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Yoga Practitioner or not, this is a must read.

I came to knowing about Matt as I am yoga teacher in training. I heard him speak and used his website to assist me in teaching people with disabilities. But this book...it goes beyond any thing I have ever read. It tells a story in a beautifully crafted way and gives the reader insight into a human's life throughout a spectrum of growth and crisis. I love autobiographies to begin with, but I have never read one so personal and powerful. At the same time, it is simply a journey. High recommended.

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Life Changing!!!! Read this Book Now. . . .

Matt Sanford is my hero!!! He has tremendous courage and wisdom despite being dealt some really tough blows in his young life. Somehow, he has managed through a lot of hard work to use what he's learned and share it through words that speak volumes to me about what's really important in life. I read a ton of books; this one is in my top 5 book ever. It made me cringe, wince, laugh, remember, cry, hurt, and most of all cherish my life in a deeper way than I ever knew possible.

Even if you think that you don't want to read anything that would make you "hurt or wince", this is one of those books that also reminds us to appreciate our connection both to our inner selves and others.

Thank you Matt. . . you're too awesome for words!

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This Book is Powerful

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has felt seperated from their bodies or from the rest of the world. Sanford is honest to the point of pain, laughter and transformation. I couldn't put this book down once I started reading.

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universal truth

i am thrilled by the universality of this memoir and how it speaks to all of us, regardless of our physical status. with lyrical grace, humor and honesty, matthew confronts the messages of western culture and medicine regarding the relationships we have with our bodies. he reminds us to trust our own perceptions in a world where these are so frequently dismissed. for anyone who has known trauma, illness or over-work, this book will speak to you. -lauren elise daniels, prose editor

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Inspirational, surprising, and captivating

This is a wonderful book. I enjoyed Matthew's honesty and his transformation is truly inspiring. Well worth the read!

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More reviews...

Editorial Review :

A Heart Trace through the Digital World is a beautifully written and inspiring account of a man's experience and resolution of his wife's battle with cancer. Haitao Tang chronicles his experiences, his fears, and his sorrow while he and his wife worked diligently side by side through her disease. In the impersonal, digital world we have created, Haitao's message shines as a living example of how we all must reconnect in a human way to not only give voice to those who suffer from chronic or terminal illnesses but to recognize them as a valued and respected members of society. Tang and his wife, both scientists, discovered the power of positive thinking, the effect of active fighting with a terminal illness, the huge value of treasuring life until the last moment, and the great importance of sharing their knowledge with others who may be going through the physical and emotional pain of a terminal illness. Tang's poignant and intelligent narration will encourage you to recognize the humanness in all of us and our responsibility to respect our differences and embrace our common bond-we are mortals in a changing world. Through sharing our experiences we become immortal as we touch another life. Haitao Tang is a scientist and engineer living in Helsinki, Finland. A Heart Trace through the Digital World is his first book.

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Editorial Review :

European Neuromuscular Centre, Baarn, The Netherlands. Discusses living with muscular dystrophy and coping with its physical effects. Written for people with this illness and their families, it answers many questions asked by those diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Previous edition: c1994. Softcover.

Customer Review :

ok on facts, light on sense

The medical aspects are dealt with fairly accessibly, but troubles me is the author's tone throughout the book - patronising, and his tendency to make statements that belie an extraordinary ignorance of human beings. What kind of weirdo would write a sentence like "....of course, the death of a child is always tragic, even when it is expected"?

There are a few such pronouncements in the book, but the whole thing is saturated with that strange arrogance that only doctors seem to manage - I think it comes from dealing so much with "the sick" and "suffering" family members, that they start thinking that doctors are some higher breed of "healthy" humans who are on earth to offer hope to poor unfortunates.

I would not recommend this book for parents.

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A great source of information

This book uses easy to understand language to explain the complexities of this group of disorders. It is a good first book for individuals and families faced with the likelihood or reality of a muscular dystrophy diagnosis.

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Editorial Review :

Essential for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their families, this book is filled with tips, techniques and shortcuts learned from personal experience. The author offers guidelines and labor-saving tips that sufferers need to know, including how to conserve energy, how to do more of the things you want, and how to work smarter and achieve independence. Empowering, honest and down-to-earth, this book helps people with MS live life to the fullest.

Customer Review :

Very Helpful, But...

This is a very helpful book, however, it should probably be read primarily by those with progressive or those in the later stages of MS. I will say though that this book is very thoughtfully written with the feelings of the reader in mind. Mrs. Schwarz writes as if she is talking to you directly, kind of like she is in the room with you. I myself have been recently diagnosed with MS, but I am not yet so far gone that this particular book is necessary. But if I do get worse I will be glad I have it :-)

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Editorial Review :

Based on thousands of hours of research, this companion book to the PBS documentary of the same name tells the story of the polio epidemic in America. 100 photos.

Customer Review :

Polio and it's epidemics explained.

This book accompanied the PBS special of the same name. It did an excellent job of explaining the causes of the growing polio epidemics in the first half of the twentieth century. To think that public sanitation, which ended other deadly diseases, had a role in the increase of polio cases. It's a must read for anyone who remembers this scourge, or any historian.

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A Fascinating look at America's Polio experience.

This book contains a series of interviews with individuals who have either been involved in the treatment, cure, or suffering of polio. The accounts give captivating first hand insight into the horror of contracting polio, the experience of the disease progressing, the Iron Lung experience, and the therapies available at that time. Interviews with those who worked with Dr Salk, as well as his wife, are included as well.

The numerous black and white photographs paint a vivid image of the experience.

While this book is not intended to be a complete history of polio, it is an excellent book for those who wish to know how the polio epidemics felt, as well as the pride in the conquest of polio through the March of Dimes.

This book would be a good addition for a high school or junior high school library as well.

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