Rating: 
Summary: A 'wicked' sense of humour
Review: A very honest and funny insight into the mind of an adolescent still caught partially in a childlike, literal understanding of the world, as he progresses to the more rational world of an adult. It's fascinating to see how the author's interpretation and understanding of his affliction are influenced by his environment, in this case his Catholic faith. A true life bildungsroman with both funny and poignant moments, this book has universal appeal. What resonated with me was seeing how our childlike interpretations so significantly effect our development (and no doubt continue to do so). One is left wondering whether this particular guy's crazy interpretations of events were such a bad thing for him after all. A really enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: A 'wicked' sense of humour
Review: A very honest and funny insight into the mind of an adolescent still caught partially in a childlike, literal understanding of the world, as he progresses to the more rational world of an adult. It's fascinating to see how the author's interpretation and understanding of his affliction are influenced by his environment, in this case his Catholic faith. A true life bildungsroman with both funny and poignant moments, this book has universal appeal. What resonated with me was seeing how our childlike interpretations so significantly effect our development (and no doubt continue to do so). One is left wondering whether this particular guy's crazy interpretations of events were such a bad thing for him after all. A really enjoyable read.
Rating: 
Summary: A Must Read for the Catholic School Graduate...
Review: and everyone else who walked the hallowed halls of an elementary school and high school! I could not put this book down once I had begun reading it.
This story is laugh out loud funny as well as eloquent and heartbreaking at times. The writing and the historical references are so vivid that many times I felt like I was back in my gradeschool classroom. And if you are a parent, the insights into a child's mind and how they can interpret -or misinterpret- life's happenings are invaluable.
Rating:
Summary: Contemporary Classic
Review: At first you don't think young Stevie Kissing is going to win. But somehow, in the strangest of adolescent maneuverings, he does. You must read this memoir to find out how. And you will rarely stop when you begin reading. In Running with the Devil, an older, wiser Steve Kissing looks back with brilliant narrative drive to a delusional childhood. He chronicles the unruly effects of not a lapsed Catholic childhood, but one that was given to inadvertant bouts of, well, hallucinations, bad dreams, and unreliable goals. And he captures in utter poignancy and hilarity what it means to feel ostracized and clearly puzzled by a strange affliction obsessing him. It's this juggling act of emotions that occurs with the reader and in the prose that give this memoir the brilliant edge the best creative nonfiction offers. You often don't think young Steve Kissing is going to win, but he does, and once you start in - as I said before - you are not leaving his side as a reader who shadows every page with him.
Rating:
Summary: If you are looking to laugh and cry, READ THIS BOOK!
Review: Being a tenth grade English teacher (at a Catholic school) puts me in a difficult position when it comes to finding books I know my students will be able to grasp and with which they can relate. Kissing's book is just what I was looking for to use in a unit that considers the plight of adolescents and the lengths they go to in order to hide what's going on inside from the world. Steve's book had me both crying and laughing at the same time--a rare gift. His sense of humor is obviously what helped him get through those years. Nothing I can say will truly do justice for this book. The fact that I even picked up the book in the middle of the most hectic part of the year, much less devoured it as fast as I could speaks for itself. I am a serious critic, but I will say that, much like Stephen King, Steve Kissing had the talent to make me belly laugh in the middle of true horror. As I said above, you DON'T want to miss this book.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible!
Review: I could relate very closely to Steve's story not only growing up in a Catholic school but also having epilepsy. If there is a parent out there with a young child having seizures please read this! It is important for you to see a young person's point of view. You can assure your child that it is not their fault and they can grow up without looking at epilepsy as a 'burden'. If you are an older child or newly diagnosed adult, the book will help you see that you are not alone. (How many of us actually know another person with epilepsy?) The tone that being used in this writing is not only humorous but also VERY friendly. Great job Steve, thank you!!
Rating:
Summary: Incredible!
Review: I could relate very closely to Steve's story not only growing up in a Catholic school but also with epilepsy. If there is a parent out there with a young child having seizures- please read this! It is important for you to see a young person's point of view. You can then assure your child that it is not their fault and they can grow up without looking at epilepsy as a 'burden'. If you are an older child or newly diagnosed adult, the book will help you see that you are not alone. (How many of us actually know another person with epilepsy?) The tone that is being used in this writing is not only humorous but also VERY friendly. Great job Steve, thank you!!
Rating:
Summary: Running From the Devil
Review: I found out about this book by word of mouth and was intrigued by it's premise. Once I started reading, I could not put it down. Not only is it fascinating, the writing style of Steve Kissing is flawless. It's one of those rare books that you think about for days after finishing.
Rating:
Summary: I Loved It.
Review: I just finished reading Running From The Devil. I couldn't put it down. Steve writes about his experiences growing up and thinking he is possesed with the devil, in all actuality he is having seizures. This book was both sad and at the same time histerical. I can remember growing up the same era he did and doing some of dorky things that he did, but not with the demons that he experienced. I am a nurse at a seizure clinic and have heard similar stories to Steve's. I can hardly wait to share his stories/experiences with our patients and reassure them they are not the only ones who experience these weird episodes. I highy recommend this book to all who have seizures or know someone who has them. It really gives insight to what that person is experiencing.
Rating: 
Summary: Poorly written and not very interesting
Review: I ordered this book with high extectations. I heard the author interviewed on a local radio station and read the reviews on this website. It all seemed quite positive. I ordered a copy for myself and for members of my bookclub. Unfortunately, the book really is dreadful. I returned all copies to Amazon for a refund. This is the first time I've ever done that. There are two problems with the book. First, it is poorly written. You as the reader will have to work hard to get through it. Most sentences have a strange and painful construction. There is a beginning clause followed by a comma, then another clause elaborating on the first clause, then another comma with a third clause elaborating on either the first or the second clause. Get the idea. Do you want to read a whole book like this? Worse, what could have been an interesting story comes across as dull and lifeless. Clearly the writer thinks plopping down all these abbreviated ancedotes of people and things from his life will be very entertaining. Sadly, it reads as a rambling scattershot. Order the book and you will work hard to read it while asking yourself why you are spending your time doing it
| 
