5 comments about The Game of My Life: A True Story Of Challenge, Triumph, and Growing Up Autistic.

1. This book was awesome, I could not put it down. You can really tell that he wrote it. It makes you understand what goes on in his head.



2. Jason McElwain's autobiography is well written and informative.
   It describes the essential details of his life. The book presents
   interviews with the most important people who have interacted with
   Jason. It is highly recommended reading.
   Jason's coping with his autism is relieved by his pleasure of
   playing basketball. Jason in one basketball game colossally surmounts
   being autistic by being artistic with his incredible three point shooting
   accuracy. He sinks a total of twenty points with six three point shots and a two point field goal( where he mistakenly was standing on the three point line ) within the last three minutes and nine seconds of
   his team's game. This performance was so incredibly phenomenal Jason's
   life story is currently being developed into a national movie release.
   One facet of Jason ( "J-Mac's" ) personal basketball practice
   ( "shootarounds" ) was never revealed in his autobiography that might
   potentially be interesting to the public is his personal "best" basketball
   shooting statistics and records. What percentage of three point shots
   and free throws did Jason sink in practice? What were the most consecutive
   three point shots or most consecutive free throws Jason ever sank in practice? What was the longest practice session shot Jason ever sank? Did Jason ever sink or perfect any practice "trick shots" or any other trick basketball handling or dribbling skills such as spinning the basketball upon his finger? I am an internationally famous basketball trick shooter and inspirational and motivational speaker named JIM "TRICK SHOT" LISTER.
   I sink many of the most unusual and most difficult basketball trick
   shots in basketball history with an astonishingly high degree of accuracy
   despite shooting the basketball with a crippled right shooting hand.
   My own personal basketball triumph over adversity is considered
   by some basketball experts to be one of the greatest true basketball stories of all time.
   I personally rate Jason McElwain's heart-wrenchingly and tear-jerkingly basketball triumph-over-an-obstacle accomplishment as the
   single greatest true basketball story of all time!!!



3. RECEIVED THIS BOOK VERY QUICKLY. GREAT CONDITION. REAL BARGAIN. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS SELLER!



4. Many people probably remember hearing about Jason McElwain on the news back in 2006. He scored a record six three-point shots for his high school basketball team. That might not have been outstanding for a superior high school player, but Jason was the team manager, not a first string player. And, in addition to that, he was a young man diagnosed as autistic.
   
   In THE GAME OF MY LIFE, Jason McElwain tells his story. He shares what he recalls from family stories about his early childhood years, unable to communicate or even tolerate his mother's loving touch. Extensive medical testing resulted in a diagnosis of severe autism. With the help of dedicated parents, Jason was able to learn coping skills and manage many of his autistic outbursts. Sports provided a focus point and an outlet for his energy, and ultimately earned Jason his moments of fame.
   
   Jason's unique voice can be clearly heard as he tells his memories of early treatments thought to reduce the symptoms of autism. He explains the frustration of moving from one school to the next as school administrators searched for the best programs to help him. As Jason became interested and involved in a variety of sports, he found not only friends, but also a way to achieve success. Always in touch with reality, Jason knew his skills were adequate but not exceptional, and his success came as a chance to just be part of a team. But with the care and concern of his coach and teammates, his part on the team gave him the chance of his life and memories that have changed him forever.
   
   THE GAME OF MY LIFE is an inspiring story about living with an increasingly common condition. It is an excellent book for teens suffering with autism or connected to someone with the condition. Jason's positive, up-beat personality is refreshing, as well as direct and realistic.
   
   Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"



5. After seeing the tail end of Jason's recent appearance on "Larry King Live", I immediately went on line to buy "The Game of My Life". Jason's compelling story kept me up past 2:00 a.m. last night because I couldn't get enough of his unique ponderings on the importance of "focus" and his astonishing feat [20 points in just over 4 minutes of playing time!] on the basketball court.
   
   Many parts of his narrative made me smile while others moved me to tears. I was even reminded of the brilliant screenplay penned by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck for their 1997 breakout film, "Good Will Hunting".
   
   I can't wait to see the movie based on Jason "J-Mac" McElwain's life and to see who plays the lead role. If I were directing, I would cast J-Mac to star as himself!

5 comments about Hungry: Lessons Learned on the Journey from Fat to Thin.

1. (HUNGRY) is a humorous and motivating book about living life in the fat lane. Allen Zadoff's fast-paced, witty, yet poignant writing style gives any overweight person an honest look into themselves. It's a diet tool that will inspire the reader to reach the same success level that Zadoff did in learning to control the urge to eat, compulsively! Every overweight person should read this book!



2. As the author says more than once, not everyone will relate to his particular story with food. I think anyone with eating issues would find something in this book to be of help. I could relate all too well, and appreciate the author's candor at revealing things about himself, and his thoughts, that were of help to my own situation.



3. I can't believe such a terrible book can be reviewed so highly. I think he didn't say anything everyone who has a problem with food doesn't know. IN fact he doesn't really reveal himself at all. He uses thumor to hide behind rather than tell the truth. How does such a skimpy book get published?. He hints O.A is the only answer to overeating. He never explains what home problems kept his addiction active. I find it cruel to give hope to others with one method while telling us nothing else works. Everyone is differet and what works is different. This book is not quite a memoir, not quite a self help book,not quite a book. It is said to be a non diet book but I felt like I had been put on a skimpy diet with this badly written book. sorry. but I could write a more truthful book in my sleep and I have kept off sixty pounds. Hey, let me write a book. Save your money and time on this one. I felt cheated.



4. I really enjoyed this book. In clear, no nonsense language Allen Zadoff managed to convey to the reader the pain of being very over weight with no self pity, no real excuses. He ate too much at one time. Period. Then, somehow after reaching 300+ pounds, he looked inside of himself and accepted a truth. He needed to eat less. So - no more dieting for him. He decided to establish a traffic light of an idea. Red light for dangerous food, yellow light for foods that need to be approached with caution and green food - the kind one can eat lots of and manage to stay slim. I loved this idea. I don't have a huge weight problem, but I do eat too much at times for a variety of reasons. I swear - as soon as I did what Zadoff said, wrote down my red, yellow and green foods, I began to eat less. And I began to lose weight. Wow. Thanks, Mr. Zadoff. You did a great job. I hope everyone who has ever struggled with weight reads this book. It's short but the message is clear. Look at what you eat. Identify problem foods. Approach them with caution. I guess he said it all.



5. How is everyone doing in conquering this:
   ~*weight loss battle*~?
   It really is a WAR against those excess pounds, isn't it?
   
   After reading HUNGRY by Allen Zadoff, I decided not to call it a 'diet' because it is not suppose to be a reducing diet but a healthy way of eating.
   
   This book gives you some ammunition to WIN that war!
   (Although you will always have to be 'on guard' for the rest of your life!)
   
   It was a worthwhile book to read...It had short one or two pages chapters. None of that recipe filler pages.
   
   One of our 'assignments' was to try and figure out WHY
   we over-eat and make ourselves over-weight.
   There is a reason. He suggested maybe it is an addiction
   or a disease we need to treat not just cover up with a 'diet'?
   
   He lost 150 lbs...The way he did it was to analyze his feelings and
   then to not eat foods that are trigger foods. He had us make a list
   of red, yellow and green foods....red meaning those
   that we just can't stop eating once we start (like sweets)
   yellow meaning those that sometimes cause over-eating problems, and
   green are those that are OK and good for us; never lead
   to a binge. (Like a traffic light, red STOP, yellow CAUTION and green GO.
   
   He didn't tell us what to eat because everyone's list would be
   different.
   Allen reminded me of my nephew that also lost a great deal of weight.
   
   For instance, how when Allen was at a normal weight, after weighing 360 lbs. (And having only one pair of pants that fit that were worn out in the crouch.)
   It was difficult to think like a normal weight person. (Like how to react when a pretty girl flirted with him.)
   
   This is the suggestion that I am going to have to do since I am
   an evening nibbler. Only eat 3 meals each day...(From the green list.)
   "Three delicious, abundant meals made up of foods I can handle."Zadoff.
   
   It sounds so sensible yet I haven't done that in a long long time.
   I need to stop this mindless evening snacking...that mouth hungry not
   stomach hungry HABIT! It is very very hard to break these bad eating habits!
   
   If you can get the book, I highly recommend it.
   
   Allen's final statement:
   "Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can
   start from now and make a brand new ending." Carl Bard

5 comments about Moab Is My Washpot.

1. Stephen Fry recounts his childhood and teenage years with honesty and candor. Whenever I read an autobiography I'm prepared for some bias and self-absorption, but Fry's book seems to be a sincere attempt to be candid and reflect upon his past. The autobiography feels relatively uncensored as he writes about mischief at boarding school, unrequited love, making use of a stolen credit card, and a suicide attempt during his teenage years. It's all presented with humor and little, if any, self-aggrandizement. I finished the book feeling as though I had read his carefully thought-out musings and insights on life and certain topics in general, rather than simply a retelling of the events that had occurred his own life.



2. I have been a fan of the polymath approaching genius that is Stephen Fry for many years and had enjoyed his acting, columns, and novels before getting my hands on "Moab is My Washpot", the story of a young, pre-fame Stephen Fry.
   
   This volume is, as all of his writings are, a wonderful display of how beautiful language can be. Fry manages to effortlessly and effulgently blend his incredibly sharp wit, his thorough understanding of the English language, and a nice flowing story with the real life problems and challenges of being a thieving, lieing, homosexual, at times suicidal, youth who has all the blessings a boy can have and still become a bastard. It is honest, it is real -if that makes any sense- it is poetic, and it is fun.
   
   I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Moab is My Washpot". It is gripping and warming and delightful. It makes you think, that "I can overcome this" or at least give you a sense of slight elation. It is not a "look at my how good and clever and fine and intelligent I am" biography. Not at all. It is simply a very good story told very well.
   
   Highly recommendable.



3. We all know Stephen Fry as the witty, urbane, polymath of entertainment that he has become. However it is interesting and, in certain ways, reassuring, to see that entertainers such as himself go through the same growing pains as the rest of us.
   
   His autobiography 'Moab is my Washpot', charts his growth from a young schoolboy, through various adolescent crises, on to his successful graduation from school and his eventual path through to Cambridge. His early school years have an almost Enid Blyton feel to them, evoking the beauties of an old fashioned English countryside upbringing, but without any overdone sentimentality.
   
   The book also deals heavily with Fry's homosexuality and how this effected his youth. There doesn't seem to have ever been any real internal struggle for him, but the book still gives a fascinating and often very humourous account of his formative years as a homosexual student in an all male boarding school.
   
   Fry's rapier wit is what often makes this book such a treat. All of the petty squabbles of his youth are brought under the blade of his humour with fantastically amusing consequences. Anyone who has enjoyed the acting or comedic pursuits of Mr. Fry will no doubt find this autobiography an engrossing and hilarious read.



4. I think Stephen Fry is wonderfully talented-- as an actor and a writer. I very much enjoyed The Liar and Making History, two of his fictional forays. MOAB seemed disjointed, haphazzard... I believe that SF must have a very interesting life & life history, but this book did not express it. Was this written to fufill a contractual obligation? His heart just did not seem to be in it. Quite a shame.



5. Fry is a Wodehouse-worshipper, and his elegant prose shows it. This discursive, digressive, sometimes profane and endlessly entertaining bio covers Fry's youth (with much reminiscing about Public School days in the manner of Wodehouse's Psmith) and the development of his areligious (anti-religious?) and homosexual tendencies... well, they're more than tendencies, really, as you'll see.
   
   I found this to be greatly amusing-- I'm glad I picked it up.

5 comments about Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God: The Life Story of the Author of My Utmost for His Highest.

1. 
   A wonderful read on one of the most outstanding christians in history.
   Our Heart Group which meets in our home each week has truly been blessed by reading about this great christian man ( author, preacher, teacher, statesman, and more ).
   Trust that others might receive the same blessing by the reading of this book.



2. For a number of years I have thoroughly enjoyed reading and being blessed by "My Utmost for His Highest". While I have been greatly blessed, I knew little of the author other than he served British troops in Egypt as a servant of the YMCA. Thankfully, McCasland has written a most interesting read of Reverand Chambers.
   
   Among the areas covered in Chambers' life include:
   
   1. Early life and large family he belonged to - parents and siblings.
   2. How and when he came to Christ.
   3. His education at various schools.
   4. Marriage to his beloved "Biddy" and enjoying his daughter Kathleen.
   5. His service for the YMCA and other Christian-related organizations.
   6. Ministry to British troops in Egypt during WWI.
   7. Many travels and friends he made throughout his life.
   8. Circumstances leading up to his death at the early age of 43.
   
   The book was so well-written and detailed about Chambers' life that I have grown to respect and appreciate the man even more. I (in addition to many others I'm sure) am also deeply grateful for his wife Biddy's efforts to publish many of his addresses to the British troops that ultimately resulted in the devotion "My Utmost for His Highest".
   
   Read and enjoy the book and come to appreciate Reverand Chambers even more! Highly recommended.



3. John Newton wrote a poem with the above title.
   
   Mr. McCasland has written a very readable biography of a true man of God. In every chapter following the first, the reader walks with Chambers throughout his spiritual growth. Our Lord has told his followers that life will not be easy as a disciple and 'OC' is a shining example of living the life of faith--real faith unlike today where many so-called people of God have replaced faith with conservatism or patriotism or judicial capitalism.
   
   From the 6th and last stanzas of Newton:
   
   Lord, why is this, I
   trembling cry'd.
   Wilt thou pursue thy worm to
   death?
   "Tis in this way," the Lord
   reply'd.
   "I answer pray'r for grace and
   faith.
   
   "These inward trials I
   employ,
   "From self and pride to set
   thee free;
   "And break thy schemes of
   earthly joy,
   "That thou mayst seek thy all
   in me."
   
   The school of Christ involves learning the basics of the Christian faith but that is NOT the end. Be of good cheer, because when Jesus says he is their with us in our trials, he really means it! In the life of 'OC,' we know and believe this is true.



4. Thank you David McCasland for your biography of a true disciple of Christ.
   If only we still had Oswald Chambers! I loved this book. I would have loved to have met Biddy Chambers as well. Such inspired lives they had!



5. Most people are familiar with My Utmost for His Highest, one of the great classic devotionals. But few are familiar with the man, Oswald Chambers. Oswald Chambers was originally from Scotland, formed a Bible College in England, and eventually went to Egypt where he served as a chaplain for WWI servicemen. He left this earth at a very young age. The marvelous thing is that Chambers had a wife who trained to be a transcriptionist. Her earthly ambition was to be the transcriptionist for the Prime Minister of England, but when she met and married Oswald Chambers, she began transcribing his words from his many teachings at the Bible College and to the servicemen. My Utmost for His Highest was published a year after his death, after Mrs. Chambers gathered together some of the gems of his teachings in one volume. Many more books followed over the years. Oswald Chambers would surely not be remembered today, if not for the partnership and labor of his wife. This book is wonderfully written as it tells the marvelous story of one man who dedicated his life to God's service...and whose words are treasured today because of his wife's gift of transcribing his words.

3 comments about A Lion Called Christian: The True Story of the Remarkable Bond between Two Friends and a Lion.

1. [...]
   
   I have an original copy of this book, A Lion Called Christian. It is a hardcover book.
   
   This book recounts the experiences of two men who owned a London boutique, bought a lion cub to try to attract customers to the store, and when the lion outgrew their ability to responsibly maintain him, they took responsibility for his future by taking him to George Adamson in Kenya to be rehabilitated to the wild.
   
   George Adamson was the ex-husband of Joy Adamson, author of the famous Born Free books. They were the pioneers of the practice of successfully rehabilitating captive animals to the wild.
   
   The story is excellent and is attracting new interest today because of videos on youtube, of the reunion of the owners and Christian after Christian was living as a fully rehabilitated wild lion.
   
   This story is the epitome example of people taking full responsibility for the welfare and future of the big cat they bought as a pet, when that cat outgrew their facilities and resources to keep him adequately for his needs.
   
   It is a beautiful moving story and also shows just how much loyalty and love that animals can have toward humans who genuinely care about them and relate to the animals in positive fair ways that the animals understand.



2. i understand john rendall wrote a book about his raising christian the lion in 07 or 08,
   the title may be " christian the lion who lives in my london living room "?
   can't find it anywhre.
   help ?!!!!!!!!



3. I am trying to find the original book called christian the Lion written by John Rendall and Tony Bourke.

5 comments about Knowing Pains: Women on Love, Sex and Work in our 40s.

1. I must have dog-earred more than 20 pages in this fantastic compilation of smart, funny, inspiring and, in many cases, just plain raw stories of what I would have to call aha moments. In almost every story, women share their aha's and how their lives were forever changed. With holiday gift giving quickly approaching, and my budget being tight, I've decided that giving this book as my gift of choice to my gal pals, both young and old, is the gift that will definitely keep on giving into the new year.



2. A uniqe collection of essays, written from the heart and soul of the authors. Stories to make you smile--especially "Geriatric Mama" by Lori Stott. Should be given as a birthday gift to all women when they turn 40.



3. Knowing Pains: Women on Love, Sex and Work in our 40s
   I read the essays written by 35 or so 40ish persons about being in their forties. It covered many experiences and many trials and tribulations. It was a glimps of the real world and gave me to think about experiences more deeply. I recommend this book to those who want to see what others in their forties have endured, enjoyed and feared.



4. This is a great anthology of stories about women. While the essays were written about being 40, I found that the essays resonated with me (late 30's) and would for any women regardless of your age. The stories are funny, painful, and realistic.
   
   This is good book for those seeking some solace knowing that you're not alone, to give to a female friend or even for men seeking to understand what women are all about. I highly recommend it.



5. I love this book! Such great insight on life in your 40's and it certainly applies to those of us still in our 30's. Each chapter is well-written by a different author, about their life experiences. This is a must read!

3 comments about A Natural History of Conifers.

1. This book has a lot going for it. The author has been most recently head of the herbarium at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, and has had a front-row seat as a conifer taxonomist during the development of three key disciplines of the last few decades: molecular genetics, cladistic analysis, and earth history. Unlike many taxonomists he glories in making extensive field trips throughout the conifer world, for business and pleasure. His writing style is generally clear and engaging, and occasionally hits some very high notes. And he is a good photographer and a talented botanical artist. Thus he has created a modern treatment of the conifers that would have been impossible just a few years ago, and he has imbued it with deep concern for the biodiversity of the order Coniferales and the preservation of rare and endangered species. He interprets "natural history" broadly and is free to inquire into any aspect of conifer lore, from evolution to forest products. Surely this book will accomplish the author's goal of bringing more respect to these tribes of trees that are major parts of the silva in both hemispheres.
   There is a wealth of fascinating information here, and the author is an affable guide taking us along on numerous exciting quests. The stories of discovery of new-to-science conifers like Wollemia and Xanthocyparis add spice to the overall conifer story, as do travels to New Caledonia and other venues of remarkable trees. But not everything is equally well done. Some chapters are densely academic, heavy going for amateurs lacking technical credentials. A preoccupation with numerical measures of diversity, and an emphasis on extinct groups may not appeal to many.
   Mistakes or faux pas are fairly common, and range from the trivial to the profound. A few examples: use of the term "appendices" where American English would use "appendages" (with neither term in the too-skimpy glossary)adds puzzlement to an already dense anatomical discussion of cone structure; reference to a 3600+ year-old Utah juniper known since 1956 to be less than half that age; numerous fine botanical drawings whose plant parts are unlabeled and lack scales (i.e. "X 2"); a dismissal of the possible evolutionary importance of hybridization in conifers despite its commonness in pines and firs; an equally abrupt dismissal of the idea of reticulate evolution, an area of active research; a weak treatment of mycorrhizae which does not mention the profoundly different types found in Pinaceae vs. Cupressaceae -- surprising for a taxonomist; a description of the mutualism of nutcrackers and white pines with several material factual errors; a statement that bark beetles invade the cambium, while they actually invade the phloem; omitting windborne soil particles from the ingredients of "canopy soil", which accumulates in branch crotches and sustains epiphytes; attributing clones of Pinus pumila to shoots sprouting from the roots whereas it is due to rooting of branches in contact with the ground. The author is often on shaky ground writing about wood. For example, he errs in stating that Great Basin bristlecone pine "has some of the densest and hardest of all woods", or that sugar pine and western white pines are "nonresinous", or that wood of Cupressaceae is "more fibrous" than that of Pinaceae (he must mean finer-grained), or that hollow trees grow new wood on the inside as well as the outside of the trunk. The fleshy fruits of Torreya are labeled as "seeds" in a photograph. Though geography seems one of his strong suits, the author writes incorrectly that Port-Orford-Cedar "is restricted to mountains on the border between California and Oregon". He states twice that California's only Taxaceae species is Torreya californica, overlooking Taxus brevifolia. In cataloging that state's biodiversity he claims 22 pines. In my book Conifers of CaliforniaConifers of California, I list 18 pines (including P. washoensis, around which there is some controversy)plus one pinyon pine hybrid. I cannot quite see where 4 more species have immigrated to this state.
   The book's index is not as lengthy and inclusive as a book of this scope deserves. You will not find cambium, seeds, rust diseases, roots, or many other terms to take you to useful information.
   Even more grievous, however, is the very skimpy bibliography. The purpose of this book is to make available much of what has been learned about conifers in recent decades, and a reader should be able to follow up some of the many leads provided here.Yet the bibliography lists a mere 52 items. Ten of these are the author's own previous works and 16 are on paleobotanical topics. Nine are general biological works or are about other plants than conifers. Why does this matter?
   Well, take for example the author's statement that drooping pine needles may be an adaptation to protect them from dwarfmistletoe infection. He gives no indication whether this is his idea, or the result of someone's research. If you want more on this, you cannot get help from the literature list. This is true of many speculations, possible matters-of-fact, and arguments made throughout the text. The feeble bibliography not only leaves much of the text unsupported, but impedes readers from further pursuit. Besides, it would have been a simple matter to list the most useful 100 conifer books as a special feature, tying this new volume to the historical development of conifer science.



2. As we have become accustomed to from Timber Press, this is a very well-printed book, on glossy paper, with an immaculate layout. Illustrations are excellent and are of three kinds: mainly 1) color photographs and 2) line-drawings but with the occasional 3) SEM B&W photograph. Most of the illustrations were made by the author, but some have been contributed by other experts (for instance, some of the line-drawings have been borrowed from van Pelt's book).
   
   Obviously, the author is THE acknowledged expert on conifers and the text well reflects that, taking the grand view.
   
   Two points that bothered me are the writing style, which, although accessible enough, strikes me as peculiar (at least in some spots); also the chapter on wood is clearly written by the conifer expert making notes, without a real understanding of this rather different topic or a feel for it.
   
   Nevertheless, this is book is great value for money.



3. I'm not sure how to review this book without resorting to tired clichés like "a masterpiece" or "the bible of conifer natural histories." This book just happens to be the prefect example of everything popular science writing should be.
   
   Farjon doesn't dumb down the science and doesn't apologize for it (excepting a brief mea culpa in the preface, which also includes Farjon's philosophy on the craft of writing popular science, so don't skip the preface!) Any botanist will enjoy this book just as much as an amateur ecologist, weekend hiker, or little old lady in suburbia with pine trees in her yard. The scientists will find many morsels to whet the appetite for further study while the amateur will walk through a door to the wonders of conifer natural history, perhaps referring back to the book after every new hike through the woods.
   
   There are 34 chapters - some of them as short as just a couple pages. This brevity makes the text an easy, casual read. Each chapter is headed with an anecdote from the author's life or human history. The first 20 or so chapters deal with the typical science common to any natural history - evolution, physiology, systematic, ecology. There follows a section on geography (often lacking in popular works), then several chapters about human interaction with conifers which segues nicely into the final section about conservation. A glossary and a reference section close the book. As I desperately try to find something negative to say here, I guess I wished only that the references would have been more numerous, but that is truly a nit-picky complaint.
   
   Timber Press did their usual bang-up job of production with gr eat binding and paper, beautiful jacket, and stunning photos. The two-page spreads introducing the main sections are the stuff of a coffee table book. The rest of the book is not cluttered, yet hardly a page goes by without a color photo or some sort of eye candy. It really does seem like a coffee table book, but with meat instead of the usual fluff in the text.
   
   Enough gushing! Buy the book and see for yourself!

No comments about Renegade for Peace and Justice: Congresswoman Barbara Lee Speaks for Me.

5 comments about Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal.

1. Absolutely everyone should read Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories that Heal by Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen! There is something in this book for everyone. Without reservation, I would recommend this book to every single one of my friends and family. This book is overflowing with boundless wisdom, delightful stories, and poignant memories. Remen's writing style exudes maturity, wit, and warmth. The content is brilliant, while the writing and presentation is equally engaging.
   
   Remen's even cadence and steady, rhythmic style of writing lulls the reader into a calm and quiet state of mind - making it even easier to embrace and accept her thoughts and wisdom. Aside from the invaluable insight it offers, Kitchen Table Wisdom is beautifully written. Beyond her years of experience as a noted clinician, Remen should be recognized as a writer in her own right.
   
   Remen's work pioneered a new genre of medicine - combining medical knowledge and experience with a psychologist's approach to healing. Kitchen Table Wisdom is a direct, accessible, and genuine account of her experiences as a practicing physician. Throughout the book, she heals her patients, not only in body, but in mind and spirit as well. While her book can't heal physical ailments, it will most certainly touch your heart and soul. Her work is astounding, and her direct, unwavering account of her experiences is both informative and eye-opening. Kitchen Table Wisdom is completely enthralling.
   
   In short, this is without a doubt the best book I've read in a very long time. I dare you to try and read just one page. Once you open this book you'll be glued to it until the very last sentence.



2. There was a seeming dual purpose motivating the author to write this book. Remen is a medical doctor who basically tells the stories about how her professional experiences moved her closer to, rather than away from, emotional involvement with her clients particularly as it pertained to the connection between one's spirituality and recovery,amongst other things.
   Remen also shares some very deep and moving stories that were shared with her by her clients once she became a therapist.
   It's a wonderful read and will be helpful to anyone seeking spiritual enlightenment and motivation.



3. Rachel Naomi Remen believes in the healing power of stories. She trained as a pediatrician and expected to practice traditional medicine much as her father and other male members of her family had done before her, but something happened to change her carefully planned course.
   
   In the introduction to Kitchen Table Wisdom, Remen tells how her male colleagues frequently knocked on her office door to ask for her help with a crying patient. They believed that she, as a woman, would know what to do. Though she knew no more than they, she felt flattered that they came to her and felt that this helped her be more a part of their exclusive "Old Boys Network." She began to spend more and more time listening to patients share their fears and feelings of living with a terminal disease.
   
   Since the age of fifteen, Remen has suffered from Crohn's disease. As she listened to her patients, she began to feel less lonely and isolated. Probably, her guidance and uncanny understanding of her patients stemmed from her familiarity with physical and emotional pain.
   
   Kitchen Table Wisdom is a compilation of eighty-eight poignant stories that Remen heard over many years, as well as stories of her own life. Her stories demonstrate her belief that a larger process is at work in all our lives and that human beings are "unfinished, a work in progress." She believes we come into the world whole but lose faith in our wholeness and become discouraged by feelings of not being pretty enough, smart enough, etc. " ... our wholeness exists in us now," she writes, "Trapped though it may be, it can be called upon for guidance, direction and most fundamentally, comfort."
   
   No retelling of Remen's stories can do them justice. One of my favorites is "The Question"--a story told by a patient named Tim (now a cardiologist) of his experience at the age of fifteen with his father, who was in the last stages of Alzheimer¹s disease. At the time, his father had not spoken for ten years and was totally helpless. Tim and his brother were alone with their father when he suddenly slumped over and fell to the floor. The brother was calling 911 when both boys heard a voice commanding, "Don't call 911, son. Tell your mother that I love her. Tell her that I am all right." With those words, the man died. An autopsy later revealed that Tim's father's brain had been entirely destroyed by the disease. Tim never stops wondering who spoke those final words. He tells Dr. Remen, "Much of life can never be explained but only witnessed."
   
   The author believes that talking about and sharing one¹s feelings revives memories that can lead to important new insights about one¹s life, bringing about a healing that formal treatment is unable to offer. She says that Shamans believe illness is a direct indication of soul loss. The soul, she explains, is that which is aware of the sacredness we carry and the sacredness that exists in the external world as well. Losing our appreciation for our sacredness, living with sadness, with feelings of unworthiness can manifest illness.
   
   "Life is the ultimate teacher...," she writes. "It is through experience, and not scientific knowledge or expert academic training alone that we learn our deepest lessons." In her lectures and writings, Dr. Remen likes to tell of a sign on the wall of a room in Florida where the elderly come to play Bingo. It reads, "You Have to Be Present to Win." And so it is in life.
   
   by Duffie Bart
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   reviewing books by, for, and about women



4. Beautiful sweet touching book that helped me get me through some tough times. Celebrates the human spirit.
   
   I recently had the privilege of hearing the author speak. she is an amazing woman.



5. For years I refused to read this book after a friend's recommendation thinking that it would be another "feel good" attempt . Boy was I wrong! This book is one of the most extraordinary pieces of writing I have ever encountered. I have read it over and over again many times (the stories are short enough that allow you to read at your own pace). It has actually become sort of a "guide to Life" for me. Furthermore, as story-telling itself goes, is simply masterful. Dr. Remen is a powerful communicator and her wisdom goes beyond "new age". It is a groundbreaking work about mystery, awe and Life with a capital "L".

5 comments about And There Was Light: Autobiography of Jacques Lusseyran, Blind Hero of the French Resistance.

1. In a world so filled with darkness, this book inspires and uplifts with a unique vision of light. This is the true story of a man who faced some of the darkest of lifes challenges and faced them with courage and joy.



2. I received my first copy of And There Was Light in 1977. The book was out of print at the time and members of my spiritual group had to resort to copying it for study. I'm grateful that it's back in print and Jacques Lusseyran's life and work are receiving more attention. Regarding the subtitle, I wonder what Jacques would say about being called a hero? Perhaps he would just laugh and shake his head since he conveys so clearly in And There Was Light that he was just an ordinary person who trusted his heart in a world gone mad. I think the best compliment I can pay the book is it makes me long to be better myself.
   
   As others have said it's a book about blindness, coming of age, WWII, the Holocaust, the French resistance, etc. What is truly unique about it though cannot be easily described, and is best appreciated in the reading. Just get a copy and read it.



3. This is a very unique perspective that has a miriad of themes. Keep in mind that this book has been translated from french. The semantics and verbage is somewhat awkward at times, but the message remains clear. This meling pot of personal experiences encompass: blindness as a youth, minds-eye interpretations of a blind individual, internal strength, the occupation of France during WWII, the French Underground, detailed brutality of the Nazi Party, prison camp conditions, and repatriation. Once again, I will stress that the themes are broad and this is a translated text, yet it still succeeds in painting a well orchistrated picture of each theme. Most importantly, the theme of hope and strength solidify the foundation and triumph in the end.



4. This is a beautifully writen book. Read it for yourself. You will really enjoy it.



5. This is the autobiography of a blind hero of the French Resistance during WWII. Lusseyran lost his eyesight as a young boy through an accident at school, caused by a bully. But instead of sinking helplessly into darkness he gradually developed his other senses to extraordinary capacity.
   When seventeen,while interviewing volunteers, willing to join the Resistance, he perceived colors when they answered questions. These colors revealed to him whether they could be trusted or not. Once, however,his friends disagreed with his recommendation. They all were taken prisoner and sent to the Concentration Camp.It was there, that the 18 year old found his second calling: Poetry. Reciting poetry by heart, he assembled the prisoners daily. The imagery had life-sustaining quality for them and a moment of renewal to all that participated. His experiences and observations there, later led him to choose to study philosophy and literature at the Sorbonne.He lectured at the various American universities until his death.
   recommended additional reading by Lusseyran: "Against the Pollution of the I"