Customer Reviews

Ice Bound: A Doctor's Incredible Battle for Survival at the South Pole

5 star:		(70)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

This story is an incredible one, full of pain, self awareness and joy. It is both heart-renching and uplifting. We should all have the courage that Dr. Jerri Nielsen had, and still has. To question our existance, and be brave enough to survive(in this case cancer) and endure(in this case, by operating on her self!). What the other reviewers fail to recognize is that we all have failures in our life, the true test of a person is proving that those can be overcome. To be able to read a true story of one woman who brought joy to those people around her, and had such a strong will to endure will make us all better. It is a great read, and a great inspiration.

Ice Bound is one of the best books I have read in years. I just couldn't put it down. It is a wonderful story of love, friendship, and problem solving. I found it very educational. As I knew nothing about the South Pole and life there, it taught me so much about that mysterious part of the world. Ice Bound was so fascinating that I immediately started back at the first of the book to read it again slowly. As a nurse I found the medical parts of the book along with the profound effects on the body and mind at the South Pole just amazing. I believe the thoughtless comments about Dr. Neilsen and the flag being upside down were quite petty beyond belief. They weren't a book review. Get real! This is a great story. After reading her book it makes me wonder if those petty comments were made by her ex or his friends and family in an effort to sabatoge the success of her book, that is, to discourage readers. If so, it didn't work. This is a fabulous book that must be read by one and all.

"You've always been a survivor Duffy, and you survive well." This is a quote from the author's Mom and it is so true for her daughter's amazing story. This was one of the most inspiring books I have read. The author, a 46 year old ER doctor who perseveres in the face of daunting challenges, shares her incredible story of survival. I was impressed with the unflagging support the author receives from her family, fellow "Polies" at the research center in Antarctica and her doctor.

In her book, Jerri Nielsen brings herself back to the present when faced with longing for her home and family while stationed in Antarctica. I was reminded of another inspiring book called "Working On Yourself Doesn't Work" by Ariel & Shya Kane. The Kane's book is a practical modern day guide for living in the moment. All these authors write of how precious life is and of how each moment counts. As there are no guarantees in life. I recommend reading both these books highly.

With all due respect to a couple of the earliest reviews, let's get to the point at hand, which is that this is an amazing story told by an amazing woman. After an unhappy marriage and a bitter break-up- that left her estranged from her three children, Dr. Jerri Nielsen went to spend a year as the resident doctor at the Amundsen Scott station in Antarctica. She was the only doctor among the 41 people in the complex, so when she developed breast cancer, there was no one to treat her, and no way, because of the extreme cold that kept planes from flying, to get help. What follows is an account of people's reactions and the unprecedented efforts that were made to help her, right up to the time when a crew of pilots braved temperatures that were low enough to freeze their fuel to fly in and lift her out.

The writing is personable and extremely readable; you feel more as if you are chatting with a friend than actually reading a book. Read it because it will tell you about a land at the bottom of the world; read it because it will describe a way of life you've never comprehended; but above all, read it because it is a story that will restore your faith in human nature.

Dr Nielsen shares her story of struggle and triumph with warmth and a generous spirit! I am in awe of her challenges, both personal and physical. She applauds the contributions of the Polie community and the Airmen as heroes, and rightly so. And she is also a hero! I cannnot think of a more captivating book. Let the controversy over her decision to sign up for this unusual position begin. She openly lets her feelings of sadness be known over being cut off by her children. Only those who have witnessed or experienced such cruel control in abusive relationships will understand. The rest of us need to be compassionate and open to portrayals of these human struggles to survive. Dr Nielsen's writing is alive and lyrical. Her love of people is written all over every page. Anyone who loves an honest and compassionate well written personal story will love this book!

I found this book to be an inspiration. The story is about the tribulations and triumphs of a women facing death. There are always two sides to a divorce, but that is not the focus of the story! Try to at least give the women credit for overcoming cancer! As for the front cover, write to the publishers or to the UN. The story was great and more women should be as brave, heck more men should be as brave! GREAT story!

I came to eagerly write about this moving book, only to find two "comments", not REVIEWS of Ice Bound, the book. They give no insight into the book whatsoever, and that's a shame.

Jerri Nielsen's fascinating story of courage and redemption at the South Pole should not be missed. Whatever her previous situation, this woman found herself dying of aggressive cancer at the bottom of the world, with few options and an admirable concern for her colleagues. The events that transpire over a matter of a few dark months serve to illuminate the qualities of some resourceful, and compassionate people. Jerri Nielsen is to be admired, but she is not the only hero in this lovely book. It's a work of beauty and warmth -- even those who are phobic could find themselves wanting to be a part of the fiercely loyal and gently-accepting tiny community in that dome in Antarctica.

Jerri Nielsen is a remarkable woman, a caring physician, and obviously a spirited, loving person who, through adversity and "chilling" conditions, finds the best part of her self.

Don't just buy this book for yourself; pass it on, give it as a gift. You'll wish you were 1/100th as calm, courageous, self-effacing, and determined as this amazing woman and those who come to her rescue.

This is a truly wonderful story of exploration and self-discovery. I found it extremely compelling to read and was especially interested in daily life at the pole. As an MD, I found details about Dr. Nielsen's medical practice under difficult conditions fascinating. What fun would a review be without some comments and questions? Here goes:

1) I think after an initial brief discussion of her marital problems, it would have been better to drop the subject. Little was added to to to the book by revisiting the issue. Besides, there's always another side to the story.

2) Photos in the book are disappointing. I thought the B&W photos in the book were the best to be expected, given the difficult conditions However, there are much better color photos available on the Web taken during the same
winter that Dr. Nielsen was there. Search for "joelpole" in a good search engine to see the photos that should have been in the book.

You'll find not only great color photos of Dr. Nielsen, but wonderful others that show life at the pole - and good closeups of other "polies." Plus, great background info and commentary from others who wintered at the pole the same year as Dr. N. These photos illuminate some of the events that took place there, such as parties, etc.

3. Not enough info on why wintering at the Pole is worth risking people's lives. And was ASA's support and contingency planning adequate?

4. Pretty well written, but as another reviewer pointed out, editing slightly remiss because of repetition of some details..."didn't I just read that a few pages ago?"

On balance, reading this book was a great adventure for me to share vicariously.

As a voracious reader of autobiographies/biographies/true stories etc, this book definately topped the charts! The inspiration and courage of Dr. Jerri should make us all want to be better people. The book starts out a little slow, as she sets up her growing up years, and eventually why she became a doctor, but only briefly touches on the dissolution of her marriage, and her estrangement from her children. However, in the first several chapters before she starts to tell of life at the pole, a sentence or two regarding her soon to be discovered cancer keeps you in the moment. In reading autobiographies, it's very rare that I see future references made to keep you interested and reveal part of the reason the book was written. There is some evidence of martyrdom-like thoughts that Dr. Jerri's parents taught her, i.e. that she should endanger her life for the lives of other if she had made a commitment to something, even discarding basic common sense. Although this may be an admirable trait for some, I found it to be a little outside the realm of sensability in certain areas. But it is apparent that this family is close and the children were raised to love and care for their fellow man. In any situation, I would definately want Dr. Jerri in my corner.

I was fascinated at Dr. Jerri's descriptions of Antartica. You felt you were right there (except the cold, of course!) by the vivid explanations of the scenery, daily events, and general life in the coldest place on earth. Her descriptions of temperatures in the 80 degree below weather were extremely vivid. This was an excellent resource if you were ever wanting to do a report on Antartica as it certainly tells more than an Encyclopedia can about "real" life at the pole.

It was apparent throughout the book, that Jerri was a great friend to her fellow "polies" as they would do anything for her (and obviously vice versa). I recently saw the story behind this book on one of the news magazine shows, and witnessed Dr. Jerri's best friend, Big John Penney, shed tears as he told of his efforts to help her when she discovered she had cancer. This man was a burly he-man type so affected by this wonderful doctor and person that he would have given his life for her, not to be a martyr but because he loved her as his friend.

Once Jerri starts in modern day to describe life at the pole, her discovery of her cancer, and eventual rescue from the ice, the story moves very quickly as to keep the reader on the edge. Details about her chemo and side affects were sparse but she was excellent at conveying the emotional trauma she went through, and her will to survive and take care of her friends at the pole. It was clear that her first thoughts were never of herself, but of her co-workers/friends at the pole, and how her illness and subsequent recovery would affect them. I don't recall that she mentioned she ever missed taking care of one of the workers or closing down her south pole medical clinic for any period of time, and perhaps this is what gave her the will to recover.

Dr. Jerri loves life and helping others and we are most fortunate to have doctors in our world who still have a great bedside manner. It amazed me that she never complained about life on the ice. In fact, by the end of the book, you have the distinct impression that she loved it there and would go back in a minute if they would let her. I learned a tremendous amount about the south pole, a land so foreign and far removed, it's another world in itself. I feel after reading this book that I know (without having to experience it first hand) what daily life is like at the pole (example: if you are outdoors and your goggles fog up, removing them could be a problem as the cold will freeze your eyes shut!)

Even though cancer is a most horrible event in anyone's life, Jerri has painted a picture of what it was like in extremely meager conditions, without the benefits of modern day technology and medicine. However, she does not portray it this way to make her cancer experience seem worse than anyone else's. Just different. This is a fascinating book that I couldn't put down, and combined all the elements of great reading (suspense, human drama, laughter, tears). This is definately a must! Have a great read!

I spend a great deal of time in my car so finding a good book that is 8 cassettes is usually a bonus. Doc Holidays' story is good; however, she should have never read her book. She frequently stumbles over simple words and is pretty much monotone during the entire tape. As you listen to each tape her reading becomes worse and worse. I truly believe a 5th grader could have read her story with more clarity and enthusiasm. Sorry Doc, good story annoying acoustics!