2 comments about Amazing Medical Stories.

1. Amazing Medical Stories with one from the Titanic! So it's highly recommended. You can check your local library for this but its doubtful they have it.



2. This book is both informative and highly entertaining. Burden and Grant have distilled truly amazing stories of a medical ilk which pertain to and are of interest to both American and Canadian readers. I was fascinated by the pioneering medical research done by Alexander Graham Bell, especially his efforts to identify the location of the assassin's bullet in President Garfield, and Bell's breakthroughs in cancer and x-ray therapy. The new information on the Titanic and the weird coincidences which tie in the dead of the Titanic and the presence of her identical sister ship the Olympic with the Halifax explosion were downright spooky. The account of Dr. Brinkley's early "Viagra", the implantation of goats testicles in willing patients, really astounded me as to the extent people will go to rejuvenate sexual vitality.

No comments about Living Legends: Six Stories About Successful Deaf People (Vol. 1).

No comments about Hovels, Haciendas, and House Calls: The Life of Carl H. Gellenthien, M.D..

No comments about gimp, surviving your survival: a memoir.

5 comments about No Laughing Matter.

1. This book is good it jumps around a little to much between chapters from Joseph Heller who had GBS in the early 80's and Speed Vogel his friend that really helped take care of allot of the things Joe couldn't take care of. It gives both meets perspectives. There was allot of good information obtained from the book and there was also some humor even though this is a bad situation to be in... I did benefit from reading this book. I have a friend who has GBS and I wanted to better understand how he and some others have recovered from it....



2. Heller was one of my all-time favorite writers, and his books never disappointed me. This book, written with his good friend Speed Vogel, is a description of Heller's medical ordeal.
   
   Heller had Guillain-Barre syndrome, which is like a temporary form of polio. The muscles in his body shut down leaving him paralyzed. Eventually, the muscles started to work again, but he had to go through a long, difficult rehab process. He had to learn to do everything he had done without thinking about it before he got sick. Vogel helped him through the process and they decided to write this book to describe the whole ordeal.
   
   The book is full of funny stories of these two men, and their other friends. It was great to see that he kept his amazing sense of humor throughout his illness. If you've enjoyed any of his other books, you should get a big kick out of this one too.



3. Not exactly a laughing matter, but certainly one presented with plenty of humor. Author Joseph Heller developed a nerve disease called Guillain-Barre after years of seeming good health, and later wrote a book (coauthored by his pal Speed Vogel) chronicling his declining health and his fight back to semi-normality.

   It was a day like any other, just before getting a divorce and starting a new novel (which became "God Knows"). But Joseph Heller found that his food tasted funny, his body felt abnormally heavy, and he was having problems putting on and removing clothing. He checked into a hotel, and sure enough -- he had had a problem. What's more, he had a nerve disease called Guillain-Barre, which could cause permanent paralysis.

   While his mind remained sharp and unusually witty, Heller's body became paralyzed. His pals Speed Vogel, Mario Puzo (of "Godfather" fame), Dustin Hoffman and Mel Brooks all clustered around to help their friend as he began to regain control of his life.

   The account is funny and kooky, full of eccentric people like Puzo and Brooks. But there are deeper undercurrents in "No Laughing Matter," in which the friends help keep Heller from sinking into a frenzy of displeasure and cabin fever. There are no gooey monologues about the power of love and friendship -- it would probably have made the authors gag, even if it didn't make the readers. But the accounts of an admittedly difficult-to-deal-with famous author being helped out, despite his eccentricity, is very touching.

   There is a lot of serious content, with Heller's decline in health and the details of his time in the hospital. (Constantly lying in a hospital bed, mostly paralyzed, unable to grip a pen and with a tube in his nose) But he manages to give a funny spin to almost everything in the book, including his encounters with Valerie Humphrey, a beautiful nurse who became his second wife, and media-shy Mario Puzo telling him how lucky he was to be sick and paralyzed, since he wouldn't be require do interviews. Half the book is Speed Vogel's voice; he offers an alternate, somewhat humbler viewpoint. He also gives more entertaining anecdotes such as Mel Brooks painting his "SNORE! SNORE! SNORE!" message on the wall, or the lobster dinner, or just arguing with Joe about the thirty-person dinner.

   Funnier and more heartwarming than most "disease diaries," this gives us two different viewpoints: The patient, and the loyal pal. Definitely an intriguing and interesting read.




4. NO LAUGHING MATTER is a very informative and entertaining piece of writing. Co-authored by Joseph Heller and Speed Vogel (who write alternating chapters) it details the effects of the rare debilitating affliction called Guillain-Barre syndrome. This autobiographical/biographical chronicle passes along a lot of information without once falling into obscure medical dullness.

   Guillain-Barre is a disease that attacks the central nervous system, rendering the victim completely paralyzed. Although what Heller contracted was a mild form of the disorder, in an extreme case mentioned a patient was only able to move their eyes. Recovery is possible from this disease; if it's caught early enough, the patient can be hooked up to a respirator if need be and then slowly rehabilitated. NO LAUGHING MATTER is two stories. The first is that of Joseph Heller the patient who goes from being in (seemingly) perfect health to being utterly bedridden in a matter of days. The second part of the tale is told by Speed Vogel, a friend of Heller, who took care of virtually all of his financial, legal and personal obligations.

   From reading some other reviews of the book, one might be under the impression that this is a light and fluffy feel-good story of friendship where one will be forced to read numerous passages on the deeper meanings of love and caring. People learning great life lessons by sacrificing much that they have purely in the name of camaraderie. Chicken soup for the soul and novocain for the brain. Fortunately, one couldn't be further from the truth. While the two authors obviously have a great fondness for each other, you won't find any obvious soliloquies on the healing power of friendship. What you will find are people who care a great deal, but aren't afraid to share a lot of good-natured abuse. While in sickness and on the road to recovery, this never feels false or sugarcoated. It's an honest account of what real friendships are made of.

   Despite the title, much of the book is laugh out loud funny. Heller may have been bedridden but he didn't lose any of his trademark wit. Celebrity cameos of everyone from Dustin Hoffman to Mario Puzo to Mel Brooks help to liven up an already interesting narrative. Both authors have a warm and engaging style of writing that makes even the more incomprehensible medical jargon understandable. The jokes are great and serve also to counterpoint the feelings of desperation and of loneliness.

   The book is extremely intriguing, though there are one or two sections that don't quite work. Heller was going through what appeared to be a fairly messy divorce and the legal proceedings got a little bit complicated. For a section, Heller even reproduces a few pages of the court transcripts in order to show his lawyer in the right. As justified as he may be in including these segments, they aren't nearly as interesting as the rest of the book and pale in comparison.

   NO LAUGHING MATTER shows us illness from two viewpoints. From Vogel we see the outward appearance of the disease and its effect on Heller. From Heller we experience the sickness firsthand. It's a fascinating dual look at the nature of the affliction. Well worth a read.




5. NO LAUGHING MATTER has some great moments. In places Joseph Heller demonstrated his ability to be funny and touching at the same time. The book was a great inspiration to me at a time when I needed the help it gave me. As the author of SOLOMON'S PORCH, a novel about a man with CIDP, the slow version of Guillain Barre', I was fascinated with this book about Joe Heller and his caretakers. Most of the material that I have read about GBS and CIDP focuses almost exclusively on the patient, but Mr. Heller wrote every other chapter of this book and had his friend, who became one of his caretakers, write the alternate chapters. At the time I read NO LAUGHING MATTER, I was beginning to formulate SOLOMON'S PORCH in my mind. NLM gave me some good ideas about structure.

1 comments about Living Your Best Life with Asperger's Syndrome: How a Young Boy and His Mother Deal with the Challenges and Joys of Being Eleven, Brilliant and Socially Absent (Lucky Duck Books).

1. After reading this book, I felt empowered. Miss Barber makes you realize that your child is special and gives reassuring advice and examples from everyday experiences with her child. I don't know how many times I laughed out loud, while learning so much I needed to know.
   I would recommend this book to everyone who has a child with Aspergers as well as anyone who knows someone with Aspergers. The "get it" factor is brilliant and so helpful. The writing is straight to the point, and easy to read. It's not above my head or too technical. This is the perfect book for parents who need help but don't know where to start.

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.

No comments about Freud-Binswanger Correspondence, The.

No comments about Dancing at the River's Edge: A Patient and Her Doctor Negotiate Life with Chronic Illness.

4 comments about The Unforgiving Tides: The True Story of a Young Doctor's Encounters with Mud, Medicine, and Magic on a Remote South Pacific Island..

1. Another reader's review praised Lone Survivor and suggested it should be paired with The Unforgiving Tides by Ross Pennie as both books celebrate the contribution of the individual in the face of great adversity. Based on this review, I decided to pick up both books, and I'm very glad I did.
   Both books are astonishingly engaging and interesting true life accounts of individuals making a positive difference in remote regions of our world. Both books relate tales of courage and determination and both are very, very inspiring.
   In Sole Survivor, the contribution is chiefly a military one, that of bringing justice and freedom to an impoverished people. In the Unforgiving Tides, the contribution is medical: A young doctor just out of medical school goes to a remote island in the South Pacific Ocean and confronts hostility, indifference, witch doctors and harmful magic while bringing proper health care to a forgotten people. In doing so, Dr. Pennie has to perform his first appendectomy during an earthquake, amputate a patient's leg with a hacksaw and deal with bizarre customs, all with a sense of humor and a writing style that keeps you reading constantly to the end.
   My heartfelt thanks to reviewer Sandra Brown for alerting me to both great books, I'm praising them both to everyone and I hope amazon pairs them to save my friends some money. I whole heartedly agree these are two wonderful books and I highly recommend both Sole Survivor and The Unforgiving Tides.



2. Fresh out of medical school, author Dr. Ross Pennie volunteers to serve as a doctor on a remote island in the South Pacific. In short order, he does his first appendectomy during an earthquake, amputates a woman's leg with a hacksaw and turns the makeshift hospital into a tavern to treat alcohol poisoning victims. Through it all, Dr. Pennie performs admirably in the face of much adversity. He also saves the lives of countless children by developing an inexpensive yet nutritious formula for malnourished children. This is an absolutely fascinating read and I recommend it most highly.
   
   Another book well worth a read is Sole Survivor, recounting the exploits of Navy Seals in Afghanistan. Both biographical books relate stories of heroism and of individuals giving so much of themselves to make a difference for other people. I suggest giving both these books a read; you'll be glad you did!



3. Imagine being plucked out of medical school and dropped on a remote island in the South Pacific. This is the true story of The Unforgiving Tides, of author Ross Pennie's incredible adventures amid jungle conditions and witch doctors and magic. I found I could not put this book down for a second. This book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in travel to exotic places, or medicine or the heroic saving of lives in adverse conditions. Highly recommended.



4. Having just read (or more accurately - consumed) Unforgiving Tides I feel compelled to write a review. Ross Pennie has written a book that should be read by anyone who has an interest in medicine, travel, or the wonders of human suffering and triumph.
   
   Another reviewer compared his writing to that of James Herriot and I agree. The short stories draw you in because of their wonderful description of the events with a sharp eye for detail. The stories are written in a way that creates an uncontrollable desire to know how it all turns out. One cannot start a chapter without finishing it at that sitting. And so it is a literary balance of means and ends that I have also felt when reading Herriot's animal stories.
   
   I might offer another comparison; one to that of author/physician William Carlos Williams. Like Williams (who wrote about life as a small town physician in Patterson, New Jersey in the 20s), Pennie feels a bond with his less fortunate patients. He marvels at their place in a sometimes cruel world. He is fascinated and yet does not romanticize their plight. He shows his human side and gets angry when they lack self care or have unhealthy cultural beliefs, but nevertheless he finds an inner strength to continue and overcome.
   
   It is a book of hope for those of us in the medical world and also for those of us not medically oriented who are simply trying to find a way to lead a meaningful life. I read the first chapter out loud to my wife (an obstetrician) and she was moved to tears. We are now in the process of planning a medical missionary overseas.
   
   Pennie's book offers the same sort of epiphany that James Agee had when he wrote in Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, that "a Harvard education is by no means an unqualified advantage." The stories reveal that medical school and internship provided basics for Pennie but only by experiencing Papua New Guinea could he really understand the power of cultural influences and being innovative in the presence of adversity.
   
   As a former student of Dr. Pennie at McMaster Medical School, I already had respect for his intelligence and compassion. This book has taken my respect for him to a new level. I had no idea he was indeed such a creative social scribe.
   
   I plan to give this book to the graduating class of residents where I teach in Connecticut to offer them a living example of what medicine can offer us all: a passage into the hearts and minds of those we serve; a chance to be connected to those in need who have so much to teach us; and medical missionaries are by no means easy but they can be extremely rewarding.
   
   This book is a gift. It is a pleasure to read. You will not be disappointed.
   
   Hugh Silk, MD
   University of Connecticut, School of Medicine
   Department of Family Medicine