Editorial Review

Helen Keller would not be bound by conditions. Rendered deaf and blind at 19 months by scarlet fever, she learned to read (in several languages) and even speak, eventually graduating with honors from Radcliffe College in 1904, where as a student she wrote Read more

Reviews (61)

A Classic
Of course this book is a classic.It is Helen Keller in her own words.It is well written and interesting to be "there" as she developes and learns.If you haven't read the book yet, I recommend you do.I "read" the book as a book on tape. Email:boland7214@aol.

Think about it , Helen was successful in life even though she was blind and deaf
Helen Keller was indeed blind and deaf. I liked this book because it tells you about so much things Helen overcame being blind, deaf and earlier on "dumb" ( bcause she was unable to speak). It makes you realize that you can do anything if you really want to no matter what your circumtance is. Also it teahces people to be content and accept the way or conditions that you are in.It's true when they say " it could have been worse".I read this book to do an essay and i think it was a good choice although it was a little challenging to really comprehend what Helen was always talking about. So if you want to learn more about Helen Keller this is a good good book to learn from.

Very confusing at times
This book is written by Hellen Keller, a blind and deaf woman, telling about her childhood and growing up. The book is filled with anecdotes. Each one is about a page or two long and has no connection with the one before it or the following one. The date can vary from year to year without much warning. I would not recommend this book to young readers. I am 14 and became quite confused at times. I had to read this book for school. There were some very nice points in the book, though. If you are a Hellen Keller fan, I would highly recommend this book. It is full of many things in her life that you would not know if you only read a biography or just watched one of the movies made of her life. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1880-1968    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Blind-deaf women    6. Deafblind women    7. Handicapped    8. Historical - General    9. Keller, Helen,    10. Sociology Of The Mentally And Physically Challenged    11. Sociology Of Women    12. Specific Groups - Special Needs    13. United States    14. Women    15. Keller, Helen   

Reviews (2)

A Mormon Scholar reports
I hold a master's degree in history and am particularly interested in Mormon and Western history.This is perhaps one of the best books I have ever read.This has been a research topic for the author for nearly twentyyears, beginning as her doctoral dissertation entitled "Insanity andthe Sweet Singer."Avery took great pains in researching this book,and delayed its publication until full disclosure of all works becameavailable upon the death of David's final grandson.David was like a youngprince, forced to live in the shadow of a famous father and older brother,both leaders of respective churches.Avery shows the slow descent intomadness experienced by David Hyrum Smith as he tries to find his place.Adisasterous mission to Salt Lake City to convert Mormons will be ofinterest to Mormons, Reorganized LDS members and readers in general.Thelook at the Elgin asylum is an fascinating topic for interested parties aswell.You cannot go wrong with this book.

Story of Pathos and Divergent Views
The book From Mission to Madness proves that mental illness can afflict even the posterity of the Prophets.David H. Smith, son of the famed Mormon prophet Joseph Smith, never lived to know his father; he missed thefatherly embrace by five months.Much to Brigham Young's dismay, Davidbecame affiliated with the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter DaySaints, and was one of its most effective and revered missionaries.Mentalillness overcame him, and he spent the last three decades of his life in amental hospital.Avery performed wonderfully well in framing his lifestory, using personal and official RLDS church correspondence.I felt theheartache and pain that David's family experienced as they struggled, hopedand despaired. This book was so engaging that I actually read the entirebook in less than two weeks (which, for me, is noteworthy when consideringany non-fiction work over 100 pages). David Smith's life was replete withpathos and unfulfilled expectations (he was destined to take his father'splace as Prophet).The book also adequately describes the perpetualtension that existed, and at times does currently exist, between the Utahand the RLDS Mormon churches.Even though Avery placed an inordinantemphasis on Smith's poetical works, I would recommend this book to all. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Christianity - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Da    6. Historical - U.S.    7. History    8. Mormon Church    9. Mormons    10. Religious    11. Reorganized Church of Jesus Ch    12. Smith, David Hyrum    13. Specific Groups - Special Needs    14. Biography: general    15. Mormons (Church of Latter Day Saints)   

Reviews (1)

Searing, honest, funny, great
Jeanne Achterberg breaks the mold of illness memoirs and healing tracts with her searing honesty, wit, fresh prose style, insight, and sheer spiritual brazenness.What a joy to read, a powerful investigation of the sorrowful, tough, often elevating experiences of this wounded healer going deeper to try to heal herself, and the personal losses and gains that occur along the way.Bless her for being so nakedly honest in sharing the hard truths about her marriage and personal life in a way that doesn't make the reader feel like a voyeur but like a dear friend who needs to know about the intertwined tentacles of her life as she lives it, and as she tries to extend and expand it both by turning within and by reaching out. Actherberg helps us understand that illness can be a metaphor; it all depends on what metaphor we construct, what truths it holds, and what we do about it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Achterberg, Jeanne    2. Alternative Therapies    3. Alternative treatment    4. Biography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Cancer    7. Eye    8. Health    9. Health & Fitness    10. Health/Fitness    11. Holism    12. Melanoma    13. Patients    14. Specific Groups - Special Needs    15. United States    16. Complementary Medicine    17. Health & Fitness / Holism    18. Mind, Body, Spirit   

Editorial Review

When Julia Tavalaro opened her eyes after spending seven months in a coma,she awoke to a nightmare. Nobody in the hospital ward to which she had been consignedeven noticed that she was alert. Paralyzed and unable to speak, Tavalaro had no way ofmaking them take notice. She spent the next six years languishing in her bed, andalthough able to hear everything around her, she was unable to communicate.Read more

Reviews (3)

Good Job Julia
I thought that the book was exelent and that Julia could have talked more about her family and more about Goldwater. Overall she did a fantastic job at writing this book.

Make it mandatory reading for anyone in the medical field!
A nurse recommended the book to my sister. She said it changed the way she treats patients. My sister read it in one afternoon. It makes you think and reminds you to count your blessings!

Look up, and up, and up, and up!
Those who weap because they have no shoes should meet this woman who has no feet, no hands, no voice, no normalcy.Andyetshe greets the day with poetry and refuses -- against odds few people could bear -- to loosen her grip on reality, on the future, on hope.Where some autobiographical writers might seek our pity, Julia demands our respect. Where some labor to generate tears, Julia aims to generate cheers -- and at times outbursts of profanity. Her story is a fast, easy-to-followread packed with flashbacks, present-day tales and, the most essential element of all, hope ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1935-    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Health    7. Medical - General    8. New York    9. New York (State)    10. Physically handicapped    11. Quadrapledics    12. Specific Groups - Special Needs    13. Tavalaro, Julia,    14. Women   

Reviews (9)

Good Book, But May Be Overrated
Many people find this book THE book to read in regards to a deaf child's experience (of course, that includes her family as well). And this book is very good at showing you what a hearing family goes through when a deaf child is born into it. It tells of the "typical" struggle between raising their child strictly oral or letting them sign, too. Honest example of raising a deaf child in the hearing world
Deaf Like Me is a story of 2 young parents struggling to raise their deaf daughter, Lynn, in a hearing world.Written by Thomas Spradley, Lynn's father, the book begins before Lynn was born with her mother's fear of rubella.The book takes you through the fear and waiting for the pregnancy and the eventual realization of Lynn's deafness.The story is written in a simple, straightforward manner, yet conveys the emotions of the new parents. The descriptions Thomas gives are often lacking in vibrancy and inventive vocabulary, but at the same time he conveys honest, true-to-life emotion. A Landmark Book
Tell-alls by parents of disabled kids is a genre now, but when Deaf Like Me first was published, it was an unusual book for the market. The story is of the Spradley family, and daughter Lynn, who is one of many children born Deaf in the US in the late sixties and early seventies, the result of an epidemic of Rubella (German Measles).Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Children with Special Needs    3. Deaf    4. Deaf children    5. Education Of Hearing-Impaired Students    6. Family & Relationships    7. Family relationships    8. Family/Marriage    9. Means of communication    10. Parenting - General    11. Physically handicapped childre    12. Specific Groups - Special Needs    13. Biography: general    14. Child care & upbringing    15. Coping with disability   

Subjects:  1. 1766-1854    2. Art    3. Artists, Architects, Photographers    4. Biography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Brewster, John,    7. Deaf    8. Deaf artists    9. General    10. Handicapped    11. History - General    12. Individual Painters - 18th Century    13. Maine    14. Portrait painters    15. Social conditions    16. Sociology Of The Mentally And Physically Challenged    17. Specific Groups - Special Needs    18. United States    19. Art / History / General    20. Individual artists   

Reviews (5)

Divided Lives Redux
I just spent the past Saturday afternoon reading _Angles of Reflection_ by Joan L. Richards and was quite moved by it.For anyone who has had to grapple with balancing work and family -- including in academics where one's schedule is flexible but at times consuming and unpredictable -- this book is a must read along with other similar volumes, such as _Divided Lives_ and _True North_. Richards's depictions of "mother's time" and "professional time", as well as the conflict between the two, could very well have been a chapter in Alan Lightman's _Einstein's Dreams_.German culture is not a very hospitable environment for working mothers, but Richards navigates skillfully through maternal care, professional meetings, and daily annoyances like sharply abbreviated hours for grocery shopping. Her depiction of the German medical system, a form of socialized medicine, might be looked upon as idiosyncratic and Byzantine by all except those of us who have to deal with American HMO's on a regular basis.Past and present, as well as life and art, overlap in this deliciously engrossing volume: as she cares for her son, Richards works through the intricacies of her biographies of Augustus and Sophia De Morgan and finds in their child, Alice, a parallel story of parental concern.Richards's story reminded me of a statement attributed to Jackie Kennedy Onassis: when asked about raising her children, she is supposed to have said, "If I fail at this, nothing else matters."Above all else, Richards's love and care for her two boys shine through this volume, even on pages dense with Newton, the De Morgans, and probability theory.This book, written in the tradition of Jill Ker Conway, is required reading for anyone, but especially for those curious about how the thinking lives of academics intersects with the practical and emotional lives of the everyday world.Highly recommended.

Good writing, but the point being made is hard to make out
I found this book to be very well written, and at the beginning I had high hopes that I would like it very much.However, I found that as the book went on, I was less and less sure what point the author was trying to make and just what the focus of the book was supposed to be.What the author's son Ned went through with two unrelated and severe medical problems was compelling to read about, but not really enough to carry the book.The math history parts of the book often seemed quite unrelated to the main tale.Perhaps the book was a way to expose the many uncaring or distant medical professionals the author encountered, but this was not tied together into a real message.Or perhaps the author was telling her story to justify her decision not to return to the States with her son once he ran into medical troubles in Germany---which in my eyes didn't really need justifying---I would not see Germany as having less competant medical care than the US.In any case, I found the ending a bit unfinished---I didn't really see how all of a sudden Ned's elbow was fixed, and we were not told much about the final outcome of his seizures or his brain surgery, although the book was published at least 3 years after these problems started.I feel there could have been a much better book here with more focus and more of a unified point.However, I did finish the book and am still thinking about it--a sign of something worth reading.

Many angles to reflect upon
I have read this book twice, and recommended it to several friends, and find it a most complex and multi-faceted tale. On the one hand a poignant account of a sick child,and an examination of the difficult decisions everyone has to make under uncertainty, it is much more than that as it weaves Newton, Leibniz and Augustus de Morgan and the choices they made into the story. It was in many ways a brave decision of Joan Richards to write and publish this book, and those who read it can judge for themselves her success--I found it riveting, and even better on the second reading. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Diseases - Cancer    5. Parental Memoirs    6. Parenting - Motherhood    7. Scientists - General    8. Specific Groups - Special Needs    9. Biography: general    10. Mathematics    11. Mathematics / Logic    12. Popular science   

Reviews (25)

Spell Binding
This is one of the few books I've had trouble putting down. It's the story of an amazing man that I truly admire.I would recommend this book to everyone.Also his CD's and those of the three tenors are beautiful music to say the least.

Inspirational, heart-warming, friendly
Dr. Ronan Tynan has to be one of the most friendly, inspirational, and heart-warming people on the face of the planet.I'm convinced of it.For a man who has had to persevere as much as he has, his outlook on life, his accomplishments, and his stories are awe-inspiring.
Ronan "All of Him"
In the book "Halfway Home-My Life til Now" Ronan talks about family and those whom he has met so far in his life. He also talks about the women he has slept with so far. Which I find appalling, and just plain bad taste. He should apoligize to the women he talks about in the book. I wouldn't let anyone under the age of 21 to read this book. Keep it away from children. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Composers & Musicians - Classical Vocalists    6. Ireland    7. Literary    8. Medical - Physicians    9. Singers    10. Specific Groups - Special Needs    11. Tynan, Ronan    12. Biography & Autobiography / Composers & Musicians    13. Biography: general    14. Literature: History & Criticism   

Editorial Review

On July 28, 1995, Robert McCrum suffered a severe stroke at the age of 42. His thoughtful memoir chronicles the long, arduous process of recovery. Drawing on his own diaries and those of his wife, Sarah Lyall (then the publishing columnist for the Read more

Reviews (17)

Year of Recovery
This book was not quite up to my expectations.It was interesting but I felt the writer wasn't being totally honest about his rate of recovery since it conflicted heavily with his wife's view.I actually liked his wifes diaries, they were very helpful in what the actual recovery process was.I wouldn't highly recommend paying the money for this book.

Everything Is Relative
Very insightful book.Referring to the past reviewer who dismissed this book because Mr. McCrum's stroke was not catastrophic enough, I am very sorry to hear of your loved one's difficulties.However this book could be helpful to many who suffer lesser degrees of stroke and eventually recover fairly well.I can understand this book would not be useful to you personally in light of your experiences.I can say though without a doubt, as a stroke survivor, that even a mild stroke is something no person would EVER want to experience.It often strikes like a lightning bolt and even if function is eventually regained it is hard for a person to ever get over being completely paralyzed and helpless even for a short period of time.Books like Mr. McCrum's help the world at large start to realize stroke can affect anyone, even the young.Best wishes and good health to all.

Not helpful if you need info on serious strokes
This was one of a mountain of books I poured over following my father's severe intracerebral hemorragic stroke, which has left him quite disabled both physically and mentally.For persons, such as myself, searching for answers and insight on how to cope with the seriously disabling stroke of a loved one, this is not the right book.Mr. McCrum never lost consciousness, his mental faculties remained intact (indeed, he was keeping a copious and cogent log of his observations from the first days after the stroke), and his physical disabilities were relatively minor (a slowed gait, and weakness on right side).Frankly, the book had a slightly narcissistic tenor, McCrum using every opportunity to name-drop (constantly referring to his many notable visitors), recount his adventures abroad, and demonstrate his command of arcane literature, which he quotes constantly.He discusses how his stroke caused him to rethink his career choices, and feel more committed to his marriage.McCrum's existential crisis, which culminated in his decision to leave his editorial post to become a journalist, left me cold.I think of the thousands of stroke sufferers who cannot put two sentences together, much less write a book. In the end, McCrum's account is less about the consequences of his stroke, and more about the early mid-life crisis it provoked.Mrs. McCrum, on the other hand, wrote extremely candidly and touchingly of her fears and struggles throughout her new husband's recovery.Her passages provide a very real, honest glimpse into the turmoil suffered by the family members of stroke victims, who are often vexed by feelings of helplessness, fear, isolation and sorrow. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Authors, English    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Book editors    8. Cerebrovascular disease    9. General    10. Great Britain    11. Health    12. Historical - British    13. McCrum, Robert    14. Patients    15. Specific Groups - Special Needs    16. Health & Fitness / General   

Reviews (10)

We're All the Same but We Write Differently
Too bad Jim Wooten couldn't get himself out of the story even tho he promised at the beginning to insert himself only where necessary.I felt like I was listening to a documentary vs. reading a memoir.He completely missed the emotional tone of the thing and instead, got lost for three pages on who the father was.He should stick to Tv or whatever he did before that made him famous.

Awareness Lit
Every child must know Nkosi's story and his courage to face his fate.

A Very Touching Story
In an inspirational and touching telling of the iconoclast Johnson family, Wooten illustrates their struggles in the turmoil of South Africa.In adopting the infected Nkosi, Gail and the Johnson family embark on a taxing and unheard of, yet fulfilling lifestyle.
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Subjects:  1. 1989-2001    2. AIDS (Disease) in children    3. Aids (Psychosocial Aspects)    4. Biography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Death & Dying    7. Diseases - AIDS & HIV    8. General    9. Health    10. Johnson, Nkosi,    11. Patients    12. Social Science    13. Sociology    14. South Africa    15. Specific Groups - Special Needs    16. AIDS: social aspects    17. Africa    18. Biography: general    19. Coping with illness    20. Social Science / Death & Dying   

Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (1)

A powerful social, political and literary biography
Kim Nielsen's Radical Lives Of Helen Keller is part of the New York University Press "The History of Disability" series and provides a powerful social, political and literary biography of Helen Keller's life based on research into both literary sources and FBI files and military intelligence. The result is an unusual focus on Keller's involvement in disability rights and activism a focus which has been lost in other concentrations on her blindness and literary achievements. Radical Lives thus is an important, essential guide for any who would receive a well-rounded survey of her life. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1880-1968    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Blind-deaf women    7. Deafblind women    8. Education    9. Handicapped    10. Keller, Helen,    11. Political    12. Political and social views    13. Specific Groups - Special Needs    14. United States    15. Women    16. BLIND-DEAF_EDUCATION    17. Biography & Autobiography / Women    18. Biography: general    19. KELLER, HELEN, 1880-1968    20. WOMEN_UNITED STATES_SOCIAL CONDITIONS   

Reviews (10)

Amazing and inspiring story
Bill Irwin and Orient leads us down the trail over the mountains and into the forest unlike any other author.We see what he feels and senses around him.With every step we walk along with Bill and Orient, and we camp along with them and met some wonderful people along the way helping Bill and Orient along the trail.Wonderful story.Would love to meet Bill and Orient.

MAKES YOU STOP AND THINK
The story told in this book is truly mind-boggling, on several fronts.First, there is the adventure of hiking the Appalachian Trail.Secondly, there is the story of a BLIND man doing it!Third, is the whole topic of seeing eye dogs and the bond that develops between them and their owner.It blew me away, that this dog was able to do what he did, thus enabling Bill to complete this hike.Last but not least, it shows what is possible if we put our faith in God.Most of us rely on our own selves--Bill put his faith and trust in God in order to complete this journey.The book is easy to read, short chapters (which I like--makes it easier to pick up and put down), written from the heart.A great gift book!

A well-told story of courage, faith, and a triumphant spirit
I just finished reading "Blind Courage" for the second time. Bill Irwin's story offers a timeless story of courage, faith, and a triumphant spirit as he was the first "blind" person to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. I write "blind" because Bill may not have the sense of eyesight, but throughout the bookhas great insight into persons he meets along his walk, and relates the greatest insight into his own self and his strengths and weaknesses, on a hike (he was not an experienced hiker) all possible by his enduring faith in our Lord and his confidence in his Seeing Eye dog, Orient.The book flows well,doesn't sound "preachy",and reads quickly--almost too quickly as we want to hear more. This is a great story by a great man who spent his first almost 50 years in turmoil, broken relationships, and losing his eyesight, but he finds himself and encourages and uplifts others along his hike.By the way, if you have an opportunity to hear him speak, Bill Irwin is an outstanding public speaker with a great message and is a very friendly individual.In summary, read this book if you are looking for modern heroes and uplifting people of faith doing the "impossible" regardless of whether you enjoy "outdoor/hiking/camping" books or not. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Appalachian Trail    2. Backpacking    3. Biography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Blind    6. Hiking    7. Specific Groups - Special Needs    8. Sports    9. Sports & Recreation   

Reviews (54)

THERE AREN'T ENOUGH STARS FOR THIS BOOK
Jessica just came and spoke at my school. She was so nice, so approachable, so real! I just found out about this book and read it in one night!!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't put it down!Now my entire group of friends are reading it and passing it around. Every girl can relate to Jessica's story of survival. I loved this book!!!!!!!!!!!

This is my second review - I reccomend it to many of my clients.
What Publisher's Weekly (whoever they are) misses, is the fact that by sharing our authentic story we liberate others with the same hidden issues.Whatever the author lacks in life experience (how old to you need to be to tell the truth anyway) she makes up for with her no holds barred authentic real voice.This book is not a self diagnosic manual and the author makes no claims that it is.What it is, is a reflection of one persons struggle with her relationship with food, and herself, and life.All of us that have gone through various versions of these things can relate to the book.As a 42 years old physician I found it as meaningful as my 20 year old daughter.That is a pretty good scope for a personal story.FYI, Nowhere does she mention "memoir" or "diagnosing others".However, her belief that there are many more people out there with unhealthy food relationships is much closer to the truth in my ten years of practice then the "offical numbers".Worth sharing with those you love that may need to reflect on their food relationships.

Changed my life!
I just finished reading this book and I feel my life has just been changed!
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Subjects:  1. 1973-    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Eating Disorders - General    5. Eating disorders    6. Health    7. Motivational & Inspirational    8. Patients    9. Personal Growth - General    10. Personal Growth - Self-Esteem    11. Self-Help    12. Specific Groups - Special Needs    13. United States    14. Weiner, Jessica,    15. Mind, body, spirit: mysticism & self-awareness   

Reviews (17)

Great Book
The book is a quick read.Sometimes you feel very alone with MS.This book will help you feel better.And, it explains some of the MS symptoms that you are experiencing better than a medical text.It will put some words on your feelings.

mixed review
I recently read this book, and I can't honestly say that I liked it.I too have been diagnosed with MS.I'm happy that Mr. Lander can find humor in his condition, however I find nothing he had to say not in the least bit funny.
Buy and read this book!
When my father finally told me he had MS (like David Lander, he kept it a secret), he suggested I read this book. The insight it gave me was priceless. Everyone will find their own path, but I can tell you that by sharing his experiences, Mr. Lander has helped me to be the best son (and friend) that I can be. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1947-    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Comedians    7. Entertainment & Performing Arts - Actors & Actresses    8. General    9. Health    10. Lander, David L.,    11. Multiple sclerosis    12. Patients    13. Personal Memoirs    14. Specific Groups - Special Needs    15. United States    16. Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts    17. Biography: general   

Reviews (40)

A Deeper, Truer Look At Bipolarity (And A Young Woman's Life)
I've re-read this book twice since discovering it. I continued to admire its emotional authenticity and intellectual clarity, which wind up allowing the reader to get beyond the wealth of misconceptions that surround bipolarity. This book goes way deeper and further than most personal-experience books on medical/emotional conditions.

Useful Addition to What is Already Out There
Detour provides another perspective for those who are bipolar or have a loved one who is bipolar. There are other books out there that cover the science and case studies of the disorder. This is a much more personal book. I certainly don't think it is the only book you should read on the subject. Beware that the focus is on the under 35, college educated, relatively recently diagnosed bipolar person. If you are that person you need to read this book. It is a very quick read and well worth the effort.

Detour
I thought that I would be able to relate to Simon's book as I have a few things in common with her.I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at nineteen after experiencing a manic episode induced by antidepressants.I too have felt quite lonely at times; I've found myself wishing I had a friend who could relate to my experiences with bipolar disorder.I thought the book would be encouraging, and in a way it is.After reading it you remember that you aren't alone, that other teenagers and young adults have struggled with this disorder and they've survived.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Manic-depressive illness    6. Manic-depressive persons    7. Patients    8. Personal Memoirs    9. Popular works    10. Simon, Lizzie    11. Specific Groups - Special Needs    12. United States    13. Women    14. Biography & Autobiography / Women    15. Biography: general    16. Women's studies   

Reviews (1)

ACPA Review
This is the true story of the author's struggle to overcome the debilitating pain of trigeminal neuralgia.Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) is widely accepted as the most painful comdition known to medicine.It is a disorder of the fifth cranial (trigeminal) nerve, occurring in only 155 people per million, which causes intense intervals of electric shock-like pain in the areas of the face where the nerve branches.Carol Jay Levy begins her story as a young woman about to pursue a career on the stage in NYC.Suddenly, her hopes are dashed, as this disorder invades her existence.Diagnosis is elusive (she is "too young" for TN) and doctors repeatedly try to pigeon-hole her as mentally ill, due to a history of depression.Finally, the diagnosis is made, but treatment is ineffective, and she considers suicide, as some 80% of people with TN are thought to do.
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Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. General    3. Personal Memoirs    4. Philosophy    5. Specific Groups - Special Needs    6. Women    7. Biography: general   

Reviews (39)

Awesome Read!
This book is a truly inspirational read. I haven't quite finished yet, but with every page comes more heart. I, like most others that have or will read this book, feel such an emotional draw to both Greg and Lauren, and my heart breaks over everything they went through. Reading this book not only instills a new found hope, but also a new understanding of what exactly it was like to have been in the shoes of people who were through so much and lost so much that terrible day 9/11/2001. Not as good as expected
I had really high hopes for this book and was really looking forward to reading it.I'm glad that I paid a dollar for it used because my money would have been wasted at much more than that.
Dear Alex
There is a review on this book that you can read by a reviewer named Alex that I think all would find very informative.He is clearly a lot smarter, and by all means a lot deeper, than the writer of this book, and he is not afraid to tell you that.His superior intellect has come to the brilliant conclusion that a wealthy, and therefore soulless, burn victim is much less sympathetic than a poor, prolietariet one.He was also upset that Mr. Manning, with all of his money, could not buy himself better opinions on life, love and 9/11 other than the "banal" ones he professed in this book.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Burns and scalds    6. Manning, Greg    7. Manning, Lauren    8. New York    9. New York (State)    10. Patients    11. Personal Memoirs    12. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    13. Regional Subjects - MidAtlantic    14. September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001    15. Specific Groups - Special Needs    16. Victims of terrorism    17. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Reviews (11)

TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE
Only someone who does not suffer from alcoholism would question the ability of a small woman to drink insane amounts of alcohol. I have no doubt that Laura Baugh drank every drink she says she did - I have been there.I, too, abstained during my pregnancies, it was the one time when I didn't struggle with myself over drinking or not drinking.This is a great story and I admire Laura for pulling herself out of the despair she felt - I know, I have felt it also.

This bio seems contrived.
I find it very, very hard to believe that anyone, especially a small woman, could drink to the degree that Laura Baugh did and not sustain liver damage. She also says she abstained during her pregnancies...did she know the instant she was pregnant? I think not. I guess writing is an easier way to make a buck than playing golf.

A VERY DRAMATIC STORY
THIS IS THE STORY OF LAURA BAUGH, RECOVERING ALCOHOLIC, PRO GOLFER, AND MOTHER. SHE DOES A GREAT JOB DESCRIBING HER LIFE AND CAREER. HER STRUGGLE WITH INNER DEMONS, BROKEN MARRIAGES, AND PRESSURES IS VERY INTERESTING. HER STORY IS A MIRACLE. AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF THE 12 STEP PROGRAM OF AA AT WORK. LAURA HAS BEEN BLESSED BY GOD AND THIS IS A GREAT READ FOR ALL RECOVERING AND PRACTICING ADDICTED PEOPLE. I REMEMBER WHEN LAURA FIRST CAME ON THE PRO TOUR IN THE EARLY 70'S, SHE WAS THE HOTTEST HOTTIE IN SPORTS. GLAD TO SEE SHE HAS CONFRONTED HER ADDICTION AND DEALS WITH IT ONE DAY A TIME. SHE IS STILL HOT AND CERTAINLY PROVEN TO BE A BABY MACHINE. MUST READ. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1955-    2. Alcohol Abuse    3. Alcoholics    4. Baugh, Laura,    5. Biography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Golf    9. Golf - General    10. Golfers    11. Motivational & Inspirational    12. Self-Help    13. Specific Groups - Special Needs    14. Sports - General    15. Substance Abuse & Addictions - Alcoholism    16. United States    17. Women golfers   

Editorial Review

Ken Baker was a working-class boy from Buffalo, New York, who dreamed of playing professional hockey; his idea of masculinity was formed by a father who chain-smoked, warned his sons that "girls will ruin your life" (he had to marry the author's pregnant mother), and sneered at doctors' warnings to mend his bad habits--"You gotta die of something." But Baker had a tumor in his brain that flooded his body with the female hormone prolactin; he leaked milk from his nipples and could hardly ever have an erection. His wince-inducing memoir pulls no punches and uses no euphemisms in telling what it was like to be a sexually dysfunctional man in a sex-saturated society. Female readers may take a certain grim satisfaction in learning that men, too, can feel vulnerable and sexually exploited, but most will simply marvel at Baker's willingness to reveal the gory details of his failure-riddled sex life. Although he makes some high-minded claims about the insights he gained from his ordeal ("I was able to journey to a biological place few men will ever know.... My manhood today is stronger because of it"), what's really gripping here is his blow-by-blow account of what it felt like to dread sex instead of chase it, to approach intercourse as a test rather than a pleasure. We can only be relieved that surgery restored him to hormonally normal masculinity at age 27, although the girlfriend who stood by him through it and then listened to him explode with testosterone-charged rage when she complained about his subsequent insensitivity might disagree. Baker's slick prose reflects his background in celebrity journalism (he worked at Read more

Reviews (7)

What's it like to be a man without testicles
A prolactinoma is a pituitary gland tumor that produces excessive amounts of the hormone prolactin.This slow-growing tumor accurs in both men and women and is often not identified as the source of health problems until it has grown to a rather large size.In a male, excessive prolactin has an emasculating and feminizing effect.Testosterone levels decrease, the sex drive all but disappears, and erections are practically impossible to achieve.To make matters worse, when prolactin reaches high enough levels in the blood, it can cause males to lactate. This Book Changed My Life
As a man diagnosed with the same malady as the author, readingabout someone who had endured the same misery as myself was both shocking and reassuring.Ken Baker describes his journey in compelling and sometimes painfully honest prose.His description of a descent into a torturous abyss is rivaled only by his ascent from the very depths of despair.Most of my family and closests friends have read this book and have a new found understanding for the hell some of us have endured.Mr. Baker's book is a worthy example of the power of the human spirit.

Men and Sexuality
Many women seem not to recognize that men can go through much of the same sex-related anguish that they themselves must suffer. While we may not be as vulnerable as women, cultural confusion, ignorance, shame and stinging embarassment are all in the mix for most men to whom sex is not always the big joke we make it out to be. It is often a great frustration, even for the well-adjusted. Mr. Baker's story highlights these issues through his own severe case (thank God it's rare) giving hope to anyone who has ever felt like the only one in the world who isn't getting any. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Gender Psychology    5. Gender Studies    6. Gender identity    7. General    8. Masculinity    9. Men    10. Personal Memoirs    11. Psychology    12. Sex Roles (Sociological Aspects)    13. Sex role    14. Specific Groups - Special Needs