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Author: David Spero
Publisher: Hunter House Publishers (2002)
Binding: Paperback, 256 pages
This is a remarkable book. The overall message is that we with chronic illness do well to observe and improve the quality of our lives. Mr. Spero then offers eminently practicable suggestions covering all (as far as this reviewer is concerned) areas of those lives. Part of what makes this book so useful is that Mr. Spero is both a man with MS and a medical professional, so there's no denying his knowledge and experience on both sides of that equation.
Yeah, yeah, okay, another self-help book and you think you've heard it all before, right? Well, first of all, this book is more conversationally, honestly, caringly and gently written than most others I've read. Secondly, Mr. Spero is not going to try to make you well. He's going to offer you ways of feeling better about yourself and your life while still acknowledging your disease. Finally, he's going to lay out his ideas, back them up with good science (and admit it when he can't), and then he's going to leave it up to you with no judgement or punitive blaming if you feel no need for his plan.
He considers the art of wellness a martial art, and you might look upon his book as a martial arts instruction manual, because if you find yourself putting even the least of his suggestions into practice you are on your way to kicking negativity in the butt simply by moving toward contentment.
You can do as much or as little as you like with this book, but reading it can open your mind to possibilities you may not have considered. Even if you feel confident of your current wellness practices this book may offer opportunities for change. David Spero's five-step plan can be tailored to anyone; rich or poor, ambulatory or not, an alternative medicine devotee or a follower of conventional medical practice. Besides all that, it's fun! If you have a chronic illness you owe it to yourself to read this book. My thinking is that it could be of use for anyone without an illness as well.
