Living Posthumously: Confronting the Loss of Vital Powers [Hardcover]

Andrew Bard Schmookler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1997

Using his own once-debilitating illness as the basis for his thoughts, the acclaimed author of Parable of the Tribes sympathetically and gently explores how men and women find ways to deal with their own mortality, using examples from life, literature, myth, and religion as a guide.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"'To tell you the truth,' Betty said, 'you don't look so good.'" So begins Schmookler's sensitive account of the challenges that face those (including himself) who suffer from illness. For years, Schmookler had felt dragged down by a malady that was never diagnosed and which, he says, "largely abated" during the writing of this book. That experience leads him to reflect on the emotional and spiritual dimensions of the loss of vital powers ("movement is the essence of the animate; perhaps it was my inability to move on that was the essence of my living posthumously"). He tells others' stories, including that of his father, who suffered from Hodgkins' disease, and he quotes numerous thinkers whose words amplify his own. The narrative has a slushy, unstructured feel, but Schmookler's insights are sharp and his writing is clear, even when dealing with intangibles. His honesty, moreover, is refreshing, at times inspiring, marking this as a worthy successor to such seminal works as Norman Cousins's Anatomy of an Illness. Rights (except British, translation, electronic): Jane Dystel.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

In earlier years, Schmookler was energetic and, in his own eyes, unbeatable. In his forties, he suffered from an unidentified condition that left him enervated and feeling compelled to address what he wanted from life and what he could offer. This book, written after he had regained 80 percent of his energy, describes his thinking and emotions during the illness. "The challenge for me," he says, "was not how to win, but how to deal with the fact of losing if and when that fact appeared inescapable." He found the flexibility to adapt to new circumstances and to learn how to be productive and in good spirits. What is man's role with his fellow man and with God? he was moved to ask. He decided that each person has to work out his own life, that God (if there was one) could not be omnipotent, and that there was no afterlife. Perhaps there are too many words in the book, but persevering readers will find some stimulating ideas among them. William Beatty

Product Details

• Hardcover: 262 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Co; 1st edition (February 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805038574
• ISBN-13: 978-0805038576
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,422,428 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Confronting Chronic Fatigue, June 4, 2003

By 

WJC (Albuquerque, NM USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living Posthumously: Confronting the Loss of Vital Powers (Hardcover)

Living Posthumously will help everyone with a chronic neurological disease or fatigue. Multiple sclerosis and stroke readers have much to gain. Schookler communicates his adjustment to chronic weakness with such clarity, humor and clear-eyed verity. He faces the loss squarely and effectively.

Living Posthumously collects the best of comments from notable sources who are "confronting the loss of vital powers". Many of the quotes are delightful. The French philosopher Montaigne complains that his mind "has picked up such a close friendship with my body that, when the body calls, it deserts me at every turn". Exactly so.

Through his eyes and words, I see my weakness and resignation to it. He stunned my passive acceptance. I am changing my future as a result of spending these few hours with Dr. Schmookler

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insight on living with chronic pain, "loss of vital powers", August 31, 2005

By 

Natasha Cioffi (Newport News, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Living Posthumously: Confronting the Loss of Vital Powers (Hardcover)

Schmookler gives the reader a new perspective on understanding the ever changing life of people living with chronic pain/illness. This book was a wonderful motivator for myself. It reminds you that you are not the only one out there struggling to hold on to anything you can as your "vital powers" are gradually stolen away unexpectedly (or expectedly). Schmookler gives the reader knowledge, support, and strength to fight back against their own theif or the theif of a loved one.