Customer Reviews

Why Me?: Coping With Grief, Loss and Change

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Pesach Krauss, a Jewish rabbi in New York City, writes a very poignant book about how he has personally coped with loss and tragedy in his life. My mother died recently after 3 days in the hospital, leaving me grief stricken. I was given Why Me to read, and the messages Krauss sends of hope, inspiration, and overcoming adversity gave me a new outlook on human suffering. Krauss draws extensively on his own physical disability of having lost a leg to emphasize his point that what is meaningful in life is not what tragedy one has faced in one's life, but how one faced it. This is a fine book about the universal search for meaning.

Why Me? Coping with Grief,Loss, and Change is, in my opinion the best book I have read on the subject. Rabbi Krauss writes about his own experiences, as well as those of countless others he encountered in his pastoral work, as well as his work as a Jewish chaplain at Sloan Kettering in New York City. Personally, Rabbi Krauss's book was very helpful to me when we lost my 26 year old son-in-law to be three days after he was supposed to marry my daughter. One of her fellow teachers gave her the book. I do not know why the publisher has not re-issued this book.Bantam Books should realize how vauable and timely this book is. It should be on the shelf of every pastoral counselor of any faith. It should also be owned by mental health counselors. The book is interesting, and full of practical information for the layperson as well. Kathleen F. Evans, MLS

I was introduced to this book in a seminar this afternoon.

I lost my dearest mum not long ago & am fully aware that it is not easy to overcome. Night fall means that we lost another day. Morning comes, I thank Buddha for having my mum for another precious day. Any how, we managed to walk through the pain through the help of friends, monk & others family members.

Life is not a rehearsal & so uncertain! I am thankful, appreciate for what I have & would be more helpful.

Please republish this book so that I can shed some lights to those needy!

I am still reading the book but approaching the final chapters now. I found it in a used bookshop one day in February, while I was struggling with my father's hospitalization and the caregiving challenges that went along with it. My father died two weeks later. I am now also caring for my mother who has been hospitalized at around the same time my father was hospitalized in a separate hospital, in a separate country. This book has been my constant friend in my long journey over the last two months. It has helped me a lot. I appreciate that it is not written in a "how-to" or-- as one other reviewer here says-- more "coherent" kind of style. There is nothing coherent about the mysteries of life and death, so one can never box it into something coherent. One can only share the journey by sharing one's stories, and how one has dealt with one's own challenges. This book does that. And in that, it is a blessing.

I found this book remarkably straight forward and easy to read. I also loved the fact it isn't overtly one specific religion. As I don't share the author's religion myself it didn't stop me enjoying this book or finding some incredibly deep truths.

Anyone who has had loss can find themselves immersed in it. This book can help you to move on. I love the stories in it too. Just don't expect a light read, as some of the concepts may take a while to sink in.

I really hope they start printing this book again.

Rabbi Krauss writes with caring and understanding. He writes from personal experience. Though he comes from a Jewish perspective, his message is applicable to those of any faith. I enjoyed the many stories he used to convey his message. My disappointment was that the book did not convey a coherent approach to dealing with grief, loss, and change. A summary chapter at the end tying together all the lessons of the book would have been helpful.