Customer Reviews

My Body of Knowledge: Stories of Chronic Illness, Disability, Healing and Life - Including Crohn's, CFIDS, AIDS, RSI, Muscular Dystrophy, Lyme, Multiple Sclerosis and Cancer

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I thoroughly enjoyed this diverse collection of pieces about different states of body beingness. I didn't read it cover to cover but rather jumped around, beginning with what subjects felt most relevant to me, and soon found that all contributions had something vital to offer. I appreciated most of all the vivid descriptions of daily life, like the sounds and smells of Karen Myers' climb up a flight of stairs towards dinner, as well as others' similalrly compelling tales of dealing with life's profundities and humor without sentimentality but with much grace.

Some of these stories will make you say, "If not for the grace of God..." or "It could of been me" or "Geez, I'm lucky." But more than that these essays show me how much more alike I am to everyone than how different. They inspire me to capitalize on what I've got rather than concentrate on what I lack. From that viewpoint, we all have a disability of some sort. In short, these are tales of life lessons and you don't have to be disabled to get something out of them--mainly, a sense of perspective. Professionally written (without being clinical), these are stories you will want to curl up with in a warm bed, not on a cold examination table.

This is a wonderful compilation of stories that explores many different conditions of life. Whether you are facing a difficult illness , or not
this book is filled with humor ,and luminous moments. The authors included,
are adept at portraying the challenges and triumphs they have experienced.
I would recommend this book for anyone working in the health field , or anyone , who would like to enjoy a book of diverse and captivating stories.

I love the broad range of stories in My Body of Knowledge. Opening the book is like taking a seat in a spacious theater, settling in as the lights dim, and watching as one compelling story after another graces the stage. As someone who has struggled for many years with a debilitating pain condition, I savor hearing what others have to share on living with illness and disability. We all deal with such a complex range of issues, it's fascinating to see the myriad ways people navigate their lives. I love hearing folks tell it like it is, allowing their authentic voices to speak their stories. It sure makes for a great "body of knowledge"!

If you or your loved ones are coping with illness or disability, this book is a must-read! This book leads the reader through this process - from affliction, to isolation, to integration, and all other steps in between - all through the voices of those who have walked this path before. You cannot read this book and be unmoved, either through a greater recognition of yourself in these stories or through a greater understanding of those who live with illness or disability. A book you will keep forever and reach for again and again when your spirit needs rekindling.

This book solved my dilemma of how to convey the reality of chronic illness (I've had one for fifteen years) to family and friends. People often don't understand how any of us can suddenly become a member of the disabled community: an accident, illness, or errant gene is all it takes. And when it happens, no matter if it's you or someone you care about, it's a whole new world, and it's hard to know what to do. This book shows many ways to build a life, even when one is forced to rely on a body-- and sometimes mind-- that just do not work as promised. Think of this book as a travelogue. Your guides are spunky folks who have found their way. I bought a copy for everyone in my family, and I recommend it highly.

This book is a must-read! As a psychotherapist who works with people
with disabilities and chronic pain, I recommend it to my clients and
colleagues. Employers dealing with the Americans with Disabilities
Act, and anyone who works in hospitals and the healing professions,
need to read this book. It's also great for families of patients.

It is a bridge between the experience of "normal" health and that of
a person who is ill or disabled. It "keeps it real," puts you in the
shoes of the writers, who intimately and skillfully share their real-
life social situations, inner thoughts, bodily sensations, and
emotions. In the end, it is a celebration of the love and grief
involved in being human. Charles Horowitz, Ph.D.

This book is for anybody who has a body, especially
those of us who may have discovered that our body
can't do what it once could. I especially appreciate the
different points of view and subject matter, the sense
that this project is a circle of people with varied life
experience who are contributing to a picture of what it
means to be human and challenged that is larger and
more inclusive than the sum of its parts. The selection of
form and tone gives a suggestion of the flexibility and
resourcefulness that are called out of each of us in
dealing with our individual challenges. Kudos.

I am truly grateful for the courage and honesty that imbues every essay in this collection. My Body of Knowledge offers a forum for those who cannot ignore physical suffering. Indeed, instead of ignoring it, they confront, challenge, embrace, scoff at, laugh with, and champion the lives they lead, in ways both inspiring and even comforting. "If they can manage it, then so can I" will be the common reaction of any reader who must grapple with their own physical challenges day in and day out, year after year.
I'd love to gather all these writers in one room and celebrate life with them but since that isn't possible (for they are scattered far and wide, some wouldn't be able to make the journey, and some are no longer with us) then This Body of Knowledge serves as the next best thing. I'm proud to be in their company.

As a person who was once in the medical profession and now suffering from my own rare ailments and surgeries, this book left me feeling not alone. The form in which it is written enlightened me on other peoples' individual triumphs and struggles. What makes this book even more compelling and different is that the stories come from real people. The outcome is an easy reading book that shares a true gift of camraderie, empathy, education, hope and inspiration to the sick as well as the healthy.