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If I Get to Five: What Children Can Teach Us About Courage and Character (Paperback)

~ (Author), Josh Horwitz (Author) "Twenty years after my encounter with Naomi, I was at the top of my field..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Beth Israel, Butt Dance (more...)

4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

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Hardcover, Bargain Price Available from these sellers. Published April 2, 2003	Hardcover, Bargain Price	--	$12.95	$5.43
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Audio, CD, Abridged, Audiobook, CD $22.00 In Stock. Published April 4, 2003	Audio, CD, Abridged, Audiobook, CD	$22.00	$12.48	$6.99
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Epstein, a pediatric neurosurgeon at New York City's Beth Israel Hospital, has written an inspiring book recounting the struggles of not only his patients, but himself as well. After a long career treating patients for brain injuries and cancer, Epstein recently had a near-fatal bicycle accident that turned the tables on him. Suddenly, the expert surgeon found himself on the receiving end of a scalpel. While the book touches upon his own challenges during the slow recovery and rehabilitation process, Epstein draws more upon the examples of his young patients to successfully banish fear from his life. He candidly examines the lives of not only those patients who have made brilliant recoveries under his care, but also the children who weren't so lucky. The book's title derives from words spoken by Naomi, a four-year-old whose brain tumor would eventually take two surgeries to eradicate. Though the child seemed to inherently understand the gravity of her situation, she made plans: "If I get to five, I'm going to jump rope-backward!" Epstein and Horwitz handle topics such as hope and spiritual awareness gracefully, without being preachy, and the book should serve as an important tool for families or individuals coping with grave illnesses.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

A doctor who treats children with supposedly inoperable tumors passes on the wisdom he has learned from his charges.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.; 1st edition (April 3, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 080507144X
ISBN-13: 978-0805071443
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces

Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #774,411 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
Twenty years after my encounter with Naomi, I was at the top of my field. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Beth Israel, Butt Dance, Jimmy Piersall, Peter Pan

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Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 6 books:

THE Snow Queen (Viking Kestrel picture books) by Hans Christian Andersen on page 30
The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen on page 30
Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen on page 30
Peter Pan (Ladybird Children's Classics) by Ladybird Series on page 72
Fear Strikes Out: The Jim Piersall Story by Jim Piersall on page 90

See all 6 books this book cites

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Neurophysiology in Neurosurgery by Vedran Deletis

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	83% buy the item featured on this page: If I Get to Five: What Children Can Teach Us About Courage and Character 4.3 out of 5 stars (14)
	8% buy Notes Left Behind 4.5 out of 5 stars (31) $13.59
	5% buy Hannah's Gift: Lessons from a Life Fully Lived 4.9 out of 5 stars (33) $8.60
	2% buy The Private Worlds of Dying Children 5.0 out of 5 stars (2) $23.76

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.3 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars realistic hope in the darkest moment, March 17, 2003

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

IF I GET TO FIVE: WHAT CHILDREN HAVE TAUGHT ME ABOUT COURAGE AND CHARACTER is more than just a biography focusing on the great accomplishments of Dr. Fred. This nonfiction is more of a vigorous lesson that when it seems all but over in the bottom of the ninth, still swing the bat of life. Dr. Fred provides anecdotals from his mentoring tutors, the many children whose lives touched his.

The book also bolsters those with disabilities to achieve more than the expectations of those around them by conquering the Pygmalion Effect. Dr. Fred overcame his own childhood handicaps and a recent one as an adult due to an accident.

In many ways this is an Art Linkletter bio, but the stakes are everything worthwhile. Well written and inspirational, Fred Epstein, M.D, and Joshua Horwitz provide realistic hope in the darkest moment by encouraging adults to heed the advice of their little ones who, even when death nears, show what life is all about.

Harriet Klausner

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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stories of hope, April 2, 2003

By A Customer

It is interesting that Dr. Fred Epstein - the subject of countless television and news stories who refer to him as a "miracle man" - chooses to assume only a supporting role in this collection of stories about his young patients. Perhaps the reason Dr. Epstein has created so many miracles in the lives of others is that he so deeply respects the forces of life and hope within us all. He reminds us of the importance of faith - saying in one of my favorite passages "I've found that when you're filled with anger and fear, it helps to be able to believe. It doesn't matter what you believe in - I've seen kids sustained through terrible ordeals by their belief in Tinkerbell - as long as you believe in something. Even if it's just a God to curse and berate. If you don't believe in anything, you're sunk." For anyone who has experienced a test of faith, this book will resonate. With stories like Dr. Fred's, there is always reason to wish, to hope and to believe.

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18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dr. Fred saved my daughter and my life, April 4, 2003

By	Mona Mckenna "Mona" (Longwood, Florida USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My daughter was born while we still lived in NEW YORK....When my daughter was born, she had craniosynostosis, the fusing of the bones of her skull. At 6 months old, he took us in without and hesitation and assured us that she would be fine and there's nothing to worry about. This was on a Friday nite of the 4th of July weekend. During the years, we have emailed and i've sent photos of my daughter to him so that he may see his accomplishment. If there is a god, it is he. Thank you, Dr. Fred, and to your wonderful family. You are indeed an amazing man.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Trivial and Trite Timewasting Dross
Sick and tired of audio or paper books that spend their time retelling boring stories, repeat aka read verbatim from equally dull in conclusive research articles, and give such... Read more

Published 11 months ago by Dr. Rite

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprises You
I had to read this for a class. Thing is, I went in thinking it was too fluffy and idealistic. But for some reason I couldn't stop reading, and when I was half way through it I... Read more

Published on February 15, 2007 by S. N. Mendivel

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite books because
your heart feels every emotion. You can read this book in one day you will not want to put it down. Page to page you want to know what is going to happen to Dr. Fred. Read more

Published on May 31, 2005 by Valerie Brown

4.0 out of 5 stars Courage and Character
During the summer or 2004, I was at a junction in my professional path where I found myself in desperate need of encouraging words. Read more

Published on December 14, 2004 by Emmawasabi

3.0 out of 5 stars Whimsical clich�s about sick children, but no real depth
Fred Epstein is some sort of folk-hero of a man: Moved by righteous anger to battle against the evil cancers that threaten the lives of innocents, he performs miracles, curing... Read more

Published on September 23, 2004 by dr_sasp

5.0 out of 5 stars Please ! don't let this one go unread.
I read alot but I don't write that many reviews. This one has to have one. I was ok for the first one hundred pages but on page 108 something happened and I read the rest in... Read more

Published on February 6, 2004 by B. Carrigan

5.0 out of 5 stars So Many Lessons
Doctor Epstein has highlighted so many lessons for life
that he learned from these children that were patients. Read more

Published on May 29, 2003 by Russ Knight

2.0 out of 5 stars A Suprising Disappointment
This book could have been so much more. Dr. Epstein has experienced a unique situation...he learned so much from the children he treated over the years AND he has experienced the... Read more

Published on May 24, 2003 by Catherine Peters

5.0 out of 5 stars A miracle worker
I know one of the children profiled in the book. It is true, and without exaggeration, this extraordinary boy would not be alive today (he is now 19) without Dr. Read more

Published on May 12, 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars THE BEST BOOK OF 2003!
If you want to be moved, inspired, enlightened, and truly amazed by the human spirit, then read Dr. Epstein's book! Read more

Published on May 11, 2003 by Jim Jenkins

› See all 14 customer reviews...

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