Customer Reviews

Getting Personal: Stories of Life with Tourette Syndrome

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This book is very informative and enlightens us with the reality of TS. DeFlilippo has captured true to life events and used them to prepare adults in general about this disorder. I have placed one on my parents shelf and one on the teachers professional shelf to educate both about this disorder. I recommend all libraries stock it, because it gives information that is needed in our world to further understand persons with TS.

As a parent of a child with Tourette syndrome, I read whatever I can about this neurological condition. What helps the most are stories about adults who have "survived" childhood and adolescence and are now successfully living their adult years. Their life experiences give me hope for my son, and they inform my son that he is not alone and that he has a future. This is EXACTLY the kind of book we needed to read! There are so few books of its kind (I know of only two others). Michael DeFilippo and the various essayists in the book display much honesty and courage. This book is not only for those who have Tourette syndrome and their families; it is for educators at all levels, employers, and all people everywhere! We are all different in some way, and yet we are all very much the same. Thank you, Michael, for that lesson.

DeFilippo gives an extraordinary view of Tourette Syndrome by capturing the hearts, minds and souls of each individule's story.
He has professionally and compassionatly compiled several stories of real people living with Tourette Syndrome and overcoming the day to day obstacles into one incredible book. This book takes you on a journey through several peoples lives and gives the reader great understanding of this disorder. Living with Tourette Syndrome myself, I find this book to be real and true to life. It is easy raeding and I find myself in many of the stories. After reading accounts of people who live with this disorder, I know that I am no longer on this journey alone.
Thank you, Mr. DeFilippo, for your honesty and understanding of Tourette Syndrome and for opening your heart and sharing with each of us. Also, thank you to the contributers for each of your stories.

Aside from reading this engaging collection, I have only had one other experience that made me -- a lifelong Touretter -- feel at ease with my mind and body. That was at the Tourette Syndrome of America's national conference. I never could imagine roomfuls of people displaying the wide spectrum of tics that accompany the greatly misunderstood disorder; roomfuls of people all like me. It was the first time in 35 years that I felt I truly belonged.

Now, Michael DeFillippo has recreated that experience with this touching and "real" collection of essays. TS is not just the "cursing disease;" in fact, as DeFillippo and his contributors point out, that symptom is one of the rarer tics. In fact, where this book triumphants is where the media has shamefully fails. It portrays TS as is truly is: a very diverse disorder with a vast array of symptoms that each carry their own severity. The accounts you will read are from everyday people who suffer, or are close to someone who suffers from TS. The prose is not all glamorous or "sexy;" instead the beauty of the words are found in their realism.

You don't need to know someone with TS to appreciate Getting Personal (although, as statistics reveal 1 in 200 Americans display some form of the disorder, most likely, you do). These accounts personify TS while reminding us that we all have something that affects our lives, and teaches us understanding and acceptance on a grander scale. The cast of characters who tell their stories are entertaining, empathic and enjoyable. Read Getting Personal. No matter what your circumstances, it will give you a sense of belonging.

I think that it is a great book. If you look into one of 22 stories in the book, you will find that one of them is MINE. My name is Eric Daily. The article is called " Thank You Dateline ". I discoverd that I had TS in October of 1998. I am 37 now.

Michael Defilippo contacted me through my web site and asked me if I would like to tell my story. I of course told him sure. He has done a wonderful job in editing and writing this book. It shows the personal side of TS, from words of those who actualy deal with it on a daily basis. You may contact my web site at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CW_TS

With the media so intent on sensationalizing Tourette Syndrome, it's often easy to forget that Touretters are real people who face the same challenges that "normal" people do. The stories in this book are testimonials to the human spirit and the power of love to succeed in the face of challenges that the rest of us can't even comprehend.

Statistically, very few people with Tourette Syndrome actually suffer from "the cursing disease;" yet it is the primary focus of the majority of media discussions of this disorder. The stories contained in this book provide a much more accurate picture of the breadth of this disorder than most mainstream media.

The contributors to this book speak candidly about the challenges they've faced (such as growing up with peers and/or parents who didn't understand), and inspire us with their successes (such as the teenager whose schoolmates stood up for him when an ignorant teacher wouldn't listen to reason). Interestingly, most of the authors say that they wouldn't want to be without TS, because it's part of who they are.

It's a compelling read, and filled with uplifting stories from people who live full and happy lives, and who remind us that we should all do the same, regardless of our own personal demons.

Compiled by Michael G. DeFilippo (who was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome in 1998), Getting Personal: Stories Of Life With Tourette Syndrome is a collection of true anecdotes from those who have the Tourette condition, often called the "cursing disease" as it is characterized by involuntary verbal outbursts such as curse words. Informal insights into the daily lives of those with Tourette Syndrome combined with "first-person" journal entries to make for a rewarding, informative reading that speaks directly from experience to life and which is especially recommended reading for the friends and families of those who are afflicted with Tourette Syndrome.