Customer Reviews

The Physical Lincoln Complete

5 star:		(10)
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This wonderful book left me with an unexpected reward: I felt close to Lincoln, and felt I knew him for the first time not as an icon of history or even a great president, but as a complete human being. It is exhaustively, and so very professionally, researched. The extensive footnoting and sections on the details of Lincoln's family are irreplaceable and I read every single one of them as the author builds his multiple contentions like a crack attorney. I was fascinated to learn, for the first time, so much about Tad. The author is a relentless self-critic, careful always to point out that what he has come to believe as a doctor (and nearly proven so far as is possible) is subject to his own scrutiny. He will tell you when there is a possibility he is wrong. What I cannot understand is why this author is not allowed to test DNA, to set straight once and for all how Lincoln's genetics and health were affecting him. Why do we wish to know? If you have come to love Lincoln, as I have, you want to know everything about his life and health, just as you would about anyone in your family who became ill. It also helps to consider the strong possibility that Lincoln would have possibly died within a few months of his assassination; perhaps in this way his death so young has some added meaning, cold comfort though this is. The further layers of consideration of what health should mean to the American public considering a candidate for President are provocative, especially in this day and age when we can have so much more solid information available. Thank you, Dr. Sotos, for the almost superhuman energy and devotion to detail it must have taken to write this historically essential book. The one wish I had after reading it: I wish we could view a photograph of Lincoln smiling, particularly given the voluminous number of anecdotes confirming his great sense of humor and love of laughter. But perhaps such a photo does not even exist for I think if it did, this author would have found it.

I wish there were more than five stars to give this book.

I have always been facinated by Abraham Lincoln and his life. This book fed my Lincoln obsession with gusto. It's a facinating look at the physical aspects of Lincoln, the possible differential diagnosis of both his appearance and anecdotal information(Gregory House could do no better.)Several of our presidents (Kennedy, Roosevelt, etc.) have had diseases that have effected their lives and presidency; now we know that Lincoln is probably one of them. Each chapter blows you away with new information about Lincoln and his possible maladies. It also gives you a new appreciation of the man and his abilities. This is a must book for anyone who likes American History. It adds a new dimension to how we look at historical figures. Until you know their physical history, you don't have the full picture of the person. Well worth the read.

Dr. Sotos has created an amazing compendium of Lincoln medical information, along with world-class note and bibliographical sections. I'm simply amazed that he was able to gather and synthesize the many primary sources which are put forward in his attempt to prove that Lincoln was a victim of a genetic disease called MEN2B. Before attempting to prove his hypothesis, the doctor destroys arguments which favor the president's affliction as Marfan's Syndrome. I ordered both The Physical Lincoln and The Physical Lincoln Sourcebook (they come as one book in edition 1.1). I cannot recommend these two books enough for those with an interest not only in what might have ailed Lincoln, but what others of his time thought of his features as well. Truly a super-human effort on the part of Dr. Sotos. I will certainly purchase updated versions of this fantastic and much needed resource.

With a new book about Lincoln coming out every few days The Physical Lincoln by John Sotos provides us with something different from the usual and customary looks at Lincoln.

Lincoln had many odd physical characteristics. Some we can't help but notice from photos. Others such as his high pitched voice we learn from the reports of those who knew him and others that only from someone with sufficient medical knowledge too make the connections.
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Sotos makes those connections. He contends that Lincoln was not merely odd in appearance nor was he necessarily depressed but had a rare physical condition that impacted on his life as well as his presidency and perhaps the fate of the nation. Whether you agree with his conclusions or not it is a compelling read and raises some profound questions for us today. How much do we really need to know about the medical history of our presidents?


Listen to a podcast wih the author at http://insider.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=430761

I find the book to be revealing to see how President Lincoln's health was in the large picture. The book is packed with fasinating facts and profound information to make the reader see how one great man as Lincoln was, lived and functioned. This is a wonderful research to any Lincoln scholar, or researcher like myself.

As a lifelong Lincoln devotee, I thought everything that could possibly be said about Lincoln had been said. Then I read a glowing review in American Heritage magazine about this book and I was intrigued. Now I have my own glowing review to share! This book is endlessly fascinating, easily accessible and so well-written that it never feels like a medical book. As I said in the header, it zips along like a detective novel...and like a good detective novel, I wanted everything else in my life to go away for a while so I could just read this book without putting it down! And when I had finished it, I felt sad that it was done, yet nourished by the content in the way of an excellent gourmet meal.
The Physical Lincoln Complete

This is a thoroughly researched and highly readable book that uses photographs and contemporary accounts to make a convincing case that Abraham Lincoln had a genetic disease, probably passed it to three of his four sons, and would likely have died of cancer within weeks or months of his last photograph in 1865 if he hadn't been assassinated.

This is actually two books in one cover. The second volume contains extensive research notes as well as information about other members of Lincoln's family. If that's not of interest, you can buy just the first volume separately.

I have read only a third or so of this book. It is a fascinating subject and the medical conclusions are explained clearly. The author is an excellent writer, thinker, and is witty. I am enjoying reading this and will finish it.

This book is really two books in one. The second book is technical and I didn't read it. Instead I read the first book which analyzed the health (or lack thereof) of Abraham Lincoln. Mr. Sotos took on previous authors who thought his ailment was depression or that the burdens of the office aged him prematurely or he had some other ailment. He cogently discussed the rare disease (a relative of Marfan's). This was an easy, enjoyable and convincing narrative. It should appeal to readers who are interested in the history of medicine as well as Lincoln-philes.

"The Physical Lincoln" is the product of tunneling medical scholarship of the highest order, written by an inquisitive physician. Anyone with an interest in the art of medical diagnosis or American history will appreciate it. Anyone possessing a human body will be absolutely fascinated by it -- truly eye-opening. It ought to be required reading for medical students.