Book Reviews

THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY AND DEVICES, tools and gadgets for living independently Post date: 08/23/2010 - 11:04am If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves." ~Thomas Edison Suzanne Robitaille begins her book with Thomas Edison's quote. But very quickly, the reader is aware that the author knows what she is talking when she says that "having a disability isn't easy". Ms Robitaille became profoundly deaf as a young child, and learned that her disability affected her entire family, friends, teachers, and employers. But through it, she developed empathy and was able to appreciate that the world she lived in gave her the insight and encouragement to pursue a career far beyond what she thought possible.	Crossed Signals: A Family Finds Hope in the Face of a Devastating Medical Diagnosis Post date: 12/25/2009 - 3:51pm When I find myself arguing in my mind with the characters in a novel I'm reading I know I'm lost in the author's world— deeply enough engaged that the characters have become so real as to warrant my disagreeing with them. Such was the case for me while reading Ms. Courey's novel about a family in which the mother is diagnosed with MS. I couldn't put the book down and finished it in two all-too-swift sittings.
Slainte Post date: 12/25/2009 - 3:46pm This work of fiction was written by a neurologist in Northern Ireland. The character with MS is Julie, the wife of a journalist.	The Breakdown Lane Post date: 12/25/2009 - 3:36pm Relationships can be difficult. In this book, Mitchard tells of a marriage gone sour with the actions of a selfish husband who abandons his family for a "simpler life," and how she proceeds to take care of three children with difficulty. Then she is diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
Coping With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Post date: 12/25/2009 - 3:32pm If I were going to a desert island (to try to win a million dollars) and could only take one book about MS with me, this is the book I would take, and it isn't even ABOUT MS. I'm going to review this wonderfully written and useful book by writing first about a subject that, in my experience, seems something of a taboo among many with MS..... brain dysfunction.	Choosing a Wheelchair, A Guide for Optimal Independence Post date: 12/25/2009 - 3:30pm Gary Karp fell from a tree when he was a young man, becoming paraplegic. So he is experientially qualified to write this book. And he has written a very comprehensive and interesting book about all aspects of everyday-use manual and power wheelchairs. While the book is not specifically for people with MS, there is plenty of useful information for the MS sufferer in need of a chair.
300 Tips for Making Life with Multiple Sclerosis Easier Post date: 12/25/2009 - 3:26pm I understand Ms.	Memory Tips For Making Life Easier Post date: 12/25/2009 - 3:13pm If remembering where you put your glasses (and if they are not on your head!) or where that phone number you need is, this book hold many tips for streamlining everyday tasks. This book is great for people with MS, which the author has, but for anyone who struggles with memory issues.
Surviving Your Spouse's Chronic Illness Post date: 12/25/2009 - 3:03pm Woof! What an incredibly powerful book Dr. McGonigle has written. I have just finished it and I feel very moved and shaken by what I've read. I am not a well spouse, nor do I have one. Therefore my opinions must be considered in the light of my being a chronically "ill" person.	A Caregiver's Survival Guide: How to Stay Healthy When Your Loved One Is Sick Post date: 12/25/2009 - 3:00pm Let me begin by saying that I'm probably not the appropriate person to review this book. My perspective is that of one who may someday need care. From that point of view this was a difficult book. The author's husband, the one who needed care, was becoming increasingly physically and mentally disabled with a fatal illness which MS is almost entirely not. In addition I am reviewing it specifically as it applies to those who care for a person with MS and in that regard it has certain shortcomings.