5 comments about The Feel Of Silence (Health Society And Policy).

1. I found this book to be extremely powerful. Bonnie wholely admits to being in denial about her deafness til she was 38. At first I found this disturbing as she KNEW she was deaf, but claimed to be in denial. Three months AFTER I read the book it finally hit me what she was saying!!! She was not in denial about her deafness, she was in denial about the fact that her deafness made her different from other people, AND she was in denial that it impacted on her life! This was a huge lesson to me, because I was (then) doing the EXACT same thing!! I blamed a madrid of other "things" that affected my life EXCEPT for my hearing loss! What a relief it was to be able to accept the truth and get on with my life, and go forward! I now accept and do know that it is just a part of me that I have to live with every day!!! I must constantly educate others about it, and I am always appreciative of those who make the extra efforts to accommodate me and keep me informed on what is going on around me.
   
   This book was very liberating for me and helped me tremendously! Bonnie is one of the very few deaf authors that addresses the implications that hearing loss has on one's own life, and those people directly around you.



2. I ran into this book by accident looking for a book about law. (LOC cataloged it in the Dewey system as 340.092, near books like Legal Realism at Yale.) It's actually the autobiography of Bonnie Poitras Tucker, born (so far as anyone can tell) totally deaf but who eventually became a lawyer and a law school professor. Tucker's strength is in communicating the burden of being deaf even for a gifted lip reader. I must say that I never thought about how terrifying darkness must be for the deaf, how much it would hurt to be thought rude because one couldn't hear everyday sounds or conversation, or even how a moustache might completely frustrate a lip reader. Tucker's reluctance to tell others about her handicap undoubtedly made some periods of her life more difficult than they might have been otherwise, but it takes little imagination for the reader to sympathize with her desire to be "normal." Curiously, although Tucker, is an expert on the law of disabilities, her book does not address legal issues in any rigorous way. For her, it is a self-evident truth that a theater owner should provide a seat for her interpreter at no charge. Likewise, the brief attempt she makes at discussing her religious beliefs (basically none) is more simplistic than one would expect from a law school teacher. Nevertheless, the book is worth reading. As a teacher who has had a number of deaf students over the years, I will certainly think twice before regrowing my moustache.



3. I would have never heard of this book if not for a dear friend's recommendation - whose 15-year old daughter has been deaf since birth. And I am as profoundly grateful to my friend Anna Marie, as I am to Bonnie Tucker, the author - for a lesson in gratitude. compassion and frustration . . .
   
   All of us, the hearing - will learn of gratitude for the "given" of the sense of hearing. We will add to our repertoire of our feelings a very special variation of compassion - for one like Bonnie - full of zest and energy in her approach to life - who definitely does not want pity.
   
   We will learn of the aspects of frustration which our hearing world may not conceive of. Why not learn of this? Why not absorb some of the unique feelings which none of us ever thought of, in the situations none of us ever has found himself/herself?
   
   You, the psychologists, might add to your lists of therapeutic data - this very intelligent woman's pointers and leads - how and when to help the deaf . . .
   
   As the deaf are not really deaf - witness Beethoven and his most significant output as a composer in the late years of life, when, after becoming deaf, his hearing switched inward, into the inner world of sound - after all we all have an inner ear.
   
   So does Bonnie Tucker and she has proven it with her astounding life and career as a mom and an attorney. Hurrah to the victor!
   
   Eva Victoria Tame, [...].



4. I found this book to be upsetting and depressing. All of her life, it seems the author never accepted the fact that she was deaf and tried "passing" as hearing for her entire life! Although I am not deaf and do not pretend to know what it is like to be deaf, I felt that she made her life so much more of a struggle by shunning the Deaf Community. She refused to sign and tried to live as a hearing person. This book left me with a feeling of overwhelming sadness for all that this woman has missed in her life as a result of not accepting her deafness and at least trying to be a part of both the hearing and the deaf communities.



5. The account of a courageous woman who has been deaf since at least age two. Determined to communicate, she taught herself lip reading and speech. Her life has been a journey to defy all obstacles that stood in the path of her being totally involved in the hearing world. She refused to accept permanent set backs and plunged ahead with a strength of determination seldom seen in any human being. Although she had a lifetime to become adept at deafness, she presents as a role model for all of us whether two years deaf as I am, or deaf from birth. She is not an experienced story teller but her life is rich in adventure. It will evoke a plethora of emotions from all readers and may spark the debate about communication styles for deaf children. I would reccommend this book to parents of deaf children and to deaf adults

5 comments about The Me in the Mirror.

1. As a disabled woman, I really loved this book, and could identify with many aspects of Connie's life. An educating book to those who are not disabled.



2. I read this book a few years a go and loved it. I think it was an honest book. I know it is because I have SMA like the author so I am a good judge of the subject. This book is not "Preachy" or filled with religious meaning like some disabled books. Nor does it make the disabled look needy or helpless. It's just about her life. It's not supposed to go in to great detail of specific disability issues...that's what essays and textbooks are for. Even so, I do think it does give the average "walkie-talkie" insight of disabled culture. Everything from care, school, career and romance. The writing is in everyday language and shows her humor in dealing with her struggles. The main flaw is the poor edit job. I didn't find it too distracting (if you can handle reading a personal journal you should be OK with this book) and the book is a quick read. There is a great need for books on adults with born with disabilities and disabled women. I'm glad this book made it!



3. I finished this book last night, and I was frankly infuriated by some of the earlier reviews posted about this book. This is probably the most illuminating book about the day to day existence of an extremely disabled person; which holds back nothing, that has ever been written. Panzarino, who, despite her disability was a powerful force for chance in the way the disabled are treated in society, passed away on the 4th of July of this year. Her passing only makes this book more poignant. Panzarino's style is eloquent and engaging; her story both heartbreaking and inspirational. This book is a MUST read for anyone interested in reading fascinating biographies of women who have truly helped to change the world, as well as a great tool for understanding what those with disabilities go through in a world that wasn't designed with them in mind. This book changed my view of the world profoundly. I am planning on buying it for all my friends as Xmas gifts--and hope that Connie's incredible courage wil inspire them as much as it did me.



4. I could barely finish this unorganized story told in plain language. The topics covered are important. Yet, the writing and selfish spin of the book left a very bad taste in my mouth.



5. Ms. Panzarino presents an accurate and passionate account of an absolutely remarkable life. She survived the disability that should have killed her as a child, the terrible pressures of her home, where she and her mother were trapped in a dance with no help for either. She fought her family and the "abled" world for her independence and THRIVED as a whole womin in a society which assigns a half-life to the disabled adult. I am new to the disabled community, having suffered a major stroke at the age of 49 and two small ones since. They have left me nearly speechless but I cannot even imagine the world Ms. Panzrino has had to live in. I can only admire this brave womin's strength, fortitude, intelligence and candor. The reviewer who did not see the life story and daily life of a disabled person did NOT read the same book I read!! This is and excellent read by an enlightened individual! My only disappointment is that there has not been a follow-up book since this wonderful tome was written!

5 comments about Permanent Midnight: A Memoir.

1. The reader who began his review with the header Beautiful Loser was spot on. Of course, this book has plenty of the scandalous details about hepatitis C, vomiting, blood, nodding and assorted weirdness. But the real strength of the book is the consistently poignant way in which Stahl describes his feeling of absolute alienation from everything. These passages are touching, accurate, moving and eloquent. For a slightly less eloquent version of the exact same terrain of alienation as seen through addiction, try Dee Dee Ramone's autobiography.



2. If you don't want to shoot up for years and figure it out on your own, please read this book. If you wonder why your genius-kid is out shooting up, please read this book. If you think you might go and shoot up, please, please, please read this book (instead). It is a 100% accurate portrayal of the highly intelligent, not to mention highly creative, mind under the influence of a completely destructive upbringing and eventually a completely enslaving opiate habit. You will see the hypocrisy, both short and long term, any addict must justify or at least fog out in order to continue the cycle (a cycle most people will never understand). You will, after more or less going through it with Jerry (what, with the friendly and familiar choice of words, stomach-dropping descriptions and gut bursting humor), reach the end of this book with a thoughtful and understanding tear in your eye and, if you were lucky enough to have read it instead of having to go through it (which usually goes down without the $6000 a week to spend), a new and broader understanding of people you might have otherwise summed up and dismissed (at a less informed time of your life). Take interest in a problem which affects our families as well as ourselves. Please read this heart-felt masterpiece.



3. After reading this book it sure soured me on McDonald's. And I live in Phoenix.



4. Surprisingly, I found this book to be an excellent read. Stahl's extremely honest and no-holds-back dipiction of his "arrival" into Hollywood and his "departure" into heroin addiction, was incredibly exciting and moving. I've read 'em all (regarding addiction) and this is right up there on top. As a recovering addict myself, I find it hard to find an author who is genuinely honest of where the drugs and alcohol take them, and just how hard it is to get back, without having ego replace honesty. Hats off to Stahl for being able to accomplish the far and few between.



5. I thought I would hate this book because the guy seemed like some rich Hollywood type who romanticized his bout with drugs. The saving grace, was that the book is completely hilarious.

3 comments about ADD and Me: Forty Years in a Fog.

1. Reading this book was like speaking to Ken. Ken is a good guy who is a very talented writer. Normally, I wouldn't read a book like this, but since I know Ken personally, it was like having him in my living room. I found I had to concentrate on the text more than usual because its a bit all-over-the-place, but so is Ken. Since I like him so much, I found it easy to like the book. I think you will too. -Johnny



2. Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read. Mr. Patterson's story is both funny and sad. Having ADHD myself, I found myself nodding in agreement while reading the book because I could identify with the difficulties, feelings and situations he faced.
   
   For someone with ADHD, the value in reading this book is finding out that other people are dealing with the same issues and that you are not alone. For someone without ADHD, it is important to keep an open mind while reading this book because it may be hard to identify with the author's struggles and writing style. Yet, it will help give a better understanding of people who are ADHD.
   
   Again, an enjoyable read that is also authentic. Highly recommended!



3. ADD and Me: Forty Years In A Fog is the personal memoir of a man with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), which he likens to living in a fog. Impulsiveness, distractions, and obsessions complicate his life from childhood to school, military career, and personal relationships - without the natural stability of cognition that other people take for granted, author Ken Patterson has had to find alternative means to cope. An inspirational story filled cover to cover with anecdotes that are sometimes humorous, sometimes dark, but always laced with challenges above and beyond the norm.

5 comments about Manic By Midnight.

1. This was a great book to give insight on her own trial and tribulations of coping and dealing with bipolar. I read it as an assignment but the knowledge I gained will help me to educate those in the future. Thank you Faye Shannon for going out on a limb and putting your whole life out there for others to read. You are truely an inspirational person.



2. This book contains a candid description of the experience of a manic episode and the social, career, family and financial devastation it can cause. I'm sure most bipolars will identify with Faye, and SOs of bipolars will get an insight into the illness that perhaps the rest of us don't always have the words to convey.
   
   It was very engaging. I put aside the other 3 books I'm reading just to see how things turned out.



3. Faye has written a touching and uplifting story about her struggle with bipolar disorder. She appears to have been afflicted with a pretty severe variety of the disorder, perhaps Bipolar I would be the proper diagnosis. The writing isn't as good as in the finest mental illness memoirs, such as "An Unquiet Mind" or "Girl, Interrupted", but she is still able to tell her story vividly and honestly. The reader is likely to find himself cheering for her, hoping she can get her life back together. Anyone with bipolar disorder should read this book. Avery Z. Conner, author of "Fevers of the Mind".



4. I rate this book five stars! This well written and fascinating book is about the author's experience with mental illness. Her perspective helped me put into words so many feelings I had. I especially enjoyed the part where the author wrote from a psychotic viewpoint, which makes the book all the more unique.

   This book would surely be of help to a bipolar or a relative of a mentally ill person.




5. I read other reviews before purchasing this book, and had high expectations of Ms.Shannon's story. Once I began reading, however, I found her writing style to be extremely repetitive, with many sentences being paraphrased over and over again. This may be intentional, to reflect the confused state of mind during a stressful period in the author's life, but does not, in my opinion, add substance to the book or to the subject matter.

   Having said this, I have to mention that I do empathise with her story, being a bipolar patient myself. I just expected that a published book would have a higher quality of written English on its pages. Contrary to other reviewers' opinions, I kept having to put the book down as I tired of the writing style.

No comments about Ms. Doesn't Stand for Multiple Sclerosis.

5 comments about Curing the Incurable.

1. It should be pointed out that this book was written before the DMD or CRAB drugs were used to help suppress MS. Chemotherapy is only used in aggressive relapsing-remitting MS and in conjunction with Copaxone now. Jacqueline Rigg wrote this book from her experiences with active MS, over 20 years ago.
   I found this book's recipes to be quite useful. I don't believe that there is a 'cure' for MS, but that it is best to examine all options.
   Personally, diet plus DMD has worked very nicely for me. However....this could have happened anyway.
   Sticking rigidly to a diet just because it has worked for someone else is very common and can be encountered in all diet groups, Raw, Vegan, Best Bet, Swank, Atkins, you name it, there will be diet evangelists and their devout followers.
   Diet is not a religion and it's time that people grew up about this. The same goes for medicine.
   When you live with a disease that can affect your body differently each day, you learn the hard lesson of living without absolutes.



2. In '97 I was diagnosed with MS. Someone told me about this book and I ordered it. Its a best buy with the best advise!!! A must read for anyone who seeks to listen to the inner self. Don't do as I did. Read the book and follow it. I wasted a lot of time before I finally followed it and my own inner self to wellness.



3. This was fantastic. my partner has been diagnosed with ms but chooses not to take medication. this book has helped both of us and has improved his symptoms no end. it is so good to read a book that isn't full of medical terminology but just states things how they are. easy to read, easy to understand and the recipes really do taste good



4. I thought this was a terrific book on using nutrition and related approaches to "heal" MS, primarily because Ms. Rigg does not advocate any one particular approach but rather emphasizes the need for each person with MS (or any other health challenge) to do lots of research and figure out what works best for him or her. Her emphasis on keeping a diary to record reactions to different foods and the inclusion of many recipes are both practical and useful ways to help the person with MS. After almost a decade with this disease, I am tired of medication and even more of insurance companies, and am committed to trying the nutritional approach to MS by starting a diary this week. Thanks Ms. Rigg!



5. Jacque Rigg dared to do what the medical establishment tells the patient is iether incorrect or ineffected... taking control of your own health and denying the establishment 16K a year to pay for harmful pharmacueticals. I agree whole heartedly with most of what I have read. I myself refuse to take the medications which cause tremendous side effects, often leading to a host of other illnesses and disorders. I have turned only to organic/living foods, magnetic matresses, yoga, prayer, nutritional supplements, acupuncture and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. In a matter of four months, almost all of my symptoms have disappeared. This I know, is not due a "natural" remission, but my body's capacity to heal itself through proper nutrition and lifestyle. This is a wonderful introductory guide for those seeking to avoid the horrendous side effects associated with traditional "western" medicine. There are however several other natural protocols not included in the book that readers may also want to explore. Ironically, I am an Epidemiologist who teaches at a medical school, but who under any and all circumstances would follow Rigg's advise before taking the toxic medications which are currently available to MS patients. Thank you Jacque for a "true" contribution to the field of health. There are many of us out here who truly love and respect you for your efforts. Dr. Liza Molina

No comments about Enabling Lives.

2 comments about On the Sea of Memory: A Journey from Forgetting to Remembering.

1. Cott's story is amazing but his reaching out to experts in so
   many fields to help us understand memory's role in science,
   religion, our humanity is priceless!



2. This erudite author lost 15 years of his life's memories after 36 electroshock treatments in 1998. The first chapter is a MUST for anyone contemplating this procedure. Jonathan Cott didn't know Princess Diana had died and didn't recognize names in his address book.
   
   But CAVEAT EMPTOR. It appears the author has also had his cojones expunged along with his memories. Skeptically quoting the quacks who promote shock treatment (e.g. Max Fink: "ECT is one of God's gifts to mankind") he nonetheless "anxiously awaits the day" when convulsions can be induced by magnets.
   
   He calls ECT a deal with the devil, a trade off of memory and brain cells with every shock for "improvement" which is temporary at best. He believes that ECT should be used only as a "last resort," a cliche which has rationalized the procedure for 67 years and resulted in the electroshocking of more than 6 million people in the U.S. alone.
   
   Could this be an instance of the taming effect of electroshock? One would think this man would be outraged at having lost 15 years of his life's precious memories.
   
   [...]

1 comments about Miles to Go Before I Sleep: My Grateful Journey Back from the Hijacking of Egyptair Flight 648.

1. This is an incredible first person account of a woman who was the selected target of terrorists on an Egypt Air Flight because she was holding an American Passport. She was taken outside of the plane onto the top of the stairs and was shot in the head. Her body fell down the stairs onto the tarmack and she was left there for dead. People picking up her body unexpectedly discovered she was alive and rushed her to a hospital. The remainder of the story is of her amazing recovery coupled with personal tragedy and overcoming obstacles to teach herself to read again(she was able to do this based on her special education background/experience) in spite of her prognosis.