Book Description
A brilliant young transplant surgeon brings moral intensity and narrative drama to the most powerful and vexing questions of medicine and the human condition.
When Pauline Chen began medical school twenty years ago, she dreamed of saving lives. What she did not count on was how much death would be a part of her work. Almost immediately, Chen found herself wrestling with medicine’s most profound paradox, that a profession premised on caring for the ill also systematically depersonalizes dying. Final Exam follows Chen over the course of her education, training, and practice as she grapples at strikingly close range with the problem of mortality, and struggles to reconcile the lessons of her training with her innate knowledge of shared humanity, and to separate her ideas about healing from her fierce desire to cure.
From her first dissection of a cadaver in gross anatomy to the moment she first puts a scalpel to a living person; from the first time she witnesses someone flatlining in the emergency room to the first time she pronounces a patient dead, Chen is struck by her own mortal fears: there was a dying friend she could not call; a young patient’s tortured death she could not forget; even the sense of shared kinship with a corpse she could not cast aside when asked to saw its pelvis in two. Gradually, as she confronts the ways in which her fears have incapacitated her, she begins to reject what she has been taught about suppressing her feelings for her patients, and she begins to carve out a new role for herself as a physician and as human being. Chen’s transfixing and beautiful rumination on how doctors negotiate the ineluctable fact of death becomes, in the end, a brilliant questioning of how we should live.
Moving and provocative, motored equally by clinical expertise and extraordinary personal grace, this is a piercing and compassionate journey into the heart of a world that is hidden and yet touches all of our lives. A superb addition to the best medical literature of our time.
Customer Reviews:
Surgeons are human too... crystal clear honesty from an accomplished professional.......2007-08-27
This book had much value for me personally. I'm not a doctor or a pre-med student. I picked this book up by chance on the "new book" shelf at our local library. We had a son who was born with a severe, rare chromosomal syndrome. He stood no chance of survival yet sincere, overly zealous surgical professionals endeavored to schedule surgery without discussion or consultation from we parents even as he struggled to stay alive on life support. My son had absolutely no prospects of surviving infancy, much less a life free of tortuous pain. What hurt the most was how we, the parents, had to stand up for our rights to allow our son the dignified and welcome relief that could come only through death. It was clear to us, as it is clear to Dr. Chen in her book, that the highly trained and zealous surgical professionals lacked the sensitivity to fully appreciate or consider the moral aspects and shamelessness of dying peacefully with dignity.
This book has moving first person accounts of what ridiculous decisions are being made when death is unavoidable and stands there to relieve those whose continued suffering is senseless. I was particularly moved by the account of the "full court press" given to a dying cancer patient who triggered the "code blue". We owe much to Dr. Chen for making public this and other events that fully expose the deficiencies in the medical community's approach to care of the terminally ill.
Dr. Chen's emotional honesty in this very personalized narrative is a great tribute to those of her profession who have struggled at being competent professionals while retaining the qualities of moral and compassionate human beings.
A remarkable book by a remarkable woman.......2007-08-25
This is a deeply engaging and moving book. To become an accomplished transplant surgeon demands many gifts, including high intelligence, perseverance, physical skill, focus. What is not required, and what Dr. Chen displays in full measure herein, is the ability to examine one's actions and feelings with the kind of introspection and depth demonstrated in "Final Exam". One also does not necessarily expect a fine surgeon to be a fine writer. Dr. Chen is a very fine writer.
Anyone interested in the psychological and philosophical issues surounding modern medicine should read this book.
Fascinating--Exquisitely Written--Full of Heartfelt Honesty.......2007-07-07
"Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality" by Pauline W. Chen is outstanding on many levels. Its purpose is to reveal what is wrong with the medical profession's attitude toward the treatment of terminally ill and dying patients. But don't expect an academic discussion; Chen makes this issue very personal. The book is a recounting of the many experiences in her own medical career--from medical student to transplant surgeon--that shaped and later changed her attitude toward care of patients at the end of life.
I had no particular reason to read this book--I am not a doctor, the parent of a doctor, or involved in any way with the medical profession. I just saw this book on the New Books shelf in my local library and checked it out. What is amazing is that I could not put this book down--I know that sounds so trite, but it's true. What grabbed me first was the wholly unexpected openness and honesty of the author. What grabbed me next was the beautiful clear prose. Here was a brilliant woman doctor telling me all about the many experiences in her medical career that shaped her current convictions about medical care at the end of life. But she was not just telling me about these medical experiences, she was turning herself inside out to reveal how she actually FELT about each experience. How many doctors have you ever heard talk to you about their feelings? This author brought me close to her heart--I felt like a sister or a dear friend.
I came away from this book with a far greater respect for physicians; especially all they have to deal with, physically and mentally, throughout their long years of training and practice. I also come away with a far greater appreciation for the human frailty of physicians, particularly when dealing with-end of-life issues. This is a profession that has to deal with far more than a normally allotted human share of agony, grief, and soul-searching.
Now what?.......2007-06-04
As an undergraduate humanities teacher, I have often observed how unimaginative pre-med students can be (as well as very bright, of course). So this sensitively written, introspective memoir is a surprise and delight. I am, as an older person now, also happy to see medical activism admitting its ultimate helplessness in the face of human mortality. After all doctors eventually lose every one of their patients, don't they? On the other hand, what has Pauline to offer us in the face of the ultimate modern terror except a tear and some time? I understand that is the best we often have these days, but it's not much. As a medievalist, I live much of my life in a world where this fragile life and this frail body are passing things to be happily cast off of as a precondition to an eternal life free of the suffering that Chen sets before us so poignantly.
I am not suggesting that the beliefs of the medieval world were correct but that our ancestors had a rich tradition of ideas, feelings and rituals with which to face this ultimate challenge to life as we know it. If the price of the modern world's enormous skill in prolonging life was dependent on overthrowing the beliefs of traditional Western culture, what have we gained but a few more years and the terror of slipping alone into eternal darkness? I hope Pauline weeps for that as well someday; if she can write another book afterwards, it may well be a masterpiece.
How a surgeon deals with death.......2007-05-30
As shocking and gory as the medical world is portrayed on television, it seldom comes close to reality, a lesson that Pauline W. Chen regurgitates in FINAL EXAM as she describes her academic (and continuing) education in the most difficult of all lessons: dealing with death.
I'm no psychologist, but sometimes I wonder if doctors go into the profession because of a God complex, where they wield such awesome power; patients defer to their wisdom and put their fates completely into their hands. Then comes the inevitable day when the physician loses her first patient, whether due to something she did or didn't do, or because nature has taken its course. It must be quite a blow to the ego.
Then the transformation occurs.
The doctor can go one of two ways. She can either steel herself against death or learn from it and become a more compassionate caregiver.
Chen, who attended Harvard University and the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, paints a compelling picture, but one that is not for the squeamish. She discusses her first interaction with a corpse as she and her fellow med students learned anatomy through dissection. The respect and "relationship" that developed is touching, as Chen realizes this former life force had a history, a family, hopes and dreams, just as she does.
Over the course of her studies and through her residency, Chen learns that her work is not parceled out as neatly as television shows such as "ER" and "Grey's Anatomy." The victims do not lie in bed neatly as doctors and nurses struggle to keep them alive. They slide around, bleed, moan and cry out.
There is no part of Chen's story that isn't saturated with sadness, even as she is learning. Every new character is destined to die. How will Chen respond? Will she reach out to the dying man and his family? Will she try to hide until the end has come and avoid it all?
For all the emotion, Chen does not come down on one side or the other on the technology that is available to keep the patient going. Indeed, most of the people she discusses have decided to go out on their own terms.
What must one feel upon being given that death sentence? How does a doctor ever get used to passing down that sentence, when nothing else can be done? "[T]he words emerge," Chen writes in a chapter titled "Sorry to inform you" "so softly that I see everyone leaning in as I speak. 'I wonder,' I hear myself saying to these people, 'if you have thought of what you want at the end of life?'"
Taking a very cynical stance, as lofty as the author's intentions are, FINAL EXAM reminds me of a line from "I'm a Loser": "Is it for her or myself that I cry?"
--- Reviewed by Ron Kaplan
Book Description
Attempting to demythologize the process of dying, Nuland explores how we shall die, each of us in a way that will be unique. Through particular stories of dying--of patients, and of his own family--he examines the seven most common roads to death: old age, cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer's, accidents, heart disease, and strokes, revealing the facets of death's multiplicity.
"It's impossible to read
How We Die without realizing how earnestly we have avoided this most unavoidable of subjects, how we have protected ourselves by building a cultural wall of myths and lies. I don't know of any writer or scientist who has shown us the face of death as clearly, honestly and compassionately as Sherwin Nuland does here."--James Gleick
Customer Reviews:
On my second reading!.......2007-07-10
Anyone interested in physiology will love this book. Easy to read, fascinating for the lay person as well as any premed student! I've got an 88 yr. old mother and this book explained so much!
How We Live.......2007-05-24
Nuland's "How We Die" is, ostensibly, about death and the means by which the great majority of us will take our exit; toward this end, Nuland excels. Nuland also manages, however, to subtly position death's predecessor -- life -- front and center by concluding that "The dignity that we seek in dying must be found in the dignity with which we have lived our lives. Ars moriendi is ars vivendi. The art of dying is the art of living...It is not in the last weeks or days that we compose the message that will be remembered, but in all the decades that preceded them. Who has lived in dignity, dies in dignity." Nuland is a talented writer and he delivers a work that is nothing short of honest, accessible, and insightful. Highly recommended for those preoccupied with life...and death.
More than merely informative.......2007-05-07
Dr. Nuland explains the dying process in detail, without sugar coating or sentimentality, in a way that is understandable to the general reader. More importantly, he shares his reflections on this process as a human being and as a doctor. The reader comes away from the book with information and wisdom not easily gained through other means. As someone loooking to revise his living will, I found the book immensely helpful. I should add that I was particularly impressed by Dr. Nuland's humility and his avoidance of all preaching. In so doing he credits his reader with intelligence and challenges him or her to think deeply.
A Harsh Subject Put Forth Somewhat Gently.......2007-03-23
This book will put to rest any idea of a 'good death.' It gives all the details, in a non-gory fashion, of all the major causes of death in this day and age. Mr. Nuland is an eloquent man and easy to read, even for us laypersons. The technical aspects are explained in a way that anyone can understand. Give this book to someone who doesn't take care of themselves, or thinks they're still immortal. I read this book with its description of death by heart disease and decided to finally quit smoking. It took three months, but I've been smoke free for 2 weeks and strong. I'm not saying that this book will cure you of any ills you have, but it may make you think about how you treat your body and how little time we really have.
How We Die.......2007-02-07
Not an easy red for the squeamish, but a palatable review of the inevitable presented in a straightforward, mature, and responsible manner.
Book Description
Because one death touches many lives, it is important for both those who are dying and those who love them to be prepared for the pain and grief that accompany it. Here Deborah Howard shares words of comfort and encouragement for everyone coping with suffering and death. Her compassion, firm faith in Christ, and years of working as a hospice nurse create a uniquely sensitive, experiential, and biblical volume.
Above all, she emphasizes that there is a light that cuts through death’s dark shadow. That light is Jesus Christ, and He offers hope and comfort to all who are facing life’s final journey.
âAs a hospice nurse, Deborah Howard has helped many people and their families through the process of dying. From her years of experience, she is qualified to help us all face death both emotionally and spiritually. This is a book that will be helpful to everyone, even though death in one’s family may not be imminent. I highly recommend the book.â
â
Jerry Bridges, author,
The Pursuit of Holiness
âMy father died from a malignant melanoma when I was 33 years old. How I wish I had had this book to read as I walked the path that led up to my father’s death.⦠I am glad to have this book to pass on to others as they face the journey.â
â
Bob Lepine, Co-Host,
FamilyLife Today
âThis is a book about being a Christian, but it is more than that. And it is a book about being a hospice nurse, but it is more than that too. Howard uses her thorough knowledge of Christian Scripture to discuss and defend her ministry to the dying. . . . She has a gift for the written word that makes her book very readable, and a gift for nursing that makes her a healer even at the time of death.â
â
A. Reed Thompson, M.D., Medical Director, The Arkansas Hospice
âAt some point all of us will be involved with death, either of our loved ones or friends, or our own. Get a copy of this book, live with it, and you will be better prepared to deal with death when it does come.â
â
Curtis C. Thomas, author and pastor
âThis book will be of help to a wide-ranging readership from physicians and nurses to families facing an imminent loss. I am particularly recommending it to pastors, counselors, and serving saints. Howard’s use of the Scriptures is quite commendable. She is hermeneutically careful and theologically credible.â
â
George J. Zemek, Th.D., professor and author
Customer Reviews:
Very helpful book.......2007-08-11
This book addresses the many issues surrounding the end of life, and it was very helpful whether you are facing death yourself or the death of a loved one or friend. It explains hospice care and its benefits, discusses suffering and some of the reasons for it, and points the reader to the One who holds life and death in His hand.
Great book for everyone.......2007-01-04
I bought this book because my father had been given a terminal cancer diagnosis and I was searching for materials to help my mother wade through all the frightening and heart wrenching decisions and actions that she and my Dad would be facing. I found this book to be very helpful for that situation, BUT it is actually a book which I believe would be helpful to EVERY person, regardless of how far we may think that we, or our loved ones are, from our final days on earth. The book is filled with encouragments, both practical and spiritual about how we can all confidently take our last steps through this life comfortably and peacefully, headed into eternity with sure hope. The book was written by a Christian hospice nurse who gives tons of information about hospice through her very accessable writing style. Prior to reading the book I thought I knew a lot about hospice, but I found that I had carried a lot of misconceptions about it, which this book corrected. As I mentioned, I would recommend this book for every person who will eventually face death....and that would be ALL of us!
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Reflections from the Shield: The Final Years
Wayne E. Beyea
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Reflections from the Shield
ASIN: 0595271073 |
Book Description
Emotionally evocative, Reflections From The Shield is an exciting portrayal of the author's career in a family known as the New York State Police. A 25 year labor of love and personal sacrifice.
Reflections From The Shield is a unique true life, entertaining adventure story that inspires laughter and tears. A life story so exciting it had to be told. Readers are treated to horrific crime stories, while at the same time provided insight and education into the workings of the criminal justice system in New York State.
Book Description
Klingon Captain Krenn is a ruthless war strategist, but on a mission to Earth Krenn learns a lesson in peace. Suddenly he must fight a secret battle of his own for his empire has a covert plan to shatter the Federation. Only Krenn can prevent a war, at the risk of his own life.
Download Description
Klingon Capt. Krenn is a ruthless war strategist. But on a mission to Earth, Krenn learns a lesson in peace when his empire hatches a covert plan to shatter the Federation. Only Krenn can prevent a war--at the risk of his own life!
Customer Reviews:
I'm Told Reviewing Star Trek Books Is Like Asking To Get Slammed, But..........2007-09-05
The Final Reflection is one of two Star Trek books I have read. It deals with the culture of the Klingons as it was roughly a generation prior to the original Star Trek series, or, as I understand it, circa 2240 or thereabouts. Frankly I found this novel both interesting and nebulous. It had good battle sequences and presented a wealth of information about the Klingons and how they see themselves and other species, but did I miss something huge or didn't the plot seem to skip along without explaining a lot what was happenings? For instance who the heck was the Klingon who got "thawed" and sent on assassination missions? And why couldn't he remember his past? I liked the descriptions of present-day icons (The Atlanta Constitution, the Atlanta Hyatt) still existing two centuries down the road, but I kept flipping back in a fruitless effort to figure out if I'd missed some detail that was the key to what was happening toward book's end, and I don't think I overlooked anything, it just seems this author expected a reader to be able to follow his trains of thought without seeking to comprehend why things were as they were. Not a bad light read, this book, but flawed. I do understand it's a classic among Star Trek fiction, though. (Oh, boy, now I know I'm in for it!)
Too bad Paramount never hired Ford.......2007-08-18
This has to be one of the best Trek novels ever to hit the stands. No two-dimensional, cardboard cutout, blood-dripping-from-fangs, every-last-one-of-us-is-evil Klingons in this book. Klingons are nicely depicted as a race of individuals, some with honor, some without. You know, just like real people. They were given a rich, interesting culture all their own, not just a ripoff of the Japanese Samurais (for the TNG Klingons).
For those raised on TNG and Worf, this might challenge your preconceptions about who Klingons are or should be.
Piece of advice: accept the challenge. It's worth it. Only two Trek novels to his name, and Ford hit the mark for exceptional writing both times. Were I a cynic, I'd say that's probably why they wouldn't let him do a third.
A study in diversity.......2007-02-12
I probably pick this up every other year and give it a good read.
I have to say, that Ford has written a good read. He created characters that one can respect. The book follows the career and experiences of a Klingon commander, Krenn. The mastery of Ford's writing is revealed in how he bring's different cultures together and the reader finds himself/herself identifying with each character. There's a scene in which he describes Krenn talking with the Federation ambassador, Talgore. And after a discussion in which Talgore adamantly states that he would oppose any war between the Federation and the Klingons, Krenn confesses that he just doesn't understand. Talgore's response is "That's all right...there's still a little time." It's a reflection of what many people face when coming in contact with a people or culture that's different from their own. Krenn's mindset is that of gaining an upperhand and thinking like that of a captain, while Talgore is there to create peace and understanding - even acceptance - between people of different worlds.
The scene in which Captain Krenn comes in contact with a young Spock is very interesting. The ending is rather surprising, though not if you're a Klingon!
The only criticism I have of the book was that it was too short a read. Part 3 was only 52 pages, and there could have been more interaction between the captain and the ambassador. But this was a story of Captain Krenn's life, and in that Ford succeeded.
Getting to know Klingons.......2007-01-02
The Final Reflection is a Star Trek novel written by John M. Ford. Its the first Star Trek novel I've ever read, and from my understanding its pretty atypical. Ford, like the Enterprise liked to go where no man has gone before. Even himself. He actually wrote a second Star Trek novel, How Much for Just the Planet, which is a musical if you can believe it.
The main twist in this book, is it doesn't follow the adventures of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, but rather it has a Klingon as the main protagonist. Vrenn, is a houseless orphan who was trained to play the live version of the game klin zha, a much more complicated form of chess. During a match he gains the notice of a prominent Klingon admiral, and ends up being adopted into his line. Vrenn is now able to fulfill his dreams of becoming a naval officer. Vrenn eventually is forced to take the name of Krenn, as a political expediency, and is made captain of his own ship. Part of the price of this is he must travel to Earth to bring back a delegate from the Federation. Kreen becomes a key figure in a plot to bring about a war between the Klingon Empire and the Federation. He must determine who he can trust in order to prevent a needless, honorless war.
Ford does masterful work in representing the Klingons as noble , honorable characters, not the hated barbarians they had always been portrayed as. Keep in mind this was written in 1984, well before The Next Generation introduced us to Worf, and the concept that Klingons were anything other than "the enemy". Ford takes a universe all of us are familiar with, and makes it his own. The trouble with so many tie-in novels is that the authors have little room for original creation, but Ford never seems constrained by those limits.
I really enjoyed this book. Any fan of either Star Trek books, or Ford's work should definitely pick this up. I will be moving his other Star Trek book up in my to be read pile.
8.5 out of 10
the final reflection.......2006-09-06
written in a time when klingons had done little else but catch tribbles and suddenly grow bumps on their foreheads, 'the final reflection' is a rich, imaginative work that attempts to flesh out the federation's prime adversary in the then-current star trek universe. ford accomplishes this wonderfully. the klingon society, as presented in the book-within-a-book is a densely layered world which (even back then) revolves around honour and courage. the story follows the boy vrenn, through his life and rise to becoming the important captain krenn, and his involvement in an extremely sensitive diplomatic mission to earth.
the many years of star trek have since rendered the descriptions of this novel incredibly inaccurate. however, if given the choice, i'd much prefer to see ford's game-playing, thoughtful klingons interacting with the federation rather than those cultural tyrants who could only bleat about honour and sacrifice and their dull swords-and-guns worldviews.
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How We Die: Reflections on Life's Final Chapter
Sherwin B. Nuland
Manufacturer: Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media
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ASIN: 0606325565 |
Customer Reviews:
Life's final indignity.......2004-11-24
A motto on the walls of hundreds of autopsy rooms all over the world can be translated as: "This is the place where death rejoices to come to the aid of life."
"How We Die" is a book where death rejoices to come to the aid of life. Distinguished surgeon Sherwin B. Nuland estimates that only one in five deaths is peaceful, or at least quick. The rest of us are doomed to prolonged suffering before we shuffle off of this mortal coil. However, if we know what our end is going to be like, if the mystery of say, death by cancer is explained to us, we might at least lose our fear of the unknown.
The first time I read this book, I didn't derive any comfort at all from knowing exactly how I might die. But now that I've been through the shadow of cancer, I reread "How We Die" and it didn't frighten me any longer. Dr. Nuland is right. It is better to know, especially since you may need to decide whether you want to be kept alive for as long as possible, no matter what the price in pain, indignity, and loss of function. The author serves as our Virgil, leading us down through the dread circles of terminal disease and accidental death in a graphic, unsentimental fashion. The only time he loses his cool is during his description of young men and women dying of AIDS. "What dignity or meaning can be snatched from such a death will never be known, except by those whose lives have embraced the life just lost."
The worst manner of death, no matter what the cause, seems to be at the hands of physicians who are willing to inflict the most drastic surgeries, chemotherapies, dialysis, and all manner of 21st century medical procedures on patients who have only a short time left to live, or who do not understand the risks and pain of the procedures that are being pressed upon them. Dr. Nuland was guilty of this type of major medical intervention on two patients who were dying, one of them his own brother. "I might have understood that my way of giving Harvey [his brother] the hope he asked for was not only a deception but, given what we knew about the toxicity of the experimental drugs, an almost certain source of added anguish for all of us."
The lessons that Dr. Nuland would like us to learn from "How We Die:"
* Your doctors are likely to want to prolong your life, no matter what the cost. It is up to you to decide whether the cost is worth the few weeks or months of prolonged life. What will your quality of that life be? For example, are you willing to accept a feeding tube, but not a ventilator?
* Fill out that advanced directive to either prohibit or encourage major resuscitative efforts, in case you reach a point where you are no longer able to speak for yourself. I had to answer this question for my mother on her last trip to the emergency room, because she had refused to think about what her end might be like.
* "The greatest dignity to be found in death is the dignity of the life that preceded it." The end itself is likely to be undignified, painful, and a source of anguish to our loved ones.
Book Description
The fiercest battles and proudest warriors throughout Klingon history are said to reflect the honor and glory of the race's first emperor, Kahless the Unforgettable. But history is not always truthful. And for both the Klingon Empire and the United Federation of Planets, the real truth may be too difficult to accept.
In the pages of a novel disclaimed by Starfleet, an enemy offers his perspective on events that transpired during the formative years of Klingon-Federation relations in the early twenty-third century. Chronicling the life story of Krenn, a Klingon war strategist who learns of peace while on a mission to Earth, the novel is a testimony to his efforts to preserve the honor of his people¨by preventing total war against the then-struggling Federation.
Nearly a century later, a clone of the revered Kahless oversees the Klingon Empire. But when the myths and legends associated with the original emperor are disputed following the discovery of an ancient scroll, the new Kahless faces treason from within his own council, and impending civil war that could tear the empire apart. His sole chance for restoring his people's shattered faith must come from the outside -- specifically, from Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Lieutenant Worf of the U.S.S. Enterprise.
Customer Reviews:
WARNING: COMPILATION, NOT A ST NEW NOVEL.......2005-01-17
This is NOT a new Star Trek novel: it is merely a compilation of two previously released ST novels, Kahless, and The Final Reflection. My one star rating reflects my annoyance at having to return what I thought was a new novel when I purchased it. The rating is not a commentary on either of the novels included in this compilation, both of which I thought were quite good.
Book Description
Attempting to demythologize the process of dying, Nuland explores how we shall die, each of us in a way that will be unique. Through particular stories of dying--of patients, and of his own family--he examines the seven most common roads to death: old age, cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer's, accidents, heart disease, and strokes, revealing the facets of death's multiplicity.
"It's impossible to read
How We Die without realizing how earnestly we have avoided this most unavoidable of subjects, how we have protected ourselves by building a cultural wall of myths and lies. I don't know of any writer or scientist who has shown us the face of death as clearly, honestly and compassionately as Sherwin Nuland does here."--James Gleick
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Book Description
College basketball and its annual March Madness extravaganza have emerged over the last three decades as one of the most popular sporting phenomena in America. Perhaps no one personifies the excitement of this tournament better than Jim Valvano, whose heavily underdog North Carolina State Wolfpack achieved the pinnacle of success in college basketball in 1983 with an unlikely run through the NCAA tournament, culminating an incredible one-point victory over Houston's heavily favored Phi Slamma Jamma squad in the championship game.
While that Cinderella story was Valvano's only national championship, he quicky came to symbolize the exuberance and excellence of the exciting world of college basketball. Valvano transcended his sport, touching millions as he emerged as one of the most charismatic and, ultimately, courageous figures in American life who touched millions.
Diagnosed with bone cancer, he joined ESPN to comment on college basketball games. Later he received the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at ESPN's first ESPY awards, where he announced that he was starting the V Foundation for cancer research. Shortly after receiving the award, he died at the age of forty-seven. In I Remember Jim Valvano, he is remembered by former players, coaches, a variety of other basketball experts, close associates, and many others as one of college basketball's great movers and shakers, a man with a heart as big as his popularity. Valvano's life is the classic story of courage and determination as borne out in his memorable line: "Don't give up. Don't ever give up."
Customer Reviews:
Deeply disappointing.......2004-12-18
I was deeply disapointed by this book. I expected an uplifting, inspiring story, but instead it was the story of disfunctional relationships. The worst part was, the author did not seem to realize that his life and his families lives were disfunctional.
Most Wonderful.......2001-12-15
This book written by Mike Towle shows a very positive and very accurate look into the life of one of, if not, the best personality in college basketball history. We all miss Jimmy V very much and this book makes all the memories of Jimmy V so very special.
Most Wonderful.......2001-12-15
This book written by Jim' brother, Bob Valvano of ESPN, shows a very positive and very accurate look into the life of one of, if not, the best personality in college basketball history. We all miss Jimmy V very much and this book makes all the memories of Jimmy V so very special.
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- Yoga for Dummies
- The Company: A Novel of the Cia, 1951-91
- The Complete Book of Finches and Softbills: Their Care and Breeding
- The Road
- Worlds in Collision
- The World of Deaf Infants: A Longitudinal Study
- Small Animals of North America Coloring Book
- Royalty Who Wait: The 21 Heads of Formerly Regnant Houses of Europe
- The Cheapskate's Guide To Living Cheaper And Better
How Doctors Think
Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance
Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science
About Alice
Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant
