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Reviews (2)

A GODSEND
This book has proven a godsend for my mom (who suffers from Parkinsons) and myself. The information is sound, easy to follow, and presented with ample background. I like the writer's approach to nutrition (i.e., good flavor is essential). Her knowledge of Parkinsons is impressive. I can't begin to tell you how many questions it answers. I consider this book an essential part of my mom's medical "team."

Great book on nutrition and the PD patient.
One of the most enlightening books I've read regarding Parkinson's Disease.Focusing on nutrition and what your body is going through with PD, it is a primer for what to watch out for, how to deal with dietarychallenges, and what to expect.This book will help you make a nutritionalgame plan, and prepare a pre-emptive strike against most of the commonsurprises PD throws at you. I don't suffer from PD - I'm a family member. It was great for me and great for my family PD-er.I recommend this bookto everyone interested in living better with Parkinson's. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Consumer Health    2. Medical    3. Nutrition    4. Parkinson's Disease    5. Diet/Health/Fitness   

Editorial Review

Morton Kondracke chronicles his wife's 13-year battle against Parkinson's disease with the same attention to nitty-gritty details and shrewd understanding of how power works that distinguish his political commentary. Kondracke doesn't airbrush how horrible it is to have Parkinson's (the squeamish should avoid the passages about Milly Kondracke's two rounds of deep-brain surgery), or how difficult it is to live with someone who does (the mere recitation of his caretaking activities will exhaust most readers). He provides unvarnished accounts of the battles among members of the Parkinson's Action Network and other disease activists competing for limited federal research funds, until they got real and decided to fight to double the National Institutes of Health's budget so everyone would get more money. And he refuses to offer a feel-good ending charged with false hope; the book's closing pages include a grim account of the Kondrackes' discussions about what to do if she becomes unable to swallow. (They settled on refusing the feeding tube and allowing her to starve to death, which "is not painful if the patient doesn't take liquids.") Offsetting this bleak material is a vibrant, loving, and equally candid portrait of the indomitable Millicent Martinez Kondracke, who began up-ending the admittedly self-absorbed, drivingly ambitious Kondracke's life from the moment they met in 1966. He'd planned to marry an Ivy-educated heiress who could further his career; instead he was swept away by a Mexican Jewish American firebrand who challenged authority on everything from a botched car repair to the school system's poor handling of their daughter's dyslexia. Seeing how powerful she once was, we share her anguish as she descends into disability--and her husband's hope that, despite all the current scientific projections, research will provide a breakthrough in time to save Milly. Read more

Reviews (33)

Outstanding interview + reader's guide in paperback edition
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.
Saving A Friend
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.
Why I Will Never Complain Again
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.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. General    6. Health    7. Kondracke, Milly    8. Literary    9. Parkinson's disease    10. Patients    11. United States    12. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Subjects:  1. Medical    2. Medical / Nursing    3. Movement disorders    4. Neurology - General    5. Parkinson Disease    6. Parkinson's disease    7. Surgery    8. Surgery - Neurosurgery    9. Diseases & disorders    10. Neurosurgery   

Subjects:  1. Health/Fitness    2. Medical / Nursing    3. Miscellanea    4. Neurology - General    5. Parkinson's disease    6. Neurology & clinical neurophysiology   

Reviews (2)

A must for patients and family members.
As the daughter of an 83 yr old mother who is developing more and more PD symptoms, I found this to be an invaluable resource. I have looked at other newer resources and this is by far, the one I prefer due to the informationfound within and its readability.My mother is now reading it for thethird or fourth time, highlighting as she goes.It has helped both of usunderstand and deal more efficiently with the many symptoms, as theydevelop.

First good information I found on the Parkinson's condition
My aunt picked this up in a continuing education class she took to better understand this disease has been affecting her sister, my mother. It does an excellent job of presenting the evolution of our limited understandingof the causes of the Parkinson's condition. Case studies are used to expandon this basic understanding by illustrating the utility of the insights indealing with the disease in actual patients.Read more

Subjects:  1. Consumer Health    2. Diet / Health / Fitness    3. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    4. Education & Training    5. Health/Fitness    6. Parkinson's Disease    7. Parkinsonism    8. Popular works    9. Health & Fitness / Diseases / General    10. Neurology & clinical neurophysiology   

Subjects:  1. Consumer Health    2. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    3. General    4. Parkinson's disease    5. Psychology    6. Coping with illness    7. Neurology & clinical neurophysiology    8. Psychology & Psychiatry / General   

Subjects:  1. Medical    2. Medical / Nursing    3. Neurology - General    4. Nursing - General    5. Diet therapy    6. Medical / Neurology    7. Neurology & clinical neurophysiology    8. Parkinson's disease   

Subjects:  1. Health/Fitness    2. Medical    3. Medical / Nursing    4. Neurology - General    5. Neuropsychopharmacology    6. Parkinson's Disease    7. Pharmacology    8. Neurology & clinical neurophysiology   

Subjects:  1. Consumer Health    2. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    3. Health & Fitness    4. Health/Fitness    5. Health & Fitness / Diseases / Nervous System (incl. Brain)    6. Parkinson's disease - Popular works   

Subjects:  1. Allied Health Services - General    2. Consumer Health    3. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    4. General    5. Health & Fitness    6. Health/Fitness    7. Parkinson's disease    8. Quality of life   

Subjects:  1. Handbooks, manuals, etc    2. Medical    3. Medical / Nursing    4. Neurology - General    5. Parkinson Disease    6. Parkinson's disease    7. Medical / Neurology    8. Neurology & clinical neurophysiology   

Subjects:  1. Complications    2. Falls (Accidents) in old age    3. General    4. Gerontology    5. Health/Fitness    6. Medical    7. Medical / Nursing    8. Parkinson's disease    9. Prevention   

Subjects:  1. 1931-    2. Atwood, Glenna Wotton,    3. Consumer Health    4. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    5. General    6. Health    7. Parkinson's Disease    8. Physical Impairments    9. Popular works    10. Atwood, Glenna Wotton    11. Coping with illness    12. Health & Fitness / Physical Impairments   

Reviews (3)

Clear and Concise
This book is invaluable for the newly diagnosed Parkinson's patient and caregiver. Well-written in easily understood language, it lays out the symptoms, treatment, and what to expect.We are much better prepared to deal with this disease and the lifestyle changes it entails as a result of the information herein.

Comprehensive, up-to-date, practical guide.
Dr. Duvoisin and Dr. Sage have compiled an excellent guide that takes the reader from the basics of what Parkinson's disease is to the latest theories of the mechanisms of Parkinson's. It also goes ino great detail onthe diffrent types of medications for the treatment of the disease.Included are exercise recomendations for the various stages and dietaryconsiderations. This book is not just another Parkinson's disease book - itis a must for Care-giver and patient alike.

From an RN
This book is an informative guide to almost everything anyone would want to know about Parkinson's Disease.It has in depth information about diagnosis, meds, and a great amount of information on ways to manage thisdisease.The book was bought for a patient, but the nurses I work with allwanted a copy.In my opinion, the text is at a college reading level--itis not simplified, and readers not familiar with medical terms would wantto keep a medical dictionary handy.It would make a very good resource forthe patient with a high reading level and for members of the medical teamwho are looking for resources for patient education on Parkinson's Disease. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Medical    3. Medical / Nursing    4. Neurology - General    5. Parkinson's Disease    6. Popular works    7. Coping with illness    8. Home nursing & caring    9. Medical / Neurology    10. Neurology & clinical neurophysiology   

Subjects:  1. Consumer Health    2. Diet / Health / Fitness    3. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    4. Medical    5. Parkinson's disease    6. Popular works    7. Family & Health   

Subjects:  1. Medical    2. Medical / Nursing    3. Neurology - General    4. Parkinson's Disease    5. Neurology & clinical neurophysiology   

Subjects:  1. 1961-    2. Actors    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography - Performing Arts    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Canada    7. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Biography    8. Children: Grades 3-4    9. Fox, Michael J.,    10. General    11. Juvenile Nonfiction    12. Juvenile literature    13. Parkinson's disease    14. Patients    15. Performing Arts - Film    16. Performing Arts - Television & Radio    17. United States   

Reviews (1)

Recommended for all Neurologists and General physicians
This book is truly amazing-it is concise and yet comprehensive guide to management of parkinson's disease, including commonly encountered complications.Every neurologist should have this book to refer to when managing patients with parkinson's disease.
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Subjects:  1. Diagnosis    2. Medical    3. Medical / Nursing    4. Neurology - General    5. Parkinson's disease    6. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    7. Reference    8. Neurology    9. Diseases - Brain   

Reviews (3)

Timeless support for all with Parkinson's - especially young onset
This book is for anyone involved with Parkinson's disease, but especially those diagnosed at an early age. I was diagnosed in my early 40's and found this book to be a great source of information and support. People diagnosed at an 'early' age have additional issues to deal with such as young families, employers and a medical treatment plan that must span many years. This book offers quotes and thoughts from many who have endured. Although the book was written a few years ago, the support offered is timeless.

Everyone is Affected Differently
Everyone is affected differently by Parkinson's Disease.Some have it worse than others. For some, progression is slow, for others it is more rapid. Some people do not manifest tremors. Many don't face upper body problems, speech or swallowing problems. There are many myths associated with Parkinson's. It is very individual. Living with Parkinson's is a learning process, and one has to keep a positive attitude.Many people are living well and independently with the disease.It doesn't necessarily have to be a nightmare world. There are adjustments to be made, and it can be an inconvenience, but the challenge will reap rewards.

Bestbook of its kind I've read
I had the honor of having a couple poems included in this bookRead more

Subjects:  1. Consumer Health    2. Diseases - General    3. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    4. Health & Fitness    5. Health/Fitness    6. Neurology - General    7. Parkinson's disease    8. Popular works    9. Family & Health    10. Health & Healing   

Reviews (3)

Water Exercises for Parkinson's
I found this book to be very user friendly with great illustrations. The information on diet, nutrition, and medications was informative as well.

from a parkinson's patient
From the daily struggle in an active life of a PD survivor of 20+ years I am living proof that water exercises are of significant value and importance in the life of anyone who shares these experiences.Ann Rosenstein has done a wonderful job of putting this book together and I hope that other PD patients will benefit from this book and as I have from water exercising. Parkinson's Exercises
My Fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Miesel, made each of us in her class read a book every week and then to write a review describing the book.I have always loved to read, but how I hated writing that weekly book report.The subject of this book however is, Parkinson's Disease: a subject near and dear to my heart, as I have been suffering from this illness for 12 years.After reading this book, I felt compelled to submit a review to convince other Parkinson's sufferers and professionals treating patients with this illnessthat this book should be a part of all collections of reference books regarding the treatment of Parkinson's Disease.Read more

Subjects:  1. Aquatic exercises    2. Exercise therapy    3. Medical    4. Medical / Nursing    5. Neurology - General    6. Parkinson's disease    7. Patients    8. Rehabilitation