About this title: In this nonfiction work with the pace of a thriller, Patterson tells the extraordinary and dramatic true story of one family's struggle with an agonizing medical mystery that began when the Friedmans' five-year-old son began having irrepressible tics and involuntary utterances.Little, Brown and Company
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780316024754ISBN:0316024759
Description: A wonderful copy with some minor edgewear to the cover. Dust Jacket has some edgewear present. -, Hard Cover, Very Good / Very Good. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780316024754ISBN:0316024759
Description: A wonderful copy with some minor edgewear to the cover. Dust Jacket has some edgewear present. -, Hard Cover, Very Good / Very Good. read more
Description: Good. Dust Cover Missing. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Good. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
ISBN-13:9780316024754ISBN:0316024759
Description: Good. 0316024759 Former library item may have library binding and show stamps, stickers or other marks. Items not meeting quality expectations may be returned. Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
ISBN-13:9780316024754ISBN:0316024759
Description: Good. 0316024759 Former library item may have library binding and show stamps, stickers or other marks. Items not meeting quality expectations may be returned. Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
ISBN-13:9780316024754ISBN:0316024759
Description: Good. 0316024759 Former library item may have library binding and show stamps, stickers or other marks. Items not meeting quality expectations may be returned. Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
ISBN-13:9780316024754ISBN:0316024759
Description: Good. 0316024759 Former library item may have library binding and show stamps, stickers or other marks. Items not meeting quality expectations may be returned. Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
ISBN-13:9780316024754ISBN:0316024759
Description: Good. 0316024759 Former library item may have library binding and show stamps, stickers or other marks. Items not meeting quality expectations may be returned. Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
ISBN-13:9780316024754ISBN:0316024759
Description: Good. 0316024759 Former library item may have library binding and show stamps, stickers or other marks. Items not meeting quality expectations may be returned. Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. read more
"Cory Friedman woke up one morning when he was five years old with the uncontrollable urge to twitch his neck. From that day forward his life became a hell of irrepressible tics and involuntary utterances, and Cory embarked on an excruciating journey from specialist to specialist to discover the cause of his disease. Soon it became unclear what tics were symptoms of his disease and what were side effects of the countless combinations of drugs. The only certainty is that it kept getting worse. Simply put: Cory Friedman's life was a living hell.
AGAINST MEDICAL ADVICE is the true story of Cory and his family's decades-long battle for survival in the face of extraordinary difficulties and a maddening medical establishment. It is a heart-rending story of struggle and triumph with a climax as dramatic as any James Patterson thriller.
This book was pretty tough for me to listen too in some places, but I could identify with a lot of it and learn from it. It was well worth the hard parts to see the final result."
"This book was absolutely amazing. It is a story of one family's struggle to do whatever it took to try to make life better for their son. As Cory Friedman got older, he kept getting thrown more obstacles. He kept going to doctor after doctor, and taking medication after medication, with the whole family waiting patiently to finally find something that worked. Even with every doctor who didn't believe him, and every medication that just had additional side effects, Cory tried to stay strong. It showed how easy it is to turn to things like drugs and alcohol when you seem to believe nothing else works. I was really amazed by Cory's mom. She kept amazing journals that had the names and dates of all doctor's appointments, medications, and new ticks. I am really just at a loss for words as to how to describe the way that this book really affected me emotionally, and affected the way that I looked at some situations that were going on in my life. While what was going on for me didn't even compare to what Cory and his family were going through, I learned that even when things seem hopeless and like nothing is working, it's not over yet. If you are dedicated and something is really important to you, you can eventually get things to work out. It may be hard, but with persistence almost anything is possible. I know that sounds corny... But it's just really hard to describe."
"I believe this is the only non-fiction title that James Patterson has been involved with. It is actually the story of a young man named Corey Friedman, the son of Patterson's writing partner for this volume. Corey has Tourette's Syndrome, a condition that causes him to speak and move uncontrollably. The actions an take on the form of tics, head shaking, and other (what is for him) necessary motions.
There was no sign that Corey was going to face a challenging life with this condition until he became 5 years old. It all started with a need to shake his head and progressed from there. What would follow would be years and years of treatment in the form of counseling, various medications (often with terrible side effects), and even some adventure camps. Besides having Tourette's, Corey also must deal with a developing form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The combinations of many of his treatments were often torturous and sometimes even made his conditions worse.
What really interested me about this book is that it is told in a narrative format as if Corey was sitting down and telling you his story. It added a really personal feel to the story.
About a year ago, there was an incident in one of the libraries in Rhode Island. A patient with Tourette's came to use the library and it led to a difficult interaction that led to a potential lawsuit related to ADA compliance. The library was judged to have tried to offer "reasonable accommodation," but it did increase my interest in the condition.
I did think the book was harsh on a lot of the medical and educational professionals that pop up throughout the book. While I have no doubt that some added to Corey's challenges, they all come across as being disinterested, rushed, or mean-spirited. It is not until the Father's Epilogue at the end that some positive words are said about what they were trying to do. It just seemed to be an odd conjunction of views.
I think the only thing I would have liked to have seen added was some sort of Authors' Note or Appendix that presented some of the basic details of Tourette's. There is no question that the reader gets a strong feeling about the emotional aspects of being a part of a family confronted with the condition, but I can't say that I walked away with any sense of feeling that I understand the medical aspects of it."
"Excellent book. Very moving account of a boy's journey through recovery dealing with Tourette's syndrome. Told in boy's viewpoint. Very factual,
emotional. A fast read."
We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.
rating
