Rating: 
Summary: AN UPBEAT SURPRISE
Review: A book about very old Catholic nuns and their experiences with the dementia of Alzheimers disease--now THAT sounds like a downer, wouldn't you say? Which goes to show once again that we can't judge a book by its, well, by its subject matter alone. AGING WITH GRACE is distinctly UPBEAT, indeed inspiring: I read it from cover to cover in about a day and a half because I couldn't put it down for long. David Snowden designed and now directs the research project which focuses on an order of Catholic nuns, The School Sisters of Notre Dame. The purpose of the research is to find answers to the maddening mysteries of Alzheimers disease, the sword of Damocles that hangs over so many of us, whether we talk about it or not. But who knew that a shy epidemiologist could WRITE so well? Snowden gives us quite a load of fairly detailed information in the course of his book, but he sandwiches that in between such warm and charming portraits and anecdotes of his research subjects that we are willing to sit still for the science. We get to know a dozen or so of the sisters, from 85 years old to 106, and through them, come to understand a little more of the challenge of this dreaded disease. For example, can someone have fairly advanced Alzheimers yet appear free of dementia? Can the brief written autobiography of a teen-aged girl foretell Alzheimers sixty years later? David Snowden's keen mind and painstaking research may unlock crucial mysteries; but it is his warm heart and delightful, grace-filled subjects that make this book a must read.
Rating: 
Summary: fascinating
Review: A good friend of mine lent this book to me. Although I do not have a family member who has dementia, I thought this book was well written, that the stories were compellingly told, and all in all, it was a fascinating read!
Rating:
Summary: Science With a Compassionate Face
Review: Aging With Grace puts a compassionate face on Alzheimers through the personal stories of the aging nuns of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Throughout his "science," the author never loses touch with the human and humane side of what can be a devasting disease. A wonderful tale that touches both the reader's head and heart, Aging With Grace is a final lesson given by the nuns. It leaves you with both a tear and a smile.
Rating:
Summary: grow old without fear
Review: At the age of 59 I was slightly afraid of what I would find out when I read this book. Instead, I was encouraged by Dr. Snowdon's clear explanations of what they have learned so far from the study. From those revelations I have a good idea of what my chances are of developing Alzheimer's myself, and what I can do to prevent/delay its onset. Of course, there are no guarantees but, I am still encouraged to want to grow old, unafraid that I will become a burden on my family. One should not expect a definitive answer to all one's questions about Alzheimer's from this, or any, book. At present, research is just beginning to delve into the deep mystery of the human brain/mind. But, just because we don't know all there is to know, does not mean we cannot benefit from the knowledge he and his colleagues have gained for us. It is never too late to change onen's life for the better.
Rating:
Summary: Both Accessible and Profound
Review: David Snowdon's Aging with Grace is the first book on a clinical topic I have been unable to put down. It quickly became one of those books you find every opportunity you can to read on (the "Oh, I can read it while I'm eating my oatmeal" almost made me late to work). The book has the feel of memoir - as we learn the stories of the Sisters involved. However, there is also deep clinical value. Snowdon (and the women who generously become subjects) has made a major contribution to the field of Alzheimer's reasearch with this study. The conclusions should intrigue professionals. The writing is accessible enough that non-professionals can also draw a lot from it. I would recommend this highly to both colleagues and family members and individuals affected by Alzheimers. I would also recommend it to anyone who is interested in monastic life. Sort of an Olver Sacks (Awakenings) meets Kathleen Norris (The Cloister Walk) - with beautiful results.
Rating:
Summary: Both Accessible and Profound
Review: David Snowdon's Aging with Grace is the first book on a clinical topic I have been unable to put down. It quickly became one of those books you find every opportunity you can to read on (the "Oh, I can read it while I'm eating my oatmeal" almost made me late to work). The book has the feel of memoir - as we learn the stories of the Sisters involved. However, there is also deep clinical value. Snowdon (and the women who generously become subjects) has made a major contribution to the field of Alzheimer's reasearch with this study. The conclusions should intrigue professionals. The writing is accessible enough that non-professionals can also draw a lot from it. I would recommend this highly to both colleagues and family members and individuals affected by Alzheimers. I would also recommend it to anyone who is interested in monastic life. Sort of an Olver Sacks (Awakenings) meets Kathleen Norris (The Cloister Walk) - with beautiful results.
Rating:
Summary: Both Accessible and Profound
Review: David Snowdon's Aging with Grace is the first book on a clinical topic I have been unable to put down. It quickly became one of those books you find every opportunity you can to read on (the "Oh, I can read it while I'm eating my oatmeal" almost made me late to work). The book has the feel of memoir - as we learn the stories of the Sisters involved. However, there is also deep clinical value. Snowdon (and the women who generously become subjects) has made a major contribution to the field of Alzheimer's reasearch with this study. The conclusions should intrigue professionals. The writing is accessible enough that non-professionals can also draw a lot from it. I would recommend this highly to both colleagues and family members and individuals affected by Alzheimers. I would also recommend it to anyone who is interested in monastic life. Sort of an Olver Sacks (Awakenings) meets Kathleen Norris (The Cloister Walk) - with beautiful results.
Rating:
Summary: Optimistic ? Filled with Joy and Hope
Review: Ever since my father's diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, I've worried about the little things I forget. Never mind that I've always been a little absentminded, I fretted about whether I received the dreaded APOE-4 gene in the genetic package he bequeathed me. But this book gave me hope - lots of it! It shows clearly that the symptoms of Alzheimer's are not merely a result of your genes but also of how you've lived your life. Reading about the nun who, in spite of a brain riddled with tangles and plaques, like the Energizer Bunny, kept on going and going, gave me plenty to hope for. Caring, kindness, love, service - all are integral to the community of nuns. Theirs is a joyful story and a fascinating read. Don't miss it. Six Stars!
Rating:
Summary: Optimistic ¿ Filled with Joy and Hope
Review: Ever since my father's diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, I've worried about the little things I forget. Never mind that I've always been a little absentminded, I fretted about whether I received the dreaded APOE-4 gene in the genetic package he bequeathed me. But this book gave me hope - lots of it! It shows clearly that the symptoms of Alzheimer's are not merely a result of your genes but also of how you've lived your life. Reading about the nun who, in spite of a brain riddled with tangles and plaques, like the Energizer Bunny, kept on going and going, gave me plenty to hope for. Caring, kindness, love, service - all are integral to the community of nuns. Theirs is a joyful story and a fascinating read. Don't miss it. Six Stars!
Rating:
Summary: Study of aging through lives of nuns
Review: I eagerly looked forward to find out the causes of dementia, like the Alzheimer's disease, and the idea to study a homogeneous group - nuns - for scientific reasons appealed to me. Now as I have read the book I certainly know a lot more about the factors behind the Alzheimer's disease and how we can delay, decrease (or eliminate) its symptoms or perhaps even prevent it. It sounds great - then why did I only give it 4 stars?! - Because to get to the 'real stuff' you have to wade through lengthy biographies of the nuns. It's obvious that the author got close to them and learned to like them and perhaps _you_ will enjoy to read about their life stories. I, on the other hand, would have appreciated to get more of a fact - or reference - book, at least half the size of it (counting the number of pages). On the last pages of the book there are a link to their website ... with further links from there. On these web pages I found most - if not all - relevant information about this subject in a condensed form. Of course the author gives a more detailed explanation regarding his findings and conclusions in the book, than the website does...
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