Customer Reviews

Climbing Higher

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book is a very easy read and I have to say I really enjoyed it. I was never a great big fan of his because he was always the Pollyanna type believing a good attitude and a strong belief system will get you through anything. That always irritates me and pushes my buttons!

In Climbing Higher he is very frank about his road trip with MS. How he felt right after being diagnosed. He talks about his career and childhood briefly, his symptoms and marriage & relationship problems.

I won't spoil the details of the book for those who want to read it but will only give a brief overview if you will. His main problems are bad vision in one eye, burning painful feet and difficulty walking when the pain is at the 10 level (which he says is often).

He also experiences the electric pain where a touch or even water is excruciating. He also has difficulties sexually. He's very frank and it's refreshing to see he does have bad days and is not the Pollyanna he used to portray. He's very emotional and admits to crying a lot (this is a big admission for a man as most won't come clean about tears).

His attitude is that MS can kill ones spirit especially if one is emotionally weak (and who isn't these days in this world) and he realizes there are still others far worse than him so he thanks his lucky stars most mornings when he wakes up.
He is a very confident, over achiever and some see this as arrogant.

I now see him in a different light and I like him. What his core message is MS does indeed suck but we have to fight whatever hand we are given and hope for a better tomorrow.
He is very big on congress allowing medical mj and decriminalizing it.

He acknowledges how lucky he is to be able to have the best healthcare when there are lots more struggling and becoming bankrupt etc.

He is a good voice for the MS community and I like that with his foundation 100% of the money coming in goes to MS. I was shocked to find out with the exact numbers going to MS with the NMSS foundation - it's definitely not 100%!

I encourage anyone struggling with a chronic illness to read this book but especially if you have MS. I was diagnosed 2 years ago and this book will hold a very special place on my book shelf!

I am not a fan of Montell at all, and I don't watch his show. I don't know what made me pick this book, but I'm glad I read it. The book was not what I expected at all. I had never heard of MS prior to reading this book. It was short and to the point. He makes some compelling arguments for the legalization of marijuana and the benefits and disadvantages of some other drugs. I felt his pain as I read the book. I felt every spasm, frustration, and fatigue episode. This will be a helpful read for MS sufferers. I hope a cure is found soon. I also hope that those who do not have MS will pick up the book and understand not just the nature of the ailment, but also those who live with it daily.

I was recently diagnosed with MS, and have been wanting to find more information about the disease, and as Montel states, it is hard to find any type of concensus on this disease. His roundtable discussion at the end of the book was a stroke of genius, and I found it very informative.

Most of the book was great, and it made the best arguement for legalization of medical marijuana research that I have ever heard. Also, I happen to live in Utah, and I have had a great experience with my neurologist. Just wanted to let everyone know that not all Utah doctors are like the one that he had to deal with.

Overall, this is a great book. Another book I would recommend is Lance Armstrongs "It's Not About the Bike". Montel made me feel better because I could relate to his symptoms and feelings, however Lance's book is a great story of fighting for life, despite increadible odds. They are both great books that help people understand what it means to fight to overcome life threatening and/or debilitating diseases.

For over ten years Montel Williams has visited our homes through his daily talk show The Montel Williams Show. When he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), he initially tried to hide his illness and his pain from his family and his fans. Eventually, he was forced to share a deeply personal struggle with his family and the public. Since his diagnosis, Montel has struggled with unbearable physical pain, depression, and countless other MS symptoms. At the same time, he was trying to balance his professional obligations, care for his children, and cope with a failing marriage. By no means was any of this easy for him, in fact on more than one occasion he nearly committed suicide; but through perseverance, support and hard work he has continued pushing forward.

In an effort to educate others, he candidly shares some of the most personal aspects of his life. In addition to talking about how MS has impacted him personally, Montel shares some of the issues surrounding the disease. He talks about the lack of research on the disease; the exorbitant cost of drugs used to treat its symptoms, and provides a rather lengthy argument for the need to legalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. At the conclusion of the book, he includes a round table discussion with several physicians well-known in the area of MS. He asks all kinds of questions of these experts, ranging from the potential causes of the disease, various traditional and non-traditional treatments, and diet.

CLIMBING HIGHER is so much more than a book about MS because in addition to talking about his personal challenges with the disease, Montel sprinkles in a lot of his general life experiences. This made the book more interesting, and definitely made it a more personal read. I appreciated his candor, his willingness to share his deepest thoughts and fears, and his willingness to share information with others that may be dealing with the disease but do not have the means or resources to get the kind of expert information and treatment that he can. This is a book that will educate, touch, and inspire all readers, particularly those that are personally dealing with the disease.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

Montel Williams is a successful talk show host in which he discusses serious topics such as devastating physical diseases, criminal behavior, and many other life problems with his guests. He recently wrote a book, Climbing Higher, in which he tells all of his readers that he has Multiple Sclerosis (MS). He talks about his struggles with the disease and how he overcame them.

Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic disease that causes demyelination in the brain. The myelin is a covering or insulation of the nerves. It helps transmit action potentials, which are the electrical impulses that the nerves use to communicate with each other. When the myelin is damaged do to MS severe pain and other unwanted symptoms can result.

In his book, Montel talks about how he has dealt with his pain. He had the option to have any pain medication he wanted, but he did not want to become addicted to drugs such as oxycontin or morphine. Instead, he chose to use medicinal marijuana. He feels that marijuana should be legalized for medical purposes only. Through his treatment with marijuana he has been able to cope with the pain and continue to go to work and make a difference in peoples' lives.

This book is well written, and Montel is open and honest with the emotional roller coaster he has taken when dealing with his disease. It is an inspirational book for those who have struggled in any area of life, especially those who have Multiple Sclerosis. It is a treat to see a celebrity humble himself or herself, becoming vulnerable in the process, to his fans and peers. I recommend this book to all people, and if a person gets a percentage of the satisfaction and joy out of reading this book, then he or she will have gotten his or her money's worth.

...I feel this book shows his strength and helps those that don't have it how to find it. He didn't listen to the doctors when they said nothing could be done about MS and just give up, he went in search of what he could do. He doesn't speak to just those with MS he speaks to all of us with serious illness not to give up. I myself am seriously ill and I have done this same thing, found things I can do. Who would think that Montel with little feeling in his feet could snowboard like he does. To his surprise it makes him feel and function better. Life didn't stop it just changed and not all for the worse. I especially like that he uses his book for a platform, he hopes laws change to get pot legalized for medical reasons. He is working hard to make that happen. Diane

I was diagnosed with MS 22 years ago. Thank goodness I wasn't hit hard in the beginning and was able to go on with life to achieve many of my goals. Over the last few years, the MS has gotten worse but I still get out of bed and go to work each morning. I totally understood most of what Montel said in his book, such things as muscle spasms, not wanting the public to know about the MS, etc. Although I have finished this book, I plan to go back through and highlight several sections. This book will remain close at hand for years to come.

Montel gives a vibrant and accurate description of what it's like to live with Multiple Sclerosis. MS affects everyone differently, but the reader will benefit from the insights into the psyche of a man as expressive as Montel and how he deals with his own body's reaction to MS. The book also provides an informed and candid opinion of the state of MS treatment and research in the world today.

The bottom line - Climbing Higher is a must read for anyone with MS in their life. At the end you'll have an excellent idea of what it could be like to live with MS everyday and what you can do to address it.

I learned an awful lot about the physical aspects of MS but also appreciated reading about the psychological toll that MS has taken on Montel Williams. I have respect now for someone who has opened himself up to try to help others understand this awful disease. This is an honest and frank story that he tells but at times it becomes repetitive and almost preachy. I don't have MS, so I can't fault the way he handles his life, but I do think that his would be a good book for MS sufferers and non-sufferers alike to read.

This book came at a time I needed it. Without going into
details I have been in terrible pain for 6 months. I am
also 47 years old and look much younger therefore many think
if you look good you must be well. I understand completely that
when you wake up eveyday in pain it is very frustrating, very
depressing and the struggle to make it through is most difficult.
I think it is normal to think about ending it all but it took
COURAGE from Montel to be so completely honest and bring to the surface what many of us could
not be so forthright about.
I cried
and I cried when I read this book and I THANKED GOD, that Montel
keeps going despite this horrible adversity and is here to share
his coping skills with us!!!!!