Swamy's Book Reviews

This blog will hold all the book reviews, including those which were earlier posted at www.blether.com That site has been closed and so I am keeping all those reviews here so that a prospective author/publisher and a publicist can decide whether I am a suitable reviewer for the book they are trying to promote. My latest reviews are also being uploaded here.

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Location: Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

I am a Physicist, a Metallurgist and a Quality Management Professional, an Author, Editor and Reviewer. I review books mostly on Science Fiction, Management, Spirituality, Children's Fiction, Health etc. My reviews appear at Amazon, Shelfari, Bookpleasures and some Yahoo Groups.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

When It gets Dark

Title: When It Gets Dark: An Enlightened Reflection on Life with Alzheimer's

Author:
Thomas DeBaggio

  • Publisher: Free Press (November 12, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0743250036
  • ISBN-13: 978-0743250030
  • Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces


When It Gets Dark: An Enlightened Reflection on Life with Alzheimer's
by Thomas DeBaggio is a poignant account of a man's efforts to retain a part of his memory in the face of Alzheimer's Dementia. Thomas DeBaggio was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, a progressive disorder which leads to loss of memory. The short term memory is affected first and then the longer term memory too. In this book, the author tries to recollect his past life, partly helped by his wife, son and a few other relatives and close friends.

Since the author was a gardener all his adult life, he describes that part of his life in considerable detail. The actual symptoms or problems of Alzheimer's are given rather briefly, that too towards the end of the book. The book is interspersed with short paragraphs full of despair, self-pity etc., which is to be expected in a patient who has been given a slow but sure sentence of mental death, since loss of memory is a mental death.

The narration is gripping and moving at places, especially on pages 179 and 180. It gives a fairly good portrayal of the anxieties, fears and despairs of a sufferer. However, if you are looking at a medical description of the disease, treatment options etc., you will need to look elsewhere.

2005 S. V. Swamy

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