Customer Reviews

The Multiple Sclerosis Manifesto: Action To Take, Principles to Live By

5 star:		(8)
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2 star:		(1)
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First off, I'll admit I'm biased -- Julie Stachowiak (the author) is my wife. But before you ignore my review, hear me out. Not all bias is bad. I know exactly what went into writing this book and how true what she says is. This book is the sum of her 3+ years writing about multiple sclerosis on [...] and trying to help people suffering from multiple sclerosis find better ways to live with their illness. If you have MS, this book is going to have something for you. It is not your typical "information" book, Julie is three things: a PhD in Epidemiology from Johns Hopkins, a person living with multiple sclerosis and a damn good writer. Put those together and you have a book that anyone with MS can benefit from.

I highly recommend for ANYONE! Ms. Stachowiak is so thorough and honest in describing her own daily life with MS. She could easily be the best friend of anyone living with a chronic illness; the book is like having a conversation with a good friend facing similar issues you are. I'm very impressed by the enormous amount of time she obviously spends researching; she's a wonderful inspiration to other patients (at any stage in their diagnosis). She neither sugar-coats nor paints a picture of doom & gloom of life with MS, but is realistic and even humorous. She provides clear & specific "action points" to take as you go through daily life with an illness...from telling others about your diagnosis to researching treatments and doctors...to becoming your own best advocate and helping others. Eventhough I do not have a chronic illness, I took away great advice for living my own life and becoming the best person I can be. I ordered this book on a whim for my friend who was recently diagnosed with MS, but wanted to read it first before giving it to her. It's refreshing to read a book on a serious medical topic which has been so thoughtfully written by someone who is actually living with MS and not by a medical doctor. We are all beneficiaries of Ms. Stachowiak's knowledge; thanks for sharing!

This is a great book! It's very readable (even if you don't have MS it's interesting to read) and gives practical, down to earth advice on dealing with the disease on a day-to-day basis. If you don't have MS but know someone who does, it gives a realistic description of the symptoms and the daily life of someone with the disease. It also gives practical advice on dealing with doctors, tests, appointments, medications, etc. I highly recommend this book!

A review from Mohamed:
My sister was diagnosed with MS six years ago. Living in a 3rd World County with such a disease is very difficult. You do not know if you where diagnosed and treated correctly. Such a book will make a big difference to people like my sister. Fortunately she can read and write English so she will be able to benefit from Dr. Stachowiak work. Most of all she can trust every thing in it. The book has a lot of substance. It is based on both scientific and first hand experience with the disease. Dr. Stachowiak did a great job. I wish this work and similar works could be translated to other languages so people in other countries can benefit from such a good and through work.
On behalf of my sister and all MS patients, which will definitely benefit from this work, I salute DR. Stachowiak and wish her the best of luck.

I've already given this book to several friends and relatives -- some with MS and others with other conditions and they all thank me for it. The book covers the details about multiple sclerosis in a smart, but understandable way. Meanwhile, the rest of the book shakes the reader up to take control of MS (or anything else) and figure out how to live one's best with an illness.

I don't have MS and before reading this book I didn't know much about the disease. This book was very easy to read and understand. The book was recommended to me by a friend. I thought it would be somewhat depressing to read, but instead I found the book to be funny and insightful. I am sending it along to a friend who does have MS and I hope she enjoys reading it as much as I did.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS MANIFESTO: ACTION TO TAKE, PRINCIPLES TO LIVE BY offers a basic resource for people with MS, using the author's own experiences with MS to provide a resource addressing common challenges, barriers and opportunities. From participating in studies to becoming pro-active in treatment and understanding how dysfunctions feel and affect life, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS MANIFESTO is an action-oriented guide that goes well beyond simple definitions. Health and general collections need this approach.

I was diagnosed with MS 9 months ago, and after the initial shock and adjustment period, I finally decided I needed to see what others had experienced. I used the ratings on Amazon to choose this book, and boy, am I glad I did! I'm just a little past halfway, and I can honestly say everyone with MS should read this book. There is a wealth of information contained within its pages, and it comes from Julie Stachowiak, a woman with MS, a mother with twins, and a holder of a Phd in epidemiology. I can't think of anything MS she hasn't covered. Run, don't walk, to purchase this book!

The author addresses many issues that are passed over, and waved on as no big deal. She explains what the "big deal" is about every type of symptom and even though it is easy to perceive some of her personal feelings and experiences, she hits the nail on the head over and over. Furthermore, for anyone who has lived with Multiple Sclerosis, they will agree it is PERSONAL! This book may be one of those, that requires the right time to read it.

MS changes everything:
what you knew,what you do, who you are, who you used to be: Your body, your life, your symptoms are now in a constant state of flux. You never know what you are going to get, how you are going to feel, or when the next change will come.

This Manifesto is a creation that will help you positively ride the waves of personal loss, and assist you in forming some plans of actions for when the changes, pain and loss comes. It is a prepatory book, a planning guide, and gives a comprehensive understanding to the reader of how MS sucks, and how you can have a non sucking life, while living with a sucky disease.

While the author attempts to create a book that weaves her medical knowledge with her personal experience, it has a moderately cynical feel to it. It has left this reviewer feeling sorry for the awful time the author has had dealing with the awful symtpoms from this awful disease - multiple sclerosis. While I have not read all the books related to MS, I believe that Nancy Holland's, Multiple Sclerosis, A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed, 3rd edition would be helpful for those going through the trying period of a new M.S. diagnosis. The disease is depressing enough. Reading about the struggles of the author is, to me, not empowering.

The book is lacking in terms of editing as well. In an early chapter the author urges readers to look up a series of M.S.-related terms. There is no glossary in the book for these terms. While many people certainly have access to the internet, if they are holding the book and reading it, they may want to read a definition in the back of the book.