Book Description
"The one thing, on which we can all agree, is that God is with the vulnerable and poor. God is in the slums and in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them. 6,500 Africans are still dying every day of a preventable, treatable disease, for lack of drugs we can buy at any drug store. This is not about charity, this is about Justice and Equality." --Bono
This small book, based upon the speech given by Bono at the 2006 NPB, delivers an inspiring and powerful message. Here, in Bono's own words, is a reflection on his own faith and a challenge to people of all faiths to reach across boundaries and come together on behalf of what the Scriptures call "the least of these."
Customer Reviews:
A Beautiful Book, but a Shallow Gospel.......2007-09-30
The content of this short book is actually a speech Bono gave at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. in 2006. Bono makes his case for justice for Africa, outlining his own personal story, the religious motivation for giving, and what he ultimately desires out of the politicians he is addressing - a commitment to devote 1% of the fiscal budget to Africa.
The pictures in this book are beautifully provocative and captivating. The words can be so, too. But don't be too quick to embrace Bono's point of view. This is social gospel to the core. Bono combines tidbits from Islam, Judaism, Christianity... whatever fits the bill, really... to advocate for the poorest of the poor. And while so much of his message about poverty is true (e.g. "There's a gigantic chasm between the scale of the emergency and the scale of the response") the basis and the context are all wrong.
I'm still figuring out what it means to live as a privileged young American in a world that is full of suffering and poverty and need. And I can only admire Bono for his Africa advocacy. I am so thankful that light is being shed on those who need our help. And I am confident that God can and does work through all of this. I don't even have a problem with Christians aligning themselves with the ONE campaign, because it stands for what we should be standing for - justice and generosity and love.
But that ends with doctrine and theology. I think Bono is preaching a shallow gospel, a cheap gospel, based on the pluralistic gods of this age. He is not preaching Christ crucified. He is preaching God in the slums. And while that is a valuable message, it doesn't compare to the most explosive message of all - Christ Jesus came to this earth to save sinners, of whom I am the very worst.
Moving and Inspiring.......2007-09-28
Bono is not only one of the biggest names in Rock and Roll history, but one of the world's best known philanthropists. His work in Africa is truly inspiring. This beautifully designed book incorporates the provocative speech he made at the 2006 National Prayer Breakfast in Washington with some of the powerful and moving pictures that Bono himself took on one of his many trips to Africa. This is a great speech with a great message, and presented as it is in this way, makes it a great book and excellent conversation starter.
Rock Superstar Bono Emerges As Major Theological Force.......2007-09-08
This book documents the emergence of Rock superstar Bono as a major theological force in the interest of ending extreme poverty in Africa, where six thousand die of AIDS each day. He is becoming the Martin Luther King of Africa aid relief.
"There is a continent--Africa--being consumed by flames. I truly believe that when the history books are written, our age will be remembered for three things: the war on terror, the digital revolution, and what we did--or did not do--to put the fire out in Africa. History, like God, is watching what we do." This quote is accompanied by the words FREEDOM and EQUALITY repeated numerous times in the form of a map of Africa.
Bono updates Isaiah 58:9-11 to report on the presence of God in today's world. "God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both of their lives. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them."
Bono founded the advocacy group DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa) in 2002. It is a member of ONE, the Camapaign to Make Poverty History. In 2006 he launched Product (RED) to engage businesses in the fight against AIDS. He lives in Dublin, Ireland with his wife and four children.
Bono wants the United States to give an additional one percent of its federal budget annually to end world poverty. Beside a picture of a barely clothed African child, Bono says "Where you live should no longer determine whether you live." He adds, "We hear that call in the One Campaign, a growing movement of more than two million Americans left and right together, united in the belief that where you live should no longer determine whether you live."
Bono eloquently summarizes more of his agenda, "Preventing the poorest of the poor from selling their products while we sing the virtues of the free market--that's a justice issue. Holding children ransom for the debts of their grandparents--that's a justice issue. Withholding the life-saving medicines out of defeerence to the Office of Patents--that's a justice issue. And while the law is what wwe say it is, God is not silent on the subject."
Bono is of both Protestant and Catholic ancestry in a land deeply divided by literal warfare over the differences between these religions. "Religion often gets in the way of God, " Bono says. "I was cynical. Not about God, but about God's politics."
Bono was called to action by concept of the millennial year of 2000 being a Jubilee year, "an opportunity to cancel the chronic debts of the world's poorest people. They (the advocates of a Jubilee year) had the audacity to renew the Lord's call--and they were joined by Pope John Paul II, who, from an Irish half-Catholic's point of view, may have had a more direct line to the Almighty."
This is a book to stir people to action by man who, the publisher notes, "has brought about tremendous change--billions of dollars in debt relief have been forgiven and thousands of lives have been saved. But more than that, he has opened our eyes to the dignity, beauty, and strength of this continent. His eloquence when speaking about Africa at the National Prayer Breakfast inspired this book. My hope is that it will inspire you as well."
This is a book that does stir people to action, that ought to be read by people who want ideas on how to use their time and money to solve major problems facing the world. Bill Clinton, active in raising money and public consciousness for African relief in the years since he left the White House, describes this book as "Inspirational words from a man of faith and action. Bono's message is one of unparalled hope and challenge. He goes where others don't and makes us want to follow."
A rock star as an international moral leader? It is an unusual concept to be sure. But Bono says, "When churches started deomonstrating on debt, governments listened--and acted. When churches started organizing, petitioning, and even that most unholy of acts today, God forbid, lobbying on AIDS and global health, governments listened and acted.
"I'm here (at the National Prayer breakfast) today in all humility to say: you changed minds; you changed policy; you changed the world.
"Look, whatever thoughts you have about God, who God is or if God exists--most will agree that if there is a God, God has a special place for the poor. In fact, the poor are where God lives."
Bono notes the intense interest in poverty in the scriptures. "It's not a coincidence that in the Scriptures, poverty is mentioned more than 2,100 times. That's a lot of airtime, 2,100 mentions." He praises our country for doubling aid to Africa, tripling funding for global health, putting 900,000 people onto life-saving anti-viral drugs and providing 11,000,000 bed nets to protect children from malaria.
"Outstanding human achievements. Counterintuitive. Historic. Be very, very proud. But here's the bad news. There is much more to do. There's a gigantic chasm between the scale of the emergency and the scale of the respons. And finally, it's not a questions about charity after all, is it? It's about justice."
Bono works to incite his audience to action. "But justice is a higher standard. Africa makes a fool of our idea of justice. It makes a farce of our idea of equality. It mocks our pieties; it doubts our concern; it questions our commitment."
This is book that is moving, provocative, and insightful. The greater its audience, the greater will be the world's response to one of the great international challenges of our time.
A sense of longing.......2007-08-28
I saw this book this spring and knew I had to buy it. One, because Bono is someone I admire greatly. Of course I am bummed that the speech in this book was delivered at the 2006 National Prayer Breakfast, and seeing as how I have strong connections with the organizers I'm sad I didn't actually get to be there. Two, because I had saved this speech on my computer but never took the time to read the whole thing. And three because while I read it I had an immediate longing to go to Africa. To go there and knowingly have my heart broken, but knowing God's heart is breaking when a baby is born into poverty. To experience the pain and heartache, but also the joy that is thriving in these people.
Inspiring........2007-07-16
I found this book to be interesting, inspiring, heartbreaking and wonderful. As usual Bono is well spoken, deliberate, engaging and to the point.
Book Description
A thrilling historical account of the worst cholera outbreak in Victorian London-and a brilliant exploration of how Dr. John Snow's solution revolutionized the way we think about disease, cities, science, and the modern world.
From the dynamic thinker routinely compared to Malcolm Gladwell, E. O. Wilson, and James Gleick, The Ghost Map is a riveting page-turner with a real-life historical hero that brilliantly illuminates the intertwined histories of the spread of viruses, rise of cities, and the nature of scientific inquiry. These are topics that have long obsessed Steven Johnson, and The Ghost Map is a true triumph of the kind of multidisciplinary thinking for which he's become famous-a book that, like the work of Jared Diamond, presents both vivid history and a powerful and provocative explanation of what it means for the world we live in.
The Ghost Map takes place in the summer of 1854. A devastating cholera outbreak seizes London just as it is emerging as a modern city: more than 2 million people packed into a ten-mile circumference, a hub of travel and commerce, teeming with people from all over the world, continually pushing the limits of infrastructure that's outdated as soon as it's updated. Dr. John Snow-whose ideas about contagion had been dismissed by the scientific community-is spurred to intense action when the people in his neighborhood begin dying. With enthralling suspense, Johnson chronicles Snow's day-by-day efforts, as he risks his own life to prove how the epidemic is being spread.
When he creates the map that traces the pattern of outbreak back to its source, Dr. Snow didn't just solve the most pressing medical riddle of his time. He ultimately established a precedent for the way modern city-dwellers, city planners, physicians, and public officials think about the spread of disease and the development of the modern urban environment.
The Ghost Map is an endlessly compelling and utterly gripping account of that London summer of 1854, from the microbial level to the macrourban-theory level-including, most important, the human level.
Customer Reviews:
A Solid History of Science Book.......2007-09-07
This is the story of Dr. John Snow and the development of modern epidemiology and germ theory. As a history of science read, this book is very good. It has lots of drama and reads like a mystery. I did learn about Snows research into anesthesia, something I didn't know about. Most of the book centers around the cholera outbreak in London and Snow's work to counter the generally accepted miasma theory. This is a great book for young researchers to see how prevailing paradigms can be completely wrong, yet generally accepted and even unquestioned.
Thinking outside the box.......2007-09-06
This is a very interesting book on several levels. It is a fairly detailed case study of a cholera outbreak in London in 1854 and of the attempts of two dedicated men, one an esteemed physician and the other a neighborhood Anglican priest, to determine the cause, which turned out to be contaminated water. Once they do determine the cause, they run headlong into the established scientific orthodoxies of the day, which center around the "miasma" theory, a vague notion that such epidemics are caused by the overall environment in which they occur, sometimes the air, sometimes living conditions, and even, in a classic case of blaming the victims, by the characters of the victims. Eventually the scientific establishment is won over to the waterborne theory, but not after long hard fights, and not until after many more deaths could have been prevented.
The central points that I got out of this book are these:
1) Pre-scientific modes of thinking prevailed in the scientific establishment until well into the 19th century, or 1854 as we see here. The idea of empirically testing hypotheses seems not to have occurred to many scientists of the day.
2) The importance of "thinking outside the box," of not accepting conventional or established ideas just because they are established.
3) Revolutions in scientific thinking, or paradigm shifts, as Thomas Kuhn called them, rarely occur easily. Often the revolutionary idea is ignored, then ridiculed, then fought against, then eventually accepted, often by a later generation which had not been schooled in the conventional ways of thinking.
All told an interesting book, well recommended. I did not give it 5 stars because the author can at times move away from the immediate narrative to more abstract matters that can often be tedious. The book can be redundant as well. But altogether a good read.
Fascinating topic, redundant writing style, too little about the map.......2007-07-28
I will omit a synopsis of the book. This book has been assigned as incoming Freshman reading for my local university, thus my specific purpose in reading it. The general idea of an "historical medical mystery" presented in non-fiction form was a very reasonable one for a book. The quest for the origin of the Cholera epidemic in 1854 London by Whitehead and Snow was presented in a an exciting captivating way. The writing style was painful for me. Quite a bit of the material was repeated over and over in subsequent chapters. When I put the book down and picked it up again, I would wonder if I had lost my place (ie, a deja vu-type of experience) as I was certain I had read the material previously. Although there is some info on the making of the map, it was a small part of the book's focus. Truly, my greatest objection is the way the editor allowed the author to roam wildly. I believe this book will be viewed as a painful reading experience for 18 yo college students, not one that would offer stimulation for future reading of medical mysteries nor historical fiction. In general, I could not recommend this book to the general public; those interested in medicine/epidemics/certain mysteries, might enjoy it.
A rare find.......2007-07-24
This book was one of those rare finds tht do not come along very often. I read it in 2 days - I simply could not put it down. In the beginning of the book, when he was describing London in the early 19th century, I was reading along while crinkling my nose and whispering "oh my gosh" the whole time. I was simply entranced.
Johnson did start to pontificate a bit at the end - this could easily have been left out, and frankly I finally gave up reading all of his views at the end of the book. But, that is certainly no reason to miss this fantastic read ... and gritty and real historical view of what 19th century cities were TRULY like.
Overall a fantastic book!
Wonderful storyteller but with a broken crystal ball perhaps.......2007-07-09
This was a very well written book about a subject that could cause stomaches to turn. The way the author told the story kept it interesting in spite of the sordid details of the disease and it's ravages on the human body.
Several have commented about the ending of the book where the author takes out his crystal ball and sort of predicts the future of the urban environment, but even that I found fascinating, if not a bit hopeful.
He did touch on the use of fossil fuels, but he seems to think that term only means gasoline ( his mention of New York City being the greenest city on the planet since it's citizens have a low gasoline consumption ) when in fact fossil fuels include, but are not limited to; fuel oil, natural gas, coal, gasoline, diesel and turbine fuels. All of which New Yorkers are huge consumers.
If the cost of energy becomes as expensive as some pessimists suggest, then I think the huge cities will once again become dark, dirty places which will lose huge numbers of citizens.
This book also makes me wonder if 200 years from now algore will be today's Dr. John Snow or Edwin Chadwick in regards to Gullible Warming. My belief is that he and the other Gullible Warming fanatics will be no different than those who subscribed to the "miasma theory of disease" as detailed in this book.
A great read, highly recommended!!
Book Description
Based on academic research as a qualified couples counselor specializing in this area and from her own personal relationship experiences, the author uses quotations and real-life examples to illustrate her points with a compassionate understanding. Practical everyday topics include living and coping with AS, anger and AS, getting the message across, sex and AS, parenting, staying together and AS cannot be blamed for everything.
Customer Reviews:
Read on the run........2007-10-01
This little book is great for those on the run, wanting to read during breaks,waiting for a bus etc,as it is in small sections,it gives us the time needed to finish what we started.The information is great and covers such a wide area of the syndrome.It will direct you in knowing what and how to say things to your spouse to have better results,remembering that each person is different and at different levels of progression in life,keep this book in your bag.
Asgerger.......2007-09-21
I read this book with interest -- there is much that fits into the world of Asperger females although it is written primarily for the woman who is married to an Asperger male. There are a lot of coping techniques as well as ways to assist your Aspie with his/her socialization problems. I do wish that the book addressed the other side as well -- assistance for the male who is married to an Aspie female -- and that is why I gave it a 4 star rather than a 5.
short and sweet.......2007-08-09
this book, while not a manual by any means, is quite forward and well written. an aspie reading this can learn quite a bit about him/herself. because of brevity, it is easy to suggest to a neurotypical partner that he or she also read it without fear of balking due to a lot of time that they may have to invest in reading something much longer.
i found the book quite useful and have asked several people to read it, too.
Best book on the subject. Period!.......2007-03-09
After reading everything I could read online or buy, I found this slim little volume to be an absolute MUST READ for any woman living with and loving a man with Asperger's. Nothing else I've read has hit the nail on the head in such a fair and evenhanded manner. So much help that I intend to write the author to thank her.
Realistic .......2007-02-27
It is a must read if you are a partner of a person within the spectrum. Very well written and easy to read.
Book Description
There Is No Me Without You is the story of Haregewoin Tefarra, a middle-aged Ethiopian woman of modest means whose home has become a refuge for hundreds of children orphaned by AIDS. It is a story as much about the power of the bond between children and parents as about the epidemic that every year leaves millions of children, mostly healthy themselves, without family. Originally a middle-class woman with a happy family life, Haregewoin fell into a deep depression after the death of her recently married daughter. But then a priest brought her two children, AIDS orphans, with nowhere to go. Unexpectedly, the children thrived, and Haregewoin found herself drawn back into daily life. As word got out, an endless stream of children began to arrive at her door, delivered by dying parents and other relatives who begged for her help, and, pushing against the limits of her home and bank account, she took more and more in. Today, Haregewoin runs a school, a daycare system, and a shelter for sick mothers. Without medication for her charges—some HIV-positive, some uninfected, and some infants trying to fight off the virus, but almost all of whom come to her terrified and malnourished—she forges on, caring for as many as she can handle. Increasingly, she also places them for adoption with families like that of journalist Melissa Fay Greene, who has two children adopted from Ethiopia. In Haregewoin Tefarra’s story, Greene gives us an astonishing portrait of a woman fighting a continent-wide epidemic.
Customer Reviews:
Opening our eyes to global needs.......2007-06-30
Melissa Fay Greene has the gift of story telling. The book beckons the reader to think beyond themselves and consider what contribution they may make to the cause of the orphan/Aids in Africa. Thank you Ms. Greene for inviting us on the journey...for educating us on real life on the other side of the globe...for jolting us out of our comfort and compelling us to action. One would need to have a heart of stone not to be moved by this powerful story!
awesome, informative book.......2007-06-09
I am so thrilled that I spent time reading this book. I loved it. This is a well written, informative book. I enjoyed the writing style as it moved through factual historical perspectives to the story of one women making a difference. Take time to read...you will be happy you did!
Moving, informative, gripping picture of humanity in Ethiopia.......2007-05-29
This is the best book I have read in some time. It is meticulously researched, insightful, and explains difficult technical issues clearly. It is gripping in its description of the plight of AIDS orphans and the incredible poverty of Ethiopia. But it is particularly special in the even-handed description of Haregewoin, not as a saint, thought she has given of herself like one, but as a flawed human (as we are all flawed) who has accomplished incredible good at a time when doing so put herself in great jeopardy in her society. This book is a great accomplishment by an accomplished author. I hope she receives the National Book Award for this one!
inspiring book.......2007-05-27
I loved this book! If you want to learn about Ethiopia, the AIDS crisis there, or if you want to be inspired by a true hero, read this book.
A must-read for the globally minded!.......2007-05-25
Sometimes it is difficult to break out our own local environment to learn more about important events are taking place around the world. Melissa Fay Greene's book, "There Is No Me Without You," allows even the most superficial of us to learn about the AIDS crisis in Africa and begin taking steps to help support a solution to the social problems plaguing that continent. I was familiar with the AIDS crisis in Africa but was horrified to learn about the lack of available pharmaceuticals for treatment of HIV-positive adults and children. It was truly an eye-opener to hear about the gross (for lack of a better word) profits made by drug companies producing these medicines and then the reluctance of those same companies to allow these treatments to be shared with the sick and dying.I was appalled.
I would highly recommend this book. After finishing "There Is No Me Without You," I researched the websites in the back of the book and found it was possible to directly donate to AHOPE. Interested individuals can even sponsor an orphan for as little as $30 a month. I easily spend more than that on books every month.
I was inspired, enlightened, motivated and educated by this book. Thank you Melissa for writing about these wonderful people and sharing their stories with us.
Kathy Morones, Long Beach, CA
Average customer rating:
- Physician takes us into the world of life-changing illness through the stories of his patients
- Philosophical, not scientific, medical book
- Necessary Knowledge, Anne Webster, RN
- Naming the Fear
- Not a Fulfilling read
|
The Lonely Patient: How We Experience Illness
Michael Stein
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Social Psychology & Interactions
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
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Physical Illness & Psychiatry
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
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General
| Disorders & Diseases
| Health, Mind & Body
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General
| Health, Mind & Body
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General
| Medicine
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General
| Physician & Patient
| Medicine
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Doctor-Patient Relations
| Medicine
| Medical
| Professional & Technical
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ASIN: 0060847956
Release Date: 2007-01-30 |
Book Description
When someone is diagnosed with a serious illness, he or she is taking the first step on an overwhelmingly challenging and confusing journey. For many, it is as if they are traveling to someplace entirely new and they must go there alone, with only faded directions back to their old lives. Often, even their loved ones can only guess at what they must be experiencing.
The Lonely Patient is a clear-eyed and deeply affecting examination of the inner life of those grappling with illness. It looks into the chasm between the well and the sick by exploring and giving voice to the often unarticulated aspects of illness, offering people with illness—and their family and friends—a frank and intelligent discussion of how to negotiate the psychological and emotional aspects of what they are going through.
Michael Stein, M.D., a professor of medicine at Brown University Medical School as well as an acclaimed novelist, uses the stories of a number of patients, including that of his beloved, terminally ill brother-in-law, Richard, to consider the personal narrative of sickness. What sets Stein's book apart is his intimate scrutiny of the uniqueness of each patient's experience, which he breaks into four parts—betrayal, terror, loss, and loneliness—and renders each in such a way that he opens a dialogue about our expectations of health and, after its shocking disappearance, of illness.
Beautifully written and keenly insightful, The Lonely Patient is a valuable book for patients and their caregivers—as well as a probing inquiry into a universal experience.
Customer Reviews:
Physician takes us into the world of life-changing illness through the stories of his patients .......2007-05-04
Dr. Michael Stein writes with depth and clarity about the difficult emotional and psychological dimensions of serious illness. He tells the stories of his patients - Joanna, Luke, Richard, Leila, Charlie - and we come to know them not so much by name as by the pain and emotional repercussions of the illness they are experiencing. Stein takes us on a journey that is not so much about medical diagnoses and treatment as it is about the inner world of these patients who have serious and debilitating diseases. He uses their experiences to explore a world of deep and sometimes hidden feelings beneath the physical pain - feelings of betrayal, terror, loss, and loneliness. It can be a bleak and fear-filled terrain, but Stein is also able to capture the humor, tenderness, and hope that is present as he journeys with his patients.
He begins and ends the book with the story of his brother-in-law, Richard, an artist, who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Richard's story becomes a way for Stein to tell of his own evolution from a bright, young physician who early in his career "perhaps concentrated too much on how people became ill...and (could) be "fixed," without trying to imagine what it's like to be ill." Now, some 20 years later, Stein reveals how much Richard and his patients have changed his understanding of this "interior world of illness" and pain. He paints wonderfully vivid word-pictures of his patients' lives, the fears and frustrations they face: Joanna can't walk through the grocery store without searing pain in her feet; Leila can't dress like a teenager anymore because of her disfiguring scar; Luke's fear of surgery keeps him withdrawn and fearful. Dr. Stein describes how their illness keeps them feeling separated and isolated from our everyday world which places so much value on good health, independence, and control of one's mental and physical well-being.
Stein writes thoughtfully and eloquently about illness and its effects on a person's life, but at times he makes such sweeping generalizations that he does not take into account the deeply individual and personal responses that serious illness evokes. Nor does he touch on some of the very important spiritual concerns and questions that can arise for a patient: is God punishing me? Has God abandoned me? Are there miracles? Does prayer help? He does not mention the possibility that illness can also bring about a sense of calm, a deepening faith and trust in the presence of God or a higher power.
Stein is most successful as he reminds us of the importance of being present, of listening, of acknowledging another's pain. In his own journey as a physician, he has come to understand that "sometimes the best I can do for a patient is to ask, "What is it like?" and to wait for the response. Stein has learned not to back away from another's fear, anger, or sense of brokenness. He works to establish a level of trust that allows the patients to tell their stories and know that they will be heard, for "when a patient tells a doctor about himself, it is the beginning of escaping loneliness and shortening the distance he's moved into the chamber of illness."
This is a wonderfully readable book for anyone who has been a patient or has provided care for them. Stein's clear interest in his patients, his strong story-telling skills, and his willingness to share his own personal and professional journey add up to a book that deepens any reader's understanding of serious, life-changing illness.
Philosophical, not scientific, medical book .......2007-04-19
A Crohn's patient since 1973 and a chronic pain patient since 2004, I was drawn to this title. I also buy the nonfiction books for a medium-sized library. This book would be of enormous value to all patients and physicians - should be required reading in medical school, certainly by pain specialists.
For chronic pain/illness sufferers, buy your own copy so that you can underline sentences or paragraphs that you would like your family/caregivers/friends to read.
It was of untold value to me to know that my loneliness (even though I have a family) was intimately understood by one person out there.
Thank you, Dr. Stein.
Necessary Knowledge, Anne Webster, RN.......2007-04-06
Dr. Stein's book fills a gap in caregivers knowledge base. His descriptions of the emotional impact of serious illness have never been addressed so clearly. As an RN with a 25 year career and as a patient whose life has been redirected by chronic illness, I fully appreciate Stein's careful mapping of illness's effects on the patient.
Naming the Fear.......2007-04-06
I wonder if the negative reviews that preceded this one came from people who read the same book that I did. As one who is well-acquainted with chronic illness (Crohn's disease for 34 years, pulmonary fibrosis and Sjogren's syndrome for 20 years, fractured skull, chronic spinal problems) I think that Michael Stein has done an admirable job of naming the fear and isolation that are emotional hallmarks of the experience of serious illness. His writing is excellent, and his perceptions are empathic and insightful. I can, without reservation, recommend The Lonely Patient to anyone who is newly diagnosed or to those who want to understand the chilling, progressively dehumanizing effects of coping with a chronic, life-threatening illness.
Not a Fulfilling read.......2007-04-06
After reading a few other of Stein's books I decided to take a look at his most recent one, with high hopes that it would be better than the rest. It's clear that Stein knows a lot about his field, though I'm not sure that this book is really one that speaks to the general public, as it's not very reader friendly and doesn't really good deep enough into the true motivations and emotional repercussions of the choices that patients make for me to really feel anything from this book. Instead, it seems a little detached, as if a doctor is looking at his patient and simply guessing at what they might be feeling, rather than a doctor that truely understands the patient as a fellow, and equal, human being. At the same time, it's not technical enough to be a medical text either. I don't really know where to place it, as it doesn't go far enough either way to provide a fulfilling read. His tone is also a little stiff, and is reminiscent of the stereotypical doctor who feels morally and ethically superior to his patient and talks down to those with health problems that were partially caused by the patient's behabior, upbringing or socioeconomic status.
Book Description
No one said being a single mother was easy, but, after some difficult years, Sabrena Collins seemed to finally have it together. She had a good-paying job, two beautiful daughters who were growing up with love and security, and a wonderful friend who was more like the sister she never had. She even had a man in her life who was everything her ex-husband was not: kind, generous and caring.
Everything seemed perfect—except for one thing. Steve said he loved her, but he was unreliable. There was more than one night when Sabrena would lie in bed, waiting for the phone to ring…alone and crying silent tears.
But when Sabrena was in his arms and he looked at her with his melt-on-the-spot chocolate brown eyes, all the problems, the sleepless nights, the cold dinners, all of that was forgotten.
And then, suddenly, Sabrena’s world was turned upside down by a simple visit that led her on a frightening and unfamiliar path, that led her to a truth passion and words of love could not erase, a truth that would change her life forever. A truth that would test her faith, her courage, her strength, and above all else, her love…
Customer Reviews:
Good Book.......2007-05-23
This book is a good read. Had an excellent plot and real like characters.
Book Club's Will Love This One.......2007-04-08
Read this book with interest from cover to cover. Found the characters's believeable and the story interesting. It was a Book Club selection, so I was not excited about reading it but found it remarkably easy to read and I felt I knew the characters. The book club discussion was not only entertaining but educational. Would definitely recommend it.
For Men as Well as Women-- This is a Novel that MUST be Shared.......2007-04-05
My wife's bookclub was reading this book and after seeing the way that my wife devoured the book and could not stop talking about it, my daughter and I read it. We actually sat in on her bookclub discussion and I am a "macho" guy.
This book is life changing and really makes an impact. I appreciate the character development and the movement of the story. As a father and husband, I appreciate the way that women are portrayed as well as a mother's love. However, I appreciate that the author did not take the easy way out and paint the men as utter demons with no redeeming characteristics. The characters had depth and were alive as you read the pages. Finally, as a father of 2 boys and a daughter-- I have made this mandatory reading for Spring break for my family. We are going to have a family discussion as the issues raised merit time, energy and focus. Yes, my sons who are 15 and 12 will read this book and one has already started. Although the title takes men back and we don't want to neccessarily read this on the Metro.... it is one that we should all read.
I am suggesting that my church read this as well as I was drawn to how the author painted the picture of how society deals with HIV/AIDS. I can't say enough about this novel which was entertaining, kept my attention, great characters that I could relate to, humanistic, funny and REAL. This novel deserves even more exposure and I am committed to putting this in the hands of the people that I love.
Thank you to the author for writing a masterpiece--it is pure genius how she brings the health message in with fiction. I can't wait for her next novel and I don't regularly read books.
Excellent Read.......2007-01-04
This was an excellent book from start to finish... I would definitely recommend this book.
If Loving You is Wrong.......2006-12-15
Sabrena Collins is well aware that life could possibly mean that her and her two little girls could be it. Dealing with two failed loves have left Sabrena with not only a broken heart but a broken spirit. Steven is her night and shining armor. He knows how to make her aches and pains go away and is sure to shower Sabrena's two precious girls with dolls and love. After Steve finally knocks down the walls that Sabrena has built, will he leave her out in the open and abandoned?
This story was beautiful and heartfelt. There is no doubt once read this intriguing novel, you will share and discuss with others.
Average customer rating:
- book
- Very Entertaining, but Sad
- in response to natashas "shameful"
- ii LOVEDDD THiSSZ Bo0k
<33
- Shameful
|
It Happened to Nancy: By an Anonymous Teenager, A True Story from Her Diary
Anonymous Teenager
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Annie's Baby: The Diary of Anonymous, a Pregnant Teenager
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Almost Lost: The True Story of an Anonymous Teenager's Life on the Streets (Avon Flare Book)
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Crank
ASIN: 0380773155
Release Date: 2004-12-28 |
Book Description
The editor of the classic GO ASK ALICE has compiled the poignant journals of a 14-year-old date-rape victim who contracted AIDS and died.
Customer Reviews:
book.......2007-06-12
My daughter read it in school and wanted it for home so she could read ahead. She loved it
Very Entertaining, but Sad.......2007-04-25
This is a true story of a teen who was raped. I really enjoyed reading her life story. I felt like I was actually there in her life. She had a wonderful relationship with her mother and her best friends. Nancy was a girl who loved life. The ending of the book was very sad, especially when Nancy became very sick and suffered a lot.
in response to natashas "shameful".......2007-01-10
i am 20 years old and a victim of date rape at age 12. I am reading this book now and only half way through and im in tears, in tears because i ave been where she is in her darkness and it has taken me 8 years to over come most of my fears and my ticks with men.. as far as the book being shameful.. hardly... i have 2 sisters under 15 and i dont care if beatrice sparks invented this story after a bad date or if no such "nancy" existed. because i was nancy 8 years ago.. i was lucky enough not to have been infected with HIV but girls her age need to be warned and they need to know that no matter how old or how sweet every body is capable of hurting them. to be careful and to always trust in their parents because for all they know they were a victim like nancy and myself and thousands of other under age girls and even thousands of age women.. this is a tragic honest tale of all that we have been through but were to afraid to share.. i would recommend this book to anybody with eyes..there is truth in everypage.. please read this book and every other book edited by beatrice sparks and have your children read them too.. i wish i would have read it before it happened to me.. thank you nancy for being so strong and giving millions of girls like you courage to fight.
with love
ii LOVEDDD THiSSZ Bo0k
<33.......2007-01-09
This book was definitely one of the best booksz ive ever readd...itsz a very sad storyy but ii definitely recommend teenagers to read it...its an amazinng book...its one of those books u dnt want to stop readingg.
Shameful.......2007-01-06
Beatrice Sparks is the author/editor of a serious of "anonymous" teen diaries. They are meant as "warnings" to children. In fact, they are not based on real diaries and the only one that actually was, she used about 10% of the journal entries and added a Satanic theme which horrified the family.
Now I am aware that children should be taught such things as drugs are bad, teenage pregnancy is not preferable, don't kill yourself etc. However, I take offense when presented in this manner. Children learn best from the truth not extreme propaganda. I also take offense that many libraries (especially school libraries) list this book as non-fiction, when in fact it is a work of fiction.
Customer Reviews:
Helps People to "Get it".......2007-01-10
This is the first book on my "So You'd Like to..." list, which is book suggestions for parents seeking to introduce their child to his or her own Autism/Asperger Syndrome. Although the publisher says ages 9-12, I'd recommend this book for younger children, 6-8, possibly even including kids younger than that. That said, I did however buy this for my own mother back when my son was originally diagnosed at age 5, and she, in turn, bought several copies for the more-resistant relatives who needed a bit of education (the "He's just being BAD on purpose to get attention"-types).
Easy-to-read, almost like a colouring book, and covers many aspects of the Autistic Spectrum in simple language and pictures. Some people feel it covers too much of the negative aspects, but I feel these are the things that people need to understand and accept the most.
At the time of my son's initial diagnosis, I also bought several copies for the preschool, which the staff found useful for themselves and for teaching moments with other kids.
Great book for discussion purposes.......2006-07-06
My 8 year old daughter was just recently diagnosed with AS and so I began a search for a variety of books to read myself and read along with my daughter. I chose this one, hoping it would give her something she could relate to. Reading along with her, it served to be a great tool for discussion. In addition, I plan on bringing it with me to the school as well.
Good starting point.......2006-03-19
This book is a good place to start. It has very remedial information on how Asperger's Syndrome (AS) appears to others. In this way it can be informative to those who don't have AS (why is he doing that?) as well as to those who have AS (how am I different?). The book is very short and only seeks to explain the perceptions and actions of a person with AS. It does a very good job of not condemning the behavior, merely pointing out that it is sometimes outside of the norm.
Excellent Resource.......2006-03-04
This book is an excellent resource for teachers who have students with different learning capabilities in their classrooms. It helps explain to other children that people are different, and see the world through different lenses. "This is Asperger's Syndrome" tells a child's life situation, from his eyes. I have used it in my classroom to help my students understand what it is like to be different.
This book is a GREAT way to explain Asperger Syndrome.......2005-08-23
This book explains Asperger Syndrome is a very simple way for adults and children. I have a 5 year old son with Asperger and I showed this book to his grandparents, my friends and his after-school care takers. After they read it, they finaly understood all the information that I had tried to explain to them before. Plus there were some things in there that I didn't realise were related to Asperger so it was a learning experience for me as well. Not all of the symptoms will fit to your child and you'll find yourself saying, "Does that" & "Nope, doesn't do that", etc. This really is a great way to explain Asperger to others and it's a very fast read.
Average customer rating:
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Confronting Critical Health Issues of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans
Manufacturer: Sage Publications, Inc
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0803951132 |
Book Description
The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum is a national advocacy organization dedicated to promoting policy, program, and research efforts for improving the health status of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. This book was stimulated by the ideas and efforts of the Forum's National Research Advisory Council (NRAC). First convened in April 1989, the NRAC was formed in response to the poor quality of data, the paucity of health statistics, and the limited epidemiological and health services research on Asian and Pacific Islander Americans. With partial support from the Federal Office of Minority Health, the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum selected three editors noted for their contributions and past compilations of scholarly work. The Forum also commissioned contributors with demonstrated experience and commitment to advancing the understanding of Asian and Pacific Islander American health in the service, research, and policy sectors. This book is a milestone effort reflecting the Forum's commitment to (a) community-based research; (b) building linkages and collaborations between academic researchers, service providers, and policy-makers; (c) advocating for institutional sanctions on improving data sources and research on Asian and Pacific Islander Americans; and (d) the dissemination of relevant information to diverse communities nationwide.
Book Description
Paul Farmer has battled AIDS in rural Haiti and deadly strains of drug-resistant tuberculosis in the slums of Peru. A physician-anthropologist with more than fifteen years in the field, Farmer writes from the front lines of the war against these modern plagues and shows why, even more than those of history, they target the poor. This "peculiarly modern inequality" that permeates AIDS, TB, malaria, and typhoid in the modern world, and that feeds emerging (or re-emerging) infectious diseases such as Ebola and cholera, is laid bare in Farmer's harrowing stories of sickness and suffering.
Challenging the accepted methodologies of epidemiology and international health, he points out that most current explanatory strategies, from "cost-effectiveness" to patient "noncompliance," inevitably lead to blaming the victims. In reality, larger forces, global as well as local, determine why some people are sick and others are shielded from risk. Yet this moving account is far from a hopeless inventory of insoluble problems. Farmer writes of what can be done in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds, by physicians determined to treat those in need. Infections and Inequalities weds meticulous scholarship with a passion for solutions--remedies for the plagues of the poor and the social maladies that have sustained them.
Customer Reviews:
careless errors, mediocre conclusion.......2006-06-15
By claiming "social reform," Farmer contradicts his stance as an American citizen: Haiti has no money to support its own citizens, that's why the US and others are doing Haiti's job. But, the US has to care for its own citizens as well therefore has to first work on its own AIDS patients within its boundary. If the US does that as its social reform, Haiti instantly dries up.
Irritating mistakes somehow got through inspection: PAligre Dam? PEligre? (P. 174) PuertO Plata? PueltA? (P. 119)
Medical-anthropological approach to HIV & TB illuminates roles of inequality and poverty in spread of disease.......2005-07-11
Farmer, a physician-anthropologist and activist, examines both the way that poverty and inequality result in the spread of HIV and TB today and the flawed justifications for inequitable access to treatment. His ethnographic analysis provides a powerful complement to standard epidemiological work, and this treatise on the danger as well as the immorality of inequity in medical care is largely convincing.
Farmer illustrates several broad themes effectively with case studies from Haiti and Peru. One is the idea that most studies overemphasize individual agency, failing to recognize serious "structural" factors, such as the pressure that extreme poverty exerts on people to engage in unhealthy behaviors and the problems introduced by economic inequality. (One example of the latter is that in unequal countries like Peru, second-line TB drugs are available because of demand by the rich, so doctors also prescribe them to the poor who can only afford them intermittently, which generates drug-resistant strains of the disease.) Another theme is that people in rich nations tend to place heavy weight on "strange" cultural beliefs and customs in explaining high disease prevalence, whereas actual epidemiological research tends to show that these factors carry little weight relative to poverty-related factors. While he uses AIDS in Haiti to illustrate this tendency, it applies perfectly to popular Western conceptions of AIDS in Africa: the popular media tend to emphasize cultural practices such as wife inheritance and a strong sex drive, whereas epidemiological research fails to support a major role for these.
A third theme, which Farmer often trumpets but not as convincingly, is that many of the trade-offs voiced by policymakers are ultimately false. One example is the question of whether to treat tuberculosis with drugs or prevent it (e.g., by investing in economic development). He then uses the success of his clinic in Haiti as an example of both treating and preventing TB. The ultimate argument is that the wealthy have no right to withhold their wealth from the poor. However, he gives us no clear sense of how the resources to generalize this to the world at large should be marshaled. While the trade-off may be philosophically false, the practical application is unclear.
But even without a plan of action, Farmer illuminates key problems in the analysis of infectious disease spread and makes a convincing plea to share the wealth (and the technology).
Wonderful etiological analysis, but unfounded conclusions. .......2004-07-24
Anyone in the public health arena has heard (or even read) of Paul Farmer. The Harvard MD/PhD (Anthropolgy) is indeed a passionate and competant professional who has fresh drive and leads a commendable life in service to humanity. This book seems to be his most popular work (at least on campus of major public health colleges) and it deserves attention and analysis.
Farmer gives systematic treatment of HIV and TB etiology and prevalence in the US and Haiti. More importantly, how those diseases affect the poor in inequitable ways. Peppered with intimate anecdotes and cutting analysis, the book brings hard ideas with the immediacy of the individual plight. He debunks myth of AIDS early history and establishes perspetive for the disease to be viewed/studied in light of the poor and the strucutral violence that (he deems) causes the propensity of the disease in the lower levels of society. He offers solutions and pleas for attention to these 'new plagues' so that the effects can be mitigated for the sake of all humanity.
There are some issues with that perspective. Of course every author brings inherent bias to the writing (either intentional or not), but Farmer makes no apology for his worldview and dismisses opinions of others who are even within the sientific community as he. John Stuart Mill (in "On Liberty") would say that such an attitude is likened to assuming infallibility (which Farmer more or less accuses the attitude of the 'rich' toward the modern plagues). His neo-Marxist tendency completely undermines the state of the world and he therefore addresses his problems from a "the way it should be" approach. That is his prerogative, but taking such an attitude means that his ideas will remain just that: ideas. His lack of pragmatism borders a silent taint of militarism and that approach rarely attracts policy makers, even those on the left.
Farmer assumes that a preponderence of evidence precludes a serious analysis of personal aganecy. No one would argue the conflict of structural violence and the inherent effects on personal agency. Yet, the fact remains that it does exist and it at least needs to be addressed in a thorough matter in order to be a fair treatment of the subject matter.
Furthermore, he needed to address the distal factors (i.e etiology and biology of the diseases) with the proximate (i.e. socio-econimics, etc...) for the book to be of more interest to the lay person. Despite my reservations, it is still a great book to get the reader "out of the box" and see AIDS and TB with the urgency it deserves. Yet, this type of book needs to be in the hands of the lay, and this recommendation would help.
Lastly, Farmer claims on several occasions a foundation of political economy in the analysis of his subject. He is a physician and anthropologist, and without the concurrent opinions of a political-economist to back up his claims, the ideas therein are weak at best. His political-economic opinions may be in line with greats like Marx and Henry George, but he cannot assume the validity of his assumptions just by telling the readership he his resting on such evidence. Several other leading political-economic ideas stand in direct opposition to his conclusions of goverment fixing all health problems to his liking.
All in all, it is hard not to be moved by Farmer's compelling treatment of such horrendous plagues on humanikind. Yet, passion does not always equal pragmatic and working solutions. Therefore, his work will hopefully inspire those who can take his passion to offer clear and viable solutions in the war on these plagues.
Michael Jewell, MPH
Shining a Light.......2004-01-02
Dr. Farmer sums up what you can hear in his lectures (he is an amazing speaker), read in journals, and hear in his interviews: The "modern day plagues" result directly from Structural Violence. I read this book for my culture and health class and could not put it down. He writes with an eloquence unheard of in most anthropologists while at the same time with the passion of a deeply concerned physician. Although in some points the book can get repetitive (as case studies overlap) it is a spectacular, enlightening read that I would recommend to anyone, particularly potential (and current) medical anthropologists.
Complex causality: why people are really at risk for disease.......2000-06-08
Finally Dr. Farmer couples his lucid historical, political and economic analyses of the conditions that put the poor at risk for bad health outcomes, with a plainly indignant calling out of healthcare professionals and healthcare organizations to make honest efforts to understand and remedy conditions which would never be tolerated among the well off in Western nations. In his goundbreaking, earlier books, "AIDS and Accusations," and "The Uses of Haiti," Dr. Farmer matter of factly discusses the global and local structural conditions and misrepresentations which led to the spread of disease and persistent, dismal health conditions in Haiti. In "Infections and Inequality," Dr. Farmer adds moral overtones to incisive, sociopolitical analysis and his characteristic accounts of individuals suffering from disease. The book consequently provides a powerful reflection from a man who has worked in some of the world's poorest regions on what the benefits of medical technology mean for people who have not traditionally had access to them. A powerful, informative read that clearly reflects the years of experience of a physician who has wrestled with the global responsibility of caring for the those who are worst off. An obligatory read for anyone even thinking of working for the impoverished of the world.
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