5 comments about The God Squad: The Bestselling Story of One Child's Triumph over Adversity.

1. This is the fascinating true story of a little boy who through no fault of his own is incarcerated in one of the appalling Irish industrial schools in existence in Ireland until 1970. He suffered physical, emotional and sexual abuse and as if this were not enough, he was then taken by the nuns of the industrial school and left to spend years of his precious life in different hospitals where he appears to have been no more than a guinea pig and was left with a permanent disability. Up to this day, no-one within the system has accounted for the brain operations, his eventual disability or any reason why he was in the different hospitals.
   The book is very well written and although it describes the horrors inflicted on a small child, the sadistic treatment he received in the hands of the nuns, one can sense a healthy resignation which comes across every page thus making the unbearably sad story a little easier to read.
   I found the book an inspiration, an ode to life, for after the total deprivation of affection, protection, a simple toy even, and having had his life taken away from him and practicaly destroyed, he not only survives with sanity but he wins in a superhuman way as he tells with such dignity about the perverse system under which he and so many other children were detained.
   It must have been very difficult to relive the horrors whilst writing this very informative book. And for such an effort, I am indebted.



2. When The God Squad was first published in Ireland in 1988, the Irish public were confronted with the reality of life behind the walls of religious-run orphanages and industrial schools. However, perhaps because it was seen as just one unfortunate boy's story, there was no general sense of outrage directed at the perpetrators or at the system which allowed supposedly 'religious' men and women to ill-treat children entrusted to their care. That had to wait until another expose by the journalist Mary Raftery eight years later.
   
   But Paddy Doyle broke the silence and for that we must all be grateful. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the real Ireland of the recent past. Paddy tells his story eloquently and without self-pity. The God Squad will break your heart. Read it.



3. Excellent and a very good read. I have read a few books about Ireland's Industrial Schools and saw the movie "The Magdeline (sp?)Sisters." All are helpful in understanding what the children Of Ireland's Industrial Schools went thru. Although Paddy only wrote about his experiences in "The God Squad," I feel great love and compassion and sadness for these children as well as a sense of great strength coming from them as adults to have the courage to tell their tales. God Bless every one of them and hope that they can find a sense of release and closure from the pain by letting the rest of the world know their stories.



4. "The God Squad" by: Paddy Doyle is an extremely well written book that took me through the whole range of human emotion. I laughed, cryed, was angry and happy as the author led me through his life from 4 1/2 years old through the epilogue. It is a book that I could not cast aside to finish later.....the 236 pages were rapidly devoured in a few hours. I recommend it very highly to everyone. The education, alone, is very well worth the price that one would pay for ANY book!....No wonder that it was a best seller in the United Kingdom. It will hit the USA in a big storm too!



5. I know this book is not out of print because I ordered it and read it in one day. Any intelligent reader knows that the mark of a good writer is the ability to write masterful, engaging narrative, and Paddy Doyle tells the story of his young life honestly and directly. It is this straightforward essential truthfulness which will keep your attention from page 1 through the epilogue. Of particular import in this literary journey is the challenge to see that the beauty of life is not there because of or in spite of what one survives, but because the human spirit, so brilliantly demonstrated in the Irish spirit of Paddy Doyle, is a fire that cannot be damped down. It's also a fine example of what happens when the church and state relationship gets too cozy; something we Yanks take for granted won't happen. Point and click your way to owning this book, it *is* available!

No comments about My Mother Ruth.

5 comments about One Particular Harbor: The Outrageous True Adventures of One Women With Multiple Sclerosis Living in the Alaskan Wilderness.

1. In this fascinating book, Janet Lee James describes her adventures while living in the Alaskan wilderness. While that may be enough of a challenge for many, this author suffers from multiple sclerosis. Coming to grips with this devastating diagnosis, Ms. James decides to live life to its fullest extent--and follows her dreams----to Alaska. She starts out in Anchorage working at a radio station, but eventually seeks out more remote areas of the state. Traveling to Cooper Landing, on the Kenai peninsula, Ms. James finds work as a cook/waitress/bar maid in a small lodge. As part of the deal, she can live for free in a rustic cabin. 60 feet up the side of a mountain, with no running water or electricity. This would normally be enough of a challenge for anyone, but imagine doing this with the exacerbations of MS. Ms. James provides an infinitely readable and entertaining book. She is frank and honest about the problems encountered with MS, some of which can be pretty humiliating. After reading this I immediately googled her name to see if she had written more books, but was unable to find her or any other books she has written. This book is highly recommended.



2. I was on the fence about buying this book due to what seemed may be mostly about MS and it's horrors . But, took a chance and am glad I did . I realize it was first published in 1993 and here it is 2007 and I just got around to it .
   
   I was captivated by Ms. James sheer gutsiness ( is that a word ? )to leave the safety of her home and family to pursue a dream she might have otherwised put off like the rest of us do , thinking we have all the time in the world . She made me laugh , and made me shake my head at some of her antics before MS got a real hold on her . amazing adventure ..worth your time and $$$ .
   
   the last 1/3 of the book was un-nerving tho . I'm happy I didn't read it as a young girl , i would have been looking for every symptom . I learned more about MS then i wanted to also ....all the promises to her and every patient of that time over 30 years ago ...saying a cure was probably going to be found in a few years with all the research . How sad . they are no closer to a cure now then 30 years ago .
   
   I would have been terrified to go it alone in a state such as Alaska with no real friends waiting for me knowing that I had MS yet not knowing what to truly expect from it as being newly diagnosed and each case different.
   
   I do have many questions tho , BUT those I wrote in a letter to her home . I hope she is still with us . In any case ...God Bless and may she find peace & happiness wherever she is .



3. What an excellent, excellent, excellent book and a brilliant author. The author had the courage to share the often unspeakable truths of what can happen, which doctors NEVER tell you about. She also has a warm and charming way of infusing humor and inspiration so others to gain a sense of hope and to "go for their dreams and make them happen. I can't think of a gutsier auther!
   I loved it and would love to meet her!



4. This book is great - positiveley the best book I've ever read. It follows the story of Janet, a woman with MS. Instantly, you feel as if Janet is an old friend. A good book for when you're feeling frustrated with the world and wishing you could do like Janet did...fly away to Alaska. A true story of adventure!



5. I have read all sorts of books on MS--- Medical journals, personal accounts, alternative healing.. This wonderful book brought me to new heights in my understanding of the disease.. I wanted to jump on a plane to Alaska and pick up where Janet left off! I loved her bravery, her honesty and especially her sincerity. I, too, am a vagabond and traveler with MS... One of my favorite books ever on the subject!

No comments about The Sweet Cherry Ranch: A Memoir.

No comments about Dead Asleep.

1 comments about Full Face: A Correspondence About Becoming Deaf in Mid-Life.

1. This is an excellent book for both deaf and hearing people. As someone who is partly deaf and whose hearing is worsening with the years, the advice in this book was timely and needed both for me and for my family, all of whom hear perfectly. Time and again, I found the author writing just what I had been feeling or experiencing, as if she had been riding on my shoulder the past few years. And boy, can she write! Excellent prose, witty, graceful, and compelling. Some of the references may be out of date now but the wisdom of this book will never be. She addresses not only the practical sides of hearing loss but also the emotional, mental and spiritual sides in a manner that is never intrusive on one's own beliefs but always like listening to a loving and wise friend. I cannot recommend this book enough, especially for anyone in a family in which someone is losing their hearing and thus their life-giving contact with others.

No comments about Mental Illness/Spiritual Warfare: Two Sides to the Same Coin.

5 comments about Saving Milly: Love, Politics, and Parkinson's Disease (Ballantine Reader's Circle).

1. Excellent book, well written. Anyone who has, or is spouse or friend of
   someone with Parkinson's should read this book. It will make you cry and then make you mad, really mad. The U.S. Government should read it and see
   how poorly funds are distributed for aid and research. It's a shame.



2. Paperback includes both a reading guide and a compelling interview with Kondracke by his comrade, Fred Barnes. In particular, it is interesting to learn about what Kondracke wishes he had done a bit differently in telling the story. In a sense, Kondracke stands outside the story to evaluate how faithfully he told it, an extraordinary exercise.
   
   Maybe this book is less about Milly and more about "saving Milly" and what that meant: pragmatically, socially, politically, spiritually. It's a useful distinction to bear in mind. There is some background information about this brave and lovely woman, but inasmuch as the topic is an encounter with a disease she has, this is not a biography of Milly. It is a picture of sickness and its impact: not of the woman, herself.
   
   There are plenty of books about people with illness: fewer, by far, about the very flawed, though devoted, individuals who care for them. Kondracke seems no longer to flinch at the shadows of his inadequacy and pomposity, which might encourage the reader to consider a similarly brave examination of conscience. Many of us will be called to be caregivers. This is no map, but it is a clear narrative of costs, rewards, pain, and delight that bubble up in the dynamic between cared-for and caregiver.
   
   I liked the book a lot and absolutely recommend the paperback edition because of its additions.



3. I had known Milly Kondracke for a quarter of a century before her death last year of Parkinson's disease. She was my mentor. Morton's memoir of their marriage is touching, well-written and a quick read.
   
   My only regret is that Morton glossed over Milly's wonderful gift as a social worker/therapist in a paragraph, for that was her career identity. Milly did her own mourning when she had to cease her private practice due to her illness. Still the book gives you a taste of her personality, one of those persons who were larger than life.
   
   "Saving Milly" achingly illustrates the struggle of a family who must care for a loved one through a long term illness and raises the question of politics, funding and ethics for those with incurable illnesses. I highly recommend this book.



4. Reading this book was like sitting at a kitchen table and letting Mort just pour his story out over a cup of coffee (like Mort, I am a recovering drunk so we can't do it over a beer). His is a story of passion, love, commitment and clear proof that there is nothing in my life I can ever complain about again.
   
   Millie is an extraordinary woman, her struggles with life, faith and Parkinson's come alive in this real narrative. You can't help but feel her pain, and Mort's immense love and commitment to her.
   
   I have always liked Kondracke as a pundit - I am a liberal republican, he a conservative democrat. We share similar feelings about nearly every issue except who we are most likely to initially vote for in a Presidential race. His struggle to get government officials to hear his plea for funding pissed me off - and I am sure you will share his frustrations in the reading.
   
   Most critically, you will absolutely be moved by the openness, honesty and devotion in this story.



5. Morton Kondrake's book is about much more than his wife Milly's Parkinson's disease. It's also about their life together, their marriage, the differences that caused friction between them, Kondrake's struggles in his career and those to overcome his own weaknesses, including, for a time, alcoholism. What emerges is a story of quiet heroism, both his and Milly's, as she defies the odds and continues to prove that her will to live is greater than her despair. Kondrake also writes about the politics of research and fundraising for various diseases, and how some diseases have more cache than others, even if the disease garnering more print and air time afflicts far fewer people than other devastating ailments. This may not come as a shock to people but it is still important so that we can all do what we can to campaign to make disease research and funding more equitable.

   I was most touched by Kondrake's unsparingly honest account of his own shortcomings as a man, a husband, and father, and how Milly, and eventually, her Parkinson's disease, made him grow into a far greater man than he was before. The fact that this is a true account makes this book very significant, and more moving than any fiction could be. It's impossible not to read it without tears.

5 comments about The Moon Is Broken: A Mother's True Story (Signet).

1. This book was written in behalf of families whose lives are troubled by the addiction of a loved member. It is also intended to help young adults recognize how risk-taking behavior can lead to the dissolution of all one's dreams,



2. good book. i recomend it for people who are involved with special circumstance people. things like this really do happen and i feel the more you know about people like this the more you learn to cope with them and help them to survive in this world.



3. Some books touch us in ways that remain with us for many days of our lives. This book is one of them. When I finished the book I just closed it and said, "Wow" - it was such intense reading. I feel I know Eleanor Craig and her family. Be prepared to shed some tears -- at least I did. However this book is great and shows readers how drug abuse not only affects the user, but greatly hurts friends and families and how everyone feels so helpless. I have great respect for Ms. Craig and how she had the courage and strength to document the loss of her own daughter. I have loved and thoroughly enjoyed all of her books; I wish there were more. I thoroughly recommend also authors: Torey Hayden and Mary MacCracken. I have read all of their books.



4. Some books touch us in ways that remain with us for many days of our lives. This book is one of them. When I finished the book I just closed it and said, "Wow" - it was such intense reading. I feel I know Eleanor Craig and her family. Be prepared to shed some tears -- at least I did. However this book is great and shows readers how drug abuse not only affects the user, but greatly hurts friends and families and how everyone feels so helpless. I have great respect for Ms. Craig and how she had the courage and strength to document the loss of her own daughter. I have loved and thoroughly enjoyed all of her books; I wish there were more. I thoroughly recommend also authors: Torey Hayden and Mary MacCracken. I have read all of their books.



5. Some books touch us in ways that remain with us for many days of our lives. This book is one of them. When I finished the book I just closed it and said, "Wow" - it was such intense reading. I feel I know Eleanor Craig and her family. Be prepared to shed some tears -- at least I did. However this book is great and shows readers how drug abuse not only affects the user, but greatly hurts friends and families and how everyone feels so helpless. I have great respect for Ms. Craig and how she had the courage and strength to document the loss of her own daughter. I have loved and thoroughly enjoyed all of her books; I wish there were more. I thoroughly recommend also authors: Torey Hayden and Mary MacCracken. I have read all of their books.

5 comments about Silencing the voices: one woman's experience with multiple personality disorder.

1. Even today, Multiple Personality Disorder(MPD) challenges psychologists and health care practitioners. One common denominator MPD patients seem to share is childhood trauma, usually sexual and/or physical abuse. Children use the natural human ability to "disassociate" when the pain or trauma becomes more than they can bear. After the body has been hurt, the child may no longer feel the pain because the mind has found "a safer place to be." In MPD "alters" or "other personalities" emerge; they may be male or female, child or adult, extrovert or introvert. This book is the journey of Jean Darby Cline from childhood abuse at the hands of her father, verbal abuse in her first marriage, and diagnosis as a "multiple" to therapy and healing with the help of Jack M. Reiter, M.D.,P.S.

   As the book will reveal, the healing process can be as painful as the childhood abuse. During therapy, the patient often relives the memories and pain of the abuse. Often MPD patients are not aware, prior to therapy, of the multiples living inside them. They may realize there is a problem but not know exactly what the problem is. Jean Darby Cline exposes her feelings, fears and pain, and gives the reader a true account and inside view of what it is like to live with MPD. In her case, she had three alters, but it is not uncommon for patients to have many, many more as was the case in the book, "Sybil."

   If you want to learn more on MPD, I would highly recommend "Silencing the Voices" as well as, "First Person Plural" by Cameron West(see my review.)Both are excellent books on the subject.




2. Jean Cline's recounting of her horrific experiences with her twisted father took courage. She does not back away from her experiences in retelling them in this book; she confronts them and by setting an example encourages others to do likewise.

   Jean Cline developed three distinct personalities to cope with her overwhelming life conditions. Like most persons with DID/MPD, she was highly creative, artistically talented and suffered horrendous abusive childhood experiences. She gives a fresh voice to this now recognized condition and it is through her perseverance that she is able to "integrate" her "alters" and become a core. She is Gestalt; the whole person is greater than the sum of her parts (alters). Like a shifting kaleidoscope, Jean Cline shifts into various patterns of behavior and appearances. Like a kaleidoscope, at no time is she ever the same. Once integrated, she is able to make peace with herself.




3. In doing research about Dissociative Identity Disorder I was referred to this book. It clarified so many things about the disorder, how it works, how if affects everyone from the patient to the family and how it can be cured. I highly recommend this book! It's a wonderful story of support and recovery and also gives a graphic depiction into the mind/life of an abuser; through her father's actions. Jean has done a good job of relaying her experiences to the world.



4. As the spouse of a multiple I found this book to be very informative in the area of how the multiple personalities process in their mind the abuse they are put through. I noted many similarities from my own observations. One of my wife's personalities wants to read the book but I've cautioned her about the potential triggering portions but also stated that she might find the description of the road to integration to be encouraging. Congradulations to the author. I have an understanding of the strength it took to write this book.



5. Even though I don't have multiple personality I could relate with many parts of this book. I thought it was wonderfully written and gave me things to think about in my abuse recovery. Many thanks to those who have the courage to step out and share their lives in order to help others.