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Summary: A wonderful look at a woman's struggle to bridge two worlds
Review: The story of Dr. Lori Arviso Alvord's courage and determination to bridge the Navajo world with modern medicine is excellently written. For those of us who've had little exposure to the ways of the Navajo world, this book is part history and part culture. As America continues to find new ways to maintain and improve health care, it's refreshing to consider how living a balanced life has the potential to make a huge difference. Alvord's story, artfully told with the assistance of Elizabeth Cohen Van Pelt, a former New York Post reporter, is by turns heartwarming, soulful and inspirational. In the spirit of full disclosure, I should note that Elizabeth is now a co-worker of mine.
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Summary: The scalpel and the silver bear
Review: The test of a good book lies in its readability, more so in the case of a non fiction.The author's narrative style is simple and interesting and hence very readable. As I read through the book I felt as if I was travelling with the author through this life journey of hers. What makes the book acceptable is the fact that the author does not make any judgement about the cultures that she has to be in. Her attempt to combine the best of both the worlds is the main attraction in the book. I agree with her totally that the need of the hour is holistic approach to any medical intervention. Coming from India I do understand the gap in the modern approach to 'cure', namely the 'healing'. I wish many non native Indians would read this book and benefit from its facts.I wish the doctor all the very best in her present endevour of popularising the holistic approach among the modern medical world.
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Summary: The Scalpel and the Silver Bear
Review: This book explores the remarkable journey of a Navajo women who leaves the reservation to train as a surgeon. It contrasts traditional Navajo practices with those of western medicine and illustrates how one women was able negotiate two worlds at odds with one another. The book provoked me to re-evaluate some of my assumptions of western medicine and heightened my awareness of cultural differences in philosophy of medical care. The book is thought-provoking and inspirational. A quick and easy read.
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Summary: An inspiring record of a Navaho woman's internal struggles.
Review: This book is an inspiring record of a woman of color's struggle to know herself. She learns that she does not have to sacrifice her traditional Navaho culture to use the medical training that she learned at Stanford. When she returns to the reservation to practice after graduation from medical school, she learns that adding traditional medicine can make her work more effective, since it provides hope and healing energy to the patients. She experiences this first-hand when she seeks out a medicine man to perform rituals to help her and her chlid when she develops complications while pregnant.She also learns that her cultural traditions have a place in all areas of her life and provides explanations of many Navaho rituals. In addition, she writes about how she works her cultural traditions into her marriage with a white colleague from the hospital where she works on the Navaho reservation. This is a truly interesting and inspiring book.
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Summary: Merging of a personal and professional life - very moving,
Review: This book was a surprisingly wonderful experience. The authors have brilliantly woven together a woman's personal inner life and professional strivings. It made me examine the working together of my own life in the same way. Very personal and intimate, yet exciting reading too. A touching and sensitive depiction of the real Native American life -- the one we never really know. Also inspiring in what it's like to come from two different worlds and somehow make them both work. I loved the book and recommend it highly.
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Summary: Two Worlds of Lori Arviso Alvord, Native American Surgeon
Review: This book was marvelous! All who work in the Medical Field, no matter what their position, should read this book. It not only tells about the differences in Lori Arviso Alvord's cultures but how they believe and how medical doctors/surgeons have the ability to keep their patients calm during emergencies or surgeries. I think that anyone who is planning on going into the medical field in the Native American area should definitely read this book, so that they can get an inside of how the Native American cultures believe and what to expect. The language of the book was down to earth without confusing medical terms and was easy to understand. All the stories that were presented brought back memories of my grandmother who died at the age of 96. A very good book!
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Summary: Excellent Mind Body Connection, thoughtful insights
Review: This book was outstanding. Once I began reading about Dr. Alvord's journey from Western Medicine to Navajo Medicine and back, I could not put it down. Those of us in the nursing field have often known about this connection to help patients heal faster and better. This excellent book describes a journey combining local medical technigues with western medicine. Highly recommended for all persons in the health care field, especially those of us in the Nurse Practitioner field.
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Summary: What We All Want in a Doctor
Review: This book was recommended by a friend, and after I read it, I chose it as my selection for my book club. Living in the Southwest, the insight into Native American culture was especially educational. Alvord seems to confirm what so many of us as patients have been saying for years: give us a doctor who will take the time to get to know us on a personal level and treat the whole person. I would recommend this to men and women, young and old alike! What an amazing woman.
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Summary: A MUST READ
Review: This is a must read for everyone, not just health care providers; however, it would be wonderful if every doctor read it. It could change how our society views health care. Instead of treating a diagnosis, we could learn to treat a whole person with compassion and respect. While health care is the setting, we learn what it means to be a Navajo woman. The customs are fascinating to those of us who know so little about native americans. This is a spiritual book. You learn what it means to "Walk in Beauty". There are many lessons to learn from this book. It is one that you will read and pass along to your friends and family.
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Summary: A MUST READ
Review: Wow. A luminous bridge from the Navajo world to the rest of us. Her path to becoming a surgeon is an astonishing story. I doubt anyone can read it without awe, without tears, without laughing, without finding something or someone familiar in it. Recommended for med students, classroom, motivational or pleasure reading. Give a copy to your favorite doctor!
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