Injuries Books

This book means well but is not based on sound medical principles. It criticizes other methods ("the failure rate for steroid injection is...about [sic] 75.6% of all patients"; "for surgery...the average failure rate, which is very conservative, is 57%...after 6 years the onset of these symptoms can [sic] reach higher than 90%". No references are given for these precision numbers, which are higher than typically quoted values.

In marked contrast, Ms. Montgomery cites no data whatsoever on the success rate of her own trademarked therapy. Instead, the book is well endowed with glowing anecdotal testimonials. She is described as a naturopathic doctor, and holistic health practitioner. She uses hair tissue analysis to evaluate nutrition. She is not a medically trained person.

From the very beginning, this book (like some others) conflates carpal tunnel syndrome with repetitive stress injury. In fact, the cause of carpal tunnel problems is varied, and not always from RSI. For example, the NIH Carpal Tunnel Factsheet on its website states: " Most likely the disorder is due to a congenital predisposition - the carpal tunnel is simply smaller in some people than in others. Other contributing factors include trauma or injury to the wrist that cause swelling, such as sprain or fracture; overactivity of the pituitary gland; hypothyroidism; rheumatoid arthritis; mechanical problems in the wrist joint; work stress; repeated use of vibrating hand tools; fluid retention during pregnancy or menopause; or the development of a cyst or tumor in the canal. In some cases no cause can be identified. There is little clinical data to prove whether repetitive and forceful movements of the hand and wrist during work or leisure activities can cause carpal tunnel syndrome."

Check high-quality sources on the Internet, and evaluate the likely benefit of various treatments before proceeding with recommendations from a source of this kind.

I've been playing drums for 10 years and using a computer intensively for the last 4 years for both study and work. About 12 months ago i decided i hadn't been practising drums enough and started to play again like i had before i started using computers - BOOM!!! Within 2 weeks i realised the occaissional pain i felt in my right wrist and hand after a long day on the computer wasn't the same as sore legs after going jogging. I've had semi-permanent pain in my right wrist and hand ever since and i've been extremely depressed and freaked out about it.

I stopped playing drums all together and started to use my left hand for essential computer mouse use (ie work only). I thought eventually my left hand would get problems and i'd have lost playing music and my career as a web designer.

Recently i discovered Kate Montgomery's book, and after reading it i feel there's hope i'll be able to heal myself by following her program. One day i'll be able to play drums again like i could before, and i'll still be able to use a computer to earn my living. Kate's book teaches you about how your arms, wrist and hands work, what causes wrist and hand pain, and how you can restore them after RSI related damage. The illustrations are excellent, and i feel confident i am doing the exercises correctly. Once i recover (i now believe i can) i will use Kate's preventative program to keep my wrists and hands healthy so i can play drums all my life. If you use your hands to earn your living and/or to do the things in your life that you love then Kate's book is a must. Kate is the Yoda of healthy hands!

I am an Occupational Therapist who specializes in Hand Therapy. Kate` Montgomery's book is a very helpful resource for anyone suffering from repetitive strain injuries. This wholistic approach is a good blend of techniques from various health traditions. It is written in layman's terms with excellent illustrations that help you understand the cause of the pain and why you should follow the suggested program of stretches and massage. The self-massage techniques and exercises are especially helpful for those who need visual reminders of how to perform the various massage techniques and stretches. This book is a good supplement to treatment for those who are currently under the care of a health professional as well as those who are not in treatment. It is self-empowering for those willing to take responsibility for their health and follow the suggested 12 step corrective program on a daily basis. The sports balm is a helpful addition that promotes healing and relief of pain.

I do a lot of knitting and fibercrafts and had to take long breaks from it to recuperate, sometimes days. With these exercises my hands feel fine even after many hours of knitting.

As a flutist and music therapy major in college, I experienced chronic wrist pain because of countless hours of practicing several instruments, typing papers, and hauling equipment for music therapy sessions. I had been to see a physical therapist during school but was not satisfied with the answer: "Quit practicing." Last year, tired of the physical and mental strain of chronic pain, I tried Kate's book in order to take control of my pain. With daily practice of the exercises illustrated in this book, I was ecstatic with the results. I could not remember the last time my hand was free of pain! Since my livelihood depends on using my hands, knowing I could stay virtually pain free with daily exercises was a huge relief. The trigger point releases and self-massage techniques in this book, help me to release the daily tightness of muscles in my hand and feel great. The range of motion exercises and stretches are quick and easy to do throughout the day. Without this book, I would still be a victim of chronic pain. I have been more than pleased to find a way to strengthen my wrists and hands to prevent further damage and pain. If you are ready to take and active role in decreasing hand and wrist pain and preventing further problems, you will not regret purchasing this book.

I'm an avid reader of anything related to scuba diving and freediving. This book filled my expectations. However, I also read The Last Attempt by Carlos serra and found it even more appealing and gripping than this one. I highly recommend both of them but The Last Attempt was a really nice surprise.

It's about the story of a female freediving champion who died during her last attempt to set a new world record held by her husband, a legend in the sport, but after her death, and even though everyting pointed towards him, and despite heavy scrutiny by the media, no one could establish what actually happened. I was astonished when i read it. Incredible story, so between The Last Attempt and Fatal Depth, i found myself delighted with a lot of good reading.

I had just finished Shadow Divers when I jumped into Fatal Depth. That's a shame because Shadow Divers so overwhelms FD that a completely unbiased review may not have been possible.

Haberstroh knits together the string of fatal dive incidents using the state of mind of dive boat captain Dan Crowell as the unifying thread. This attempt, though, turns up so little that the incidents really have to stand alone. As such, they seem like little more than incident investigations with perhaps a bit of background color for each of the victims. The author seems to have had no particular agenda and draws no conclusions. Even the status of a lawsuit described in the book's closing chapters is left unresolved.

If you want a STORY, ready Shadow Divers. If you want research material on deep diving fatalities or just cannot get enough of the genre then by all means pick up Fatal Depth.

I enjoyed reading this book...for someone that does not dive it certainly is an eye-opener as to how many ways you can get in trouble quick at extreme depths.

Great book. Lots of accident information as well as the diving history of the wreck. A must have for your reference library. Learn from the mistakes of others.

Fatal Depth offers a neutral report of several accidents, starting with the collision that sunk the Andrea Doria and then moving on to recount mishaps involving deep water scuba diving by recreational divers who want to explore the wreck and bring back artifacts. Some would call deep water diving of this type "extreme" diving (230 feet deep), though aficionados call it technical diving. The reporting of the mishaps themselves is brief since they often occurred while the diver was out of sight of others, but this is supplemented by substantial background information about the diver.

Haberstroh, by trade a reporter and not a diver, has written a book that looks at some of the non-technical issues, such as the boat captain's responsibility to assure the competence of divers who have the requisite certifications or who are accompanied by a reputable instructor. Typical of a reporter writing a story, he presents the issues but does not provide his own editorial opinion.

The failure to report the outcome of the lawsuit that is discussed in the book is annoying, but an online search revealed that the plaintiff lost the case (at least at the trial level) by summary judgment. Whether the case has been appealed is not readily ascertainable by an online search.

While a quick read, it does not compare favorably with Shadow Divers or The Last Dive, both of which are gripping. For someone interested in this genre, it offers enough new information to make it worth reading, and in that case, Fatal Depth would be a good book to borrow from a local library.

I recently finished reading Powers' first novel, "Three Farmers on Their Way to a Dance", and liked it enough that I decided to try some of his other work.

Prisoners' Dilemma is a very complex novel. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I felt that the characters were the book's main strength - they are rich, conflicted and masterfully crafted. However, especially toward the end, I got totally lost. I could not follow the story.

The first 100 pages or so were engaging and interesting, but the novel kept getting stranger, until at the end I was no longer sure what was going on. It could be that I am not as sophisticated a reader as I should be, but if you are like me, be aware that this book is a tough one to follow.

Powers can craft a masterful sentence, and his prose is really great. My problem was that all this great prose never turns into a great story, for me at least.

It's rare that I truly despise a novel, but that's the case with Prisoner's Dilemma. Powers is so steeped in the intellectual tenets of his "novel of ideas" that he seems to have had no time to spare for things like character and plot development. The result is pretension babble uttered by a collection of stick figures.

If you're reading a novel which endeavors to link the lives of a Midwestern family in the late-1970s, World War II-era homefront politics, and Walt Disney, then you're going to want someone competent at the helm. On a superficial level, Richard Powers must be the man, since he's got a genius grant from the MacArthur foundation. Furthermore, he's adroitly constructed even grander Novels of Ideas like Galatea 2.2 and The Gold Bug Variations. His name inevitably comes up when critics are discussing the important young writers responsible for narrating our foray into the next millennium, along with William T. Vollman, David Foster Wallace, and Rick Moody-the "tall white male writers," as Wallace once put it.

But it took me a while to see what makes Prisoner's Dilemma the sprawling, history-rewriting novel of ideas it's been hailed as. For the first fifty pages or so, it reads like a comfortably traditional family novel reminiscent of Anne Tyler-which it is, on one of its multiple planes. But then Powers starts throwing in pseudo-factual flashbacks to the forties, with Walt Disney making wartime propaganda films (which he actually did, though not in the scope this novel suggests) and young Eddie Hobson (Sr.'s) eventual appearance in this surreal historical thread.

In less capable hands, Prisoner's Dilemma would probably come off as very, very formulaic, and just plain all-been-done-before boring. What rescues it? Well, for one, Powers' prose is beautiful and compelling. This alone should save the novel from complete damnation. The language during the italicized wartime passages is omniscient and confident, assuring us we're in capable hands as we struggle to understand-via Artie, via Eddie Sr., via ... Mickey Mouse?-the monstrosity that was the Great War. The language during the chapters set in 1978 is, by comparison, rather objective, but it still has plenty of intrusive third-person commentary inserted, lending an existential lushness to such simple acts as setting the table or playing catch in the backyard. This refusal to take for granted the mundane characterizes Powers' treatment of the Hobsons' dilemma, and, in turn, Eddie Sr.'s life. The mysterious illness that ravages Eddie and confounds his family is a physical manifestation of the ongoing battle within Eddie-a relentless tension between the Big Picture and the plight of the individual. The universal struggle to understand how one little person can matter in the midst of an incomprehensibly vast cosmos-a dilemma we all experience at some point-is magnified and played out continually in Eddie to such an extent that it precludes his ability to function adequately in the "outside" world.

The question of how humanity copes with the mounting onslaught of technological chaos is addressed repeatedly throughout Powers' narrative. During World War II, Powers recognizes that one of the greatest curative forces for Americans dealing with the war was, as it still is today, entertainment. In this case, the salve is Mickey Mouse and the whole Disney enterprise, enjoying its original heyday during the late thirties and early forties. Whole chapters are devoted to the role Disney played in the war, especially in the plight of the thousands of Japanese Americans interred Stateside. More generally, Powers describes Disney's function as a very early incarnation of the white noise in which we swaddle ourselves, in an attempt to keep out the horror we know is occurring out there: "[Mickey Mouse's] immense popularity must come from our learning, in a few years, how to ignore things that would have frozen previous generations with total horror" (98). Personified, as it is here, by such a congenial persona as Mickey Mouse and the rest of his Disney pals, it's hard to see how white noise could be all that bad. And Powers makes it clear that our relationship to the noise is ambivalent. We need it, and as much as we might decry it in attempts to elevate ourselves to more enlightened planes of world-awareness, we like taking refuge in Disney movies, or any incarnation of the entertainment noise we prefer. If the escapist quality of entertainment blossomed with Disney, and continued to grow throughout the seventies, when Artie is speaking, we in 2001 hardly need to be reminded how powerful and pervasive a mixed blessing it is now. Think of the samizdat in Infinite Jest that entertains its viewers into comas. Or, more immediately, consider the ways in which our country will-and already has-use pop culture as a psychological salve for the trauma of September 11.

There is no better way to sum up this novel than to steal from W.H. Auden. The first time through this book, I knew there was a wealth of power and beauty hiding underneath it. Perhaps this is a novel that you have to read at a vulnerable time. Perhaps events such as September 11th compel me to say to those of you who will read this review in the future "Read this book to someone you love and weep with them for the world we now inhabit. We have relinquished our own ability to see the magic inherent in the world." If, during the Grand Inquisitor scene in The Brothers Karamazov, Jesus deigned to respond to the questioner, this is perhaps what he would have said. It is a novel that attempts to free us from the gated enclaves of the suburbs, the fear and nightmare of double deadbolts, the paranoia of opening mail. Eddie Hobson, Sr. is a man who feels that he must take on the burden of everyone else's mistrust, no matter the personal consequences. He is reduced to speaking in symbols, the better to convey all the aching meaning he feels for his family and the world. He, who is the least physically able, warps his entire family to his side, forcing them to relive his transformation from naive child of the midwest to one who has seen the Brave New World brought about by anonymous men in secret offices. This novel is multi-layered, complex, and deep in ways that make this, IMHO of course, the best explanation of the American Experience since WWII. It's better than Delillo's Underworld by quite a way, and if, you want to escape from the realizations Powers forces upon you, there's always Chapter 11. Everyone's had their own version of Chapter 11, and it is gorgeous. I wanted to call people last night while reading it, just to share the wonder and beauty of it with someone. Fantastic novel, fantastic author, this book chides us with the realization that the only way out of the self-imposed isolation we've managed to hide ourselves in is to fight it every day.

Strangely, although I very much enjoyed this book I don't feel like I got much out of it. Richard Powers' intelligence, imagination, and wonderful prose shine throughout, but I'll freely confess that I just don't "get it". The author was aiming very high but despite lots of moments where something profound seems just about ready to burst forth, in most cases unfortunately it never materializes. For example, each kid wrestles with "solving" dad's puzzle of the prisoner's dilemma. Near the end Artie finally has it... or at least I think he got it but I'll be damned if I can figure out what it was. Or why solving it did him any good. With the exception of dear old mom Ailene, the characters are interesting and well-developed, though in places less than believable. I get the feeling I'm supposed to admire sister Rach's pluck and razor sharp wit but instead she comes across as one of the most annoying people I thank god have never actually met. And having myself been in high school in the late 1970's I can categorically state that at least in my neck of the woods no one ever walked their girl home singing a "Buffalo Gals" duet and lived to tell about it.

The bottom line for me was that this book promised more than it delivered. The story strives to be profound but moments of true revelation are very rare. The book tries to be clever but it's really just the author not letting you in on a secret. The story is replete with humorous lines but only a few made me laugh. When I was much younger and read a book that I just didn't get I attributed it to my own ignorance. Though that's certainly a possibility here, as a now older and somewhat wiser reader who has successfully navigated many challenging novels I'm much less willing to give authors the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps he just didn't get the idea across.

Still, I definitely recommend this book. It's wonderful to read prose this well crafted. Powers is intelligent and ambitious and, perhaps best of all, sincere.

I have read a few of Alice Miller's books and think to truly appreciate her work, that you shouldn't judge by only reading one. I am a fan from the first book of hers I read, but learned to really respect her work the more I read. This is a good read just like her others.

Alice Miller, I am a fan. Infor helped me let go of some stuff

While I applaud her commitment to exposing Child Abuse and am intrigued by her style of writing, I am horrified that she is so extremist in her views. Alice is obviously well-read and well-educated but some of her assumptions completely miss the mark. She basically made me feel that I am a child abuser. I have never raised a hand to my child. But that does not seem good enough to her. And do not even get me started on her section on Autism! She opens up a can of worms there and never closes it, instead choosing to put her opinion out there and then never defend or back up her claims.
I do think there is some valuable information in this book but no one should take this too seriously. It reads like a work of fiction. The subject matter is heavy and heart-breaking but because of her all-or-nothing approach I found myself tuning out early in the book. Please read it, but get it from the library.

No writer has had more of an impact on me than Alice Miller, but the more I grow, the more I realize her limits.

This book's strength is that Alice Miller understands and beautifully labels the devastating causes and effects of extreme child abuse. Its weakness is that she doesn't realize that these extreme cases are just the tip of the iceberg. And it's a big iceberg.

Although part of Alice Miller is most certainly enlightened, which explains why so much of her writing rings true, part of her remains clouded by denial. In Banished Knowledge her denial hinges on her false belief that she is fully enlightened. In the 1990 edition she repeatedly and confidently states that she has resolved all her own repressed traumas through the therapy method of J. Konrad Stettbacher.

Although this is patently untrue, it is convenient for her to believe because it protects her from her own buried pain. This allows her to radically underestimate the significance of the abuse she herself suffered in her own childhood - and she herself perpetrated on her own two children in her adulthood. After all, parents in any degree of denial cannot help but act out their repressed traumas onto their children, which by nature is abusive to the spirit of the child. This is the repetition compulsion which she herself so aptly elucidates in her other works. This is how I know Alice Miller abused her own children. I learned it by applying the best of her theory to herself.

Although she hints obliquely at her own abusiveness as a mother, her denial prevents her from looking it squarely in the eye...let alone studying her own shadow with the penetrating ferocity that made her famous. Thus, by extension she is unable to study the shadows of those like her, that is, the overwhelming majority of parents. She lets them off the hook the same way she lets herself off the hook.

This is why she tacitly grants non-enlightened parents her consent to procreate - despite it being an inherent recipe for abuse. And she certainly never says "don't have children!" She unconsciously recognizes that it would be hypocritical of her to condemn others for doing what she herself did - and is still unable to acknowledge having done.

No wonder Alice Miller has so many parents as followers. She is a safe leader - and certainly better than most. Although she does provide some enlightened guidance - which is why I was drawn to her in the first place and drank up her books for so long - at the same time she allows them to rest comfortably assured that she will never challenge their basic pathological motive for procreating.

Interestingly, a few years after writing Banished Knowledge, Alice Miller came to her senses and took the evolutionary step of publicly repudiating her idol Stettbacher as manipulative and destructive. In time she also came to acknowledge her own lack of full enlightenment.

Nevertheless, she still managed to find a way to protect her idealization of herself as a parent, and again, by extension, to give damaged people her tacit consent to procreate. She accomplished this by stating (in the last paragraph of the afterward of the 1997 edition of "Drama of the Gifted Child") that full inner healing is impossible and the desire to accomplish this is "hubris." Thus, if full healing is impossible, then some degree of repression and inner pathology is inevitable in everyone - and so, therefore is child abuse. And therefore she has no right to criticize it.

Wrong! The search to know oneself fully is not hubris! Terrifying, yes. Gutsy, yes. Overwhelming, at times, yes. And maybe even impossible for Alice Miller, given her advanced age, severe childhood history, and persistent rigidity.

But hubris for everyone: no! The real hubris is that Alice Miller so readily universalizes her own limited experience to all of humanity.

Here is the truth: Healing is possible. Full enlightenment is possible. And so is an end to all child abuse. Even mild child abuse.

And I guarantee that if Alice Miller were healthier she would be the first to agree.

I came across this book at a local bookstore last weekend just out of curiosity, and the thing that caught my attention was the title itself: "Banished Knowledge." I began to wonder: what kind of knowledge that this author was addressing. Then, I looked through it and it was about a knowledge lost to oneself due to trauma in childhood. And, this book was also about facing one's abused childhood in order to be freed from repressed emotions. This book is a second book by Alice Miller that I have read, with the first being Drama of the Gifted Child. I was a bit skeptical when reading "Banished Knowledge," but there is some good information that lies within.

I do agree with Miller when she said: "repressed pain blocks emotional life and leads to physical symptoms" (p. 161). There are many of us to blocked out memories from childhood that leads to dissociative states, and we tend to act out or act in a way seems unnatural to ourselves and to others. And, because we repressed our emotions, either from our childhood or present time, we would become sick in some aspects. Our emotions do indeed affect our physical bodies.

"Banished Knowledge" is short, with 180 pages, and has nine chapters with an appendix. It is fairly easy to read, but it can be little tough to understand. But, there are nuggets of truth in this book that may or may not help one to face fears stem from one's childhood. I do recommend this book for those who are searching for self-identity. Judge for yourself on how this book affects you, and if you feel anger, then you found one of the repressed emotions leading back to your childhood.

This book will not hold all of the information that will save you from pain/trauma, but it at least will have some truth for you as part of your self-discovery.

Sacks brilliantly chronicles his experiences as a neurological patient. His experience came from a mountain climbing expedition, where he totally broke a leg and severed or damaged the femoral nerve in his leg. This book is his story of recovery from that intense and serious accident.

What Sacks concentrates on in his story are the feelings of patients, particularly his own, who have serious neurological problems and how those feelings translate to the condition itself, or the condition translates to the feelings. His most significant commentary has to do with the feelings regarding the disassociation with the affected body part. One starts to feel that it is foreign, no longer a natural part of the body. And, that it no longer exists and will never again exist to the patient.

In addition, he carefully points out the non-recognition of these patient feelings by his Neurologist who sees himself more as a fixer of mechanical problems with the body, rather than a Dr. treating a real live human being with feelings of alienation of the limb and alienation from society. Sacks writing style is sophisticate and beautiful, a rare combination for a doctor, but he achieves it like always with exquisite aplomb. The book is highly recommended for all readers interested in physical recovery, especially those who have had a significant neurological problem.

I should stress from the start that this book is extremely well written. It requires a special talent to combine scientific, clinical prose with personal, emotional and philosophical insight. This book is remarkable on many counts, but its value lies in Sacks' honesty, uninhibited rendering of the personal, by and while incorporating his desire to see his profession, neurology and psycho neurology, evolve from a largely `veterinary business", the dualistic approach to the mind as `mental' or `physical', to a science combining both approaches, in what he would like to call the "neurology of identity". In his terms, he would like to see neurology take "a great jump - to jump from the mechanical model, the "classical" model, it has espoused for so long, to a totally personal, self-referential model of the brain and mind". (p.189) This text eloquently strives in this direction.

In the early seventies, Sacks experienced a hiking accident that severely damaged his left leg. This near death experience (he was stranded alone on a mountain miles away from civilization) began a journey of a profound personal nature, existential, professional, philosophical, spiritual and physical, which changed his views about many things. The first chapter, `The Mountain', has all the suspense and narrative style of a well-written thriller. To a large extent, in the next chapter, "Becoming a Patient", has all the hallmarks of the familiar insensitive doctor as mere technician, evolving a more empathetic view of the patient, developing that essential `bedside manner' that can be so lacking, though essential, in the medical profession. Sacks describes his thoughts and feelings as a patient, having to relate his condition and feelings to his carer's, and the utter dread, loneliness, frustration, and alienation that comes with becoming ill and having to be institutionalized as a result. Anyone who has been ill and hospitalized will relate to this chapter.

The essential aspects of the text are the medical insights Sacks' gained as a result of his damaged leg. He experienced first-hand the phenomenon of intense loss of `body-image', that is the damaged leg became entirely `alienated' from his primary consciousness. This is more than just forgetting how to use one's leg after damage, but an actual vanishing of awareness of the limb itself. In his terms, a total collapse of memory/identity/space, "...an abyss or hole: a hole in memory/identity/space" of the limb. He goes on to write, "A Leg to Stand On is not just a story of a leg, but an account, from inside, of what primary consciousness is like; an account such as the experience of alienation..." (P.187)

This book is a splendid tale about the journey of healing. As all great philosophical writing does, it asks us to question ourselves, question our environment and attempt to see what has been right before our eyes from the beginning. It also affirms that human experience is a community affair, that we all share these experiences and can ultimately learn from them.

Neurologist Oliver Sacks was startled by a bull while climbing a mountain in Norway and fell, tearing his quadriceps muscle entirely free from the knee. This horrible injury was life threatening, occurring as it did high on a cold mountain, but he managed to splint his leg and crawl down the mountain to be rescued.

He was airlifted to a London hospital and had surgery to reattach the muscle. After the surgery he was shocked to discover that he had completely lost the "image" of his left leg. He couldn't feel it or move it -- couldn't even think how to move it. He was like a one-legged man with an unknown "chalk column" lying next to him in bed. In vintage Sacks style, "A Leg To Stand On" discusses this phenomenon with reference to music, philosophy, literature, and of course neurology, since this is what he calls a "neurological novel." While learning to use crutches, he suddenly regained the concept of his leg and how to use it; in his words, "...suddenly...I believed in my leg, I knew how to walk."

"A Leg To Stand On" explores from his own point of view what it means to be a patient and to have this devastating though not uncommon loss of body image. His synthesis of the experience delves into the basis of the "old" neurology, focused on neural function, and the "new" neurology which he describes as neuropsychology, studying what people do and how they do it.

I recommend this to anyone who has read and enjoyed other books by Oliver Sacks. If you are new to his work, you may like to start in the shallower end of the pool with Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (Picador) or An Anthropologist on Mars.

Linda Bulger, 2008

This book draws on Dr Sack's personal experience of trauma and recovery. It is an interesting perspective for the doctor to view things from the standpoint of the patient, and it drives home the point that apart from professional competency, excellent interpersonal skills are vital. One must never forget that in dealing with a patient, you relate to him/her as a person first, and as a doctor second. This insight is conveyed clearly here, and as obvious as it might seem, it is often relegated as being of a lesser importance by most medical professionals.

The experience recounted though is overtly detailed and can become rather heavy to digest and a challenge to get through at some parts of the book.

I'd not read any of Sacks' books before, so was unprepared for his writing style. The first chapter is perfect, detailing the frightening encounter with a bull in Norway. In his frenzy to elude it, Sacks terribly injures his leg. He describes his ordeal where he transports himself laboriously down the mountain using his two arms and one good leg.
Reappearance of the bull or getting trapped in the cold mountain area overnight would mean death. His rescue at the eleventh hour completes this part, which could stand alone as a short story.
His hospital stay puts the doctor in the role of patient, and not a very patient one. The impersonal setting, discovery of any lack of feeling or movement in his leg and his active mind dominate this section of the book. He vividly recalls his thoughts, actions and every nightmare from this time. It's a frightening experience to find one's leg insensate and alien to one's self.
I've been reading quite a few biographies about paralysis (Best Seat in the House, My Stroke of Luck, etc.) and this one is in a category by itself. It's extremely cerebral, literary and alternately fascinating and off-putting. At moments you feel his horror at the situation while at other times you think, "pull yourself together."
Since each reader brings their own perspective to reading a book, I still recommend it. See what you think.

A real page turner. Ken Englade did an excellent job organizing and presenting all of the people, facts, and situations involved...not an easy task.

Excellent reading and an amazing and startling story of the greed and determination of some of high society within the equestrian industry.

I would recommend this book to anyone involved in the Equestrian industry.

Jack Fort Lauderdale, Florida

The FBI could not solve the Helen Brach murder because I think an FBI agent found the truth and was payed alot of money.

When the FBI screws up or gives up on a case they give it over to possibly the most corrupt organization in the world! (The ATF)

The ATF mainly special agent John Rotunno pays informants to lie for them. Joe Plemmons and Cathy Olsen have lied over and over again then 10 years later totally change their stories to make money and lie for the ATF!

Michael and Donna Hunter have been paid lots of money and let off crimes to say exacltly what the ATF wants to set people up.

Alot of what you read in these Helen Brach murder books are ATF lies to help set people up. Joe Plemmons and Cathy Olsen have just proved that by lieing for the ATF. Joe Plemmons, ATF John Rotunno and Chuck Goudie have just been caught in a big scandel!

Look on the internet and see the truth of the Helen Brach murder investigation. This will go down as one of the biggest blunders by the ATF. Please take note of ATF agent Bob Hauffmans remarks on Jan 10, 2005 on CBS 60 minutes saying that he can substantiate one of the three ATF woman agents saying they have been sexually harrassed by ATF agents. He went on to say that in all of his years as an ATF agent, (all of the criminals he has put away have more HONOR than the TOP OFFICIALS OF THE ATF!) He said I know this is sad commentary but this is my experience working with the ATF!

this expose of the otherwise ignored goings on in the world of Hunters and Jumpers is shocking to those not on the "inside". To others, it is business as usual. Unfortunately. Truly appalling is that these people who KILLED their horses for money are STILL involved in the business. AND there are others who didn't get caught...

This book is a MUST READ for anyone involved in the horse world.

Anyone involved in the showing of hunter/jumper horses on the
A-Circuit should read this book. It is well researched and I could not put it down. Although it came out in 1996..the same thing is going on in 2004.
I show horses & what I have seen during the past few years in the name of "sport" is disgusting. This book accurately portrays the greed, lack of character & criminality of some so-called horse people. It is such a shame for the honest,good horse professionals out there. They usually get drummed out of the A'Circuit if they won't play ball w/ the crooks that have control
In the Virginia, Maryland area, it is business as usual. Drugging horses & ponies, showing lame animals, ruining them & "having to put them down"...because, "oh well, they can't do the job anymore" & collecting insurance to buy another expensive horse & pay more commmissions to the trainers & middlemen.
I've seen a well- known broker/dealer of ponies becoming rich by lying & conning unsuspecting parents who are listening to the "advice" of their trainers...not realizing that they are all tied in on the "con". Kickbacks, pay-offs, drugging,not claiming sales/commissions on tax returns, falsifying the true ages of horses & ponies, as well as, falsifying vet records. You name it, it's happening right now.
AHSA (now called USEF) the governing body of show horses has been completely ineffectual in rectifying this criminal behavior. When trainers are caught using illegal drugs on their ponies & horses, they get a mere slap on the hand. The type of customer that stays w/ them is just as bad...the win at all cost attitude w/ no regard for the harm it does the horse or risk for the rider...many who are children.
I applaud the DA in Illinois who went after these scum (some who are currently still involved in the horse business)
I think a criminal investigation should be opened up on this entire racket. It is a huge fraud.
THis book accurately depicts the horse show world right now.

This book was very insightful for my 18 yr old son. He related to alot of the difficulties mentioned in the book. It was helpful for him to see that the struggles Geo went through and conquered are the same struggles he is currently dealing with. There are plenty of mistakes in the technical aspects of the writing but it lends itself to the realness of the situation. This book was not ghostwritten that is for sure. Someone earlier had recommended Dr. Osborn's book, I disagree, that book discussed memory/mental impairments that didn't necessarily apply in this book. Its like comparing apples to oranges. The brain is so complex and so are the injuries. I think this book is worth the 15 bucks I paid.

I have a "closed" brain injury due to an illness and was interested in hearing the authors views & experiences regarding TBI. I feel the author spent the majority of the book expressing his frustrations and ended the book leaving me feeling depressed and confused. Brain injury can be very hard, but focusing on the negatives does not help.

There were parts of the book that were informative, but this is not the best book written by a TBI survivor. Try I'll Carry the Fork or Claudia Osborn's book. While I wish Geo well on his future and with book sales, this is not the best book on the subject written by a survivor.

Although I haven't had time to read this whole book through (too busy caring for my TBI son) I have leafed through it, and it's right on!! The seller was very prompt in sending it, and it's in even better condition than I thought it would be!

I was rooting for Geo in the first half of the book as he made huge strides in recovery. Then I began to cringe as he blamed his therapists for his problems. My take is that he misinterpreted the friendliness that is integral to the therapeutic relationship as personal interest in him by a young woman. His brain injury caused inappropriate social behavior that he was unable to see and accept, and he needed more counseling to address that. We couldn't get both sides of the story.
As a mild TBI survivor, I have gone through several types of therapy, and it is wrenching to end the therapy for that very reason: it feels like they've become my friends, but they are just being friendly therapists. For them, when it's over, it's over. For us, they become our support in an upside down world.

Interesting that there's such diverse opinion on this book. I'm in the camp that was disappointed and frustrated. Surely it's a well-intentioned project, and there's lots of information here, but it seems poorly processed - just thrown at the reader, almost as if the author is just showing off her anatomical knowledge. To me the writing is a bit dry and doesn't make the material real, doesn't really relate the knowledge to working with actual bodies. Too much unconnected fact and speculation, not enough energetic personality. I was also irritated that the discussion of the more ethereal, ancient concepts such as the bandhas are presented in the same breath as the medical information, and aren't explained in any depth. I'm on my second read because I'm waiting for new material that I've ordered from the States, but it's sometimes like working with a hostile witness, trying to glean the information that I need.

Susi did a great job of compiling key components of asana instruction and putting in an easily accessible, spiral bound book. She has a clear, succinct style which I find helpful for those who don't have time to sift through the ancient tomes. I have used it to develop my teaching programs.

I was glad that this book was technical enough to help the serious yoga teacher. The drawing made it easy for me to learn. The spiral binding made it easy to use while watching students or myself. The author is clearly incredibly knowledgeable. The pictures and the format made the book fun to look at for a visual learner.

This comprehensive text is dense with information. Although only a few pages, the book is chock full of insightful tips on yoga practice. Aldous uses a multi-sensory approach that I found practical and enlightening. I recommend it for the practioner who needs to feed the brain a bit more information while struggling with "impossible" postures. The manual has a spiral binding for easy use while practicing asanas.

Anatomy and Asana is quite an accomplishment. I took a university course on yoga, and recommended that this text be added to the required reading. Any serious student of yoga, and all instructors, should have this book as a resource. The information is clearly and concisely presented, with illustrations and brief meditative quotes throughout. I agree with the reader below that it complements Coulter's much larger book "The Anatomy of Hatha Yoga" well, and would add, that if you found his text daunting, start here. What makes "Anatomy and Asana" more accessible is that it was created to accompany a live workshop, and has more of a "workbook/presentation" feel. That said, it's amazing how much information is on these pages. You will refer to this yoga resource for years to come.

I purchased this book after I graduated from a fabulous massage program, while awaiting my license. In the first 10 minutes of reading it, I realized I should have had this information BEFORE I started school! The information is concise, practical, and so very important for those of us who heal with our hands. Now that I'm practicing, I refer to it every couple of weeks, especially when I start feeling any pain in my hands or wrists. It gently reminds me to check my own body mechanics, and that there are other ways to help others ~ without hurting myself.

I bought this book as a gift to my daughter who is going to massage school. She said its a great book and very informative.

This is a great book for any massage therapist. It will tell you how to protect your best tool your hands.

As a Licensed massage therapist of 8 years, specializing in deep tissue work, I went through a period of injury early in my career, and turned to Ms. Greene's book to get help and hope. Unfortunately, I came away more nervous than hopeful of being able to continue with many years in a massage career that I enjoyed so much. I learned from a colleague that Ms. Greene does not practice massage anymore, and does indeed make her living off of her book, and lecturing, as another reviewer commented. In her book she takes prevention to some extremes that a massage practitioner of any experience would scoff at. I found that my period of injury was a good time to research as much as I could from various sources and figure out what would help me. (And subsequently my clients) This is not to say that there isn't some good information to be gleened from this book, but the author has given up the practice of massage, just consider the source.

My massage school offered very little information about injury prevention, so this book was an eye-opener for me. I think many students and even professionals don't take care of their own bodies and need the informaton that's in this book. Many of my fellow students became injured while they were in school and didn't know how to deal with it. I have many friends who are massage therapists, and when they have pain they don't know why or what to do about it. I have had pain in my arms several times, and this book helped me figure out why and get the right treatment to keep it from getting worse. I would recommend this book for any massage therapist.

Stricken by a heart attack at the age of 37, Gary Abrahamson, Jr. suffered a severe brain injury due to oxygen deprivation. When his care became too overwhelming for his wife, his parents, Patt and Gary Abrahamson, Sr., stepped in. Since 1989 they have provided him with 24-hour loving and patient care.

This book is the story of Patt and Gary's extensive search for medical and financial help for their son. Patt doggedly explored all avenues available, and even found some unknown to the community at large. She traveled the country interviewing doctors, social workers, hospitals, trauma centers, politicians - any and every entity that could possibly be of help. Her travels through the bureaucratic labyrinth are astounding.

The Abrahamson's persistence and tenacity were finally justified with the awarding of a settlement by the doctors involved in Gary's initial heart attack treatment. They are now in their 70's and are still providing 24-hour care for Gary, but are secure in the knowledge that when they are no longer able to care for him, he will be well provided for.

This is a book that is well worth reading, whether or not your family is somehow involved in a similar situation. It's a story of faith and love, and devotion to one's family. I highly recommend it.

I began to read this book with the idea of being able to learn to help myself (mildly brain injured due to a tumor), and, most especially, to be able to help a close friend who, is in NeuroICU (over 8 weeks as of this writing) from a TBI caused by an assault (still under investigation which is my reason for remaining anonymous). From my own experience I know that he will never be the same person he was. At this time, I don't know what he has been "left with" in terms of function - physical, emotional, or mental. I learned a lot from Mrs. Abrahamson's book, from her experiences as she has negotiated this mine field of so called services and experts..... there is a tremendous amount of misunderstanding and, yes, prejudice against the brain injured. People don't understand that it can't get "all better" with an operation or a medication. Perhaps it's too frightening to imagine and they don't WANT to understand. This is something that can happen to ANY of us. The fact that the injury is "invisible" leaves us open to the misunderstandings and cruelty - we're thought of as "crazy" or "stupid" etc.. A person with a VISIBLE disablity often has more chance of being understood and assisted - at least medically. There were many times, as I read this, that I recognized parts of "the new me" in Mrs. Abrahamson's writings - most especially the memories and loss of memories. I've had to relearn events (I have some missing years), I've learned about deaths in my family - and grieved well after the fact because the death was new to me - my body may have attended funerals but my mind, my brain did not.

I can see, from my own life, as well as what is happening to my friend and his family, the terrible strain on family members, family dynamics, the finances (I haven't found insurance companies to be all that helpful in covering the specialized neuro-psychological help and cognitive training that is desperately needed. It's a very hard thing for a relationship to survive, as evidenced by the breakup and breakdown of the Abrahmson family. I know of several families that have broken up over this type of injury (my experience mostly is with brain tumor injury but, in a lot of ways, the results and the attitudes are the same). My heart goes out to ALL of them -the injured as well as their families.

Please forgive my writing - I'm trying to be as clear and organized as I can. You see, I too have short-term memory issues (though mine are fairly mild all things considered) and also problems with executive functions. Staying focused and on task, and paying attention requires tremendous effort these days (and my insurance will not allow me to seek the help I need to overcome/learn to live with these issues). I have learned that the best way for me to communicate is in writing because I can come back to it, edit, re-edit and I have much difficulty with "finding" words.

Bless all of us - the brain injured, the families and please let's pray for more understanding and help. ellen

Two years ago in 2001, my husband, Patrick and I met Patt & Gary Abrahamson and their son, Gary Jr. outside of our condominium in Ft. Myers, Fl. After introducing ourselves, we recognized that Gary Jr. was severely handicapped and needed the full assistance from both of his parents. At the time we didn't ask any questions but learned from other people in our building that he was brain-injured and needed 24-hour care. After we became more acquainted with them we realized what total care really meant. They are the most dedicated and unselfish parents we have ever known and that takes in a lot of territory. It was only after we had the opportunity to read this book (which we couldn't put down) did we realize the magnitude of sacrifice that this family has been through. They are truly an inspiration to all of us. Their whole life revolves around Gary Jr. each and every day from the time they awaken until the time they go to sleep. Gary Jr. is their life. They have accepted God's will and turned their family tragedy into a "Parents Labor of Love". This book is a must-read for all parents and children alike and especially for those of us who complain about the trivial things of life. It is our honor and extreme pleasure to call these people our friends.
Rita & Patrick Ryan

Brain Injury - A Family Tragedy is a must read. It gives good insight as to how devastating a brain injury is and its affect on relationships within the family.It shows the struggle that families go through trying to deal with our current health care system. And it shows how strong the parent/child bond really is- even when we are adults. I have been a small part of Gary's health care team for the past four winters in Florida, his parents are the big part and we share his good days, his laughs, his hard times and health concerns. This book is a very accurate portrayal of what brain injury can do - it also depicts an accurate account of the love Gary receives everyday. I have become part of their extended family because Gary Sr. and Patt are such warm and caring people and even though we do have a tough day, on occasion, I truly enjoy my time with Gary - his sense of humor still seeps through his dark world and he makes me laugh everyday.

Although the book gives the unimaginable tough account of the unbearable journey of caring for a person with the type of brain injury Gary Jr. underwent, I found the author to be completely biased especially with respect to her obvious hatred towards her ex-daughter in law. Knowing the difficulty of caring for her son, one would expect complete understanding and forgiveness about the impossibility of a single mother of two to care for the victim. Trying to juggle finances, single motherhood, and 24 hour care is an impossible task and I particularly found very offensive the author's suggestion to her daughter in law to sell her possessions to pay for therapy. It is no body's business to be telling people what they should do or not, specially when they do not have to bear any consequences coming from implementing their suggestions. Afterwards, the parents ended up in the situation in which the wife was previously. Their clear resentment is obviously because they were forced to take the ultimate responsibility for Gary Jr. while it would probably be more comfortable for them to seat and criticize the wife while they did not have any responsibility (i.e. financial) towards their son. Although their caring for their son is very noble, I guess they did not really have a choice other than take over the responsibility. That is what is expected from parents, you can not really divorce your blood family.

The book also is misleading and outdated in the terminology used throughout. Gary Jr. had an Anoxic Brain Injury as a result of his cardiac arrest - and NOT a traumatic brain injury as she makes reference throughout the entire book. The prognosis and the type of injury are very distinct, and as far as factual information, there's more available throughout the Internet than in this book.

I speak based on my own experience of caring for a husband who had exactly the same brain injury - except that my own case is worsened by the fact that his level of care is such that requires 24 hr nursing care. We have a baby and not only dealing with the whole situation is very difficult, but listening to people who have the best intentions but do NOT really bear any responsibility nor are impacted by their good advise is most unwelcome. It is nobody's place to pass judgment - like this book does in each single page.

I can not think of any reason whatsoever to read this book. Do not waste your time and money.