Book Description
A true story with the heart, the humor, and the humility of a raw young doctor in his very first days as a new family doctor in a little town in the Appalachian Mountains.
Customer Reviews:
Tired of sex and violence?.......2007-03-09
Nice, homey story.....I have the series nice change from the crazy world of today. No "bad" word, no sex no violence just nornal home towm life. A young man graduates med school and starts his practice in a small town where he make adjustments, not always easy but worthwhile........
Good for future doctors..........2007-01-16
As someone from a small town who is in medical school and wants to do family practice, I found this book inspiring. It was reccommended to me by a friend. Some of the stories seem a little exaggerated for good storytelling (hence the 4 stars instead of 5), but overall it's an easy and fun read. I read the whole thing in two short afternoons. Definately a must have for anyone considering family practice or anyone considering a medical career in a small town.
A bit of a confusing mix of medicine, religion, sports and memoir.......2006-06-04
Although there are certainly interesting elements here, this book has some of the most jarring transitions from one element to another I've ever read. Parts of it are strictly medical, including a tale at the beginning that would make any seasoned viewer of CSI troubled. Then there are long sports sections---high school football and fishing especially. Then the author has a religious revelation, and we read about that for a while. After that, it's straight memoir for a bit, and we learn about his family and past, but in disjointed, someone confusing pieces. None of the writing is bad, but I just couldn't settle in and really get much out of it.
Also, the backwoods people the good doctor encounters are often way too stereotyped to strike me as real. This book is not set in the distant past, but the folks we meet seem straight out of the Beverly Hillbillies, with dialet and folk remedies galore. I can't say that wasn't really the case, but it seems a bit contrived to me.
The background story of new doctor not being accepted is a bit confusing to me---we aren't really told enough about WHY the older doctors had it in for him quite so badly.
I think the author might do well to seperate this book out and REALLY tell the stories. I'd love to read more about his daughter and her struggle with CP, something we are in the process of figuring out in our family. His medical stories are interesting also, and I would be interested to hear about his journey to faith. But it can't all be in one book!
Delightful memoir.......2006-04-05
Dr. Walt Larimore received excellent medical training at Duke University. Armed with a new medical degree, his wife, and 3-year-old daughter, he journeyed to the small town of Bryson City, North Carolina, to begin his practice. What he learned is that there were many things which had not been taught at the Duke Medical School. Doctors and nurses who had been in practice for many years taught him that sometimes the old, simple procedures worked just as well as the up-to-date techniques which he favored early in his practice. He also learned that appeals to the Great Physician were much appreciated by his patients and served to calm him in a crisis. He was surprised to discover that a country doctor does not only deal with human patients, but animal ones as well. All was not easy, as both of his children faced medical crises, and some of the older doctors opposed his presence in their town. Dr. Larimore's self-effacing manner and gentle humor make this a delightful read. I am looking forward to reading the next two books in the series.
Excellent - entertaining, captivating, and heart touching.......2005-02-21
Larimore captivated both my wife and I with his writing and tales of his experience as a new doctor starting out in a new town in North Carolina. Unlike one reader, I never got the impression that the local people were anymore "backwards" than you would find anywheres else. Indeed, it becomes quite clear as Larimore continues to develop as a complete doctor that he has a number of things to learn from the people that were around him. It is fascinating to watch him grow in his practice and expertise, in his faith, and in his relationships with the local people. His love for his patients come through quite clearly.
His tales range from soul touching and heart touching to downright hilarious...the theological exposition that Christ was most definitely a fly fisherman and NOT a lake fisherman was particularly entertaining...and his experience with the couple that had just suffered a miscarriage deeply touches the soul.
For those that enjoyed Herriot, these tales will fit right in - except that the subjects are people (well, most of the time!). I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.
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- Easy Diet and it Works
- Are you ready?
- Some Programs are Better than Others
- The South Beach Diet
- Skeptic no more
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The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss (Random House Large Print (Hardcover))
Arthur Agatston
Manufacturer: Random House Large Print
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The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook: 200 Delicious Recipes Ready in 30 Minutes or Less
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Release Date: 2003-04-01 |
Amazon.com
The verdict is in: those simple carbs we've been living on are killing us. For good health, we've got to get our blood sugar under control and stop the incessant cravings. Or so says Dr. Arthur Agatston, author of The South Beach Diet. The first half of the book details the science behind the diet. Most of the explanations revolve around why things you thought were healthy—-orange juice, wheat toast, carrots—-are actually evil. To avoid blood sugar surges, Agatston created a modified carbohydrate plan, recommending plenty of high-fiber foods, lean proteins, and healthy fats, while cutting bread, rice, pastas, and fruits. Major differences from other diets include a lack of concern over portion size and a serious indifference to exercise. Feeling full while on a diet is a beautiful thing, but it seems odd that a cardiologist buries his exercise recommendations in a solitary sentence.
The last half of the book covers his three-stage plan; daily diets are mixed with recipes, some of which are from South Beach restaurant chefs. The most restrictive period lasts just two weeks, enough time to stabilize your urges and lose a few pounds; stage two adds fruits and a handful of other carbs, while stage three is meant to last the remainder of your life, with occasional lapses for white bread or birthday cake. While the diet is sound, the book could be better organized. The first half mixes scientific study with anecdote in a seemingly random way, while the mix of meal plans and recipes can be confusing. Still, the recipes are varied and tasty, and you'll never feel deprived, unless you currently happen to live by bread alone. --Jill Lightner
Book Description
Great food that's good for you--that's the foundation of the
South Beach Diet and the reason millions of people around the world have adopted it as their lifelong eating plan, shedding unwanted pounds in the process. Created by leading Miami cardiologist Arthur Agatston, M.D., the diet emphasizes good fats and good carbohydrates, the kind that stave off cravings for unhealthy sugary food and promote long-term weight loss. It's not "diet" food--it's satisfying, flavorful dishes that are good for your health and your waistline.
Customer Reviews:
Easy Diet and it Works.......2007-10-04
I'm not one to follow diets usually, because I always believe in eat less/exercise more. Unfortunately that doesn't work, because when I exercise more, I eat more. When a friend recommended the South Beach I decided to read up about the philosophy first before jumping in. I had always been raised to think that carbohydrates are good and fats are bad. What Dr. Agaston explains is that there are good carbs and bad carbs, good fats and bad fats. The South Beach diet educates you on what is good for you, and what causes weight gain and harmful blood chemistry.
As for the mechanics of the diet, it is really quite simple. I never followed their menus, or their recipes. I just looked at the allowed foods and made up my own meals. I really hate to count anything, document anything or look things up. This diet doesn't require any of that, unless it is to count the number of peanuts you should have for a snack (which is really quite simple to do). It also doesn't require purchasing special meals, or drinks, or anything. Just follow the principles, adapt to your own tastes and off comes the weight.
There are 3 phases to the diet, all explained and easily understood. The book also explains the physiology of the diet, and why harmful swings in blood sugar can cause problems, including overweight, diabetes and heart disease. Once you get your blood sugar levels under control, you do not get cravings anymore or hunger pangs in between meals. It is really ironic that being on this diet does not make you hungry. In fact, starving yourself, or being hungry is counterproductive, since the key is to maintain a steady blood sugar state, so that you do not experience the feast/famine cycle which causes overeating, as well as overstorage of fat.
Are you ready?.......2007-09-22
I've just purchased my sixth gift copy of The South Beach Diet. No, I don't go around sending it to people who I think need to drop some pounds. But when a friend wants to know how I lost weight or why we aren't eating potatoes or bread, and they seriously indicate an interest in following new food-eating patterns, I send them a copy. My husband and I bought a copy three years ago and embarked on our South Beach food adventure. Within six months, I had lost 40 pounds, he had lost the ten that was his goal, and while I have gained part of mine back after slipping off the path, I am now back on it to drop 10 lbs.
Dr. Agatston gives enough philosophy behind his diet suggestions, and his fairly rigorous first two weeks is succcessful quickly enough, that we found it easy to continue. And I can honestly say, I never felt hungry.
Some Programs are Better than Others.......2007-09-20
I have been there, I have seen it, I have done it all! Low carb, low fat, low this, low that... It took me many years to realize that diets are nothing else but what they are - just diets. I will NOT say they don't work. Sure they work! At least as long as you watch each and every bite you take! At least as long as you maintain your strong willpower. It IS nice to have good looks, but is that all we want from our lives? How about GOOD LOOKS resulting from GOOD HEALTH? Dr. Tombak in his book "Can We Live 150 Year" cites bad habits that lead people to obesity. Here are some of them:
1. The habit of eating fast and not chewing the food well
2. Drinking fluids at meals
3. Frequent snacking or constant chewing
4. Incorrect combining of food products
5. Lying down after meals
6. Sitting lifestyle
7. Eating while watching TV
8. Eating while irritated
9. Eating before bedtime or at night
10. Eating mostly refined and cooked food products.
Recognize some of them? Mr.Tombak, like Atkins and Agatston, also mentions eating too mach of carbohydrates. But he does not limit the cause of obesity to ONE SOURCE. Why? Because he applies COMMONSENSE. Because he puts GOOD HEALTH before GOOD LOOKS! Not good looks at all cost! Here is how he proposes to lose weight:
1. Correct the alignment of lumbar vertebrae. (Have you ever heard of this one? He explains why.)
2. Gradually and systematically increase the amount of your physical activities. (Nothing new, isn't it?)
3. Combine food products correctly. (We hear often about this one, too)
4. Perform internal cleansing routines and go through regular fasts.
Yes, just periodical short fasts that will cleanse your body, and shake off your cravings. It is nothing new! It is a simple procedure applied by many people around the world throughout ages. Larry Clapp in his book "Prostate Health in 90 Days" advocates the same. None of these unnatural diets throughout your entire life!...
I did a few days of fasting myself, and I strongly recommend this over any kind of diet to anyone who cares about his looks, his health, and his longevity. Periodical fasting energizes; purifies your body and mind; makes it easier to change your eating habits and to get back to natural, fiber-rich foods.
Everybody has his own opinion, but for me Tombak makes much more sense then Atkins, Agatston and all other inventors of "perfect diets"...
Why four stars for "The South Beach Diet"? -- Because it works! But at what cost to your lifelong pleasure, and (possibly) to your health? Be sensible. Read Can We Live 150 instead.
The South Beach Diet .......2007-09-15
If you can't stick to the Atkins diet then this one will be even more of a challenge because with Atkins you get to eat higher fat contented foods where as with South Beach you have to choose the lower-fat, lower-calorie versions of the food you get to eat on the Atkins, I would recommend starting with Atkins(the strictest low carb plan) then after induction phase, try South Beach's induction then phases 2&3 shouldn't be too much of a problem to stick to.
Skeptic no more.......2007-09-14
Count me as one who doubted the South Beach approach. But...I'm in week three, have lost twenty pounds so far, and have enjoyed the variety of "diet" meal recipes Dr. Agatston provides. I highly recommend this.
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Doctor At Large
Richard Gordon
Manufacturer: House of Stratus
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1842324934 |
Book Description
Dr Richard Gordon's first job after qualifying takes him to St Swithan's where he is enrolled as Junior Casualty House Surgeon. However, some rather unfortunate incidents with Mr Justice Hopwood, as well as one of his patients inexplicably coughing up nuts and bolts, mean that promotion passes him by - and goes instead to Bingham, his odious rival. After a series of disastrous interviews, Gordon cuts his losses and visits a medical employment agency. To his disappointment, all the best jobs have already been snapped up, but he could always turn to general practice...
Book Description
Libby has put herself up for sale at a charity auction to raise funds for the children's ward she works on. Dr. Andreas Christakos makes the highest bid . . . Libby is not in the market for a man . . . but this gorgeous Greek doctor is determined to change her mind!
Customer Reviews:
Should I Undress, Dr.?.......2007-04-06
Heh, heh, heh. That question was not posed in this book but you have to admit you fantasize about good-looking doctors. I'm glad to see some of the new books utilize someone besides millionaire businessmen.
Andreas is a hunka, hunka burnin' love and whenever he and Libby, a pediatric nurse, are in the same room, the scene smolders. Or smoulders, as these Brits would write it :) He is brilliant and used to women chasing him, but the one he wants doesn't want anything to do with him. Another hospital employee led Libby on, when he's a married, no-good cheating jerk. So she's given up on love.
Andreas wants a sincere, down-to-earth woman who wants his children. Libby is like the Pied Piper, the only one who can quiet, comfort fractious little patients. She is also good with his 13-year-old niece who's going through an awkward patch at school.
This couple has some good love scenes together and this book made me want to go back and find Libby's sister's story as well as their brother's (if his has been written).
Good read; try it.
Book Description
Dr. Larimore and his family are back in this hilarious, dramatic, and poignant sequel that follows this real doctor’s second year of practice in a rural mountain town.
Customer Reviews:
Doctoring the body and the soul.......2006-04-14
Dr. Walt Larimore returns with the second book of his series which chronicles the early days of his practice in the Smoky Mountains. This book is as charming as the first one, as the residents of tiny Bryson City try to get used to the big city ways of one of its newest practitioners. In the first book of the series, Dr. Larimore discovers that some simple country remedies work just as well or better than the latest medical technology. In this book, he learns that the key to curing patients is not only in the physical realm, but in the mental and spiritual areas as well. He goes into greater detail about his daughter's cerebral palsy, and does not hesitate to tell some funny stories in which he is the butt of the joke. This book and the others in the series make for delightful reading.
Terrific Read!.......2006-01-24
I very much enjoyed the first novel in this series, Bryson City Tales, and was delighted when this second book was published. If you are a fan of reading about small-town life, you'll love these books. Dr. Larimore's narrative brings the reader right into the story. The stories range from amusing, heartwarming, suspenseful, sad, to inspiring. I'm eagerly awaiting the next book, Bryson City Secrets, due out in March! If you're looking for a terrific read, I recommend these highly.
Bryson City Seasons.......2005-08-14
Very good! Really good for older readers who can appreciate the memories/stories of a young doctor ,husband, and father practicing in the N. C. Mountians. I recommend this book---as well as the first one---Bryson City Tales
A second peek into the life of a small-town physician.......2004-12-11
In BRYSON CITY SEASONS, Dr. Walt Larimore's follow-up to BRYSON CITY TALES, Larimore invites us into the life of one doctor and his family experiencing life as a small-town physician, grappling with inter-office politics and jealousies, family life, tricky diagnoses, and questions of faith in a rural Smoky Mountain town in North Carolina.
As this sequel opens, Larimore and his big-city wife Barb are anticipating their tenth anniversary together. Their young daughter Kate, who was born with cerebral palsy, and strong-willed colicky little boy Scott, make up this family of "flatlanders" (the term used by the locals for outsiders). The Larimores have found that Bryson City has everything you'd look for in a small town --- from Super Swain Drugs, the old-fashioned drugstore with a breakfast and lunch grill, a loyal following of the high school football team's wins and losses, and small town parades complete with Shriner clowns on mini motorcycles, to the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club. Larimore paints an enjoyable yet realistic portrait of Bryson City, with all of its inviting warmth and disappointing warts.
Unexpected tragedies --- such as a man whose head is crushed by a tree, a first encounter with the death of an AIDS patient, and concern over a baby born with Down Syndrome --- all give Larimore opportunities to reflect on God as the director of "a great production." For Larimore, even his daughter Kate's cerebral palsy is a gift from God, who "knew exactly what he was doing."
"Even though I wasn't sure of all the whys and all the reasons for the many events in my life and my patients' lives that sometimes seemed haphazard or random, I knew there was One who did," Larimore writes. While some Christian readers will not adhere to Larimore's particular theology about evil and suffering, they should find his reminders of the confidence we can have in God's love and care for us compelling and reassuring.
But to imply that this is heavy reading would be a misnomer. The necessary darker side that writing about a medical practice necessitates is leavened throughout with Larimore's lighter reminiscences, including the hilarious recounting of his involvement in the Miss Flame contest. The readers see a different side of the doctor as he dons an overstuffed bra and midnight blue sequined evening gown, complete with blond wig and high heels to compete in the contest (and later sports a shiny red one-piece swimsuit). Other lighter moments include a "secret" recipe for barbecue sauce given to the reader, complete with a short recounted history of the condiment.
Occasionally, the text becomes a bit dialogue-heavy as Larimore relies on conversations to carry the stories. Larimore is also apt to fall into an instructional tone ("Researchers have now found that loneliness and anger are two of the leading causes of death. Even in the 1980s, an increasing number of well-designed studies...") and can't resist the occasional statistic or elaborating on a medical case. Some readers will enjoy these medical asides, while others may find that they slow down the pacing of the stories. Larimore ends his book with some hints at new troubles down the road and the potential of a new practice, which will keep his fans anticipating the next installment.
Those readers who enjoy Philip Gulley's "Front Porch" series or James Herriot's veterinary tales will embrace this Christian doctor's latest homespun reflections on his life and medical practice in a small town.
--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby (phrelanzer@aol.com)
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Dr. Kildare's Crisis
Max Brand
Manufacturer: G. K. Hall & Company
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0816158738 |
Book Description
This new trade paperback edition of Pasternak's classic evokes the life and loves of the poet-physician Zhivago during the turmoil of the Russian Revolution. This edition features a thorough introduction by Oxford University scholar John Bayley.
Customer Reviews:
A rare novel.......2007-09-30
After reading famous books you often feel that whilst it was good, you can't quite understand why it has become so renowned. Perhaps it is because the idea is powerful but badly executed or perhaps has an incredible mood but the concept and importance are somewhat lacking. None of these feelings occur when reading Dr Zhivago, its artistry is superb, the dialogues and turns of phrase are often breathtaking in their subtle importance, beauty or both. This is a book that fully warrants its reputation, it is stripped of the idealism and runs almost like a political philosophy discourse at times in the development of ideas of equality, the human spirit and the paths to progress in society.
It is for this reason that I don't think the book deserves its reputation as a 'love story': it is certainly a human story with love becoming more important as a theme as the book continues, but the power of the context is such that one could say that it is a political book first and a romance second. However, such hierarchies are not applicable in a work such as Dr Zhivago, such is Pasternak's skill as a writer that the themes of the novel perfectly complement each other, he balances the issues of the history of the era, Yury's development as a person and the underlying current of the women in his life with almost orchestral skill. If Pasternak's aim was to create an illustration of the power, subtlety and synphonic nature of life, uncontrollable by 'men of action' then this is reflected in the structure and style of his prose.
The book had a great effect on me, its integrity was great and the whole book wonderfully honest. Each comment was razor blade sharp so I was often completely surprised that he was brave enough to write such things in Soviet Russia. He seems to have paid for his integrity with his life, echoing the life of his main character in this way and in many others. I would be unsurprised if Pasternak only wrote one novel on this scale; he seems to have put everything of himself into it.
The prose is not always pleasurable to read, it's even dull in places such as the chapter-long train journey. I also would have preferred a greater mix with descriptions and dialogues, there were few sections when the two were sufficiently mixed so that the reader has to often read very lengthy dialogues and intermitable (though often startlingly beautiful) descriptions. I experienced East of Eden by Steinbeck in a similar way: it was often not pleasurable so much as enlightening and a book that one should try to read at least one time in your life.
A couple comments.......2007-06-20
Rather than re-writing what many have already stated, I need to contest some reviews. Someone mentioned the conclusion was pointless and could have been done without. Some of the most beautiful lines of the book are contained in the last three chapters (14, 15, 16).
Just a light sampling of their beauty (all from the conclusion):
"You must never, never despair, whatever the circumstances. To hope and to act are our duties in misfortune. To do nothing and to despair is to neglect our duty."
"Never, never, not even in their moments of richest and wildest happiness, had they lost the sense of what is highest and most ravishing - joy in the whole universe, its form, its beauty, the feeling of their own belonging to it, being part of it."
"The riddle of life, the riddle of death, the beauty of genius, the beauty of loving - that, yes, that we understood. As for such petty trifles as re-shaping the world - these things, no thank you, they are not for us."
The character development may not be sewn up neatly, but the philosophical and theological ideas Pasternak expresses come to a climax in these final chapters. The fact that some similes, metaphors, etc. were not really working, as one reviewer stated, could easily be due to the translation. In the translator's note they recognize this is not the translation of a poet. The beauty of language is often lost in translation, and thus this is not really a fair criticism of the work.
I will agree that there are too many minor characters that are overly developed, and overly detailed descriptions at times. Part of me took that as influence from Tolstoy, and part of me expected it a bit given this is Russian literature and that tends to come with the territory. However, I agree that these were weak points of the novel.
Overall, however, the novel was well worth the read. While reading a novel written by a poet can be difficult at times, you can generally count on some truly beautiful descriptions and insights. Pasternak does not dissappoint in my opinion. The repeated juxtaposition of nature and the destruction of Russia sent chills down my spine.
The flaws are much of what makes it so great........2007-01-05
I read Zhivago for the first time in high school. I loved it, but didn't pick it up again for 20 years. I was surprised to find it rough going at the beginning. When I had first read the book, it had been precisely the first 100 or so pages that had enchanted me and pulled me into the novel. This time around, it was the complex and often frustrating last half of the book that really moved me. I guess this is a measure of how the book grows with the reader.
Doctor Zhivago is a complicated book that seems to me largely about how people get involved with circumstances (politics, love affairs) that do not interest them, simply because life leaves them vulnerable. That makes for a strange reading experience, because it is not a message that wraps itself up neatly. The texture of the novel is in part about ends-- loose ends, dead ends, character cul-de-sacs. A more experienced author wouldn't have tried to work this theme out in prose using the same methods that Pasternak employed. The book rolls from melodrama to nearly documentary realism. He uses diary form, letters, even poetry to complete the work. I guess it was his lack of experience that allowed him to (very nearly) achieve the impossible. The feeling of the book is an awful lot like life.
There are certainly more polished and perfect novels and novelists out there. Doctor Zhivago would not have profited from their example. As the title of this review says, Zhivago is great precisely because it isn't perfect. It is a great sprawling messy wonderful world of a book.
Recommended for readers of all ages.
Art is always meditating upon death and thereby creating life.......2006-12-18
Dr. Zhivago's ideal life `escape into freedom out of all sorrows' contrasts sharply with the horrors of war and revolution around him: `the ruthless logic of mutual extermination.' As a doctor he is daily confronted with `survivors whom the technique of modern fighting had turned into lumps of mutilated flesh.' Red and White atrocities rivaled each other in savagery.
After the Reds won the civil war, `the old oppression of the tsarist state was replaced by a much harsher yoke of the revolutionary superstate led by the professionals, the Bolsheviks, and their false sympathizers, informers, intrigues and hatred.'
Their Marxist policies are severely criticized: `Marxism is not sufficiently master of itself. Ordinary people are anxious to test their theories in practice, to learn from experience, but those who wield power are so anxious to establish the myth of their own infallibility that they turn their back on truth.'
Dr. Zhivago with his independent mind and love for humanity highly understands that nothing can be gained from violence: childhood friends fight each other in the name of their truth, `man is a wolf to man'; `stranger meeting stranger killed for fear of being killed.'
Under the totalitarian system, he feels bitterly `the loss of faith in the value of personal opinion. Instead of being natural and spontaneous, something artificial, forced, crept into our conversation; falsehood had crept into our lives.'
Boris Pasternak's book is a profound meditation on life and death, love and hate, personal commitment and mass ideology, freedom and slavery, war and peace.
The fate of the main characters and the crossings of their lives within the upheavals provoked by war, revolution and totalitarianism are masterfully painted and heart-rending.
This magically written and brilliantly built novel is an eternal masterpiece. It stands in sharp contrast with the extreme vulgarity of the anti-Pasternak campaign in the USSR after Pasternak was awarded the Nobel prize (see I. Kadaré's `Le Crépuscule des Dieux de la Steppe').
A must read.
Pasternak's Purpose.......2006-11-12
Boris Pasternak's, Doctor Zhivago, is not supposed to be a political or philosophical novel though it has both those components in it. It is not just a romance or a historical look at the Russian Revolution- though it has those things as well. Above all else, Doctor Zhivago is a statement on life. It outlines the journeys of intertwining lives through an amazing time period. In an entry from Zhivago's diary he explains that this telling of a human story is the essence of all art. Pasternak hints to readers that this is, in fact the inspiration of his work, "You can call it an idea, a statement about life, so all-embracing that it cant be split up into separate worlds; and if there is so much as a particle of it in any work that includes other things as well, it outweighs all the other ingredients in significance and turns out to be the essence, the heart and soul of the work." (282). Pasternak shows readers through characters, themes, plot, and setting the intimate details of people's lives. He follows them from early life to death and from maturing philosophical ideals to basic getting by. This is the spirit of his work, his masterpiece, a beautifully written account of the fictional Yuri Zhivago's time on earth.
Work Cited
Pasternak, Boris. Doctor Zhivago. New York: Pantheon Books Inc, 1958.
Amazon.com
Serving as doctor to the Americans "wintering over" at the South Pole in 1999, Jerri Nielsen made headlines when she discovered a lump in her breast that a self-administered biopsy revealed to be an aggressive, fast-growing cancer. No flights in or out of Antarctica are possible during the continent's long winter, and Nielsen's account of giving herself chemotherapy while she and her fellow "Polies" waited for the weather to break is even more gripping than the news reports at the time. She's candid about her pain and fear; the media battle waged by her embittered ex-husband makes her ordeal even more challenging. Interestingly enough, however, this high drama does not overshadow Nielsen's deeper narrative of a woman who came "to the Ice" seeking new meaning in a life shattered by divorce and estrangement from her children. In the back-to-basics world of Antarctic medicine, with outdated equipment, few supplies, and no assistants, she rediscovered her vocation as a doctor, free from the imperatives of corporate-directed medicine. More importantly, Nielsen found spiritual solace in the world's most extreme environment, where she was "introduced slowly to the notion of giving more than you have and using less than you need ... of knowing that all you really own are your own thoughts." She makes the glories of the Pole so palpable that, by the end, readers will not even be surprised when she signs an e-mail to her family, "from the wonderful Ice." --Wendy Smith
Book Description
A #1 New York Times Bestseller
"This excellent book is about life, work, and the depth of human resiliency and love." - Publishers Weekly
Dr. Jerri Nielsen was responsible for the mental and physical fitness of a team of forty-one researchers and support personnel at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station on Antarctica when she discovered a lump in her breast in the winter of 1999. The most perilous and remote place on earth, Antarctica offered no way in or out before spring. This is Dr. Nielsen's own account of her experience, of her self-diagnosis and treatment with the help of E-mail consultations until her rescue.
Includes photographs
Customer Reviews:
Life at the South Pole.......2007-03-05
This book is the story of Dr. Nielsen's time working at the south pole. It is full of anecdotes of everyday events that gave me a feeling for what life must be like in such a remote place.
It reminded me a lot of science fiction and especially Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars. Robinson has another book on Antarctica that is said to be very similar to Red Mars. It's uncanny how similar Dr. Nielsen's account is to science fiction stories about space colonization.
Maybe the idea of life on the frontier brings out these themes. The difficulty of life makes people work together and abandon some of the petty problems from home. That gives people a new perspective on the culture of their home.
This story also made me consider how psychologically hard cancer must be. Dr. Nielsen says being in Antarctica in some ways made it easier because she didn't have to deal with daily ups and downs as the results of many tests came back. They only had the most basic diagnostic equipment in Antarctica.
Nielsen is honest about her fear of her illness and the pain of being alienated from her kids. Although it's unlikely because of her history of cancer, I hope the powers that be approve her for more work in remote locations.
Ice Bound: A Doctor's Incredible batttle for Survival at the South Pole.......2007-01-29
The book was worth every penny and it was sent in a timely manner.
Warm and Beautiful, not gruesome........2006-08-04
This book was a fascinating portrait of the American South Pole Station and the people who winter over there. It is rich with details that one would never have thought of, like the difficulty of contacting the outside world when the communications satellite only peeks over the horizon for a brief time each day. All the people at the station are portrayed as exceptional, (maybe eccentric), strong, very human people who survive in part because of the great love and respect with which they treat each other--not to mention a strong sense of humor! Really inspiring. Made me want to go there myself.
Where Life and Death Meet the Ice.......2005-09-19
"Ice Bound" is three stories that come together to create one indelible experience: a woman's struggle and escape from an abusive marriage, a travel adventure to the South Pole, and a life and death fight against cancer. Dr. Jerri Nielsen lived all three of these stories and writes about how they merged into one phenomenal journey.
Some reviewers have been critical of Dr. Nielsen's motives or of the construction of her memoir. I cannot share their criticism-I found Nielsen's story to be an excellent telling of excitement, struggle, self doubt, and near death at the extremes of the Earth. I have lived high above the Arctic Circle; I know the wonder and awe one sees in the ice, the humbling realization that death awaits behind any mundane mishap. Despite this tension, day upon endless day passes beneath skies that are forever light or forever dark, an exotic sameness that captivates but provides little material for a full-length book. If anything, I congratulate Dr. Nielsen and her co-writer, Maryanne Vollers, for being able to relate Nielsen's story in such depth and detail, to have been able to sift through the routineness of life at South Pole Station for enough material to construct an interesting book.
Dr. Nielsen was diagnosed with breast cancer during an Antarctic winter. We cannot blame the victim; Dr. Nielsen did not wish this condition upon herself. She did not want others to risk their lives on her behalf-others made that choice for themselves. Dr. Nielsen could not have stopped them if she had tried. The story of the courage and dedication of others is as important a theme in Dr. Nielsen's experiences as is her own internal fight to overcome loss and despair.
I recommend "Ice Bound" for a very accurate and authentic description of life in polar places. Nothing takes the romance out of extreme places more than a true story well told. I think that her struggle against cancer would have to energize others suffering from the same condition, and I think that her children's alienation from her by a vindictive ex-spouse is a more common story than many may realize.
What Coulda Been Great Turned Out Just Good..........2005-07-31
Dr. Jerri Nielsen's trek to the South Pole would have been filled with danger no matter what...most of the people that head down there must have a few screws loose to want to spend a year in complete darkness, with extremely cold temperatures, only to lose (in part) their social skills, their memories, and their sanity. What makes her story somewhat extraordinary is the fact that as the only trained medical professional 'wintering over' at the South Pole, she diagnosed and was forced to treat her own breast cancer with a small untrained support staff.
The book takes you on the journey of how Nielsen got to the pole - and how she got out, and the factors attributed to both. With mounting frustrations over her estranged family, including her children, and with the US medical system, Nielsen, an adventurer in her mind, took up the opportunity to head down south...way south. What lay there was a network of amazing friends, and a workload of amazing proportions. Even in the cancer-ridden portions of Jerri's story, she often mentions lighthearted evenings and events and the plight of others over her own pain.
My problems with the book? First off I'm not a huge fan of how Nielsen wrote the story. Her tone is somewhat smug, as though she is writing an insiders guide that can only really be understood by her fellow "polies". She re-iterates many times over how special and wonderful it was, and how clueless the rest of the world is, and while I believe the experience was incredible, 160+ pages of exposition about the day-to-day events of the pole isn't necessarily relevant to the tag line of the book "A Doctor's Incredible Battle for Survival"...it almost feels as though Jerri would have written this book as a memoir for herself had it not been for the international interest in her cancer case. The main interest being her cancer, it is somewhat misleading as to what Jerri actually puts into the book, as though she wants to make sure she acknowledges every person that came across her path while she was there, rather than discuss her cancer case.
My second issue was with the language. At times the medical talk was too intense for the average reader, leaving you drawing blanks. Most of the understanding of Jerri's cancer came from the back and forth e-mails between Nielsen and her cancer specialist Kathy.
Another issue I had was how the book meandered at times with Jerri's dreams and plans for the future. There were some e-mails and long descriptions of what Jerri and other wanted to do that I could hardly be bothered to read them in entirety. I think most people, like myself, would be more interested in the present situation in the story rather than read a two-page letter her brother wrote on sailing his boat into space.
I think altogether I appreciated this book more of a study of Antartica and what it is like to live there (insane by the way) rather than reading it for the sensational story Nielsen promises to divulge in regards to her cancer. I have admiration for what she did, and think it was important for her to acknowledge the media in some way, but I just wasn't totally sold on the actual book itself.
Average customer rating:
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Manhattan country doctor (G.K. Hall large print book series)
Milton Jonathan Slocum
Manufacturer: G.K. Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: 081614334X |
Book Description
A New York Times Bestseller
A Featured Alternate of the Book of the Month Club, Literary Guild, Doubleday Book Club, and Black Expressions Book Club
The legendary Bill Cosby, America's most well-known comic, wants food lovers and over indulgers everywhere to know that they are not alone. In this original collection of humorous musings and digressions about our obsessions, the incomparable Doctor of Comedy is right on target as he reflects back on his own sixty-five years of dining at the banquet of life - from the hoagies to the stogies and every death-defying delicacy in between.
Customer Reviews:
Chewing the Fat.......2007-09-01
I have loved most of Bill Cosby's books, yet his two most recent publications, this one and "Congratulations! Now What? A Book for Graduates" have fallen very flat. Perhaps I would have appreciated this book more if I was in the same age group. Even as health conscious as I am, I still think Cosby missed the mark.
Each chapter continues a theme of the pitfalls of getting old. Whether it means having to change your diet or alter other vices from your life, the body cannot have certain things if we are to live a long life. Obviously, Cosby takes a humorous approach to this subject. He does not actually claim to be a health expect. The problem is that Cosby's jokes have already been done, mostly by many other people.
I would recommend most of Cosby's books expect those cited. It seems Cosby is at his best when he is talking about the family or experiences of his youth. In his most recent work, he may be straying too far outside his strength.
I Am What I Ate.......2006-12-21
ISBN 0060545747 - Not the sort of laugh out loud funny that Cosby usually does, this book is still amusing - more importantly, it's an honest look at the results of a lifetime of bad habits. For folks who won't listen to their doctors, take it from a man who's clearly not fond of listening to his doctor, either!
I was disappointed to not find this book on a par with Cosby's usual humor. Still, not a terrible read, either. Read it for a chuckle, pick up a copy of his stand-up routines for real laughs.
Really Nice!.......2006-02-19
Whether you do or don't like the humor of Bill Cosby, you should read this book if you have any sense of humor at all then you will enjoy it if you do! It's everything funny about why good food can make us feel bad. This book is great for anyone who is having to go to the doctor... over and over... or multiple doctors because it reminds you to laugh to keep from crying! And helps you laugh so hard you cry - at least I did!
Bill Cosby.......2005-03-18
Bill Cosby the doctor of comedy has written a book about a healthy life stile. If you dodge diets, you should read it. If you're creative you should read it. If you like imagining people making a fool of themselves in the act of not following their diets you should read it. In my opinion this is a funny book. He eats a cookie and gets caught because he said he was going to the bathroom. If you like funny books you'll like it.
Not What I Expected.......2005-01-08
In this book, Bill Cosby discusses, in a humorous way, various changes he has experienced at age 65 and his struggles to give up his excessive, unhealthy eating habits after learning from his doctor that he has very high cholesterol and a thirty percent blockage in the carotid artery.
While it is neither the roaringly humorous book I expected nor a preachy diet book, it is a quick and pleasant read that had me chuckling quite a bit and identifying with many of his observations. His casual writing style, delivered as though he were sitting next to you and talking, accurately captures many of the rationalizations people often use to justify behavior they know is not in their best interest, be it smoking, drinking or eating fat and cholesterol-laden foods. I thought one of the funniest sections was his discussion of hair and skin, where he observes that "as you get older, you don't have oil. The skin is drier." And, regarding hair, he wants to know why he lost hair from the top of his head and it came out on his back and in his nose and ears. Gray hair at that! "What am I turning into?", he asks. I suspect there are a few of us in our fifties and sixties who have had similar thoughts. He also cites his father as having compared the human body to a machine, which, at age 65, has "old parts" -- a simplistic but plausible explanation for many of the aches, pains and limitations one experiences in the later years.
In all, the book is funny and enjoyable. And, possibly, it may be helpful to those struggling with changing their eating habits and other aspects of getting older, as they step back and see it through Bill Cosby's eyes.
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