   
   1. Why were Jews so likely to be doctors in the Middle Ages? Nuland asserts that (a) Christians were uninterested in medicine because they were more ascetic, (b) because priests could not take employment as doctors, the Christian talent pool for medicine was artificially diminished and (c) because Jews' wealth could easily be taken away, Jews had a strong incentive to seek portable skills (as opposed to investing in fixed assets such as land).
   
   2. Why was Rambam so uninterested in accommodating or discussing competing religious views? Nuland speculates that because of Judaism's dire condition in those days (beset in persecution in some places and the temptation of assimilation into Islam in more tolerant places) Rambam may have felt the need to "circle the wagons" by encouraging as much uniformity as possible.
   
   3. Why did Rambam (who generally opposed Messianic speculation) suggest in his letter to Yemenite Jews that prophecy might return in 1216? Nuland suggests that Rambam may have been trying to defang Messianic fever by setting a date so far in advance that he could not be disproven during his lifetime.



3. Nuland has accomplished the difficult task of summarizing Maimonides' complex writings in a way that is accessible to the common reader. Nuland's style is clear and concise, and he obviously admires Maimonides as a sort of Renaissance man before the Renaissance. It is true that the book gives considerable attention to Maimonides' life as a physician, but as someone who has dipped a bit into Maimonides' writings on Jewish law and thought but knew little of his place in medical history, I didn't see that as a problem. In fact, I found that that made this book even more enlightening.
   
   I could have used more discussion of the Guide to the Perplexed, however, beyond the notions that the book is difficult and that some see it as a hidden confession by Maimonides of his lack of belief (an unlikely hypothesis). The Guide is an extraordinarily fascinating book, from all I understand, and Nuland does not do it justice.



4. it shows you right way about life
   i think it is possible to adopt it to today.
   it was very interesting book for me.
   it is the kind of book that i always enjoy reading



5. Dr. Nuland, himself a Jewish physician, was understandably reluctant to engage in doing the biography of perhaps the ultimate Jewish physician of all time: Moses Ben Maimon also referred to as Rambam or Maimonides.
   
   His reluctance was understandable on a number of levels. First, Maimonides was of pronounced expertise in the healing arts. Not only the author of ten medical books, he had through dint of skill managed to elevate himself to being court physician at the court of Saladin.
   
   Second, for Jewish thought (and derivatively for western thought itself) Maimonides was significant for his recognition of and attempt to deal with the conflict between the canonized precepts of faith and the unanswered questions of science. His "Guide for the Perplexed" itself perplexing is an attempt in some ways an attempt at striking a balance.
   
   However, in both ways Nuland managed to briefly make the material accessible to the reader.
   
   And significantly also, Nuland managed to connect the reader with Maimonides humanity...his early difficulties with learning, his grief at the loss of his brother and his joy in parenthood.
   
   In this way, Nuland managed to create and even more iconic figure because rather than putting him a pedistal, Nuland put Maimonides right next to you...all the more human and therefore all the more relevant.

5 comments about The Devil's Doctor: Paracelsus and the World of Renaissance Magic and Science.

1. The world that Paracelsus knew is thankfully long gone. In its place is a world that takes its lead from modern science which is based largely on experience, experiment, criticism and empiricism and science itself moves forward upon the basis of the scientific method. But it was not always like that and this book does a remarkably good job of trying to bring to life a time in the late middle ages that modern science has forgotten, or perhaps more accurately, would like to forget.
   
   Modern science has its roots in ancient Greek philosophy, 4th century writings, Roman theories, natural magic, Christian theology, astrology, folk tales, alchemy and all manner of mediaeval claptrap and mumbo-jumbo that mostly would have us in hysterics today. When Paracelsus was alive though it was believed and largely taken as true. To stand up and say such and such was not true, or worse still to write it down and publish it was not generally taken as excepted modes of behaviour. In fact it would often put your well being in jeopardy as Paracelsus found out all too often. Rather confirming what was already understood underpinned the thinking of the time. Modern science emerged over several centuries from this mishmash and Ball manages to give a real flavour of what Paracelsus must have encountered. This is a book that should be enjoyed as much as it informs.
   
   Paracelsus himself was a remarkable character of contradictions who can best be described as a failure. Paracelsus' writings are not particularly important either to the history of medicine or to science but it is the spirit in which they were written, the rants as well as the more lucid bits. It is not hard to see Paracelsus as a Till Eulenspeigel type figure or even as a Pierrot, and a good deal of this comes over in Ball's portrait. But it was as a failure who managed to ignite in those who came after him the wish to enquire and not be put off by those who would suppress enquiry that Paracelsus deserves to be remembered.
   
   The life and work of Paracelsus could be written and appraised in a book one quarter the size of this, but that is not what makes this book worth the effort. The background to modern science is in short supply and it is worth getting to know more about it. In the process you will realise that our modern comforts should not be taken for granted and it is not hard to find areas of the world even today some things are not much further advanced than those encountered in this book.
   
   A good read on what could be a difficult subject.



2. My interest in this book was predicated more on the World of Renaissance Magic and Science than an interest in Paracelsus, who I had no awareness of prior to reading The Devil's Doctor. I wasn't at all disappointed. Philip Ball recreates the exotic beliefs of the medieval world in depth and with great precision. It was much more this social exploration of common beliefs and mystical influences that I was interested in than our esoteric subject. For me, the details on Paracelsus and the early steps toward modernization of medical doctrine were more of peripheral interest. I've read Demon Haunted World, A World Lit Only By Firelight, and Sleepwalkers, among others, but found richer detail and a more visceral illustration in the mindset of individuals presented here. My fascination with the Renaissance is the process by which humankind emerged from the world of supernatural mysticism to the discovery of rational thought and critical observation. Ball does a wonderful job of detailing the all-encompassing and powerful grip of mysticism in an era evolving toward rational explanations of nature. Readers interested in Paracelsus may find this material intrusive, but I found it of primary interest. As for Paracelsus himself, I came away with mixed feelings.
   
   On one hand, his beliefs represent very much the spiritual environment in which Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Leibniz, Newton and all those who broke the shackles of mysticism were immersed as they tried to understand the workings of the supernatural. Rationalism seems to have been an unintended derivative of this effort. On the other, I found Paracelsus to be something less than a significant character in this evolutionary process. The subsequent challenges to the primitive and brutal medical practices of antiquity carried out under his banner seem expunged of his irrational ranting and alchemical nonsense. I don't believe, for example, that a procedure for incubating horse manure with human blood and sperm while supplicating the spiritus mundi to create life while in a drunken stupor was a powerful prescience to in vitro laboratory experimentation or modern biochemistry. It is more a case that if you throw enough at a wall, something is bound to stick. Yet, we know the early founders of science who discovered the laws of nature we understand today operated within this same cloud of mysticism. That's what makes their achievements all the more impressive.



3. I very much looked forward to reading this book, as I have been interested in Paracelsus for many years. But it does not strike me that Ball is interested in Paracelsus. Quite the contrary--throughout the book, he evidences his disdain for Paracelsus. As I read along, I found myself wondering why he had chosen to write the book at all.
   
   Important ideas that Paracelsus is credited with developing or originating are missing in Ball's treatment. For example, the Doctrine of Signatures, which Paracelsus developed and which was taken up by later medical Paracelsians and became widespread, gets hardly any attention. In fact, I learned more about Paracelsian ideas from Principe's recent book on Boyle as alchemist, which I happened to read at the same time. Principe did not feel obliged to sneer at Paracelsus at every turn.
   
   I also found that the organization of the book was problematic. For instance, a chapter might be named for the time Paracelsus spent in Ingolstadt, but that chapter does not actually discuss it.
   
   If you are interested in Paracelsus, this is not the book for you. If, in contrast, you are interested in snickering at the past from what you imagine to be the exalted heights of scientific rationalism, this book will very much gratify your sense of self-importance.



4. The voluminous study written by P. Ball bears evident mark of his profession, that is of his being physicist. One has to appreciat how many historical topics he was able to cover in his book, less impressive is, nevertheless, his ability to discover the most important ones and to explain Paracelsus thought on the ground of the historical context so carefully described. Author's basic despise -- at least that's what I feel in his book -- for questions of theology and religion that, according to him, have at best a historical importance seems to prevent him from better understanding of real problems of Paracelsus, and even of real meaning of his "magic". Well, according to the title, Ball wanted to describe Paracelsus in the context of the "renaissance magic and science", yet this picture would be, and is, distorted if the effort is not made to understand the complex of his thought from his perspective, to find out what for him is important.
   Another thing is that Ball works only with english anthologies and even, if I'm not mistaken, only with english written sources in general. Sure, it's not very easy to read Paracelsus in the original Swiss German dialect, yet to me it seems inevitable if one wants to get out of beaten tracks of long rooted, sometimes superficial opinions, and to get inside the text and thoughts.
   So, if you want to read a reliable and better balanced study on Paracelsus' natural philosophy as well as on his theology (and you are not craving for an "esoteric" interpretation) read rather Andrew Weeks' nicely short monograph on Paracelsus and keep reservation about Ball's book: historically he seems to have found the proper sources to use, but systematically he's then not going deep enough to discover the "real" Paracelsus. If you read in German check the brand new and very valuable, although a little difficult-to-read, book by M. Bergengruen (Meiner 2007). Or just reach for the old, eventhough also partly one-sided "Introduction" by W. Pagel to add some more insights in the paracelsian thought.



5. The Devil's Doctor is a remarkably well written biography of Paracelsus as well as social history of his life time, that period in European History when the Scholastic mindset of the Medieval was being challenged by the coming Enlightenment. Ball, who writes with great clarity and skillful organization shows Paracelsus as a unique individual in the middle of this social revolution, not seeing the whole picture, but living on both sides of the split.
   
   An alchemist who grew up in a mining region of Switzerland where the manipulation of metals was prevelant he received a scolastic education in medicine. He left early because he realized that the medicine of the Greeks no longer served. He sought out the best teachers and herbalists to educate himself and was recognized as one of the best doctors of his time. He grew up in the Roman church, but thought, wrote, and preached independently his own brand of spirituality barely escaping condemnation for heresy.
   
   I had read bits and pieces about Paracelsus over the years, but gathered almost nothing about the man. By putting Paracelsus in his time and many places (the man traveled a get deal for the times), Ball has made him real and his significance to European, and so world, history understandable.
   
   I can't say I disliked anything about this book. Except, maybe, the fact that Paracelsus was associated with so many interesting characters who deserved books of their own, which I'll probably never find. I highly recommend this book to those interested in this period of history even if they scoff at alchemy. If they scoff, Ball will give them a better understanding of its significance to the period.

5 comments about Mozart and the Whale: An Asperger's Love Story.

1. The best way to learn about Aspergers is from what AS people have for sharing! Jerry and Mary share their love story in a way unlike any romance novel you'll find to read. As soon as I began reading this book, I could not put it down until I finished it! It made me laugh, cry, think, and sigh. Never was I bored for even a moment!
   
   What makes this story extra special is that even though Jerry and Mary Newport are both AS people, they provide AS perspectives from their own side. Mary is much more accepting of the unique traits AS gives her than Jerry is. Regardless of this difference between them, they both can understand, appreciate, and accept each another. This is more than what they get from most other people.
   
   The book "Mozart and the Whale" is much better than the movie. The movie is entertaining but the book does a much better job of portraying what AS is like, along with it being more entertaining to read than the movie is to watch.
   
   I was blessed with the opportunity to spend some time with both Jerry and Mary Newport in person after I read their book. They were exactly as I imagined them to be. That must mean their real personalities shine through in this story!



2. 
   Very good book, well written, would recommend it to anyone who someone with autism. AAA+++



3. "Mozart and the Whale" is the story of two people with Asperger's. Despite their areas of competence and even brilliance (Jerry and mathematics), they fail to rise above entry-level jobs such as taxi-driver, librarian assistant, cashier, etc. due to being held back by lacking normal career drive and planning, unpredictable and uncontrollable rages, inability to form normal social relationships and emotional connections, not answering the phone at times, and self-focus, as well as inappropriate job behavior.
   
   The authors take us through their early lives, meeting and marrying, splitting, and finally joining up again. The bad news is that both come close to suicide, and the good news is that they eventually find happiness together.
   
   What is the solution? Jerry suggests understanding adults during one's early life are very helpful, but that marrying Asperger's people together is not a solution - eg. the male/female ratio is about 4:1.
   
   My "frustration" with the book? That so much is lost due to a slightly different DNA, internal brain wiring and/or chemical balance.



4. After seeing the movie and meeting Jerry and Mary Newport really wanted and needed the book. Usually like books over the movies. So glad to have and I am reading it right now. Good to have it.



5. This book is an honest account of growing up autistic. The authors do not, as many authors on the spectrum do, attempt to force-fit their lives into some sort of mold. They describe their lives as they were, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
   
   In doing so, they have made a book that's easier for me as an autistic person to identify with, than a lot of the books in which people fit themselves to a mold. I loved reading about Mary's increased trouble in school during adolescence, I had the same problem, and some of the same responses to it. While it was a confusing and horrible time in my life as far as my own experience of it goes, it might have been less confusing if I'd had a book like this at the time. If Mary Newport reads this, I want to thank her for writing about that.
   
   I also like their unflinching looks at their flaws. The ability to look at oneself honestly without shying away from the bad parts is something I have admired, and wanted to emulate, for some time.
   
   The most important thing that I got out of this book, more than the many complex details in the lives of the authors, was the honesty, the ability to tell it like it was to the best of the authors' ability. I am glad they wrote it, and glad to read it: It is a refreshing change from a lot of what's out there in the world of autism literature.

5 comments about It's Not About the Hair: And Other Certainties of Life and Cancer.

1. This book is written in such a personable manner, I felt like I was making a friend while reading the book. The way Debra deals with painful and scary situations with humor and caring diffuse the negative emotions attached to cancer, hospitals and dying. I was really impressed with how she integrated different styles of spirituality into a practice that sounds flexible and comfortable. I am not an active church goer anymore, but Debra's welcoming acceptance of others and continuing search for answers for the big questions in life gave me interest in more actively pursuing a spiritual life. She gives me hope that I will some day find a spiritual community to grow with.



2. Debra Jarvis has the perspective few other cancer patients have: that of a cancer patient and cancer chaplain. When I think of "chaplain", I imagine a older gentleman with a collar and a bible, ready to read me my last rites; Debra is the antithesis of this. She is a young, funny woman with a surprisingly secular approach to God, and she is able to minister to people with cancer in a way that touches everyone. And when she is diagnosed with stage II breast cancer, her reactions and emotions strike a nerve as genuinely human and real -- her training as a chaplain doesn't give her any special superhuman strength to deal with it more than any of her patients.
   
   This book is a great insight into a cancer patient's journey, especially for a loved one or caregiver. When a friend of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer, I think this book was as helpful for her as it was for me in learning to speak about it. Just like a great film, this book will make you laugh and cry, but ultimately uplift the experience of cancer and shine light on the dark shadows that surround it.



3. I found this book while browsing in a bookstore early in my chemotherapy adventure. In many ways it helped me survive the ordeal. The writing is wonderful--engaging, humorous, realistic, and at times heart-wrenching. There are many "this is how I survived cancer" books around, but this one is different somehow. It meant so much to me, and I enthusiastically recommend it to anyone who has received a cancer diagnosis.



4. This is a MUST BUY book! It is an amazing story told by an amazing woman. You will laugh, you may cry, and I guarantee your heart will be touched as you hear her story of cancer and how she dealt with it. Her emails describing encounters with pills and doctors will make you laugh. Debra understands cancer from both sides, that of a patient and as a Chaplain who counsels people. If your life has ever been touched by cancer, you will benefit from reading this book. Joe Barnes, Pacific Science Center, Seattle.



5. As an oncology nurse, I appreciated Ms. Jarvis' candid yet humorous rendering of her experiences. Her wit is evident on each page, even in the more telling personal episodes with her patients and during her own battle with cancer.
   
   There are no major theological breakthroughs here (those seeking deeper spiritual answers may need to look elsewhere), but that was not the intent of her book. Instead, she brings the reader through a devistating chapter in her life, describing her struggles and her often unique point of view. (I will never again think of cleaning the toilet in quite the same way.) The profound impact of cancer is not diminished, and yet she never fails to find something to laugh about.
   
   This book is a must-read for anyone who cares for patients with cancer, or those who are facing it themselves.

5 comments about Just Here Trying to Save a Few Lives: Tales of Life and Death from the ER.

1. This was an excellent book, great material and well written. You could actually put yourself in the authors shoes.



2. As a medical student and a former employee of the emergency department, I found this book to be a very realistic, while heartrending account of what actually occurs in the ER. Dr. Grim lays out a beautiful picture of the unseen (to everyday society) tragedies that occur on a daily basis. I loved her writing style and accounts of her overseas ventures. She painted a picture of a Macedonian refugee camp so vivid, I feel like I have been there. I hope that she continues to write. I think medical students, especially those interested in emergency medicine, and others in the medical field will love this book as much as I did.



3. Overall the book is an OK read - it would have been much better if the author could get over herself. I'm glad she became a doctor and I'm glad she helped out in areas of the world that desperately need medical professionals. If the writting had been more about the situations themselves and less about getting the reader to worship or pity the author then it would have been a good book. Many of her comments made me feel sorry for those who had her as a doctor - I hope that the treatment of those patients was more caring than the write ups.



4. In "Just here trying to save a few lives" Dr. Pamela Grim paints us a vivid picture of life in the ER. As an EMT student I found the book captivating and informative. The book started a little slow but quickly picked up the pace. As we travel with Dr. Grim from hospital to hospital and from country to country we see the struggles and trials that doctors face every day. There was a lot of medical language that, had I not been an EMT student I would have not understood but would still be able to follow the story. Overall this was a very good book and I would recommend it to any one interested in going in to the medical filed or to anyone who is curious of what doctors face in their profession.



5. Seasoned ER doctor Pamela Grim gives us a bleak and visceral view of her experiences in the ER and doing voluntary service for Medecins sans Frontieres. Unlike glossy TV programs and other stylised reports from these hostile territories, she does nothing to glamorise her work.
   
   Dr Grim tells us of both the miracles and great "saves" in the ER and the senseless deaths from self-destruction, homicide and accident. She does not sweeten the pill. Her colleagues are cynical, sarcastic and burnt-out; hardened by a daily diet of disaster. Nor does she focus on the big action all of the time - the tension pneumothorax "catch", delivering clapped-out crack babies, cracking the chest - she reminds us of the daily grind of sniffles and sore throats who won't wait to see their GP, of sprained ankles demanding to be seen despite the polytrauma patient in the resus room. She sees patients who have been shot because of drugs; cop colleagues gunned down in the line of duty; and is herself threatened with a gun by an irate sprained ankle patient who is fed up of waiting - before then saving that same man's life when he is taken down by the police. Death, it seems, and ER doctors make no moral judgments.
   
   Understandably, she is ambivalent about her role in the ER department and watching those around her burn out. Volunteering in response to her own burn out, she travels to warzones and alien environments to do what she can as a doctor. In Nigeria, Bosnia and Macedonia she finds herself poorly equipped, despite the organisation's efforts, to deal with disease, displacement and devastation on a large scale. Simple lack of drugs and basic equipment make delivering anything more than basic medical care impossible. She quickly neutralises any romantic notions of "saving the world" and scratches together what she can to save a few lives. In the middle of a meningitis epidemic the team do what they can with oily chloramphenicol, a couple of other drugs and iv lines labelled "TOUCH THIS IV AND YOU DIE". For another endemic disease, tetanus, (which she knows could have easily been prevented with a simple vaccine back home) she finds the limits of her drugs exceeded: there is not enough valium in the hospital to stop the patient's spasms and no quiet, dark room in which he can die. In the grand scheme of things, she can make only the smallest impact, but finds that she can (sometimes) help individuals: the bus driver's daughter, the teacher's mother.
   
   
   dr_sasp

2 comments about Patient by Patient: Lessons in Love, Loss, Hope, and Healing from a Doctor's Practice.

1. I loved this book! Dr. Transue has a remarkable talent for expressing and integrating her own and her patients' life experiences. I am a 62 year old woman in pastoral ministry and I would use this book as a text for a class in caregiving. The author's ability to listen actively and respond compassionately is better expressed in this book than in many texts designed specifically for that purpose. In addition, Dr. Transue illustrates how she dealt with significant personal experiences in a way that allowed her not to lapse into martydom or exhaustion but rather to use what she learned in life to minister more tenderly to herself, her family and her patients. I read it in one sitting and then read it again.



2. Having read Dr. Transue's first book I had really hight expectations for this book..Possible too high. I stopped reading at around page 170. Too much personal info on her life. I was looking for more stories of what she has faced in practice.

5 comments about Not Fade Away: A Short Life Well Lived.

1. I just finished reading "Not Fade Away" for the second time. The first time I read it a couple of years ago I remember taking it very slowly because I felt each word was so important. Usually a very fast reader, I would stop and go over sentences because I didn't want to miss anything. Impactful ideas were there in every sentence.
   
   I just finished reading it again because I wanted to see how it stood up against "The Last Lecture." And it held up very well. The two books are by (and about) similarly energetic, optimistic men dying of cancer, but they tell very different tales in different styles. I'm glad to say that there's an honesty in this book that wears well with time. Re-reading it again made me very glad that I recommended it last year to a friend whose brother was dying of cancer. They say the best gifts come in small packages, and that's certainly true here. Powerful and enjoyable! Read it.



2. As a leukemia survivor, married to a wonderful spouse and with three young children, Peter's memoir rings almost too true to me. I actually met Peter a few times in the 80s through one of his dearest friends whom I dated for a short time. Peter was never so enthusiastic as he was when talking about Laura, his soon-to-be bride. You could tell that family devotion, and a strong conscience was deeply rooted in him from an early age.
   
   The basic values given to him by his parents, particularly the sacrifices his mother made, were at the heart of this book. He sacrifices his own personal privacy and makes a gift to his children and others coping with cancer. He shows us what the process feels like. Knowledge, however sad, is somehow empowering.
   
   As a cancer patient, I have plenty of time to reflect and read. If you don't, then I say read it. You won't regret it. This book is at times intoxicating and high-flying, philosophical and deadly real. It is about life, much more than it is about death.
   
   Peter may have not thought that he was a survivor, but he was--every day he lived. Here's hoping that Peter's life, however brief, will never fade away in the hearts and minds of all he loved.



3. I happened upon an advance uncorrected proof of this book quite by accident. I read a few sentences and thought, "Why not give it a read?" Well, I have to say that the book - both the writing and the content - are absolutely wonderful. Laurence Shames gets all the emotion and humility and pride down flawlessly in the pages of this book. You can't help but wish you had known Peter Barton after reading this.



4. Mr. Shames wrote a poignant and very real account of the disease that took his life at a very early age. I read this a couple years ago, and just re-read after hearing the story of a "younger" person stricken with cancer. This book will inspire, but will also force the reader to consider; "What would I do? Would I have that much grace and zest and enthusiasm?" The dirt-nap gets us all, this book demonstrates how one man dealt with his impending demise---and teaches valuable life-lessons that we could all use. Highly recommended.



5. For Peter Barton, a maverick businessman whose career has been characterized by creativity and billion-dollar partnerships, the psychology of cancer was difficult to digest. Unlike most business agreements he has brokered in the media industry, the deal between a terminal patient and his cancer appeared to be a zero-sum game, and the forty-something year old media mogul struggled to bridge the disconnect.
   
   Hardly a person to let death dictate the terms of his legacy, Barton preserved his insights on the matter before he left the living. As such, Not Fade Away -- Barton's chronicle of the last days of his life -- is an attempt at coming to terms with one's finality. The chapters switch back and forth from Barton's first-person narrative and the observations of Barton by a professional writer assigned to shadow the terminal patient during the last stages of his life.
   
   Despite the subject matter, Not Fade Away is an uplifting read because even as death closes in around Barton, we see that life reveals itself in all its sublime beauty. Such a paradox, namely that death is infused with life, leads Barton to embrace both the fact of his imminent death and the ever-present life that surrounds him. Barton reformulates his understanding of the linear aspect of the past, present, and the future, and realizes their convergence and singularity. Just as death is a part of living, we are not fixed to a single point in time; the past, present, and the future are manifest in the now.
   
   Although such notions are not terribly original, Barton's honesty and courage in sharing his innermost fears and doubts during the last days of his life provide a refreshing look at life, death, and perhaps what it means to "not fade away" in a language that resonates with timeless relevance.

5 comments about Undercurrents: A Life Beneath the Surface.

1. This book was difficult to read but I recognized so much of my own experience in Dr Manning's writing. She gives and incredible insight into the suffering of depression. I feel like giving this book to all my family members and friends to read so that I can stop hearing annoying "just snap out of it" type of advices.
   It is impossible to appreciate what suffering from manic depression means unless you've been there, a fact that you can see when reading some of the reviews posted here.



2. Having dealt with depression, I found this book (true story) very insightful. Those who haven't dealth with it personally, or those who have someone going through depression should really read this book. It's inside the mind of an older women with severe depression. Interesting, informative, and truthful. A must read!



3. This is a journey through the major depression that takes hold of a therapist and professor. In this book, Manning shares her insightful, painfully honest and often humorous journal entries and provides a powerful and personal look at depression. (This is also a great book for anyone who is interested in hearing a positive perspective on ECT.)



4. I bought this book several years ago and have read it about five times by now. This time I read it after suffering through the self-indulgent whining of Elizabeth Wurtzel in Prozac Nation. Reading Undercurrents right afterwards really showed me - once again - the merits of this book. Martha Manning write honestly, she reveals how much she suffers from her depression without ever descending into self-pity. This alone is a remarkable achievement. In addition, she manages to combine the sad passages with some wry humor which is never out of place, but enriches the reading experience. This book is a wonderful and informative account of depression and also helps to shows the background of ECT - while ECT was a horrifying experience for Ms. Manning, she shows how much the treatment helped her. This is a book I highly recommend to anyone suffering from depression or wanting to know more about depression. It is definitely the best first-hand account about this illness that I ever read.



5. Margaret does an incredible job in this book of truly expressing just how it really feels and the true thoughts of someone who has been depressed for a fairly long period of time. She writes in a way that is true, honest, and humorous.

5 comments about Asperger Syndrome, the Universe and Everything.

1. As a matter of fact, Kenneth, I've never seen such a smart guy like you who can write about developmental disabilities! In Japan, that's out of the question; fewer people know so much about Asperger Syndrome. Even many specialists are unaware of developmentally challenged people.
   I don't mean to be sarcastic, Kenneth, but please take no offense; you're lucky enough to know you are diagnosed as AS earlier than me. On the other hand, I found that I have ADHD, AS, and PDD(=Pervasive Developmental Disorder) when I became 34. I should've noticed that earlier! - that's exactly how I feel right now. I have had a lot of difficulties to keep getting along with other people. So I had to change my jobs thousands of times, which a lot of people in Japan see as a big problem.
   You don't want to live a hard life like me, Kenneth, because you're still young. Your mother, Mrs. Brenda Boyd must feel the same.
   I'm sure to buy the book you will be likely to write next time! Just say hello to Mrs. Brenda Boyd!



2. I am the parent of a 10 year old son with Asperger's syndrome, and purchased this book in the hope that my son could read it and identify with the author and know that there are other kids out there "like him". While I knew going into it that this was written by a 10 year old, I really expected that more substantial editorial or at least parental guidance had gone into the final product. The book is basically stream-of-consciousness writing from a child who tends to perseverate on several favorite topics (as children with Asperger's are prone to do!) So- while it's a fine effort from a child- it was a lot like reading a kid's "Write an essay about who you are" report for 5th grade Language Arts class. Also, the fact that the author is Irish led to some vocabulary differences and cultural references that would be difficult for my literal-minded son to decode. So, by the end of the book I was disappointed that it didn't offer our family what I hoped it would, but also had the impression and Kenneth and his family are remarkable people and wish them the very best.



3. Before reading this book, my daughter would never discuss her Asperger's with me. She would talk about it with my husband, but not me. Now she will. When she was 3 years old, I met with her teacher to discuss her 'quirks' and began to realize that she fit the Aspie profile. After my initial shock and grief, I realized that the labels are only as damaging as we let them be, and they can be helpful, as we found many resources for parenting a quirky kid. We weren't alone; other parents had done this. This book helped my daughter come to that same realization. She knows she's different, but putting a name to the difference and knowing that she's not alone in the difference makes it easier to deal with.
   
   
   
   Kenneth Hall is her hero, and she wants to write a book just like he did when she reaches the ripe old age of ten.
   
   
   
   Only 4 stars because since Kenneth lives in England, many of the resources available to him are not applicable to people in the US, and it is challenging for my daughter to understand that fact.



4. This book was a tremendous disapointment. Ridiculous. A waste of the short time it takes to read - unless you are an ABA teacher and need to read something to build your ego. Other than that - save your money.



5. I thought, overall, this was a unique book. The only negative was the handfull of references to Harry Potter books that Kenneth loves to read. (Christian parents-edit reading to your child as you go.) It had some very interesting insights into the operating personality of a young boy with Asperger's. I have a son with AS who is nine, so I was looking for a book on his level to help provide an explanation and understanding of his diagnosis. For the most part, this book has been a help to him, though it does seem to be redundant and lengthy at times. I definitely recommend that the parents read this book to your AS child with siblings present should any questions arise. It provides a good explanation for the other children of "why" their brother/sister has a hard time with certain things. It also helped us to realize some further, more vague, symptoms of AS that our younger son demonstrates and in which he personally recognized "Hey, Momma, that's me!" So we are in the process of getting him evaluated as well. Overall, this was a good book to begin to teach your child more about his/her uniqueness and the good points about who they were created to be.