The four historical characters on the coverJulius Caesar, Joan of Arc, Fedor Dostoevsky, and Vincent Van Goghare all understood to have had epilepsy, but they also had successful lives as well. That is the key point of this book. Epilepsy is a curious and often misunderstood chronic disorder of the brain that affects approximately 50 million people across the globe in a variety of ways. Characterised by recurrent seizures as a result of excessive electrical discharges in a group of brain c...

The four historical characters on the cover Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc, Fedor Dostoevsky, and Vincent Van Gogh are all understood to have had epilepsy, but they also had successful lives as well. That is the key point of this book. Epilepsy is a curious and often misunderstood chronic disorder of the brain that affects approximately 50 million people across the globe in a variety of ways. Characterised by recurrent seizures as a result of excessive electrical discharges in a group of brain...

Unflinching in its honesty, My Journey is the extraordinary memoir of Jim Stynes: Irishman, footballer, Brownlow Medallist, Reach co-founder and former president of Melbourne Football Club whose very public battle with cancer touched the lives of everyone who knew him.When Jim was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 43, he was given nine months to live. The diagnosis caught him by surprise – and he didn't have time for illness. He was a busy father, husband, brother, mento...

How a grim diagnosis transformed the life of one of Australia's top cancer specialists.It was a cruel twist of fate: in November 2006 Chris O'Brien, one of Australia's leading head and neck cancer surgeons, was diagnosed with an aggressive and almost inevitably lethal form of brain cancer. As he knew, few sufferers survive past twelve months. Nevertheless, he was determined to beat the odds. With the support of his close family, O'Brien took the option of radical brain surgery unde...

On 29 January 2008 Philip Gould was told he had cancer. He was stoical, and set about his treatment, determined to fight his illness. In the face of difficult decisions he sought always to understand the disease and the various medical options open to him, supported by his wife Gail and their two daughters, Georgia and Grace.In 2010, after two hard years of chemotherapy and surgery, the tests came up clear - Philip appeared to have won the battle. But his work as a key strategist f...

The work of a nurse is challenging enough, but when you add a remote location, the stakes are so much higher. Meet fifteen courageous people who prove that the outback runs on nurse power.There's Anna, who is on duty as the fury of Cyclone Yasi tears through inland Queensland; Maureen in outback New South Wales, who faces everything from a snakebite to a helicopter crash; Aggie, who overcomes her demons to help young people in the Kimberley; and Catherine, newly graduated and determ...

On a cold February day two months after his twentieth birthday, Henry Cockburn waded into the Newhaven estuary outside Brighton, England, and nearly drowned. Voices, he said, had urged him to do it. Nearly halfway around the world in Afghanistan, journalist Patrick Cockburn learned from his wife, Jan, that his son had suffered a breakdown and had been admitted to a hospital. Ten days later, Henry was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Narrated by both Patrick and Henry, this is...

One who Forgets and One who is Forgotten One in eight over the age of sixty-five and one in three over the age of eighty will be diagnosed with Alzheimers Disease. In her memoir, author Joan Sutton narrates a moving account of her years as caregiver to her husband, noting that Alzheimers is a disease of the brain that is paid for with the currency of the heart. A member of the board of overseers of The Alzheimers Drug Discovery Foundation, she stresses the need to develop more effective tr...

A fascinating exploration of the universal human experience of death. We sat around and on the bed, laughing and joking as if this was a typical family gathering. The shrunken form of our dying grandmother lay on the bed, breathing fast and shallow, her once-bright eyes half closed and sunken in their sockets. To some it might have seemed disrespectful to be treating her as part of the furniture as she took what were her very last breaths on this earth. But to us, it seemed almost normal t...

From the New York Times –bestselling author of Passages , "Trust me: there is no better guide to caregiving." —Bill MoyersIn this essential guide, the acclaimed expert on the now aging Baby Boomer generation outlines nine crucial steps for effective, successful family caregiving, turning chaos into confidence during this most crucial of life stages.No one really expects ...

Like his talk show, this autobiography delivers more than the everyday - it's honest, informative and insightful - and is in Leighton's trademark style.For nearly 30 years, one voice has dominated the airwaves of New Zealand morning radio, sometimes infuriating his audience but always challenging it to embrace the concepts of individual responsibility, high standards and opinion based on sound knowledge.Now, for the first time, the previously private Leighton Smith unveils the perso...

An incisive analysis of how our drinking culture is influenced by the government, media and big business, by investigative journalist Guyon Espiner.'This is real, it is raw, and it lays out the truth about booze.' - Patrick Gower'Thought-provoking but never preachy, Espiner blends personal experience with his formidable journalism talents as he dissects the role of booze in our lives.' - Jack Tame'Of all the books that will be ...