Disability-and-Health Books

Ordinary Time: Cycles In Marriage, Faith, and Renewal, written by Nancy Mairs, is a very inspiring adult faith memoir. This book is about a woman's search for God's presence day after day. Nancy writes about her life, highlighting some major events such as illnesses, raising children, and infidelity in her marriage and discusses these situations as a Catholic feminist. She also discusses her faith journey in great detail.
I would recommend this book to others. Nancy presents very tough issues that we all can relate to at some point in our lives. She inspires her readers to examine their own faith journeys, because she is so honest when relating her feelings and thoughts. As a reader, the only negative I found with the book is that it jumped around a lot and at times, it was hard to follow. I believe it would have been more helpful if the story had been presented chronologically.

Ordinary Time is a collection of essays by Nancy Mairs documenting her spiritual journey through a fatherless childhood and adolescents, marriage, parenting and infidelity, conversion and acceptance in the Catholic Church as a self proclaimed feminist, illness and death. Nancy's journey is often an upsetting one as she maneuvers through her life trials. She is very frank about her feelings and life experiences. I was drawn into her story and was in awe as she described her families struggle through her husband's battle with cancer. This was accentuated when later we discover that she is also dealing with a debilitating illness. Her strength and reliance on her spirituality guided her through the "Ordinary Time" of life.
I found myself often feeling confused during her story as she does not arrange her journey chronologically. Despite this quirk, which at times was really more of an annoyance, it kept me interested in the story because I were never sure what she might reveal next. I was encouraged the strength she displayed during her many struggles in life. She wrote with such a candid voice that I felt like a good friend sitting around the table having coffee sharing our frustrations. Being a Catholic women myself, I could relate to the feelings of frustration that she had with the Catholic Church but at the same time being attracted to the richness of the history, tradition and teachings of the Catholic Church. I would highly recommend this very easy to read spiritual journey.

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First of all, Mairs is an extraordinary prose stylist. "Each life must hold one, I think: one pain that overarches and obscures all others, one haunting irreversible fault for which one can never atone." There is no other living prose writer who regularly makes me put the book down, take several deep breaths, and then gingerly pick it up again to go back and find out what hit me. This is, I suppose, what the word "breathtaking" originally meant.

Second of all, Mairs wriggles between categories with perverse delight: I'm not surprised that some reviewers here express bewilderment. She's never quite where you expect her to be. Catholic activists don't write explicitly about their own sex lives. Inspirational writers don't admit to screwing up on their child-rearing. Feminists don't point out that there was no possible way male authorities could have avoided stifling their voices while they (the feminists) were in a dysfunctional relationship with God. If you're looking for a book to pet you and sooth you and reassure you that everything you already think is exactly right, you've come to the wrong shop.

But third -- most surprising of all, given all this -- Mairs is humane, inclusive, tender, and loving. This book is about adultery. In Mair's hands, adultery becomes the paradigm for the human relationship with God: we have all been unfaithful, and we have all felt betrayed. Okay. Then what comes next? What do we do with these betrayals? How do we look at them steadily, and turn them into a deeper love and a more meaningful faith?

Painfully, that's how.

I love this book. I don't know if you will. Probably not, unless you're one of those people who has to touch paintings to feel the stipple, shut yourself in closets to see what the dark looks like, and touch ice cubes with your tongue.

Autobiographical reflections of a convert to Catholicism, about her committed struggles with marriage and with faith. ("A Catholic feminist? Dear God, couldn't I please be something else?") What I love about this and all of Nancy Mairs's books is her uncompromising honesty about the difficulties of living a human life, and the way she shows that joy and gratitude and humor can be found right in the midst of the big mess we're in. I'm on my third or fourth copy of this book because I keep giving it away. This and "Waist-High in the World" are my favorites by Mairs.

This is a very important and useful book for me. Nancy writes essays about her life from a spiritual perspective. She includes everything that is important in her life: conversion, prayer, sickness, family life, finances, the poor in spirit and health.

I was raised as a Catholic and spent 35 years away so I can relate to Nancy's comments about the difference between the church hierarchy and the people. They each have different needs and actions. I prefer the people and have learned to diminish my strong feelings of criticism of the church hierarchy so that it doesn't keep me from being one of the church people and taking care of my spiritual needs.

This is one of the most important books that I have read.

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

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

This book was very liberating for me and helped me tremendously! Bonnie is one of the very few deaf authors that addresses the implications that hearing loss has on one's own life, and those people directly around you.

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

I would have never heard of this book if not for a dear friend's recommendation - whose 15-year old daughter has been deaf since birth. And I am as profoundly grateful to my friend Anna Marie, as I am to Bonnie Tucker, the author - for a lesson in gratitude. compassion and frustration . . .

All of us, the hearing - will learn of gratitude for the "given" of the sense of hearing. We will add to our repertoire of our feelings a very special variation of compassion - for one like Bonnie - full of zest and energy in her approach to life - who definitely does not want pity.

We will learn of the aspects of frustration which our hearing world may not conceive of. Why not learn of this? Why not absorb some of the unique feelings which none of us ever thought of, in the situations none of us ever has found himself/herself?

You, the psychologists, might add to your lists of therapeutic data - this very intelligent woman's pointers and leads - how and when to help the deaf . . .

As the deaf are not really deaf - witness Beethoven and his most significant output as a composer in the late years of life, when, after becoming deaf, his hearing switched inward, into the inner world of sound - after all we all have an inner ear.

So does Bonnie Tucker and she has proven it with her astounding life and career as a mom and an attorney. Hurrah to the victor!

Eva Victoria Tame, [...].

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

Doesn't every family who encounters autism come at it differently?

I went to high school with Zachary & Mori's uncle. I knew about the book, but had never seen it for sale. I was so thrilled when their grandmother pointed out where I could get "their" book. It's a loving book about a loving family. My own daughter is autistic. In part, I bought the book for a classroom school library -- I am also a special educator-- to share with other parents of disabled kids.

I will eagerly read anything else Zachary writes about his brother and family.

This is a good book written by a brother of an autistic child. No one should judge this family and the choices they made. It is not as though they hide Mori. They want what is best for him and in this situation, what was best seemed to be sending him to live with a family where he could get the help and focus he needed.
It seemed obvious to me the family is proud of him and wants him to be the best he can be and that meant leaving him with another local family. It had to be hard to make that decision.
This book is a story about how different people hand different situations due to different dynamics in a family.
I highly recommend it and recommend reading it without judging eyes.

Note: please disregard the rating; I had to place a rating so I could post the following comments. The next remarks are in response to the first two reviews appearing on this page.

Dear Readers,

I am Zachary Gartenberg, the author of Mori's Story. It has been ten years since I sat down to write the first draft of my book; I am now nineteen, Mori is eighteen, and I am happy to say that he is healthy and flourishing. Just recently, I came across the two reviews that appear first on this page, one entitled "Biased" and the other with a header that warns, "Only but this book if you sent your Autistic child away." I would like to address several things said in these reviews.

First, with respect to the first review, I acknowledge and regret my use of the term 'disease' in reference to Autism. I certainly do not conceive of Autism as a disease and understand it to be, as the author of this review points out, a neurobiological condition. At the age of nine, however, I did not perceive such a distinction; I am surprised my editor did not either.

With regard to both reviewers' claims that my parents "sent away" my brother, I must respond that I have never once questioned my parents' love and devotion to Mori. Thay have always done the best for him and always will. It is incorrect and unfair to say that we neglected Mori, becasue we sought the best behavioral treatment that was available for him, we did it without hesitation, and we did it with great sacrifice. We interact with Mori on a more-than-regular basis; he is a central part of our lives, a wonderful and enriching part. Finding an alternative living situation for Mori was a necessity that made every member of our family profoundly sad; we believe we did the right thing, nonetheless, in ensuring that Mori live with caring, responsible, and understanding people.

It has been quite some time since I sat down to re-read Mori's Story. Many things have changed since I wrote the book. One thing that hasn't changed is my family's unconditional love and respect for my brother. I hope that anyone who has read or will read my book will keep these comments in mind. I hope to write more on my brother in the future, and as I know more and am older, perhaps I am better equipped to do so now than I was ten years ago. But I will write about Mori in the future for the same reason I wrote about him in the past: I want to share what it means to accept, understand, and love a person who is different and special, and Mori has taught me that.

I guess this is something that I feel strongly about. Because we have an autistic child who we love, care for, teach and could not imagine living without. It can be extremely exhausting at times but I could never imagine placing our child in another home. I don't want to judge the situation here but I bought this book thinking it was something our other son may relate to. Not so, since Mori does not live with his siblings except for visitation. Our other boy was extremely sad when he heard about Mori not living with his family. I could not recommend this book to anyone who is facing the trials as well as the rewards of living and loving a child with autism each and every day.

This is a wonderful story to share with siblings and others who love a special needs child. Zachary's explanation of why Mori is not living at home with his family is wonderful and could be helpful to other siblings of special needs kids who have had to be placed in another residential setting. We have a very high functioning autistic child, yet this story still struck some very familiar and emotional spots in me. I think this will appeal to all families who have an autistic child. Thanks for writing and sharing this with us, Zachary!

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

This book is a profound yet practical guide to raising resilient children who have significant health issues. The publication of this book can best be described as a gift to families who are faced with far more complex challenges than are found in those with more typical children. These challenges include how to help children feel a sense of control, acceptance and hope while living with serious disorders. It provides a wise guide for helping raise children who are able to embrace life while taking good care of their health conditions. The book reflects a synthesis of the best in parenting skills along with a rich understanding of child psychology, family dynamics and a range of chronic disorders. This wealth of information is distilled for the reader in a format that is easy to follow; readers are provided with numerous examples of how to implement these insights. It is a unique and thorough guide to critical aspects of child-rearing that are just not found anywhere else. I regard this book as simply indispensable for families and professionals alike. It is a gem.

Laura E. Marshak
Author (with Fran Prezant) of : Married with Special-Needs Children [A couple's guide to keeping connected], Woodbine House 2007

Child psychiatrist Foster W. Cline and mother of two children with cystic fibrosis Lisa Greene present Parenting Children with Health Issues: Essential Tools, Tips and Tactics for Raising Kids with Chronic Illness, Medical Conditions & Special Healthcare Needs, a guide to learning and applying the parenting skills needed for raising children who require special medical or dietary care. Chapters discuss how to handle a child's refusal to take medication or undergo medical treatments, promote personal responsibility, deal with sibling, family, and couple relationship issues, and much more. "Because chronically ill children can so easily drift into feeling 'unfair-ed upon' by life, some become entitled and demanding, developing and exploiting placating parents who, as their child becomes more demanding, have increasing difficulty separating 'wants' from 'needs.' Entitled people, children or adults, have a tendency to control others through what they define as their 'needs.'" An invaluable, experience-laden guide accessible to parents and caretakers of all backgrounds, highly recommended.

Authors Cline and Green offer a truthful testimony to the question "How would you spend your precious moments with your child with health problems?" They present a systematic approach, Love & Logic, to positive parenting, the goal of which is to enable a child to learn the health habits to care for him\herself. Moreover, the parenting in these family situations requires thoughtfulness and compassionae conversation about real issues as grief, death, medications, self-care as well as normal child rearing tasks.

Part One of the book focuses on the basic Love & Logic strategies that most parents face: self esteem, boundaries, problem solving, and how children learn. Part 2, Advanced Love & Logic applications discusses the realities of the medical challenges within the family and how to deal with them. Added bonuses at the back of the book are extra parenting tips, the authors' personal stories, and resources.

The book is thorough, well written and easy to read. You will appreciate the honest approach in dealing with the real world situations through loving strategies. I highly recommend it.

For additional resources for stressful family situations see Help Kids Cope with Stress & Trauma

In a review of another Love and Logic publication on Amazon, one reviewer suggested people Google Foster Cline and Rage Reduction. That's good advice.

Tipping The Scales of Justice is a very well written examination of the legal and personal issues surrounding weight based discrimination. Ms. Solovay touches on all the relevant issues with clarity and insight, born out of a devotion to Justice and the desire to make this issue understood to all who read about it. She is a passionate activist and a marvelous writer. Without a doubt this book will stand the test of time as a solidly researched, superbly written book. Congratulations, Ms. Solovay!

This book is very helpful and has been cited by numerous authors.Great book!

In perhaps the first and only authoritative book on fat prejudice, attorney Sondra Solovay paints a disturbing picture of widespread mistreatment of the obese and urges extension of current law to remedy these problems. Proclaiming "fat discrimination" as the civil rights issue of the millennium, she calls for increased legal protection, detailing a litany of abuse afflicted on fat people by peers, teachers, employers, and even judges. She disputes the prevailing notion that fat people's size is their own fault, saying scientific evidence shows that obesity is not within the individual's control. Because body size may be immutable and not reflective of a person's abilities, she argues that anti-discrimination law should apply. She touts progress against fat discrimination, including laws passed in Michigan and California that specifically prohibit discrimination on the basis of weight in employment and housing.

The author recommends applying disability laws to the obese, a controversial stance which puts her at odds with other so-called fat-rights advocates who resist using the disabled label. After examining several cases involving the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, she concludes that the courts' treatment of larger-sized people under these laws too often is inconsistent, confused, and tainted by fat prejudice. She proposes a clearer, more logical way of categorizing and analyzing these cases, and reiterates how de-stigmatizing obesity helps correct pervasive misperceptions of fat people's abilities.

The book's strength lies in its focus on education and reform and the human face put on the problem of fat prejudice. However, even the author's extensive use of footnotes can't compensate for the dearth of legal materials involving weight discrimination. The appendices list organizations devoted to fat-rights advocacy, recommended readings, samples of anti-discrimination laws and excerpts from the ADA. But the paucity of published opinions reflects the reason why the book is a "tool of legal scholarship" as opposed to a "handbook" -- the still novel issue remains largely confined to academia and talks shows, not the actual practice of law. In our progressively heavier society, fat people may be closer to tipping the scales as the majority, but one wonders whether protection against fat prejudice will ever become the prevailing legal norm.

The quiet, measured, dignified prose style of the author, a sort of removed reportage, makes the horrors of discrimination in education, health-care, social life, employment, the world of entertainment, and so forth all the more starkly ugly, cruel, dangerous, and damaging. The damage, however, is not confined to those fat people who are so viciously discriminated against. It extends to almost everyone who is infected with fear and hatred of fat, everyone who would rather be blind or deaf or lose a limb than be fat, everyone who succombs to the blandishments of a greedy, fear-mongering, prejudice-supporing bariatric industry. In other words, we're all in this together and we've all got to get out of it together. And the legal considerations Solovay brings to our attention, the suggestions she makes about extending legal coverages against discrimination already in place, and the compassion she displays for victims make this book one of the important beginnings for recovery from anti-fat hysteria. Thank you for this book.

Sondra Solovay is a lawyer, author, lesbian, feminist, Berkeley-resident and obese person. Tipping the Scales of Justice is Sondra's activist war-cry describing how disenfranchised obese individuals are in American society. Sondra's personal politics come out in this book as she complains that "fat" people deserve to be accommodated for in every way imaginable. Sondra loves statistics and this book is full of them. Sondra shows that thin women make more money than fat women. Thin women are selected for jury duty more often than fat women, (so what? does anybody actually like jury duty?) She even goes so far as to label obesity descriminiation as the civil-rights issue of the century. This book attempts to deal with sensitive issues of teasing and hurt feelings but comes off as a long political rant about how everyone should cater to her because she's overweight. There are better books about the subject, such as those written for the clinical psychology field regarding female body image.

The majority of the book entails synopsis of women's life coping mechanism with the condition of FMS. Would have liked a more informative type of booklet but was good to realize one is not alone.

For those diagnosed with fibro or who have a family member or friend with fibro, this is a good read. Because contributions are made from women who have fibromyalgia, their suggestions and comments are real life, things we can put into practice. It is a lot more applicable than others I have read.

I was introduced to this book by my fiance (now my husband), who bought it for himself - to read and understand what I'm going through and to better help me. He urged me to read it, too, but I did not want to learn anything about it, mostly because much of what I've read before contained so much 'doom and gloom'.
I'm so glad that I am reading it now, and like the previous reviewer, I was overcome with emotion to see myself continually, not realizing just how many symptoms I just chalked up to being 'normal', or the "course of time". But as my symptoms became more constant and more severe this past year, it was time to understand just what was going on and I found so much reassurance in seeing that so many others experience these bizarre happenings within their bodies, too.
Although I have not finished the book yet, I do want to add this: I am surprised to not see more mention of just how much dietary and lifestyle changes make a huge difference, and strongly urge people to look at those in the Raw Food lifestyle who can testify to the change in their health. See Nomi Shannon's website, for example: http://www.rawgourmet.com/gourmet.html whose Raw Gourmet book is sold on Amazon, as well as many others.
You CAN become well or at the very least MUCH, much better.
And you can take control back, and do so naturally.
I recommend this book for your family and friends to read, as few people really understand, and this book is very helpful.

When I started reading this book, I began to cry. I saw myself over and over again. And it is so comforting to know I am not the only person feeling this way, hurting this much. I am not quite finished yet, but so far I have learned so much I didn't know and also found suggestions for coping I hadn't encountered. Now if someone could only come up with a cure!

My hope when I bought this book was that I would find inside it encouragement and helpful advice. The author presents a very biased sample of women who I do not believe are representative of the greater population of people with fibromyalgia. Most (thought not all) of the women in this book identify themselves as sick and disabled, have stopped working and many come off as feeling sorry for themselves. I believe one can have a medical condition without being "sick" all the time. I also think that a lot of the people who are disabled by FM also have other diseases and those are likely more resposible for the disability than the FM alone. The general information about the syndrome contained in this book is available elsewhere and indeed is not the purpose of the book, but the women's stories did not provide me with the kind of information and support I was looking for. For example, 50 women listing all the medications they take or have tried tells me nothing. And I felt I was being more encouraged to go on disability after reading this book than I did to go on with my life. This condition is painful, annoying and distracting but it is not a death sentence.

I bought this book almost immediately when I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. It (along with general info from with web) got me acquainted with how I should eat with my diabetes, and made me feel more comfortable with my ability to cope with my condition.

This book contains a wealth of information on what kinds of things you can eat, as well as various tables and lists of things you can eat along with relevant data on each item in many cases.

Overall, this was an excellent book for me, and I am sure it would help others in my same situation.

Family memeber with diabetes currently came to reside within our household and not being sure of the disease we found this book a fair informative guideline to helping the family member with the control of their sugar and keep the other memebers lifes unchanged but helped us all eat healthier.

The information in the book was okay, but the exchange lists and diet information we formatted poorly and were a little simplistic. That was the main reason I bought the book so I was a little disappointed. On the other hand, it did contain some good basic info.

This book stands out from others because goes beyond just telling you WHAT to do to manage your diabetes, it also tells you the WHY. By helping you understand the reasoning behind dietary and exercise guidelines, the author gives you the knowledge you need to make intelligent decisions when presented with situations not covered by guidelines alone. She seems to understand that everything isn't always black and white in life, and you have to make choices based on many factors.

I'm newly diagnosed. Since I'm not on any medications (and hope to keep it that way for as long as possible), the two tools I have to manage my diabetes are exercise and diet. This book addresses the diet aspect very well, while touching on the importance of exercise. It's not a scientific text, so it doesn't go into excruciating detail. It's an easy read. She helps you understand how the body works without diabetes, and then explains what happens differently when you have diabetes. You'll come to understand how different foods affect your blood glucose level - and WHY. Which allows you to understand and develop your own meal plan if you don't have access to a nutritionist. If you do, you'll better understand why your nutritionist makes the recommendations she does, and you will have the knowledge to discuss various options with her.

This may not be the first thing you want to read if you've just discovered you need to live in a way that manages your blood glucose levels. There are higher level overview books; educational websites run by the Joslin Center or American Diabetes Association; or better yet, diabetes management programs taught by diabetes educators and nutritionists at most local hospital that will give you a solid foundation. Ask your doctor about local programs if he hasn't recommended it to you already.

With that knowledge under your belt, this is an excellent book to take you down to the next level of detail.

If you are someone who is, or know someone who is, suffering from Asperger's and you want to develop (better) job skills this is the book for you. The author has Asperger's, as is obvious from the structure, detail, and methodical nature of the book. Lots of forms - LOTS of forms. The book is designed to help the Asperger's person, their family, or a professional prepare for finding the Asperger's person the right job, get them through the interpersonal issues involved in interviewing, and deal with the demands of the job. The personal experiences of the author help color his presentation of the material and help illustrate for the reader that these things can be accomplished and the Asperger's person can thrive in the work environment with the right preparation and planning.

This book is excellent and very useful for adults with AS or professionals who work with them. I did not find it very helpful, however, for young adults who are just beginning to enter work. This book would be much more useful for adults who are already employed or have been employed for extended periods. For those people, I believe this book is excellent, helpful, easy to work through, and well-written. But if you are looking for something to help an adolescent or young adult with AS, this may contain a few tips, but it probably won't be very helpful.

I was excited about the workbook concept, because I hoped it would be more helpful than just reading other peoples advice, but because I am the sort of person who thinks about things quite a lot anyway I found that completing the workbook didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know. However, if you want to be provided with a structure for sitting down and seriously thinking about your past experiences of work, this book may help you to understand yourself and find the direction that best suits your needs and abilities... just don't expect it to tell you. If you have no work experience, such as a school leaver, you could still use this book, but I wouldn't recommend it. You could end up focusing too much on the only past experience you have i.e. the education system, and I think you might find that limiting. The book also includes a section covering the issues involved, and is written by a man with Asperger syndrome himself.

This is the book adults on the autism/Asperger's (a/A) spectrum have been praying for. This book is every adult with Asperger's best friend in employment related matters.

This author has shared experiences and described behavior that is part of the a/A spectrum. The insights and explanations that are given help pave the way towards understanding and accomodating adults with Asperger's in the workplace. It is a meeting of the minds; the neurotypical (NT) and the a/A. This book will certainly close gaps and make for a neuroneutral meeting workplace that works for all.

Hats off to this book!

once again it's really unfortunate that the author, who wrote a nice little book, used such old fashioned terminology by putting the "Down syndrome" in front of her daughter.
A person is a person FIRST and having Down syndrome is secondary to that, and should always come after the PERSON.
So, please don't say Down syndrome person, Down syndrome baby or daughter or whatever.
Our children are children FIRST. They just also happen to have DS...but it doesn't define them.

Reading technical and how-to books about Down Syndrome can be depressing and frustrating after awhile. I needed a break, something up-beat and positive, about a real family.
This book is it! I loved every minute of it - couldn't put it down - had to read it all in one sitting. It is about Becky, the Icenhower's delightful daughter, and her journey from baby to independent adulthood. It is just the sort of encouraging, heartwarming story parents of children with DS need to hear. In the coming years, I will read and re-read this book. Wonderful!

This absolutely delightful book was a "page-turner" that I couldn't put down! I read it all in one afternoon. It's the story of a regular family with problems like everyone else, and who have a deep faith in God. Becky, the down-syndrome daughter, puts them in their place time and time again with comments like "Can't you people act normal?" I laughed so hard and yet was so touched. I recommend this book not only for families with a down-syndrome child but for every family who grows, laughs and cries together.

This is a delightful book. I will never see a Down Syndrome person the same again. My forced concerned will now be a smile. The part of me that did not understand is now ready and able to embrace and accept all children as precious gifts from God. Although this book teaches, it is not heavy reading. It reads like a story. Each line entices you to the next. At the end, I was wishing for more. This is a story of an average, normal family whose love for the Lord gave them the courage and strength to accept their precious daughter the way the Lord handed her to them and prepare her for a life that would touch us all. Thank you, Rosalie!

I first read this book when my son was diagnosed with hearing loss. Here I found the information that I needed to understand his audiogram. There are many good suggestions for modifications in school. I have used several passages to help my son's teachers learn about hearing loss. I refer to this book again and again. This book would be helpful for a hearing-impaired adult or for a family member of someone with hearing loss.

This book has very little information in it and leans more towards the touchy feely approach ie how are you going to deal with it, attitudes etc. Unfortunately what I wanted was more precise information on different causes of hearing loss as well as tests used to determine it (as I am going through this right now). I wanted to understand what the doctors were doing and why but this book was a waste of time.

The author is concise and acurate with information on hearing loss and its ramifications on communication. The book deals in depth with psychosocial aspects of hearing loss and provides useful tips to ease communication friction between individuals with hearing loss and their families. As an individual with a hearing loss, I wish I would have read this years ago. However, as a graduate student in Audiology, the chapter on hearing aids is out of date. A second edition possible?

A hearing-impaired friend recommended this book to to me when my hearing was damaged, and I will be forever grateful. It explains not only how hearing loss occurs, but how it feels. It has helpful graphs that illustrate what people with various types of loss can and cannot hear, and offers excellent advice on coping. The book is concise, which I appreciate. This is not a windy treatise. Anyone who lives with or knows a hearing-impaired person would also greatly benefit from these insights.