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Friday, October 22, 2010

Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time and the Deadliest Hurricane in History

Meteorology was a new science at the turn of the twentieth century in the United States; yet at times it seemed to be more art than science. The National Weather Bureau was an industrious government department, but corruption and petty jealousies were endemic. Into this mix came Isaac Cline, an intelligent man yet one who was overconfident in his forecasting abilities, believing himself to know exactly how the weather would behave.

One of the deadliest hurricanes ever to occur in the United States, and one that caught residents by surprise when it struck Galveston, Texas in 1900 is a main character in this suspenseful non-fiction story, written by Erik Larson. The book is based upon Cline’s letters, telegrams and reports and the written accounts of several of the survivors. The storm caused at least six thousand deaths and a massive loss of property. The reader will be on the edge of his seat as this real-life drama plays out.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

October is National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month

Jan’s Story: Love Lost to the Long Goodbye of Alzheimer’s, written by CBS News correspondent Barry R. Petersen, is the story of his wife Jan Petersen, their marriage, and what happened after they discovered Jan was suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s Disease at the age of 55.

Take Your Oxygen First: Protecting Your Health and Happiness While Caring for a Loved One with Memory Loss, written by television’s Leeza Gibbons and based on her experiences coping with her mother Jean’s illness. Progressing through more than ten years of decline first at home and then at a nursing home dementia unit, the reader learns both about diseases involving memory loss as well as how caregivers can care for themselves physically and emotionally.

The Thousand Mile Stare: One Family’s Journey through the Struggle and Science of Alzheimer’s, written by Gary Reiswig, chronicles a family’s slow realization that their family members carried the gene for early onset Alzheimer’s disease, and their participation in research studies.

Last of His Mind: a Year in the Shadow of Alzheimer’s, written by John Thorndike, is a memoir of the novelist John Thorndike and his father Joe, a former writer and editor. At the age of 92, Joe is sliding into the mental and physical problems of Alzheimer’s disease. He doesn’t want to move into a nursing home, so his son moves in with him. Over the following year, John experiences many insights and emotional highs and lows while caring for his father.

100 Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer’s and Age-Related Memory Loss is written by former CNN medical correspondent and syndicated “Eat Smart” columnist Jean Carper. She presents 100 medical, nutritional and lifestyle practices that could help prevent memory loss diseases.