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Summary: A gift for all my friends at the retirement home
Review: My daughter gave me a copy of this book and I read it immediately. Now I am going to donate it to the library at my retirement home, because so many of my friends will be helped by reading this wonderful study of "hope."
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Summary: Scientific Alliance of Mind and Medicine
Review: This book has two types of chapters: narratives (not quite case studies) of specific patients who dealt with serious illness with varying degrees of hope, and Groopman's search for scientific understanding of the emotion we call hope.Groopman describes two patients who refused treatment, one an Orthodox Jewish housewife he met as a medical student, the other a Vietnam veteran who ultimately responded. Two patients maintained hope, despite a depressing prognosis, and one recovered. He remembers one patient who felt betrayed by her physician's unrealistic optimism. Describing these patients, Groopman shares his frustration: there's a good chance they can be cured, yet at least some of them resist. One physician (not Groopman's patient) insists on aggressive treatment, living fourteen years after initial diagnosis. "Don't give up!" seems to be the message. Like most physician-writers, Groopman presents cases from a privileged world. All these patients had access to teaching hospitals, presumably without financial worries. All but one had families and careers waiting for them. One reluctant patient had a loyal wife at his bedside. Only the first patient, the housewife in a hostile marriage, had nothing waiting for her. It would be interesting to contrast these patients with others for whom illness represents a financial as well as physical burden. And, given research on social support, I would have expected to see some discussion on the role of the family in maintaining hope. Few people can survive a regimen of chemo and radiation without meaningful support, which is just not available to everyone. I particularly enjoyed the chapters on the science of hope, which can be related to the placebo effect. Groopman warns that optimism will not cure serious illness, but will motivate people to initiate and continue painful, debilitating treatment. However, he reports evidence that resilient people respond more positively to flu shots, and that some people respond more strongly to placebos than others. Seeking relief from his own back pain, Groopman encountered a specialist who roared, "Don't be ruled by your pain!" And, as I read, I wondered if care-avoiders -- people who avoid visiting doctors -- may create their own placebo effects and refuse to be ruled by pain. Readers of Groopman's New Yorker pieces may find this book written in somewhat looser style, with more of a first person account than a journalistic report. Groopman carefully avoids any hint of woo-woo, while appreciating the widening boundaries of scientific discourse. Overall, he does a masterful job of offering the lay reader access to technical subjects, without sacrificing rigorous thinking.
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Summary: An excellent book to explain the value of hope
Review: This book is a realistic exploration into the role of hope in life-threatening situations. This book is not about being a wishful thinker nor about denying the truth. I believe it has profound value for those who face debilitating illnesses and their caretakers. I strongly recommend it, and I strongly recommend Optimal Thinking: How To Be Your Best Self, a realistic book which explains the advantages and disadvantages of positive and negative thinking and the thinking that works best in specific situations.
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Summary: Brilliant Study of Mind-Body Connection
Review: This elegantly-written and researched book analyzes the link between mental state and illness--how we feel in the world and how that affects our ability to heal physically and also have the strength to fight back. But it's not black & white or cut and dried, it really explores the area of medicine that is still gray--the role of personality. A lovely book and a great gift. Also, if you're looking for inspiration, try, "I SLEEP AT RED LIGHTS: A True Story of Life After Triplets," by Bruce Stockler, the author's discovery of the meaning of life and death through the chaos of his marriage, career, famly illness and brand-new triplets.
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Summary: Dr. Michael L. Johnson
Review: This is a wonderfully well-written book. AMAZING is the one adjective that I would use to describe it. Dr. Groopman can keenly empathize with his reader because he too has suffered from severe back pain. There aren't many physicians, let alone writers, who can truly express what it is to suffer and through this suffering a speck of light shines called HOPE. God bless Dr. Groopman for his excellent work! Dr. Michael L. Johnson
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Summary: Dr. Michael L. Johnson
Review: This is a wonderfully well-written book. AMAZING is the one adjective that I would use to describe it. Dr. Groopman can keenly empathize with his reader because he too has suffered from severe back pain. There aren't many physicians, let alone writers, who can truly express what it is to suffer and through this suffering a speck of light shines called HOPE. God bless Dr. Groopman for his excellent work! Dr. Michael L. Johnson
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Summary: This book is great - regardless of the 1 of the prev reviews
Review: This is an oustanding book, and interesting to read. Dr. Groopman is a fantastic physician-scientist in Boston and is a great writer. The book is easy to read. As someone going into biomedical science I recommend this for any medical and anyone interested in the better good for human. Dr. Groopman is indeed a scientist with a faith in God. This adds more fullness to the text. However the book is not totally philisophical, there is a great balance of science as well!
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Summary: Depressing - not hopeful
Review: This is one of the worst books that I've ever read. The first 162 pages are full of death and dying. There's nothing inspirational, just a dragged out account of people's diseases eating away at their body. The last 50 pages go into medical detail of hope, but there is nothing in this entire book that actually inspires hope or gives you a feel good feeling. With few pages, large margins, and rambling on and on about details that don't need to be covered, I'm surprised this book ever got published.
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Summary: Wise and Inspirational
Review: This wonderful book arrived as an early Christmas present. After nine years of illness, I had come to despair. Once I started reading Dr. Groopman's book, I couldn't put it down. I saw through his eyes the way in which one's faith in the future influences one's physical and emotional responses to disease. This is an inspiring book that is backed up with scientific citations. I have ordered several copies to give as New Year's presents for friends who will benefit from Dr. Groopman's wisdom.
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Summary: Smile and hope, it helps. Read SB 1 or God as well.
Review: Very refreshing and the facts bring a healing smile to your face. It definitely is a book with positive function, even if you arent sick. There are some areas untouched though, enduring hope for one. I recommend reading SB 1 or God by Maddox for real lasting hope.
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