Reviews (10)

Will I get Alzheimer's Disease?
So many of us worry about whether we might get this disease.
Highly Recommended, Very Reader Friendly
This recently released book on Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most reader friendly book I've come across in quite a while.I've seen this book first-hand, and it is impressive.It describes the complicated neurology of the brain in an easy to follow manner.Also, Dr. Fotuhi describes (in plain language) the latest AD research findings and discusses their implications.If I had to recommend only two books on Alzheimer's disease for caregivers it would be this one and, "The 36-Hour Day."In contrast to some books on AD, Dr. Fotuhi's book is optimistic.Not only does he describe how AD develops, but more importantly he discusses what people can do to reduce their individual risk factors for developing AD.I find myself constantly recommending this book to all the families of patients participating in AD research projects I coordinate.

what a great book
I found this book extremly useful and easy to read... it covered the latest research on brain and memory, in addition to giving tips on how to prevent memory loss.. Read more

Subjects:  1. Consumer Health    2. Diseases - Alzheimer's & Dementia    3. Health & Fitness    4. Health/Fitness    5. Healthy Living    6. Health & Fitness / Diseases / Nervous System (incl. Brain)   

Reviews (79)

An awesome resource
Recently diagnosed with ADD I've been battling at work for accommodations.My doctor/therapist provided me a document for accommodations just this week.It took the harrassment from a supervisor away.I went to HR and let her know that the Department Manager has been very good about this, letting me know what he expects.I mentioned that I had read in the book about the need for organizers and I would have purchased a Palm today, but the store was out.She got up, pulled out a box and there was a Palm.She indicated that this could be used as an accommodation.I asked if I found the reference if that would be enough and it was agreed.I went back to my desk, and turned to the right page, took it back to her, and she's putting in a request to have it installed on my computer at the office and it's now an accommodation.I've followed the advice in the book about using "to do" lists, and it has really helped to keep me focused just on what I need to do.I highly recommend the book, as well as Sari Solden's "Women with ADD"

Needs updating
While reading some of the previous reviews, I saw one that mentioned "contemporary science" - written in 1999. The first Amazon.com customer review for this book is from 1997. If I'd read it then, I would have rated it higher. But a book that deals with anything medical needs to be updated long before it's a decade old, which this one now is. The chapter on medication is completely outdated; it shouldn't be referred to by anyone who wants to know what options are available now. And while all the scientific/medical questions about ADD/ADHD haven't been answered, more is known now than when this book was written.
life changing
I found myself in every page.Gives new hope and opens the oors of understanding.A must readfor adults & teens with ADD and their families. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Attention-deficit disorder in adults    2. Cognition Disorders    3. General    4. Learning Disabilities    5. Mental Disorders    6. Popular works    7. Psychology    8. Coping with illness    9. Health & Fitness / Diseases / Nervous System (incl. Brain)    10. Neurology & clinical neurophysiology   

Reviews (5)

Most helpful!
This book has been the most helpful to me so far.I was diagnosed 3 years ago, but my symptoms have not progressed rapidly.She revealed to me many ways to help my attitude, my relationship with my wife, and how to deal with everyday living.She also has prepared me for some things which may come in the future.
Best book on the topic yet
As the wife of a 'new' Parkinson's patient (diagnosed last year) I've been going through the books on this subject like they were water.This is the first book that I've found that answered my questions and gave me a list of resources to go to.There are so many variables to this insidious disease, and trying to learn about it is hard work.This book has turned out to be an absolute gold mine for me.

The First Year-Parkinson's Disease: An Essential Guide For The Newly Diagnosed
I think this book was absolutely wonderful. It answered many questions for my husband, and our family. It was written in a kind and compassionate way, but telling the truth. I bought it and sent it to several relatives. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Consumer Health    2. Diet / Health / Fitness    3. Diseases - General    4. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    5. Health & Fitness    6. Health/Fitness    7. Parkinson's Disease   

Reviews (1)

good for when stroke first happens
I got this book late in the game.I wish I would of gotten this book when my husband's stroke first happened.it explains things pretty good.from when a stroke 1st happens to all the stuff afterwards.another good book is High Blood Pressure for Dummies.A site to go to for support is strokeboard.net - lots of great people to talk to. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cerebrovascular Diseases    2. Consumer Health    3. Diet / Health / Fitness    4. Diseases - General    5. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    6. Health & Fitness    7. Health/Fitness    8. Health & Fitness / General    9. Popular medicine   

Reviews (4)

Highly recommended.
The Comfort Of Home: An Illustrated Step-By-Step Guide For Multiple Sclerosis Caregivers by co-authors Maria M. Meyer and Paula Derr RN (co-owner of InforMed) is a comprehensive and practical guide written for anyone, especially family members, responsible for the care of someone with MS. No experience or knowledge is presumed of the reader; chapters walk one through everything from basic advice for making one's home safe and comfortable to ensuring a balanced diet and sufficient exercise to avoiding caregiver burnout and much more. Simple black-and-white drawings illustrate key points where a visual aid is valuable in this practical book, which covers matters such as saving money and applying health care effectively as surely as the more labor-intensive aspects of caregiving. Highly recommended.

Welcome Edition
As a carepartner and volunteer for the NMSS this book will always be within reach.This book is not only a great resource for our daily living but also a great reference source for all of the people I visit with.Maybe today I don't need some of the tips offered but who knows what tomorrow will bring.Being able to share what I have learned from this source with other carepartners and their loved ones is important.Living with MS can be a constant challenge and demanding for those around the condition but having a good reference book near by I know that our lives will be simplier since I have a good source of both information and other resources where we can find help.Can never have too much help in making life easier for all of us!

Valued Spot in my Library of Books on Multiple Sclerosis
The collaboration between Maria Meyer and Paula Derr with Kimberly Koch and Diane Afes from the National MS Society in presenting "The Comfort of Home Multiple Sclerosis Edition" is a huge success.The information in this book is presented in a clear, precise manner that is easy to follow.I realize the book is geared towards multiple sclerosis caregivers but it has so much information that is useable for me, a person living with MS, that it will find a valued spot in my library of books on multiple sclerosis.The tips, notes, checklists, resource information, and the publication guides are all great tools.Anyone living with MS, whether patient, family member or caregiver, will find information that they can immediately use in this edition.
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Subjects:  1. Consumer Health    2. Diet / Health / Fitness    3. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    4. Health & Fitness    5. Health/Fitness    6. Health & Fitness / Diseases / Nervous System (incl. Brain)   

Reviews (6)

Must have
If you have PD or care for someone or know someone with it you will find this book helpful in any of those situations.I learned many things from this book.Including that some things my husband, who has early onset PD, was going through that turned out were symptoms and not just random events.I thank those that wrote this for helping me care for him and being informed.Also, they section on young onset PD really helped because i was beginning to feel he had intermediate PD when really it was signs and symptoms from his Y.O.P.D.It lifted a heavy weight knowing he wasn't that far into the disease (intermediate stage).I was able to rely many things to his nuerologist that he was experiencing based upon my reading so he can get better care.Thank you.

Parkinson's Disease: A Complete Guide for Patients and Famil
EXCELLENT resource book !!!I am back ordering a second copy for our family to share around.... gives excellent, detailed information on both the physical side of the disease and the side-effects of the medications... easy read... very comprehensive... I recommend HIGHLY !!

Parkinson's Disease
The author of this book did a great job in explaining what Parkinson's Disease is and giving information for the patient and the caregiver.I am a dental hygienist and I learned just an overview of the disease in school.After having my first patient with the disease I decided to learn more about it.I learned alot from this book that I should of already known for my patient.The book tells you the symptoms and the side effects of the disease and advice on drug therapy, diet, and exercise.Some people don't even know that they have the disease for a couple of months or even years.They think it is just old age or arthritis.The book also states what kind of medical advice to seek.Read more

Subjects:  1. Anatomy    2. Consumer Health    3. Diseases    4. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    5. General    6. Medical    7. Neurology - General    8. Parkinson's disease    9. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation    10. Popular works    11. Coping with illness    12. Popular medicine   

Editorial Review

In this moving and engrossing memoir, veteran television news producer Richard Cohen relates a life spent dealing with multiple sclerosis, first diagnosed when he was 25 years old and just getting started in the competitive world of broadcast journalism. As his career progressed, he struggled not only with the disease but the touchy question of how much of the truth about himself to share with colleagues and potential employers. Cohen spent much of his life running from the onset of the disease's symptoms from which his father and grandmother also suffered. Defiantly, he took challenging, sometimes extremely dangerous assignments in Lebanon, Poland, and on the domestic political campaign trail, even as his body deteriorated. But over the course of Read more

Reviews (41)

Thought provoking on disabilities and families.
Compelling read.The reality of a young man blindsided with M.S., later, at mid life, hit twice with colon cancer, was at times hard to read.I found myself literally turning away from the book, turning it over, and having to will myself to return to it.Unfortunately Mr. Cohen and his family don't have that option.I found myself inspired by Cohen's courage and angered by his unwillingness to surrender to the reality of his disease and let his anger go.However, who knows how any of us would feel given the circumstances?Maybe this is as good as it gets when a chronic illness is a part of one's life.Certainly Mr. Cohen is a brave funny man, with a wife and family to match, with an important story to tell.Highly recommend to anyone who has a chronic illness, has someone close who is suffering, or anyone who is having a pity party and wants to move on!

A scary read for MS sufferers
Those of us with MS tend to stick together.Unfortunately, I would not recommend this book to sufferers of this illness.Despite his claims of optimism, the anger and bitterness of Richard Cohen are strong themes in this book.I found myself questioning whether or not I have, or ever will have, a similarly angry, defensive, and demanding effect on myself and my loved ones.
The best description of the dailybattle with the ups and downs of MS.
An excellent read for someone with MS and, maybe, for many friends, relatives and medical persons who interact with folks with MS. This is one of the best descriptions I have ever read of how MS builds fortitude at a cost higher than many would ever pay. The book is bluntly honest without being brutal.It will give humans who read a new perspective on life.The book should be read by employers too. The outside of MS doesn't tell the whole story.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Cancer    6. Cohen, Richard M    7. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    8. Editors, Journalists, Publishers    9. Health    10. Medical - General    11. Multiple sclerosis    12. Patients    13. Personal Memoirs    14. Biography & Autobiography / Literary   

Reviews (4)

Practical, Positive and Personal
This is a book that offers very PRACTICAL suggestions (because they are tried and true) ways to approach life at a time and in a circumstance when you might want to give up.It is POSITIVE without overlooking the problems and hurdles to overcome.It is PERSONAL as it depicts the adventures of a very talented and vital personality coping with a life of change and uncertainty. Hope: Four Keys to a Better Quality of Life for Parkinson's
I really appreciated the upbeat message of this book.The author shares a simple plan for dealing with the challenges of a chronic disease, without whitewashing the difficulties of daily life.He also shares a lot of personal examples, many of which I was able to identify with.My mother has Parkinson's and I've done quite a bit of research, reading, etc.This book fills a gap in the literature that's out there; most of the information is dry, "this is what's happening now, here's what the patient can expect in the future."It was great to read something that really does give hope and is full of positive, realistic encouragement.I like the author's "take the bull by the horns" attitude.

HOPE is for everyone
This book was written for Parkinson's People and is a must read for anyone with PD and their families.I loved the book so much I have given copies to family and friends who don't have PD.Why?Because HOPE has something to teach us all about living with adversity (presented here in the form of chronic illness) in a way that builds on our strengths while learning to adapt to uninvited change.Read more

Subjects:  1. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    2. Health & Fitness    3. Health & Fitness / Diseases / Nervous System (incl. Brain)    4. Movement disorders    5. Parkinson's Disease    6. Popular works    7. Self-Help   

Reviews (6)

Sage advice for migraine sufferers
I've been suffering with migraines for over thirty years. I've had to structure my life around coping with them. Over the years I've tried so many things: medicines, diets, managing my eating and sleeping schedule, even some alternative medicine (accupuncture, biofeedback). I found ways to avoid triggers and ride out the migraines, but they were taking their toll on my life, work and family.
Changed my life
I can't believe that none of my previous doctors, including several neurologists, never mentioned most of the advice I found in this remarkable book.Not only my migrianes are gone, my PMS symptoms disappeared.If I forget to take my supplements, after a few days both my migraines and PMS return.

Relief After 34 Years!
I have been a migraine sufferer for most of my life, and have explored treatment after treatment (both mainstream and alternative) to alleviate the frequency and severity.After reading this book 8 months ago, and beginning all the non-prescription supplements recommended by Dr. Mauskop, I can gratefully acknowledge that I have a tremendous reduction in the frequency of attacks!Until I had been on the supplements for 3 months, I had been getting 3-5 migraines each week, and loading up on Imitrex.I now have just a few migraines each month, which is something I had thought was an impossibility!Plus, when I do get a migraine, they tend to respond to half the dose of Imitrex I was taking in the past.In addition, while I had been aware of and adhering to the dietary changes recommended in the book for many years, and which I had discovered on my own, it was a relief to find out that there is a scientific basis to the changes I have made!This book is a must-read for any migraineur! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative treatment    2. Consumer Health    3. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    4. Health & Fitness    5. Health/Fitness    6. Magnesium    7. Migraine    8. Neuropsychology    9. Pain Management    10. Therapeutic use    11. Vitamin B2    12. Popular medicine   

Reviews (6)

Thanks for writting this book
This book is a small treasure.I keep picking it up a reading different passages.It helps me understand and appreciate my father, who has Alzheimer's, in ways that I have forgotten.
I am one of the people in this book
My name is Doreen. I am one of the people in Betsy Peterson's book. She mailed me a signed copy which I have lent to other people and they also found it very useful.I am writing this to let people know that even though the book is called Voices of Alzheimers, it is really a book about Dementia in general (my diagnosis is Pick's Disease, not Alzheimers and as the book indicates they later changed Betsy Peterson's husband's diagnosis from Alzheimer's to another dementia). So if youhave a family member who has a dementia other than Alzheimers, you can also find helpful (and hopeful) information in this book.

A Must-Have Book on the Subject
This small book is a treasure of honest and deep sharing on the part of dementia patients and their caregivers and loved ones. The book is visually very attractive, the content is well organized, and the quotes--covering the full spectrum of sadness and anger to wisdom, humor, hope, and gratitude--are interspersed with the author's own moving story. Reading this has enabled me to relate with much greater understanding and confidence to those with Alzheimer's, and there is an excellent section on availableresources. Voices of Alzheimer's is unique in the literature on the subject and deserves to become a classic in the field.
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Subjects:  1. Alzheimer's Disease    2. Anecdotes    3. Diseases - Alzheimer's & Dementia    4. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    5. Gerontology    6. Health & Fitness    7. Health/Fitness    8. Humor    9. Medical / Nursing    10. Popular works    11. Coping with illness   

Reviews (11)

Not very inspired
After reading about half of this book, I had to stop.I am not very inspired.In fact, it had the opposite effect on me.A lot of the stories I read were too much about the hardships and not enough about the positive outcomes that people had.Kind of scared me a bit..is this what I have to look forward to as the years progress?I was more inspired by Montel's book (once I got past the ego part of it).

Unrecommended
I do not recommend this book.I purchased it under the assumption that it would include individual accounts of people dealing with MS.It does, but not in the manner that I presumed it would.The book does offer individual accounts of the struggle with MS, but the stories seem to be incomplete and unorganized.As someone living with MS, I wanted to know about the individual's diagnosis history, symptoms, treatment, etc.Many of the stories never mentioned specifics or they left out important events.The idea of what the individual's have been through does make the stories inspiring, but the lack of content and organization left me feeling frustrated and sad.

Ordinary People living courageous lives
What I liked so much about this book was that ordinary people were depicted in every chapter.And what is ordinary?Is there such a thing?When MS strikes, it isn't choosey.This book strives to take a sampling of the diverse groups that MS strikes and paints a picture.There is the enlisted military man, the single and struggling mother, the artist, the air traffic controller, the poet, the scientist, all of different sex, career, economic status and type of MS.I learned so much from each and every person's story and I applaud them for coming forward and sharing what they've learned.... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Diseases - Musculoskeletal    4. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    5. General    6. Health & Fitness    7. Health/Fitness    8. Inspirational - General    9. Motivational & Inspirational    10. Multiple sclerosis    11. Patients    12. Specific Groups - Special Needs    13. Health & Fitness / Diseases / Nervous System (incl. Brain)   

Reviews (3)

A practical guide to better sleep
I have had insomnia for years and have tried many different types of treatments like drugs, exercise, and diet. All have worked to varying degrees of success, but none like the yoga rountines offered in "Yoga Therapy for Overcoming Insomnia". Not only does this book offer a yoga practice for better sleep, but also a comprehensive medical backround of what insomnia is and how you can also make some simple lifestyle adjustments to sleep more soundly. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to get a better night's sleep and improve their quality of life.-Phil Romano

Providing expert instruction on creating good sleep habits
Insomnia is the single most prevalent sleep disorder with an estimated ten percent of the American population having insomnia nightly. Yoga is a recognized exercise technique with established healing effects. Now Yoga has been applied to treating insomnia with a therapeutic regimen made accessible for the non-specialist general reader through the collaborative efforts of practicing primary care physician Peter Van Houten and Rich McCord, the worldwide director of Ananda Yoga, one of the largest schools of yoga in the United States today. Yoga Therapy For Overcoming Insomnia articulately discusses the types, causes, and treatments of insomnia, as well as providing expert instruction on creating good sleep habits. Extensive information is provided on how to use yoga postures as an aid in treating and preventing insomnia, along with useful conventional and alternative treatments to supplement the utilization of yoga in combating insomnia. Enhanced with a variety of additional "tips, techniques, and tools", Yoga Therapy For Overcoming Insomnia requires no prior knowledge of, or expertise with, yoga in order to quickly benefit from the advice and instruction provided. If you or a loved one is grappling with the problem of insomnia, whether chronic or intermittent, then give a careful reading to Yoga Therapy For Overcoming Insomnia.
Herbal Tea and Yoga
Yoga Therapy is a revolutionary new approach to working with common physical and mental ailments. ~Peter Van Houten, M.D. & Gyandev Rich McCord, Ph.D.
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Subjects:  1. Alternative Therapies    2. Alternative treatment    3. Consumer Health    4. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    5. Hatha yoga    6. Health & Fitness    7. Health/Fitness    8. Insomnia    9. Therapeutic use    10. Yoga    11. Health & Fitness / Yoga    12. Mind, Body, Spirit   

Subjects:  1. Cognition Disorders    2. Consumer Health    3. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    4. General    5. Health & Fitness    6. Health/Fitness    7. Learning Disorders (Neurological Aspects)    8. Psychopathology - Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD--ADHD)    9. Coping with disability   

Reviews (2)

Definitely A Must Read
I played organized football from the time I was 8 years old up until this past spring at 23.For almost fifteen years of my life I was injuried in a variety of ways from broken bones, sprained ligaments, dislocations, etc.However it wasn't until I read this book that I realized all of these injuries paled in comparison to the risk that I put my brain through on a daily basis.By most standards I am a fairly well educated person but I still had no idea what a concussion actually is.I thought that I did but my base was way off.Nor did I have any real clue about the long term damage that can be caused even by playing with "having your bell rung."Through my entire career people would always come up from hits a little bit woozy and I never even blinked at it.I had the same thing a ton of times and just kept on playing.That's just what everyone was taught from the time we were very young.You don't have to be knocked out or totally loopy to have a concussion.Obviously these cases are much more serious, but long term damage can occur even without brain injuries this severe.Nowinski does a fantastic job of clearly defining what a concussion is, discussing new ways to deal with concussions in football, and also interlacing incredible personal stories to keep the reader turning the pages.I sat down and read this book in about 8 hours or so.I really just couldn't put it down.Nowinski delivers the facts without bogging the reader down with overly complex language.If you are a player think about how much time you spend training and ask yourself whether or not 8 hours of your time is worth it to learn how much you really are at risk for very serious long term problems due to concussions.This book is an absolute must read for anyone involved in the game of football or contact sports period.This goes to players, parents of players, or anyone who knows and cares about someone in a contact sport.This book should be a staple in every training room across the country just to get the word out as to how serious, and seriously misunderstood, the problem of concussions is.Do yourself a favor, or a favor for someone you care about, and read this book to educate yourself.Nobody else is going to do it for you.

Every parent should read this!
Nowinski writes about something he knows all too well, head concussions. After just 1 year actively wrestling for the WWE Nowinski was forced into early retirement due to post concussion syndrome. In his quest for answers about his condition he came upon a startling reality. The focus of this book is on football players and head concussions. The reality of how often it happens and the seriousness of not just short term effects, but long term as well are frightening. As a former football player both in high school and for Harvard University, Nowinski knows just how common these injuries are. Backed by many medical experts, Nowinski's revelations are startling. If you are a parent of a child in any contact sport, read this book! If you, yourself, play any kind of contact sport, read this book! Even if you don't play a sport of have children who do, this book is an interesting read and is written in a style that flows well and doesn't get bogged down with technical terms. Highly recommended!
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Subjects:  1. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    2. Football - General    3. General    4. Personal Health    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Sports (Specific Aspects)    8. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (1)

An author with knowledge, a helpful but confusing book
In a publishing climate and a culture where behind every commercial publication, you just know lurks some author and editor with $$$ in her or his eyes--particularly in such how to books like become rich in real estate, write a best selling novel, how homeopathy cured my pet anaconda, I found this book extremely informative, passionate about its subject, sincere, clearly written but, the major defect is its structure; Dr. Pacarelli has taken a lifetime of experience (he says he's treated 6,000 cases of RSI) and provided a clear explanation of the many causes and types of the disorder. You will learn that "carpal tunnel" syndrome, which is the media's and layperson's term for disorders arising many from keyboarding (in the past typical sufferers were more likely to be musicians, sewers, sign language interpreters, etc.) is the diagnosis in only EIGHT percent of the cases of hand and arm damage.Dr Pascarelli explains it all: there are anatomical charts of the muscle system, the nerve system, photographs of hand & arm anomolies among sufferers, diagrams & photos of the wrong way and the right way to sit at a computer station, exercises, treatments, ergonomics, etc.You will learn why your average doctor, even orthopedists don't make proper diagnoses, even treatment plans, and often lack the knowledge of the big picture of RSI that affects not just nerves, but soft tissue, musculature, mood, and a lot more.You will be given a chapter of illustrated exercise routines.You will learn (and understand through experience)that splints are basically worthless and often harmful (except perhaps for sleeping).You will learn a host of treatment modalities--some described in detail, lesser mainstream ones like Alexander Technique, Feldenkreis, and Rolfing--which he is not adverse to trying.He also is up to date enough to discuss devices like voice activated software and the like. The problem arises in that after a discussion of the many types of RSI, the treatment plans he advocates are not specified as to which particular RSI syndrome you have.They are all lumped together. Nevertheless, this book is written in a compassionate, authoritive, supportive tone, although the fact that he suggests some people might just not ever get better from RSI is pretty sobering and pessimistic. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Carpal tunnel syndrome    2. Consumer Health    3. Diseases - Musculoskeletal    4. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    5. Diseases Of Peripheral Nerves    6. General    7. Health & Fitness    8. Health/Fitness    9. Overuse injuries    10. Physical Impairments    11. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation    12. Popular works    13. Treatment Of Wounds And Injuries    14. Health & Fitness / Physical Impairments   

Reviews (7)

The TBI Bible
We got the book shortly after our son's head injury and have not put it down since.The book has sections on every aspect of head injury and guides you through the process of recovery.The exercises were a little challenging but eventually doable.If you have a loved one with a head injury this book is a must.

Hope and Healing
This book is a great resource for family, friends, caregivers, and patients suffering from mild traumatic brain injury.The easy to read text helps the reader focus on the causes and effects of brain injury.It offers a positive, comprehensive, realistic approach to repairing and coping with physical, mental and emotional effects of brain injury.A self-help section is available and allows the patient the opportunity to be involved in his own recovery.I recommend this book to anyone who is seeking hope and or healing from mild traumatic brain injury.

Must Have
If your dealing with anyone in your life with a brain injury, this book is for you.It helped us understand what was going on and the exercises were a good tool to help in the recovery process.I am so thankfully I found this book.And would highly recommend it to everyone. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Brain damage    2. Consumer Health    3. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    4. Health & Fitness    5. Health/Fitness    6. Patients    7. Popular works    8. Rehabilitation    9. Coping with illness    10. Popular medicine   

Reviews (5)

Interesting, but sometimes confusing.
Exiting Nirvana" is a mother's account of her autistic daughter, Jessy, and Jessy's life from her teens until the time the book was was published, when Jessy was in her early 40s. I found that the way the chapters of the book were presented was a little bit odd. Instead of starting with Jessy's teens and moving forward, showing her progress that way, the author divides the chapters into aspects of Jessy's behavior and life: i.e., the way Jessy talks and the ways she thinks. I found that some of the chapters seemed to be haphazardly written. Ideas didn't seem to flow easily from one paragraph to the next and were hard to follow. The author spent a lot of time discussing Jessy's obsession with numbers and this portion was especially confusing. I wasn't sure exactly what point the author was trying to get across...other than the fact that Jessy was obsessed with numbers and tended to look at the world that way. Later chapters, however, were quite well written, and I think the author had easier time discussing Jessy's life when Jessy herself was easier for the author to understand. Great to learn more about autism
Existing Nirvana: a daughter's life with autism, by Clara Claiborne Park, is a book about Jessy, the author's daughter, growing up with autism.Although it would seem to be hard growing up with autism, rather than focusing on the negative, Park shares the story of her daughter focusing on her differences from `normal' people in society and stressing the remarkable progress Jessy has made despite her abnormalities.This progress has allowed her to mentally and socially move more and more from her own world, `Nirvana', into the world in which everyone else operates.By giving an account of Jessy's life, the reader becomes more aware of the disability and its characteristics.The book focuses on they way individuals with autism think and even their speech.The speech portion of the story is more focused on Jessy specifically because her speech was worse than most individuals with autism.Park uses journals and pictures Jessy has drawn to looking deeper into her speech, thought process, portraits, and her current living.Through these different aspects, the reader becomes enlightened on the type of characteristics that define autism. A touching, loving memoir
Clara Claiborne Park describes her daughter Jessy, an autistic woman in her 40's and discusses how her daughter has changed in the years since she wrote The Siege: A Family's Journey into the World of an Autistic Child,which ended when Jessy was 8. The book is an eloquent argument for the education of autistic children, and a detailed glimpse into the family life of an autistic person. Park describes different aspects of their life in a matter-of-fact manner-- no whining or victimhood here. Her love of Jessy is obvious, and there is no complaining, but it becomes obvious through the descriptions of Jessy's behavior andpersonality that their life has been difficult. It's also obvious how well Jessy has been cared for and loved. It's refreshing to read this book because the Park family just seems so, so good, and that's unusual to come across these days.Parks is a great writer-- the book is intelligent and readable. I'd recommend this book for any family with an autistic child, and for anyone who is just interested in thinking about how love, personality, and intelligence relate ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Creative Ability    3. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    4. Parental Memoirs    5. Psychology    6. Specific Groups - Special Needs    7. Psychology & Psychiatry / Creative Ability   

Reviews (4)

Excellent Resource
I used this book religiously before my dad passed away from complications due to ALS last July.The book was very helpful to understand what was happening and what was coming.As depressing as it all is, it was better to understand the situation so I could do all I could to help my loved one.I was just looking at my copy the other day and the amount of highlighting in it and stickies hanging out of it reminded me of how used the book was.

HOW YOU GET SCREWED IF YOU HAVE ALS
SAM,
It's a 5
This book has helped our family tremendously with understanding what is occuring and how to stay ahead of the game dealing with ALS.Read more

Subjects:  1. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis    2. Anatomy    3. Consumer Health    4. Diet / Health / Fitness    5. Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain)    6. General    7. Medical    8. Neurology - General    9. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation    10. Popular works    11. Coping with disability    12. Coping with illness    13. Health & Fitness / Diseases / Nervous System (incl. Brain)    14. Neurology & clinical neurophysiology   

Reviews (4)

Educate yourself about stroke quickly
Make sure to get the newer (2001) version of this text.Amazon will be more than happy to send you a "new" earlier edition (1999) if you aren't careful.Unfortunately, the 1999 cover of "Living with Stroke" is of very low contrast, and thus difficult to read. So, older folks or people with low vision may be a bit put off by the cover.(But don't let this scare you away.The text within is large and readable.)The newer version may very well contain more up-to-date info.