2 comments about I Don't Have Time for This: My Battle with Cancer.

1. Thomas Canavan, book on his battle with cancer is an excellent read. My father is dealing with cancer and Mr. Canavan's book has allowed me to see some of the trials a cancer patient is going through. I found it a wonderful book, especially for someone who is caring or has someone close to them with cancer. It gave me hope that my father can beat this and have more good years ahead. It also helped me to understand what my father is feeling since he does not verbalize his thoughts.
   This is definatly a book worth reading.



2. "I Don't Have Time for This" is an inspirational chronicle of one man's courage and perserverance through a life-threatening experience. The author, Tom Canavan, Jr., offers a unique, personal persepective into the cancerous beast to which we all are prey. His ability to acknowledge and accept the help and love of his family and friends shines through what would otherwise be a dark journey. I recommend this book to all who need encouragement and hope.

4 comments about You Were Here Today.

1. Mollie Swope's "You Were Here Today" is reassuring that we are not alone in our experience of a life making the transition to the beyond. This book is a wealth of information on what happens when a loved one leaves us for the LIGHT and returns to us to lift our spirits. As I read the chapters it became clear to me of the great love between Mollie and her daughter Susie. It has been said that love transcends and it does!!!! Thank you Mollie and Susie for teaching such valuable lessons of strength, courage, wisdom and gentle peace. Sheila Jack Crabill



2. I grew up with Susie and the Swope Family. Susie went through some incredibly tough times during her bout with cancer. She remains a strong and beautiful spirit today because of the love she experienced from her family and friends. If you have ever experienced the loss of a loved one--this book is a MUST READ!



3. "Thank you Mollie. Everything you share (in your book) is so real and true. I could feel Susie hugging me again. Words are never enough but your love was...and is! Bless you." Bernie Siegel, M.D., Author of "Love, Medicine & Miracles"



4. Mollie Swope has written a book about transition. The learning process that we go through when we are forced to let go of someone dear...and the realization that we gain in knowing that nothing is ever lost...or gone, it has only changed form. This book is a celebration of Mollie's daughter, Susie, and a journey beyond the physical...into the realm of Love. This is a book about life and the life beyond the physical life. It is a healing tool, very inspirational.

   Mollie shared their families intimate story of the trials and tribulations of their personal fight against Susie's cancer. Through this process, a deep understanding of life's purpose and meaning emerges...a meaning that goes way beyond the physical. A relationship that began at birth...continues today as a legacy from the other side. This is a very inspirational book, that I would highly recommend to anyone.

1 comments about Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear: Inside Brain Injury.

1. Seven months post injury I met Sol Mongerman and was just barely able to communicate a complete sentence to him. I tried to tell him how grateful I was for his gut wrenching dialogue. I passed this gem around my Trauma Recovery Group, and all 15 of us devoured his words within the next 6 months. Sol's story reads like a bad dream, an adventure novel and the proverbial Fairy Tale. Not unlike our own stories. We could relate to his ordeal completely. The second section gives the reader a psychological analysis of the recovery stages of MTBI. This information was huge for me. It became the foundation of my understanding of the new me.

1 comments about Joni Eareckson Tada: Her Story.

1. I want to know if there is a video of this book. I have a client who would greatly benefit from it. She needs some inspiration. If anyone has information reguarding a video please write to me @ Ribeye75@hotmail.com. Thank you, Rhoda Smith

3 comments about Waiting for Home: The Richard Prangley Story.

1. This is a painful book to read, but interesting and important. I know Richard Prangley, and his positive outlook and love of life are amazing, given the pain he's endured throughout his entire childhood. This book helps the reader to understand that it's possible to survive unspeakable horror and yet live a life full of joy and community. This book forces us to think about how we label and separate people who don't meet our standards in some way, and how we do so with what we believe to be "good intentions."



2. John Schneider uses an easy-to-read style and an insight into the life of the developmentally disabled to document the tragic, but true, story of a special child who was sentenced to grow-up in a Michigan institution for the retarded. Richard Prangley's remarkable growth into a man and a mental health advocate is due to his determination for justice and belief in doing what is right. Richard's positive attitude is an inspiration to us all.



3. Anyone who has even the slightest interest in biographies of people who have been "labeled" will find this book to be not only a treasure for the field of human services, but a masterpiece literary glimpse into a life. A very remarkable life. Given to the reader for better or for worse. But,definitly for our better!

5 comments about Before I Say Goodbye: Recollections and Observations from One Woman's Final Year.

1. I have great sympathy for the family of the author. Living with cancer and losing a loved one to cancer are enormous tests of faith, courage and emotional stamina. This I know, for I, too, am living with cancer. The book is an excellent tribute to a courageous woman; however, I did have a major problem with the book. The book reads similar to a diary. Obviously, the e-mails and messages contained in the book meant a great deal to the author and her family. However, the the messages have little meaning to the book's reader. It felt like I was reading a stranger's mail but only getting bits and pieces that did not connect. The feeling was similar to listening to one side of a telephone conversation. We know nothing of the people who wrote these messages and e-mails; therefore, it was extremely difficult to relate to any of them, other than we all know they had compassion for the author and felt her loss. Overall, the book was a nice way of remembering Ruth Picardie, but it read like a jigsaw puzzle - a piece here, a piece there, but nothing fit together.



2. This book was not the book I had hoped to have bought. I enjoyed some of her emails, the writings by her family, or from readers. However, for anyone who can identify with this statement, it was not an edifying book for me. I expected her to die, of course. That was obvious from the title. I did not expect to find that she was an atheist, as was many of her friends and spouse. Death is difficult, but as a Christian, I know that when our objectives on Earth are fullfilled then our time here is done. I would be totally devastated if I didn't have the hope, the peace of knowing I have a heavenly Father who loves me, hears my prayers, and never allows me to walk thru this journey alone. How sad to find she most likely left Earth without knowing this peace. For me, this book had many positives but sadly, dieing an atheist was not what I had anticipated. Maybe I needed to read it, if for nothing else, but to appreciate what a blessing and comfort my Christianity is for me.



3. I was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor, Grade IV, and given a prognosis that was not exceptionally good. This book helped me put my feelings and emotions into perspective and better understanding, and it has helped family members who have read the book do the same. I enjoyed the book so much that I have ordered an extra copy to give to my Neurosurgeon in the hopes that he will find it worthy of having residents and medical students do required reading of it, in the hopes that they too can benefit from the patient's perspective. An excellent book of great value, but not an easy read for those diagnosed, or their families, with life threatening illness and disease.



4. First of all, I don't understand why so many people believe books should be "life changing". I'm saying this because, when reading the previous reviews about this book, quite a few people have mentioned that they expected this book to be life changing: and it wasn't. Why do all things written by cancer patients & such have to be life changing? That's one question. And why do the things they say have to be relevant to everyone? That's another question.

   Ruth Picardie was a person with her ups & downs, her good qualities & her bad qualities. One thing that should be immediately noted is that she never intended for a book to be made out of her emailing with friends. Or maybe she thought she had more time, which would enable her to continue writing her columns & make a book out of them eventually. Sadly, her illness caught up with her. So "Before I say goodbye" is just a collection of personal emails, letters from Observer readers, & her 4-5 columns for the Observer. The columns are definitely the best writing in the book, & that's how it should be, since it's the only writing intended for publication.

   For some reason, I was more touched by the emailing, maybe because the ordinarity of the messages showed me (as if I didn't know...) that commonplace things happen to people with cancer, even as they do to you & me. If you turn that around, it also means that cancer happens to commonplace people, again like you & me!! Obviouus, isn't it? But denial is a very strong force, & it's so natural to believe things like this cannot happen to you. If for nothing else, then just for this, "Before I say goodbye" is very chilling & terrifying. I for one read it in one sitting, yesterday night, & ended up finding it difficult to sleep afterwards...But on the other hand, this book also gave me a sense of perspective about my life & its problems.

   Another thing I should mention is that there's an interesting afterword by Ruth Picardie's husband, which gives a much fuller picture about the family & the way they all dealt with Ruth's condition. During the course of the book, lots of questions are left unanswered, which is natural since the book, as I said, is not really a book, but a collection of different pieces of writing. So Matt's writing puts everything into place. It's also a truthful & painful piece of writing.

   If you're generally interested in this subject-matter, John Diamond's "C: Because cowards get cancer too" is on the top of the list, & also "Dancing at the edge of life" by Gale Warner. These are much more complete books. It's very sad that Ruth's writing never had the chance of developing into a real book. Time was cruelly stolen from her & from her family.




5. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996 and in November of 1998 she died, aged 44. I watched her becoming helpless, obedient, clildlike and frequently found myself wondering "Who is this woman and where did my mother disappear to?"

   Reading this book helped me understand what happened to her and that it was not unusual for a cancer patient to become that way. In other words: She did not become a freak, and obviously that is a great comfort to know. My mother was still in there somewhere.

   This book will make you laugh and cry. It will break your heart and increase your understanding of loss and death.

   This book should be required reading everywhere!

2 comments about Chelsea: The Story of a Signal Dog.

1. This is a warm, wonderful story about a very special dog and the family who owns her. It depicts the temperament of a well-bred Belgian Sheepdog completely; Chelsea's devotion to her family and her job is 100%. A great read for dog lovers and those seeking a better understanding of the deaf community. As a bonus, the ending is a happy one!



2. If you love dogs and the help they give humans, you will love this book. It speaks of independence gained living with a trained canine, the dedication of the trainers of these dogs and humans, and has some humor. It speaks of the importance of recognizing these dogs as working dogs and not pets, and of allowing them the access they are legally entitled to. I couldn't put it down and wanted more.

1 comments about Big & Tall Chronicles: Misadventures of a Life Long Food Addict!.

1. This Author walked From Florida to Boston and was a guest on Regis and Kelly.
   Once I started reading this book I could not put it down. Gary is an inspiration! This soft covered book has large print. Chapter after Chapter, I laughed and Cried. I felt like he was talking to me as I was reading this book. This book will help anyone trying to lose weight every step of the way. It is worth every penny and then some...A great book for anyone no matter what size you are Big or Small! This is how the "Million Calorie March" was Born.Fighting obesity in todays society.
   The Reality, The humor and the Results all in one!
   If I could give it 10 Stars I would.

5 comments about Millie-Christine : Fearfully And Wonderfully Made.

1. I'm so glad that this book was written! I read another book years ago about the freak show circuit in which that author dismissed Millie-Christine as an obscure act about which very little was known. Wrong!

   Joanne Martel has found a rich trove of information about the conjoined twins, and she presents it in an interesting way. Photographs show the twins at different stages of their development. There are exerpts from newspaper accounts,handbills from their performances, family letters, etc. This author really did her homework to produce this solid work.

   While exhibiting "human oddities" is distasteful to us today, this book shows how Millie-Christine's life was not entirely horrific. The twins led a dignified life in the show business world. Born as slaves in 1851, they were lifted up from that life and were educated and taught to perform pretty songs and light amusements for the benefit of their audience. They were adept in social chatter, and were able to converse with adults and children in all walks of life. They traveled through Europe at an early age and met famous people and nobility.

   They were able to contribute to their family's support immediately after th Civil War, when the entire family found themselves free. Without the income provided by his twins, their father would not have been able to buy his parcels of land in North Carolina.

   Their specialness did cause unfortunate events in their lives. When young children, they were removed from their mother's care and sold to a showman who later lost custody. They passed through several hands, and ended up the wards of a kind and generous man who cared for them and their entire family.
   The constant prodding and poking of physicians, especially trying to the young girls as they approached womanhood, was a source of sorrow and embarassment.

   This is a good, readable account of two girls born into an interesting situation during interesting times. Recommended!




2. I really enjoyed learning about another set of conjoined twins. I felt the author told a story and didn't just rehash facts.
   Thanks.



3. Millie-Christine is a fascinating story. She/they managed to have a happy life, full of love and faith, despite their condition. They come across MUCH more sympathetically than do Chang and Eng in the recent novel about those Siamese twin brothers. Chang and Eng's degree of conjoinment was considerably less serious than Millie-Christine's, yet the Siamese Twins led a much more unhappy and depressing life, constantly bickering with each other. Millie-Christine chose to live by the philosophy "As God Decreed, We Agreed". They seemed to really love each other, and nearly everybody around them seemed to love them. They didn't let prejudice, slavery, or the ridicule of others get them down--they chose to cherish the unique advantages of their situation (what black girls in the 19th century would EVER have gotten to meet Queen Victoria)? They come across as truly inspirational.

   I give this book 4 stars because the writing, although the research is commendable, doesn't quite "grab" you, doesn't seem to really bring out their personalities or to tell enough about Millie-Christine as people, especially as children. The first part is a bit confusing--too many people kidnap Millie-Christine, the girls are being tossed around like a hot potato and it's hard to figure out who's got them, or who should have them! But of course that really did happen to slaves and "freaks of nature" in those days. The use of both singular and plural ("she" and "they") for the girl(s) is also a bit jarring, although it is explained clearly at the beginning why this is done. I wish there had been more elaboration of their thoughts and feelings--but probably that kind of stuff just didn't really get recorded beyond the innocent songs/poems and sanitized mini-biography which they wrote for their show. More from their letters and family memoirs would be interesting.

   All in all, though, a well researched portrait of one (or two, if you prefer, as I do) amazing, intelligent, and lovely and loving lady/ies.




4. This amazing, fascinating true tale deserves more attention than it has gotten from the press and review sources. Author Joanne Martel does a terrific job of not only telling Millie-Christine's story, but also of detailing the world she lived in.

   Much more interesting than the original Siamese twings Chang and Eng, her life crossed theirs and they even exhibited together for a time. Why their story survived in popular culture and hers is largely lost is a mystery. This is a remarkable story.




5. Millie-Christine deserves ongoing recommendation, providing the remarkable story of Siamese twins who were born into slavery in 1851 and who moved from slavery to the courts of Europe during their lives. Twice sold and kidnapped as a child, Millie-Christine traveled throughout Europe and earned a fortune.

1 comments about Heather's Rage: A Mother's Faith Reflected in Her Daughter's Mental Illness.

1. Heather's Rage helps people understand that having a loved one or them self that has a mental illness is no one's fault. It is a illness that can be inherited just like any other illness. It also helped me see how long I went undiagnosed with bipoler.