5 comments about Everyday Heaven: Journeys Beyond the Stereotypes of Autism.

1. Donna Williams is already one of the most famous people diagnosed with Autism in the world and people look up to her achievements and particularly perhaps, the fact that as an Autistic person, contrary to all existing stereotypes at that time, she has married and, of course, an iconic writer of heterosexual romance.
   
   But all is not what it seems. Agoraphobic, outside of her public face, Donna is actually a relative recluse on a farm in the middle of nowhere, completely controlled by her obsessive rather Autistic-Spectrum and somewhat multiple-personalitied husband, Ian. She is beginning to discover that not all 'Auties' are nice at all and the one she's married is a doosie.
   
   Now, on the day of their second wedding aniversary, only one week after the death of her eccentric rather bipolar father from cancer and in the middle of the filming of a documentary about her life, Donna is falling deeply 'in like' with one of the crew, Mick who himself lost the father he loved. Now Ian boldly de-masks and announces he wants to run off with the male producer!
   
   The de-masked Ian clinically announces how he has now qualified for being two years in the marriage and, hence, is entitled to half of everything she ever made from her internationally bestselling books. To boot, she has only a few weeks before flying to America to give a talk about being happily married and on the Autistic Spectrum before a massive US audience!
   
   As Ian packs up the furnishings and strips their house bare and the cameras keep rolling, Donna's 'in like'with Mick has turned to being in love and after she starts a smart drug she finds herself developing lust for the first time in her life at the ripe old age of thirty-two.
   
   But Mick has his own challenges with love, sex, identity and alcohol and with the help of a colorful hippy eccentric dance teacher, Margo, Donna finds herself on the road again. More alone as famous than she would ever have been otherwise, and deeply traumatised by the death of her father, she confronts her sexual orientation and attraction to women, going to a gay club specifically to meet 'someone'. She ends up in a torid sexual relationship with an alcoholic lesbian, Shelly. Then her best friend, Margo, goes suddenly into a coma, then dies from a brain haemmorage, and soon even Donna's beloved cat Monty joins the 'other side'.
   
   It's like everyone is dying and she is surrounded by their 'ghosts'. But among the ghosts awaits an angel named Chris who in rescueing him from his own messy love triangle, she rescues herself from the edge of breakdown.
   
   Everyday Heaven is a humorous, moving, riveting, roller-coaster of a book.



2. Thank you, Donna. I am an avid fan of Donna Williams' autobiographical and other scholarly writing on 'autism'. She is a true peacemaker. In her previous book, Like Colour to the Blind, I found tremendous insight into the kinds of problems that many of us encounter when we expand our world to include that of another in an intimate partnership.
   
   Similarly, reading Everyday Heaven inspired me to continue to understand and deepen my relationship with myself. Donna's style is ever fresh and impeccably precise. She continues to charter the borderlands of differences in thinking, feeling, perceiving and behaving that have been labeled 'autistic'. Perhaps with so eloquent a mapmaker as our guide, the rest of us can learn greater tolerance for all of the individual 'autistic' realities that we each bring to bear in the creation of this thing that we think we share called 'consensual reality'. Maybe then there will be peace and Everyday Heaven on earth.



3. Those who have read Donna Williams' other three autobiographies will continue to find ideas and insights that will stretch anybody's understanding of autism far beyond textbooks and what professionals have published. But more than that, even if you aren't especially interested in autism, this book is about the zest for and love of life. Considering how gloomy and bitter Williams could be if she chose, "Everyday Heaven" really serves as an inspirational memoir. In spite of the very real hardships she describes, this book filled me with joy.



4. Of all Donna Williams' books, "Everyday Heaven" is one of my very favorites. The fourth in her autobiographical series, this part of her story invites us to be a fly on the wall while she navigates life and love in her thirties. Donna's unbridled candor draws you in, and her clarity and insight hold you fast. When you read it, you'll want to have a box of tissues near by, and also a friend to share some of her humorous anecdotes with. What strikes me in this book, is that in spite of the horrific circumstances she survived in her early childhood, and to whatever extent her Autism continues to impact her daily life, there is never a moment of blame or bitterness. She personifies resilience and a lust for life. If you dare to read any of her books, Donna Williams is someone who will take all of your excuses away. "Everyday Heaven" is a heavenly read.



5. Donna is changing the way that, hopefully, millions of people think about 'Autism'. Everyday Heavan gives a wonderful insight into the world of a fantastic lady on the Autism spectrum. In this fascinating book Donna shares the ups and downs of relationships, exposure anxiety, information processing, connection, tolerance, contol, dietary difficulties and many more experiences that she has had. You will be captivated by the warmth and passion that Donna brings to the Neuro -Typical world of Disabling barriers.

5 comments about It Was Food vs. Me ... and I Won.

1. I borrowed this book from the local library in hopes of finding something new. This book is different, but the message is not - "it is not about the food but the feelings".
   
   Nancy takes many, many pages to get this simple message across. The writing is disjointed and there is little or no connection between one chapter and the next. It is much like reading someone's journal or diary entries. Chapters are numerous and short (like a journal). One chapter is entirely devoted to writing about losing chapter 29 on the computer. I kid you not. This is tiresome and distracting from the supposed purpose of the book. It is as though we are all expected to be hanging on her every word and life experience. Sorry - just not that interesting and certainly not helpful.
   
   As others have stated, the nutritional advice is questionable. Nancy says she wants you to be healthy, but indicates she keeps Ho-ho snack cakes in her freezer and chips/Doritos in her cupboards for when she needs unhealthy foods. She even goes as far as to say that eating salads will not help you to lose weight.
   
   I could hardly force myself to finish the book. I kept thinking I would get to the part where I, too, would feel this was a great book. It never happened.



2. I loved it. I liked the friendship she tries to develop with you as the book progresses.
   Very helpful



3. This is the only book I have ever read where I felt like the author knew exactly how I was feeling. I have never been able to describe my relationship with food until now. Now that I have a better understanding, I can be in control. This is an excellent book.



4. To prevent repetition, please read Carla Baku's review because I believe that the review highlighted some very important aspects of the book that the reader should acknowledge. If you are looking for a book that you can relate to because you have similar experiences with food and emotions as Nancy had, you've found it. I am still amazed at her ability to share and then publish some of her experiences. I have gone through very similar experiences and I can barely write about any of it on paper, let alone share with anyone else. If you are a person who is looking for a solution or an answer to what might be your problem with food... this is the wrong book. It is a comforting book though if you are someone with similar issues like Nancy because it makes you realize that you are definatly not alone. Nancy talks how she goes to see a therapist or a counselor and at first it was really difficult, difficult to admit her problems and difficult for her to face someone and to ask for help. Nancy realizes that her family and her marriage interplay with her issues with food. What I realized at this point was the power of asking for help. Not the kind of help from the late night infomercials selling equiptment that already filled my basement, not the kind of help from the latest diet books or solutions, but the kind of professional help like Nancy sought out and helped her to overcome her issues with food. Like I did and before I knew it, my issues weren't around food at all, food was just the distraction and for me is no longer a problem anymore. I think an important part of the book is the challenge and the power of asking for help. After 2 years with an eating disorder, I asked for help and found a therapist. Its the best thing I've very done for myself.



5. Nancy Goodman struggled for many years with weight issues. Though she was never that overweight, her obsessions with food were making her life miserable. And she kept her weight down by overexercising, undereating etc.
   
   In this book Goodman shares her thoughts on what works for her. She "talks" to the reader and shares ideas on what to do so the reader can also hopefully conquer their food problems.
   
   Goodman's book is an interesting read. Though I feel she still has issues with food and likely always will, it appears that she has won the major battles and can work through her feelings.
   
   Some of her ideas are totally different. Don't eat salads as a weight loss food (unless you want one) because they won't fill you up and by the time you add on all the dressing you may as well have eaten a satisfying sandwich. Consider eating calcium chews as a dessert. One or two will give you that chocolate or caramel munch and serve as an end to the meal. Use your calories on things you want. If you really want that hunk o'cake eat that instead of dinner. Think about what you are willing to give up so you can eat other things. (In Nancy's case she doesn't eat olive oil or butter).
   
   Nancy is really open in the book with her thoughts and feelings. I did feel sorry for her hubby though whom she blasts throughout the book. Also she has the benefit of having spent a number of years working with a food therapist.
   
   Overall, it's an interesting read about one woman's struggle to make peace with food and her approach is different than the typical diet advise.

5 comments about Thanks for the Mammogram!: Fighting Cancer with Faith, Hope and a Healthy Dose of Laughter.

1. This book is awesome! I had breast cancer over 3 years ago. Several friends tried unsuccessfully to find "good reads" to help me along my road. I found this book recently and loved it! It is an actual experience with truth, humor, and insight. I have gone to Amazon to find as many copies as I can. I want to be ready to hand someone a copy if the need arises. Be prepared to shake your head in agreement, laugh outloud, heavy sigh, and cry.



2. "Almost everyone - whether it's your friend, neighbor, coworker, wife, mother, or sister has been touched by breast cancer. The cancer survivors I've talked to over the years say that what helped them through their ordeal was faith and often humor." ~Laura Jensen Walker
   
   What is more healing than laughter when you are faced with a situation you can't control? Even science has shown the healing power of laughter. Cancer isn't funny, but somehow the author finds a way to heal through her own vibrant wit. Many of the chapters are rather serious until the end when she gives the punch line.
   
   This is a book about courage, hope and humor. Laura Jensen Walker demonstrates her ability to face the challenge of cancer and fight it with faith, hope and "mild/laid back" humor.
   
   I learned a lot about reconstruction, chemo and was amazed at how Laura's husband stood by her through the entire process.
   
   "How to Lose Thirty Pounds in Thirty Days: The Chemo Diet Way. The original Slim-Fast liquid diet. (But not one I'd recommend.)" was an interesting chapter to be sure. This spells it all out, tells you what chemo is all about and it isn't fun especially if your nurse forgets to give you "zofran." Yes somehow Laura finds a way to appreciate the effects of rapid weight loss even when it is the result of chemo.
   
   If you want to understand what a cancer survivor goes through, this is the book. I recently read "Knowing Stephanie" which I can also recommend for the detailed information and pictures.
   
   The last chapter on what really matters was also quite inspirational.
   
   You may also enjoy:
   
   Mental-pause
   Through the Rocky Road and into the Rainbow Sherbet: Hope & Laughter for Life's Hard Licks
   
   ~The Rebecca Review



3. This is an incredible book. Laura Jensen Walker has beautifully and sometimes humorously, written about her breast cancer journey. I read this book in the hospital following my breast cancer surgery (3/01) and have been very inspired by Laura's writing. This is the first book I loan out to others when they are first diagnosed. I highly recommend "Thanks For The Mammogram" !!
   Karen Lange, Asst. Mgr., FriendsInTouch.net (an online breast cancer support site)



4. I have never been diagnosed with breast cancer, but I am certain anyone facing this disease would want a copy of Laura Walker's "Thanks for the Mammogram." Mrs. Walker remarks that this book was the hardest thing she ever had to write. Like any good memoir, it takes in the uncomfortable, even embarrassing moments as well as the lighter and uplifting ones.

   Walker includes a lot of detail, from procedures like reconstruction, chemotherapy right down to the day-to-day patient care and how she felt emotionally. But this is not a gruesome story--instead it is intended to help anyone else along the road to recovery. The best chapter "Where do I go from here" gives eight important points (such as taking charge of your treatment, talking to your family, dropping the Wonder Woman cape for women who do it all) and also useful addresses and a list of books.

   This book is interesting reading for any woman, but if you have a loved one facing this challenge or if you are a woman who has been diagnosed with breast cancer, you should get this book. Nothing I have read comes close to this book for frankness and assistance.




5. Breast cancer is a big deal. Serious stuff. Many women die from it. Other women endure masectomies. Why make light of such a heavy topic? Simple: humor is healing.
   
   Laura Jensen Walker has something to say about breast cancer. She's a survivor. She has faced this beast, and now is able to articulately help readers smile in the midst of a tough time.
   
   In "Thanks for the Mammogram!" Jensen tells her story. Most of the book details a narrative of her diagnosis, treatment and how she survived. However, in reflecting through the most difficult of moments, she draws us in ala Erma Bombeck into candid silliness. It is as practical as it is funny.
   
   Boldly bringing humor into a discussion of cancer marks this book as a standout among its peers. Having lost my mother to lung cancer and flipping through too many solemn tomes of pop-psychology, I read through Jensen's book refreshed. I wished my mom could've read this book. At a certain point, cancer is cancer, and anyone with any cancer would enjoy "Thanks for the Mammogram!"
   
   Each page is a different view of her situation. For example, she spends a delightful chapter on the end of her chemo, and how she and her husband (a 'Disnoid') celebrated this landmark at Disneyland. We read of her struggle to find a decent book to read (unless Mickey Mouse's various adventures appealed to an adult woman, that is).
   
   The chapters are in very chewable chunks--none too long.
   
   With chapters like, "To Baldly Go Where I've Never Gone Before" (a consideration of Capt. Jean Paul-Luc Picard, Michael Jordan and other sexy baldies, she looks for the upside of a hairless head), you, like me, might find a new way of seeing what so many people go through.
   
   She admits her fears, but pushes also the benefits of having a realistic, yet positive view of dealing with breast cancer. Jensen explains her husband's point of view in the whole matter (even letting him write a chapter, "Her Body, His Pain"). She walks the reader through the process, citing how she related to people who had or didn't have cancer.
   
   I fully recommend "Thanks for the Mammogram!" by Laura Jensen Walker. It is a very worthy gift for those whom you love who have cancer, or know someone who does.
   
   Anthony Trendl
   editor, HungarianBookstore.com

5 comments about Helen And Teacher: The Story Of Helen Keller And Anne Sullivan Macy (Radcliffe Biography Series).

1. This is the best biography about Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller that I have read. Since I was a child I have been fascinated by them and have read everything that I could get my hands on. Lash goes beyond their heroism and describes Annie and Helen as real people with "feet of clay."
   
   He relies heavily on voluminous correspondence to show the many facets of Helen and those in her life. Many of these details are not explained in other biographies. For example, Helen's father tried to shore up his finances with loans (often defaulted) from Helen's patrons. The "Frost King" incident caused many people to doubt Annie's veracity and credibility as a teacher for the rest of her life. Mr.Sandborn and Mr. Anagnos used the controversy to divert attention from Annie's role as Teacher to Helen and to re-focus attention on the role that the Perkins Institute played in her education. Lash also shows that John Macy had a complex relationship (for the good and the bad) with both Annie and with Helen. Helen was a radical Socialist and often risked her popularity and, therefore, their income by speaking out in support of Socialist leaders and causes. In the end the reader sees that Helen and many of those around her did great things, but they were not perfect. Insecurity, jealousy, money and a desire for love and fame caused all of them to act ugly sometimes.
   
   The other point that was never clear to me before, is that Helen and Annie spent their lives marketing themselves in order to generate an income. Helen's father faced a serious financial downturn that prevented him from supporting them from Helen's young womanhood on. Therefore, to continue Helen's formal education and to maintain a home away from Alabama, they had to cultivate sponsors, write publishable material, and earn money speaking at a myriad of functions. In many ways, this was an uncertain life that dictated that they remain in good standing with public opinion at all times.
   
   The other connection that Lash made for me concerns the complexity, the depth and the breadth of Annie and Helen's relationship. Because Annie suffered through a harrowing childhood, she desperately needed to create a loving family. Helen presented the perfect opportunity for Annie to be needed and to love and be loved unconditionally. While some people construed their relationship to be unhealthy or manipulative, it seems that it was a natural outgrowth of their particular situation. Once again, it was not perfect, but it served a huge need for them both.
   
   I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to see a more realistic view of the lives of Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan.



2. Informative! It does get a bit long & wordy at times, but it's a fair representation of Helen & Annie's lives. The more I read about Annie Sullivan, the more I like her. I think it was a real shame that Arthur & Kate Keller felt threatened by the close bond Annie had with Helen. I think Arthur & Kate just wanted Helen to be "trained," but not really the free independent spirit she was meant to be. I'm so glad Annie stood by her & helped her become a free person & became a lifelong friend to Helen as well. Annie was very open about whatever failings she'd had & was a warm, loving supportive guide in Helen's life. I get the feeling Helen & Annie had almost a mother-daugher-like bond, which of course practically killed Arthur & Kate. The stupid thing was, the Keller parents wanted to just shift over the responibility to Annie of educating her & getting her to fit into society, yet wanted total control over Helen's life. If anyone was manipulative & controlling, it was Arthur & Kate. Esp. Arthur, I think was really patronizing & downright domineering toward Annie. Kate didn't help matters either & when I read about her attempts to break Helen & Pete up later on & her consent to try to split Helen & Annie up, I really lost respect for Kate. I know I'm slamming Kate & Arthur here, but I see Annie as more of a loving parent figure in Helen's life. I really commend Annie for standing strong against Helen's domineering, manipulative parents. Oh, boy, was that John Macy a real creep! I was sooo glad Annie got away from him; he accused Annie of being "manipulative & controlling" when he was controlling himself! He KNEW Annie & Helen had a tight bond, yet after he married Annie, he started giving poor Annie a hard time about it! What was really contemptable was that John wrote to Kate & others badmouthing Annie behind her back & it's good that the book exposed that clearly. That made me lose respect for John too; sorry, but I have no sympathy for John Macy. I think Annie tried really hard to be a good wife, yet John just criticized her for being too close to Helen. Poor Annie, it was sad reading about her heartbreak. It was touching & kind of reassuring to read that it was Helen who came to Annie's support when Annie couldn't stop crying for several days over John. It was Helen who fired a letter off to John blasting him for badmouthing Annie. I cheered when Helen was the one who helped Annie get back on her feet, esp. since I hear that John cleaned out the Macys' joint account & closed it without Annie's consent & Annie had to struggle to get her career going again. Boy, was it inspiring to read about Annie's heart healing & her getting her writing going again as well as back on her feet financially! I love how Helen & Annie stood by each other all the way & once Polly joined them, stood by them too. Annie's shaky pride suffered a lot of blows in her life, but always she managed to get back on her feet. I always knew Helen was forever grateful to Annie for freeing her from her early wordless prison & helping her get started to an independent free life & Helen showed this gratitude by being the one to take care of Annie when Annie grew old & frail & went permanently blind. It was a touching mother-daugher bond almost...when Helen was young, Annie looked out for her, then the roles reversed; when Annie got older & weaker, Helen was the one to look out for her & it was great that Helen was able to be by her bedside when her mentor & friend died. What was wonderful also was that Annie was a really sweet, accepting person; she had so many problems in her life, yet never sank into self-pity; she even made wry jokes about her blindness & even wrote a self-effacing column "Foolish Remarks From a Foolish Woman." That part cracked me up! Annie was a quick-tempered little thing, but was quick to forgive & had a big heart & I'm glad this book acknowledged that. Even Helen said that Annie was generous "to a fault." But the last best gift Annie gave Helen was the capacity to be completely independent, even from her, so once Annie died, with only a little help from Polly, Helen was able to live a free life, even long after Annie was gone. I say kudos to both Helen Keller & Anne Sullivan!!!!



3. The lives of Helen Keller and her teacher, Ann Sullivan Macy are eternally intertwined. Helen Keller, blind and deaf since infancy depended on Annie since the age of 6 when the latter was hired to teach her.

   This comprehensive, fascinating and completely riviting biography does an excellent job of separating the two women's lives and analyzing each woman in her own right. Helen takes giant steps beyond the water pump where Annie first impressed upon her the concept of language. It is to this author's credit that the reader does not languish at that water pump, but follows these women throughout their lives.

   The true symbiosis is fully described when other teachers as well as Helen's own mother Kate, try to separate her from Annie. Feeling that her maternal authority had been usurped, Kate understandably wanted to wean Helen from Annie. Each attempt by any person to effect such a change resulted in disaster. Even Annie's marriage to a gifted editor named John Macy ended in an acrimonious split because he felt Helen took up too large a portion of their lives together. From all accounts, Macy seemed to feel that Annie used the same domineering methods she had used on the child Helen with him. He also described Annie as "manipulative and controlling," which certainly seem like apt descriptions of her approach. Resentful of Helen's constant presence and feeling like an odd member of an equally odd triadic relationship, John retreats further from the marriage.

   When Annie dies, Helen is disconsolate; she feels she can't survive without her "Teacher," although she, by that point had been at Annie's side for nearly half a century. A bright, progressive woman named Polly assumes the role of "Teacher," and Helen flourishes under her gentle tutlage and interpretation. Polly is clearly accepting of Helen's challenges and appears to make a sincere effort to see that Helen is fully included in all conversations and activities which she [Polly] is part of. One does not get the sense that Polly is a martyr. One gets the impression that Polly is loyal and determined with no agenda of her own.

   Helen's relationship with Polly does appear to be much healthier than her relationship with Annie. This book fully explores Helen's character, her life experiences and the types of relationships she forged in the post-Teacher years with intelligence and sensitivity.




4. AFB Press is the publishing arm of the American Foundation For The Blind. Helen And Teacher, written by biographer Joseph P. Lash and published by AFB Press, is a magnificent, 811-page opus that is the most comprehensive work ever done on the unique and moving story of a little blind, deaf and dumb girl, and the dedicated woman who brought her into contact with the world, and with people. The basic story is well known to the general public, the subject of stage plays and movies. But in Helen And Teacher, we are treated in exhaustive, definitive detail to this landmark biographical story of the human spirit. Also highly recommended from AFB Press is their wonderful little gift book, To Love This Life: Quotations By Helen Keller which is also available in an audiobook format.



5. There is no need to read anything else on Helen Keller or Annie Sullivan Macy, because it is all included in this incredible biography. This in-depth look at these two remarkable women was both readable and throughly informative. Of all my research on Annie Sullivan, I have found nothing that is not mentioned in Mr. Lash's work; he has truly captured her spirit, along with her triumphant pupil.

2 comments about A Reason to Believe: The Blaise Winter Story.

1. Blaise tells a very inspirational story about his life and all the challenges that he was able to overcome to follow his dream. Blaise used football as a way to communicate when he was unable to talk plainly. He tells how he never gave-up and continued to believe in himself when no-one else would. Blaise had a vary successful football career and is now a successful speaker. I would highly recommend this book.



2. This book is a great illustration of where heart and determination will get you in life. Blaise Winter, from day one, had to overcome many problems. From his cleft palate to his stubborn high school principle and coach, Blaise battled against all who didn't believe and reached his life-long dream....playing in the NFL. If you are feeling down on yourself or have little confidence, read this book and allow Blaise Winter to inspire you.

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.

5 comments about The Things I Want Most: The Extraordinary Story of a Boy's Journey to a Family of His Own.

1. An uplifting account of one boy's struggle to overcome a disadvantaged life. If you liked this, definitely check out "The Wanderer" by Ken Grant of Massachusetts (1993)



2. This book is the best personal account of fostering/adopting an older child that I have ever read. It is a natural for a "made for TV" movie, with its dramatic story, picturesque setting, and cast of "characters." I laughed, I cried, I sobbed. In Miniter and his wife, we see the mixture of naivete/ignorance, denial, and audacity that goes into the decision to bring a "disturbed" youngster into one's family. The book also reflects the reality that formal treatment plans are limited (and sometimes unrealistic) and that "real life"-- honest emotions and reactions, normal expectations, natural consequences-- can be a strong motivator in turning around dysfunctional behavior. To the reader who is NOT an experienced foster/adoptive parent, I would offer a few minor cautions: 1) Miniter makes no mention of receiving any kind of training before taking the boy into his family. If that was indeed the case, that's a major flaw in the "Harbor" program. Prospective foster and adoptive parents of kids in the child welfare system should receive fairly extensive training in areas such as what to expect when the children come into your home, how the system (and particular agency) works, and how to manage difficult behavior. 2) Miniter would probably be one of the first to point out that this book is not a blueprint for others but is instead ONE case study, of ONE youngster, in ONE family. The Ministers' experience notwithstanding, psychotropic medication and/or psychotherapy are important-- if not essential-- components in some youngsters' healing, and respite care and parent support groups can be lifesavers for some "therapeutic" parents. 3) Miniter says he ignored some of the safety precautions recommended by his agency, and suggested that (hunting) guns were readily accessible in his home. Having weapons easily available in ANY home with kids (even "normal" children!) is foolhardy, and most agencies REQUIRE pretty sensible safety precautions.



3. This book teaches many lessons. First and foremost that the husband-wife relationship plays such a major role in raising children, and it showed in this book. The relationship between Rich and Sue is an admirable one, one that not is not so common after so many years of marriage. With that bond of love, they raised a house full of kids and later in life, were able to take on one more kid, very different from their own. They gave it 1000% and stuck with it through thick and thin. What they did for "Mike" is untouchable, precious and blessed. God Bless the Miniters and the best of luck to "Mike" in his future endeavors to become a chef.........This book more than once will put a lump in your throat and a tear or two in your eye...To learn more about children, about sacrifices, about life, you must read this beautiful story !!



4. This book is not only for those who are adopting or work with disturbed children, but it can serve as a valuable lesson for those who have never been in these situations. It is necessary to know that trouble derives from the early years of a child's life and how important it is to show affection, trust and caring to children at all ages.



5. How many broken windows and hearts can one family endure? Obviously for the Miniter's there is no finite answer to that! What a family! I picked this book without having any clue of what it was about. Saw the jacket, the title caught my eye and that was all it took. I was drawn in almost immediately. I am a 20-something woman, that is not married, has no children and is not adopted. I have not encountered many, if any, foster children and I still found this book to be an incredibly moving story. To Richard and Sue and the entire family- you have most certainly earned my respect and admiration. If only we could all be as patient, understanding and as loving as you are! What a great testimony to the good in the world- thank you for sharing your story. I truly hope that you encounter only good fortune in the future, no one family deserves it more than you!!

2 comments about Bill W.: My First 40 Years - An Autobiography.

1. This is an autobiography of Bill Wilson, one of the co-founders of AA. It is an edited transcript of recordings he made during September, 1954, at the Hotel Bedford in the company of a man named Ed Bierstadt. The book contains interesting anecdotes on Bill's first forty years of life. The purpose of his recording these stories was to describe his childhood development and how it related to his personality development and subsequent descent into alcoholism. It ends abruptly at his speech before the Oxford Group. The Afterword briefly describes the ensuing thirtysix years and contains many footnotes referring to other books of interest about Bill W and the history of AA. This book is very refreshing and avoids the controversies that plague so many of the other biographies recently published. To read the account of Bill's spiritual experience again, in his own words, is extremely compelling. There are also several appendices which flesh out many of the references in the story.



2. This is the story of AA co-founder Bill Wilson's first forty years of life set forth in his own words recorded at the Hotel Bedford during September, 1954. He is assisted by Ed Bierstadt. The book is a wonderful compilation of anecdotes told in Bill's own words in an effort to shed light upon how his experiences led to his personality development which contributed to his fall into alcoholism. It is refreshing and free of controversial arguments found in some of the more recent biographies. The description of his spiritual experience once again by the man himself is very uplifting. The afterword and appendices nicely flesh out this historical account of this truly special man to whom so many owe their lives.

5 comments about The Day Donny Herbert Woke Up: A True Story.

1. The very idea that someone could wake up from a Rip Van Winkle like coma is amazing enough, but that the family could converse with him was astounding. I was left wanting to know a little more about Donny's eventual death and the effect of the waking on his family, but I suppose that story is still waiting to unfold.
   Donny's story should make us think about the kind of care we render to minimally conscious and comatose patients.
   I preached about this story one Father's Day.



2. While this book doesn't have a typical "happy ending" it ends with closure for the family, and is a very interesting and fairly well written book with a lot of backround information about the families and the struggles this couple experienced. Very good!



3. I could not believe they would let their dog run after their car all the way out to a suburb and I could not read anymore after he apparently got confused and lost the scent.
   
   What kind of end did HE come to ?



4. As a firefighter this book hit close to home. Also, the fact that I am a member of a fire department who unfortunately shared a similar case in which a firefighter was comatose for 13 years made this book extremely interesting. If you, or someone you know is a firefighter, buy this book. It it an easy, quick read yet it makes a person realize just how fragile life is. It also brings back memories of fires I have fought where just such an accident could have happened to me or my fellow firefighters. If you happen to be Catholic, the story is even more interesting. I highly recommend it.



5. I was sadly disappointed that I thought the last part of the book was the best part. I knew what the book was about--by the cover and the fly leaf(s) but the story seemed to go along at a snails pace until I got toward the end of the book.
   
   I would be interested in seeing (or hearing) Donny speaking. I felt my heart ache for the author when I read about how Donny was--I don't want to give away anything in this review.. just to say I felt the most emotion for the author at the end of the book.

No comments about Raising Tiffany - Portrait of a Special Girl.