Rating: 
Summary: NOT MUCH HERE ON ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
Review: The Forgetting is a book which will give you a wide angle view of a disease which is reaching epidemic proportions. He looks at the history of the disease, the political ramifications and the cost to our nations health care system. If you are looking for a wide ranging examination of the topic of Alzheimer's disease this is the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Death by a Thousand Subtractions
Review: This is an extraordinary work, a most elegant piece of medical writing that almost soars to poetry of it's own at moments, and that aptly quotes the poetry of others, particularly Ralph Waldo'Emerson's amazing stanzas on his personal experience of disabling memory. loss.
It's hard to believe that a book on such a gloomy subject could be so gripping and, yes, inspiring but it is. Shenk seamlessly includes the history, the politics, the vicious economics of a biotech company vs. not-for-profit Alzheimer research,as well as mini-biographies of scientists, patients and caretakers, about whom (the caretakers) he affectionately writes: "The unique curse of Alzheimer's is that it ravages several victims for every brain it infects....close friends and loved ones are forced to step in and compensate for lost abilities."
Have you ever wondered why, if Alzheimer's was first described at the start of the 20th century, it wasn't until the 1970s that it became a household word.? This is in itself a fascinating story, -( and what a play or screenplay could be based on it.)
I now understand this illness in a far deeper way than I ever did before. Shenk describes how Alzheimer's takes an average of eight years to "erase the brain," followiing a course that he depicts as a regression to infancy. There may or may not be breakthrough products on the horizon, yet lawsuits and charges of patent infringement are needlessly delaying progress.
If I have one criticism of THE FORGETTING, it is simply that it makes most of the other writings on this topic seem pale, or dull ,or lacking clarity..THE FORGETTING will surely reign as the great literary and humanistic classic of this field..
Rating:
Summary: Easily readable Alzheimers book for general public
Review: This is the best book I've found on Alzheimers for the general public. It offers tentative hope (which is all that is warranted now). Other books have been very depressing. This is a good overview of where we are now in knowledge of this disease. This is not meant to be a technical book for researchers. It is aimed towards those with friends and family who are dealing with Alzheimers. For those dealing with this disease, the stages of Alzheimers are clearly listed. The book differentiates the symptoms of ALzheimers from normal forgetting. This is very helpful information that is not presented as well elsewhere.
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