5 comments about Bill W.: A Biography of Alcoholics Anonymous Cofounder Bill Wilson.

1. Marital difficulties
   Wilson was serially unfaithful to his wife Lois. Wilson 's affairs with women caused controversy and concern within AA and it was common knowledge in New York AA circles. His interest in younger women increased with his age, and caused Barry Leach and other friends of Wilson to form a "Founders Watch". People were assigned to keep an eye on Wilson during the socializing that followed AA functions and to separate and steer away those young women who caught Wilson's interest. Wilson, like many in his generation, could be sexist, but he was also "capable of treating the women who worked with him with dignity and respect". In the mid 1950s he began an affair with Helen Wyn, a woman 22 years his junior, "in duration, intensity and scope" this was different from his other affairs. Wilson at one point discussed divorcing Lois to marry Helen. Wilson with determined perseverance was able to overcome the AA trustees objections, and renegotiated his royalty agreements with them in 1963, which allowed him to include Helen Wynn in his estate. He left 10% of his book royalties to Helen and the other 90% to his wife Lois. In 1968 with Wilson's illness making it harder for them to spend time together, Helen bought a house in Ireland.
   
   Alternative cures and spiritualism
   In the 1950s Wilson experimented with LSD in medically supervised experiments with Gerard Heard and Aldous Huxley. With Wilson's invitation his wife Lois, Father Dowling, and Nell Wing also participated in experimentation of this drug. Later Wilson wrote to Carl Jung, praising the results and recommending it as validation of Jung's spiritual experience. (The letter was not in fact sent as Jung had died.)
   
   At a parapsychology meeting in the 1960s, Wilson met Abram Hoffer and learned about the potential mood-stabilizing effects of niacin. Wilson was impressed with experiments indicating that alcoholics who were given niacin had a better sobriety rate, and he began to see niacin "as completing the third leg in the stool, the physical to complement the spiritual and emotional." Wilson also believed that niacin had given him relief from depression, and he promoted the vitamin within the AA community and with the National Institute of Mental Health as a treatment for schizophrenia. However, Wilson created a major furor in AA because he used the AA office and letterhead in his promotion.
   
   For Wilson, spiritualism (communicating with the spirits of the dead) was a life-long interest. One of his letters to his spiritual adviser Father Ed Dowling suggests that while Wilson was working on his book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions he felt that spirits were helping him, in particular a 15th century monk named Boniface.[18] Wilson believed that the living could communicate with the dead and kept a "Spook Room" in his basement, where he along and others would conduct seances with a Ouijiboard, as well as experiment with automatic writing. Despite his conviction that he had evidence for the reality of the spiritual world, Wilson chose not to share this with AA.



2. I've been a "friend" of Bill and Dr. Bob since Christmas 1990, and have read a lot of material, both "conference approved" and other, and this book is probably the best biography of Bill W. that I've come across. I have to disagree with the reviewers who gave this work a low rating... I do not see this biography as a "hatchet job" or any sort of attempt to demean or diminish the memory of Bill Wilson.
   
   Bill was not saint, and he never really sought sainthood. If some hold him to saintly standards or infallible behavior, those depictions were\are pressed on him.
   
   Hartigan successfully describes Bill's childhood, young adulthood, service years, marriage and the early years of AA's struggles in great detail. Until I read this book, I knew from other readings that Bill had many faults, but I did not fully appreciate the depth of his alcoholic behavior, and its effect on both Bill and Lois. I also did not appreciate the severity Bill's lifelong struggle with deep depression.
   
   This biography also does a good job putting context and details to Bill's lesser known "adventures" which folks hostile to AA use to discredit Bill and the AA program.
   
   Bill experimented with LSD, starting in the 50's and into the 60's... starting when the drug was legal and being investigated for psychotherapeutic potential to help alcoholics and schizophrenics.
   
   Bill actively promoted niacin for alcoholics, dragging the AA name into this promotion, but it was out of enthusiasm and hope to help the still suffering alcoholic. He was called to task for this, and the AA name removed from such endorsements.
   
   Bill was unfaithful to Lois and maintained long term relationships outside his marriage. This biography, written by the personal secretary to Lois at the end of her long life, makes no excuses for this behavior, but does add context.
   
   I came away with greater appreciation of Bill Wilson, the man, who overcame many serious problems to help create an organization that has helped many thousands of people live better lives.



3. The author went to work for Bill W's widow. Eventually this book resulted, after both were dead.
   
   The book provides a much needed perspective. It is clear on Bill's early atheism (which he called agnosticism) and helps focus how AA is a spiritual program and not a religious one and wny.
   
   Over and over again it explains the forces that were being reacted against. If you've listened to Bill and Charlie (they are available for free on the internet as mp3 downloads for ipods and similar products -- or your computer), this fills in the gaps.
   
   For example, everyone knows about Bill as a womanizer in his later years. What people do not know is that about the time he turned forty, his wife decided that she was done with sex. She was older than he was, went through menopause and retired from sex. No wonder that has he got into his fifties he started thinking of her more as a mother figure and less as a wife figure.
   
   In a modern hospital, such as where my wife works, everyone knows about "banana bags" (IVs that are yellow from the b-vitamins, especially niacin, used routinely on alcoholics who have serious problems because of bad diet) -- but I never knew that started with niacin for alcoholics.
   
   Or the rumors of financial misuse -- at complete odds with poverty and the audits -- now I know how they started and how they kept going.
   
   I'm not an alcoholic (well, I've never had a drink, so I'm at least a very dry alcoholic), though I've sent a number of clients to 12 step programs, until recently I did not have the slightest idea what they were about.
   
   With this I understand what makes AA different from every other program out there, why it found that balance and how it was shaped and touched by the personality of its founder.
   
   The book is an easy read, and gripping. I finished it over a weekend, along with other projects and preparing and teaching a Sunday School lesson.
   
   It was interesting, complex, consistent and had a basic appreciation and fondness for the subject.
   
   I'm not sure how it plays inside AA, but from the outside I find myself admiring Bill W and AA a great deal from having read this book. Heck, I even got started on the "Big Book" (I've read about half of it so far).
   
   If you've gotten to this page where the book is advertised, it is probably worth your while to buy it. I got my copy at half price books for six dollars. They had a bundle of them. Used copies in excellent to new condition abound.
   
   Buy it, read it, think about it. Well worth the read.



4. This is an amazing bio of Bill W.
   
   I've read pass it on and afew other AA related books, nothing has held my interest with such awe as this wonderful book.
   
   This book gives you a better understanding of Bill. Everyone has there own opinion.



5. Of late, I have been doing a lot of research work and writing on the differences in religious views, religious background, and religious influences on A.A. co-founders Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith. In that connection, I have found myself turning more and more to Francis Hartigan's account and quoting portions of it in various contexts. The Bill Wilson story itself has been hacked around in so many ways, many of them inaccurate, that I look for the tidbits that show the author's real familiarity and lack thereof with the subject at hand. In Hartigan's case, I found his recital of the "spiritual experience" by Bill's grandfather, Hartigan's details on Lois Wilson, and Hartigan's accurate observations on Bill's decision for Christ at the Calvary Rescue Mission to be most refreshing and quotable. Among the plethora of recent books on Bill's life, I believe this Hartigan biography and the Bill W. Autobiography from the "Bedford Papers" as reported by Hazelden to be two important resources for learning A.A.'s historical, spiritual background. Dick B.

5 comments about Brian Piccolo: A Short Season.

1. This book is the basis for the fantastic movie 'Brian's Song', about Brian Piccolo and his battle with cancer and his friendship with Gale Sayers. Jeannie Morris was the wife of Johnny Morris, a teammate of Brian Piccolo's. She does a splendid job of balancing the football aspect, with the friendship part, with the cancer battle.
   This is the story of love, of enduring, of battling. Morris tells it all in heart-warming and heart-breaking detail.
   I have never met anyone who was able to watch 'Brian's Song' without crying and this book has the same effect.



2. This book enables the reader to empathize for Brian. He was a pro football player who battled with cancer at a time when there wasn't a lot known about cancer. Even if you don't like football you can appreciate the book for what it is. It is good for lots of ages as well. The book is good about explaining what was known about cancer at the time. It includes medical analysis of his hospital visits as well as interactions with his family and teammates.



3. This book was great, althouhg Brian had a short seson he did much with his life and the story of his firendship with Gal Sayers was great. I loved the movie, Brians song, the book, I am Third, and this book, A short Seson. Every1 should buy this book. i find his life very important on reading about.



4. Brian Piccolo: A Short Season was marvelously written by Brian's close friend, Jeannie Morris. This book gives the readers a detailed view into his existence while still being discrete enough for the Piccolo family to remain happy with the biography/autobiography. Chicago Bears running back Brian Piccolo lived to be only 26 years of age, dying on June 16, 1970, from liver cancer. While his stay on this Earth was a brief and trying one, Piccolo made it count every single day. His story is of highs and lows, heroics and disappointments, comedy and despair, and, ultimately, tragedy. However, Piccolo lived his life ideally, paying tributes to various foundations while enjoying and loving life to the fullest. The book includes the entirety of this great man's life, from his young baseball-playing childhood to his record-setting career at Wake Forest College to his last days as a father, husband, and Chicago Bear. Piccolo was a spirit-lifting person among those he spent time with, before and after he was diagnosed with the fatal cancerous disease. His charm and wit grabbed his fellow players, his coaches, and, most importantly, the general public. While `Pic' started only a handful of games for the Bears, he rarely if ever complained despite a burning desire to play the game he loved so dearly. Piccolo was a favorite among Chicago Bears fans, and although he backed up the legendary Gale Sayers, his team-first attitude and love for the game kept him afloat until that day when the prospect of a lifetime would arise and give him the opportunity to start. Even on his deathbed, Piccolo never gave up his hope for a miraculous recovery and return to the football field. After all, Brian Piccolo's heart was never the question; it was his liver which was diagnosed with cancer. Former Bears-teammate and close friend Johnny Morris summed up Pic's life in the foreword, remarking "Brian Piccolo made it to the top at 26."



5. jan/10/01 I am also an athlete who has suffered many career threating injuries. Unlike Brian Piccalo i do not have a terminal disease. I can understand his determination of never wanting to quit playing the game no matter how bad he felt or how bad the news was. This goes to show one how great mind over matter really is. This book also reflects how important frienship and family really are, who will stand by you when the chips all come falling down.

   I recommend this book to any athlete who suffers an injury or illness that causes one to be removed from the game. One cannot ever forget where they came from , how many lives they have touched, and who you can rely on .. Death plays a big issue in this book although it is depressing you know with cancer it is coming Brian piccalo also shares his love of the game and his friends and family.

   I am too young to remember Brian Piccalo he died before i was born, he wasn't an outstanding player, no super bowl hero, just an average good athlete like me.

   In books like these his memory doesn't die, but his life will be remembered in books.

4 comments about Reading David: A Mother and Son's Journey Through the Labyrinth of Dyslexia.

1. I am a teacher and have had close contact with families who have had dyslexic children. This author does a great job of communicating the emotion, questions, struggles, and fears that a mother has. Her son also writes vignettes at the end of each chapter expressing his own point of view and struggles and fears. She weaves into the story enough clinical information to define dyslexia, explain its symtoms, and discuss ways to deal with it. But the main impact is the author opening her heart to the reader.



2. The book, Reading David, by Lissa Weinstein helped me deal with my own son's struggle with dyslexia. Lissa and David touch the emotions of both mother and child through the unique, overweleming journey of dyslexia. The reader experiences the triumphs and struggles of everyday living. This book taught me that my son is a very bright, unique individual who desires to fit in. I felt someone was feeling what I was feeling and that it was okay to be angry one day and joyful the next because living with dyslexia is such an up and down rollercoaster.



3. Reading David has been a very emotional experience for me. My son, the same age as David, was diagnosed with a Learning Disability. I have only been reading a few pages a day as I cry with every emotion expressed that hits home - and they all do. What Lissa Weinstein has been able to write about has been cathartic for me. Her advice and the feelings expressed by her and her son will help guide my family through this Labyrinth. Thank-You for writing this book!



4. This is a terrific book, a virtual roadmap for anyone interested in dyslexia, or learning disabilities in general. Weinstein is a clinical psychologist and university professor, with a depth of experience in dealing with childhood learning disorders that is challenged when she has to deal with her son David's dyslexia. As a mother, she understands and conveys the dynamics of dyslexia in a way that illuminates both the helplessness any parent may feel when faced with a child's reading difficulties, and as a psychologist, she offers real self-help, insight, advice and solutions (all with a minimum of jargon) for dealing with a multi-faceted problem that does not go away just by adding some tutoring or changing the curriculum. The passages describing her dawning awareness that her own son has a serious learning disability, and her own feelings of guilt, are especially poignant. The real reward in this book, however, is the voice of her son David - whose words, taken down verbatim by his professor mother, reveal with astonishing directness the hurt, bewilderment, and courage of a child who just doesn't begin reading along with his classmates and the strategies he employs both to try to learn and to hide his failures. The book is a must for anyone dealing with learning disabilities, in the classroom or the home.

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 The Little Locksmith: A Memoir.

1. This book is enchanting, wonderful, and beyond description, except to say it is a testament to the human spirit.
   
   If you read this and loved it, also look at "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," by Jean-Dominique Bauby. If you can't imagine living on your back for ten years, try imagining writing a book using only the ability to blink one eye, to dictate letter by letter. Tis book is another testament to the human spirit.



2. This book is amazing, I am 15 and I read it, my mother at 39 read it, my grandma read it and my younger sister at 13 read it. Everyone takes away some different, but something wonderful from this book. It is absolutely indescribable, you have to read it; right now, order it, read it, it will change your outlook on life.



3. This is a beautiful book on so many levels. The author's voice, the author's spirit, the author's technique of storytelling are awe inspiring. If you have been led to this page, take it as a sign and order this book, reading it is an experience and I can't wait to read it again. If you are looking for a gift to give someone else then this is it, but read it first yourself so that you can trully share it.



4. My husband gave this book to me and I am truly enjoying it! Katharine sees things from a rare perspective. Her life transformed her into someone that could see deep into even the most mundane subjects. I feel a new appreciation for even the sounds of crickets! She was certainly a person who's cup was always half full! This book is like welcome raindrops, enveloping you and staying with you long after the drops have evaporated!



5. This book is astounding-- I keep wondering why no one ever told me about it before. Why did I find it on the dusty independent table in the back of bookstore? It is rare and beautiful. Butler-Hathaway's insight, uniquely sensual perspective, enthusiasm, and empathy are lovely. Order it.

5 comments about My Year Off: Recovering Life After a Stroke.

1. I am also a stroke survivor. I was very fortunate to survive and to experience struggle, failure and triumph as a life's second chance. My year off, which I read soon after my stroke 4 years ago provided me with guidance and insight as to what to expect. Especially the emotional aspect of my recovery. I also loved the author's music recommendations which revealed to me another way in which the brain recovers. I sprang from that and explored into frequenting activities that stimulated positive thinking (i.e. beautiful art). I learned so much from this book! I'm grateful that it was the first book I read during my recovery! Thank you for being so insightful!!!



2. I found Robert McCrumb's book to be very helpful in understanding how the stroke victim feels about what he is going through. My father just had a stroke and I spent a week with him in the ICU and rehab unit, trying to help him get his life back. During a victim's recovery period we rarely if ever hear from them, especially if they suffer from aphasia (loss of speech). Mr McCrumb's book tells us what we never quite understand-what the stroke victim really feels, thinks, hopes for, and dreams about. I appreciated the inclusion of his wife's diary, as she was his primary support person throughout his recovery. It was also interesting to learn how differently a stroke was treated in the mid 90's in the UK, versus in 2007 in the USA in Madison, WI. where they were able to administer the new TPA drug that helps prevent damage. Overall I would highly recommend this book as a good read, with not too much medical jargon to scare you away yet enough to help you relate to what he was going through.



3. While I found this book interesting it would be most disappointing if I were someone looking for real answers. If someone is looking for real recovery then I would recommend a book called Peeling the Onion:
   Reversing the Ravages of Stroke. In 2000 my grandmother had a stroke which left her paralyzed, unable to roll over in her bed and unable to speak. Long-short, I took a shot and took her to this clinic where, in less than a week she and I were again having two-way conversations and she could transfer herself from the car to the wheelchair. By the time we went home she was walking 400 feet with a walker. Strokes change families but they don't have to be permanently debilitating. If you are looking for help for the stroke and not just a book to read, you might want to order it. Thank God for Dr. Hammesfahr and his stroke therapy!Peeling the Onion: Reversing the Ravages of Stroke



4. This book was not quite up to my expectations. It was interesting but I felt the writer wasn't being totally honest about his rate of recovery since it conflicted heavily with his wife's view. I actually liked his wifes diaries, they were very helpful in what the actual recovery process was. I wouldn't highly recommend paying the money for this book.



5. Very insightful book. Referring to the past reviewer who dismissed this book because Mr. McCrum's stroke was not catastrophic enough, I am very sorry to hear of your loved one's difficulties. However this book could be helpful to many who suffer lesser degrees of stroke and eventually recover fairly well. I can understand this book would not be useful to you personally in light of your experiences. I can say though without a doubt, as a stroke survivor, that even a mild stroke is something no person would EVER want to experience. It often strikes like a lightning bolt and even if function is eventually regained it is hard for a person to ever get over being completely paralyzed and helpless even for a short period of time. Books like Mr. McCrum's help the world at large start to realize stroke can affect anyone, even the young. Best wishes and good health to all.

5 comments about My Own Medicine: A Doctor's Life as a Patient.

1. Highly recommeded reading, well written. A doctor's perspective when faced himself with a potentially lethal diagnosis. Geoffrey Kurland takes you along for this trip with humor and a high dose of reality. His story helps the reader put things in perspective.



2. Our family was inspired by the stamina and ability to reach for the stars that doctor Kurland demonstrated in his book. It was quite helpful in dealing with our own personal fight against a difficult illness. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone dealing with disease and irony.As a doctor he has an aura of magnetic strength and is highly regarded in his profession. We tip our hats off to you!



3. Nonfiction with all the excitement of a novel. It reads easily, stays on track, holds the reader's interest and has to have wide appeal. How a physician barely survives a frightening disease and manages to achieve some lifelong dreams in the face of extreme adversity. It offers special insight to all of us as potential patients or medical providers, with some special appeal to runners and endurance athletes.



4. Wonderful book with a lot of insight on the doctor being the patient. Despite the seriousness of the subject (diagnosis and treatment of lymphoma), it is sprinkled with humorous anecdotes about medical sub-specialists and medical training. Gives insight into physician thinking and training that should prove enlightening to non-physicians. A well-written, wise book by a great doctor.



5. This book is a refreshingly candid, funny, and moving account of one physician's experiences as a patient with a serious and often fatal illness. I found it difficult to put down, extremely well written, and accessible to both lay public and medical professional. Dr. Kurland's account is an important addition to the genre addressing the patient experience. It is must reading for anyone involved in patient care... and anyone who might be a patient...

5 comments about Helen Keller: A Life.

1. My grandfather saw Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan on one of their vaudeville tours in the early 1920s in St. Louis, and never forgot the experience. Helen never achieved her lifelong goal of speaking in a way that was pleasing or comprehensible to the average person. One intimate called her voice "the loneliest sound in the world," but that night she did recite some of the Lord's Prayer, perhaps as a way of demonstrating that truly, all things are possible, if sometimes imperfect.
   
   Herrmann's book is well organized, accessible and a nice companion to the superior "Helen and Teacher" by Joseph P. Lash. She includes anecdotes I had never read before, some of which are fascinating.
   
   Everyone knows the dining room scene from "The Miracle Worker," in which Annie and Helen fight to the death to teach the child table manners. In adulthood, Ms. Herrmann notes, when Helen was the guest at an elegant luncheon or dinner party, when she was shown to her seat Helen would pass her hand once lightly over her table setting, memorize its layout, and proceed to eat with manners equal to those of her sighted companions. But she would occasionally interrupt the conversation she could not hear to ask a question, with sometimes awkward results.
   
   All her long life, the manual alphabet was Helen's continual link to the outside world; it named objects, gave her directions, and described occurring events or those about to happen. The manual alphabet itself is rudimentary and maddeningly limited. So it was through books that Helen's spirit took flight. Her comprehension of Braille came quickly, and it was through her reading that Helen learned abstract and intangible concepts. Teacher gave her nothing to read but the classics, which captivated Helen, but after Teacher's death she occasionally enjoyed the guilty pleasure of a silly romance novel. Helen learned to do what sighted people do -- which is to read whole words, not individual letters. Teacher insisted that she gain a lot of her knowledge through context, just as a sighted person does. Annie set for Helen a demanding course load, even prior to Helen's entering college, (she graduated with honors from Radcliffe in 1904) which insured that Helen was far more well-rounded academically than the average sighted and hearing woman of her day. (I've long felt that Annie should have received a diploma alongside Helen. After all, she had to learn and understand the same subject matter she translated and interpreted for her pupil. What a feather in her cap that would have been.)
   
   Helen acknowledged that exclusive reliance on the manual alphabet for direct communication with others made her a poor conversationalist. She also said late in life that she was still childish in many ways. But these things can be said of many people without her physical limitations.
   
   There is an extraordinary section devoted to restoring eyesight to the blind, particularly those who lost their sight in infancy and early childhood. Such operations have been performed only about 20 times, and the end results have not been the gift many patients hoped for but more often a curse. The world they have imagined for years, even though they had tantalizing glimpses of it as small children, bears little or no resemblance to what they are at last able to see. Herrmann notes that had Helen been a candidate for restoration of her sight, she might not have even been able to recognize Teacher. Some patients have no concept of spatial relationships, no understanding of relative sizes of objects; they cannot attach the names of the nouns they have learned to the physical objects they see before them. The process has been so frightening some have attempted suicide.
   
   Almost all people with physical disabilities become defined in terms of their limitations, both by others and sometimes themselves. The fascination that Helen Keller held and still holds for people all over the world is rooted in the fact that she refused to accept being deafblind as the sole measure of her identity.
   
   Helen Keller was not a genius nor was she a "plaster saint." There was something enigmatic and haunting about her. She was also seemingly without artifice, and possessed of an unquenchable interest in philosophy, other cultures, even music. The reasons she will continue to be studied by schoolchildren and admired by practically everyone are as numerous as the obstacles this remarkable woman overcame.



2. Many or most nondisabled peoples' only knowledge of Helen Keller's life is the events of William Gibson's "The Miracle Worker". If you only know of the events from this play you would think Helen, Annie Sullivan, and Helen's family lived happily ever after. This is far from the case. Helen's disablities took quite a toll on how much she and her family loved each other. Annie became quite possessive and controlling of Helen during her childhood. Annie had a troubled personality as a result of the horrors of her childhood. Apparently she was never as psychologically stable as she might've been had she had a far better childhood. Throughout Helen's life, both when Annie was alive and after her death in 1936, she was surrounded by people and groups who sought to use her for their own purposes or goals. John Macy, after several years of marriage to Annie, saw the mistake of falling in love with her. It's easy to see why John eventually became an alcoholic, given that his second significant other passed away after only 5 years of living with each other. In the mid 1950's when Helen and Polly Thomson were living together Polly's behavior toward Helen became obsessive enough that Helen was cut off from virtually all human contact except Polly herself. In 1959/1960 Helen terminated a friendship with editor Nella Henney, perhaps as a result of being surrounded since childhood by people and groups who sought to use her for their own purposes or goals.
   
   An irony about "The Miracle Worker" is that while it's a happy tale, the true story of Helen Keller is quite a sad tale. "The Miracle Worker"
   is not Helen's "real life" at all.
   
   However, given the time Helen lived in, I can see why her life story went the way it did. I wish she'd never become disabled during childhood and wished she'd been able to live a normal life. But this biography is more believeable than previous biographies of Helen Keller.



3. The Helen Keller most of us are familiar with is the beligerent and frustrated little girl who in that fateful Spring of 1887, became docile, loving, and all of a sudden able to understand things when she put her hand under the water pump. But little was always written about her adult life. I always thought she had perfect features for a woman who was 100% blind and deaf. I recall Annie Sullivan's description of Helen when she first met her was that she was "noticeably blind with one protruding eye" and I thought her eyes looked perfect and beautiful, if not unfocused, for a blind woman, but then again I looked at photographs of her from her twenties on down and they were always right profile pics, with the exception of her photo on the front cover revealing her protruding left eye. It gives me the heebeejeebees that she had them removed and replaced with prosthetics. Anyway, they should make a movie about this detailing her life from Radcliffe college to her death.



4. This is a wonderful addition to all the bios on these two remarkable women. While the definitive is "Helen and Teacher," by Joseph Lash, this book adds lots of interesting details. I had no idea that Helen had her eyes replaced with plastic ones (hence the full face photos in adulthood) or that she enjoyed martinis, high heels and fur coats. What a woman! This is a very enjoyable book with plenty of great photographs. I wonder how much of Helen and Annie's fame was based on their youthful beauty?



5. Anne Sullivan (Helen Kellers teacher) is probably my biggest hero.
   She endured a life of harsh physical pain from various ailments. Any direct exposer to sunlight caused her eyes agonizing pain. She was also plagued with intense emotional trauma, Orphaned, Anne and her younger brother both were shipped to an asylum where they played with rats as toys and frequently were housed in the room where they kept the dead bodies. The year Anne stayed there 70 babies were admitted, 60 died, as did Anne's brother. Anne had seen more death and pain by age 7 then many hardened solders. It was difficult for most people to understand her cantankerous personality and tendency to fly off the handle. It was said at the school she attended she would have been expelled many times, if they had someplace to expell her to. Despite these setbacks she saw Helen Keller, another girl people gave up on and showed her the world of language and communication. This new biography strips away all the well meaning sentimentality and shows us two souls, bruised and scared, but beautiful

5 comments about Man, Interrupted: Welcome to the Bizarre World of OCD, Where Once More is Never Enough.

1. This enlightening yet funny book takes you through the story of one mans recovery from OCD. A very entertaining easy read that will not only open your eyes to the many forms of OCD and the toll it takes on its sufferers, but will also show you ways of overcoming them. A brilliant read for all.



2. I was eager to read this book as I am every book on an individual's struggle with OCD. While a worthy effort, I didn't think the author spent enough time concentrating on his own OCD, and a bit too much time poking fun at his fellow patients' symptoms. I was disappointed in that aspect. Overall a very honest account, and I applaud the author for writing it, but his girl chasing habits and the amount of time devoted to that issue can get rather old.



3. Through my sister, I have had the pleasure of being acquainted with Mr. Bailey himself. Before reading his book, I did not know much about him, only that he was a very jovial fellow. So it is no wonder why my jaw dropped periodically while reading Man Interrupted. I could not believe that the events unfolding on the pages before me were from the life of this man whom I saw so frequently. The experience of being acquainted with Mr. Bailey and reading his book reminded me that everyone has a story of their own, explaining who they are, where they come from, and what trials they had to overcome (and Mr. Bailey's were no small feat). Man Interrupted gives great insight into a world that many people may not think about. At the same time it is hilarious, relatable, and touching. I actually laughed out loud, which is a rare occurrence when I read. It is one of the most engrossing books I have ever read, and is worth every penny and minute spent on it.



4. Until last week, I didn't know the slightest thing about him, or about his book, until he went and introduced himself through MySpace, something that led to the inevitable reading of said book, and something that I'm really glad that I did. It's 222 pages of one of the most incredibly well written, fresh and original books that you're ever likely to read, a word of warning though, it really will make you question yourself, and exactly how pernickety you are. We all have an OCD, we may not realise it, or we do, and it's just insignificant, but we rarely externalises our OCD, are never forced to justify it, or explain it away, usually we're able to sufficiently hide it enough to function, but it wouldn't take much for everyone to collapse under the weight of it, and only a small percentage could ever do what James Bailey did, namely building himself back up. All of the patients in his book really do stand out too, because they're chillingly real, but then I suppose that's because they actually are, but he's managed to render them better than anyone else could have. It really is like reading the transcript of a Docu-Soap, and I'm not talking about an episode of "Cops", but an English one, because it's unapologetic, and gritty. What James Bailey has written is brutally honest, and I don't think that I've ever read that level of honestly, that level of shameless exposure; he made me feel like I lived it with him. Reading this book made me look at myself a little differently, maybe a little more clearly, but it also made me a friend in James Bailey, and that was well worth the cost of a good book ;-)



5. There were 2 things that struck me in particular when reading this book.
   One was James' honesty which enables the reader to acquire a rare and fascinating insight into the life of an individual suffering from such a disabling & severe condition.
   I learned a heck of a lot about OCD through reading this book & I found it most fascinating to read about James' real life experiences.
   Secondly was the humour that was rife throughout the book. James is clearly blessed with the ability to transform any scenario, no matter how daunting, into something so funny it just tickles you.
   I loved every word. Brilliant.

5 comments about The Best Seat in the House: How I Woke Up One Tuesday and Was Paralyzed for Life.

1. Having just recently been told I will have to be in a wheelchair to save what is left of my legs due to polio, I was really interested in what this book had to say. I had read a review in the New Mobility magazine and it got my curiosity aroused. I ended up getting it from our local library and read it in almost one sitting! It seemed to strike a "nerve" with me - I just turned 53, having had a very busy and enjoyable life - built my own house, was a scuba diver, kayaker, bicyclist, raised two active boys, etc - then, as polio caught up to me, I am finding that I need to use more and more "help" to just get through the day. That was a very disturbing and somewhat depressing thought, to me. But, if I was going to make what I had left last for many more years, I knew I had to do it. So, I am moving into a wheelchair, using hand controls on my van, using a crutch all the time, etc. It was a bummer, in my mind. Then, along comes Allen's book and my mind was turned upside down! I found a kindred spirit in Allen, and just loved his sense of humor, his somewhat acerbic wit, and his learning to look beyond the terrible things that his body had done to him and focus on the positive things. Yes, it is not always positive, and he made that very clear, but there are ways to look at just about everything that make it easier or funnier or reflective. I found myself cheering for him when he made those "steps" of discovery - dealing with his work, his house, his wife, his mother-in-law (I was crying laughing!), his kids, his bitterness, his anger. I bought this book because I know that I will read it again and I have recommended it to many of my walking friends, as well - we all have disabilities, in one way or another, and learning to live with them is a great lesson. Allen Rucker has done that and has described a way that worked for him and will work for many others -



2. A truly amazing book - very well written. Allen Rucker's account of overcoming adversity is a great story of courage, bravery and perseverance. A must read for everyone!



3. Allen Rucker's book is an entertaining read, a poignant portrait of a man who learns life's most important and hard-to-face lessons in a brand-new body in his 50s, and a spot-on social commentary about the way people with disabilities are treated in this culture. The most compelling and memorable aspect of this book is the way it reveals, through wit, at times scathing sarcasm, clear observation, and a healthy dose of compassion, the way a man navigates a new life in a new body. At turns poignant, revealing, terrifying, and hysterically funny, the book has no false notes and reminds disabled and non-disabled readers alike that we are given one body and we don't know what its future in this world will be, despite our most carefully crafted plans. The scenes and insights in this book will resonate when you read them and stay with you long after you've finished the book. Bravo!



4. Allen carries us through the deep interiors of emotional exhaustions, redemptions, and explorations of wrestling with a life-affirming, physical alteration. For this reason, the book and the man are close to my heart. He is clear with his words, direct in his perspective and his narrative. This story is an uncompromised one.
   
   Allen broadcasts his investigations of the more difficult and frustrating moments of his adult life. In the same breadth, he reveals the liberating ones, reminding us that our own personal narratives may not always progress linearly. Not everyone welcomes introspection with both repose and vigor. Allen does here, and in doing so, he proves that achievement is not necessarily charted with self-awareness, but with self-discovery.



5. This book doesn't belong with all the somber "coping with illness" type of books. Allen Rucker's experience of the indignity and struggle of working in Hollywood alone is worth reading. After you commiserate with the dilemma that befalls Allen, and recognize how easily it could happen to any of us, anytime - we could take a nap one Tuesday and "wake up paralyzed for life" - the part that sticks with you is gratitude for the profound wake-up call you have received. It was hard to run after reading this book without thinking of Allen. Anyone who doesn't fully appreciate their body, or sees only the imperfections, will find that invaluable.
   
   After the book came out, Allen Rucker spoke at a Writers Guild press conference on diversity, responding to a UCLA study showing the low employment of minorities in film and TV. He reminded them that the disabled are by far the largest minority in America - 56 million - yet are invisible both on TV and in the report. Allen's book is paving the way for those over 50 who are feeling increasingly invisible and are waking up to the fact that unexpected things will happen to our bodies as we age, not many of them good, and provides an inspired blueprint for dealing with it.