A positive, open-minded, and practical overview.
A comprehensive guide to living with constant pain.
Meshorer (The Bliss Experiment, 2012), who stretched and tore several ligaments in his right sacroiliac joint, draws on his own experiences to present a broad overview of the options available to people living with chronic agony and discomfort. He posits that “the secret to thriving with chronic pain is to simultaneously engage with it physically, mentally, and spiritually.” The book is readable and practical in its approach, as it’s oriented toward helping people live better lives without pushing any one agenda or path. The author examines different types of pain and the ways the body, the mind, and one’s own personal experiences can provide tools for healing. He sees pain not as a negative but as the body’s way of communicating information, and to that end, he highlights the concepts of acceptance, mindfulness, and positive thinking. Especially notable is his inclusion of his own experiences; he details all the ways that his own constant pain forced him to re-evaluate and improve his life while also encouraging readers to do the same. The book is full of practices and exercises, with an emphasis on looking for and valuing incremental improvements rather than relying on what he calls “magic-bullet thinking,” which he asserts is “counterproductive to our long-term well-being.” Spirituality also figures heavily, with the author looking at different faiths’ ideas regarding pain and how they can inform readers’ own lives. Although nothing he presents in the book is particularly new or unique, Meshorer’s empowering approach and positive outlook will certainly prove valuable to his fellow sufferers. He opens up space to encourage readers to use anything that works for them, including medical interventions and alternative therapies. Overall, the book is a well-meaning, useful guide to living with a misunderstood condition.
A positive, open-minded, and practical overview.Pub Date: Feb. 20, 2015
ISBN: 978-0986203008
Page Count: 210
Publisher: Param Media
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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