The Family That Couldn't Sleep: A Medical Mystery
6 journalers for this copy...
From the Nokomis Library book sale.
Good narrative of some of the prion problems. Max focuses on a family that has an inherited prion disease, allowing that family to carry the story into the various Kuru, Mad Cow, Chronic Wasting disease syndromes.
Some science, but not much. Still interesting, although the author's bias is evident and has to be filtered. Max, having a neurological condition himself, is more interested in the human cost of the disease rather than the exact mechanisms.
DrSlump612 gave this to me for the Mediceine chest, and it is a good pair with Deadly Feasts http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/11788609/
Some science, but not much. Still interesting, although the author's bias is evident and has to be filtered. Max, having a neurological condition himself, is more interested in the human cost of the disease rather than the exact mechanisms.
DrSlump612 gave this to me for the Mediceine chest, and it is a good pair with Deadly Feasts http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/11788609/
Put into The Medicine Chest Bookbox IV to look for a new reader!
Welcome to Bookcrossing, where Books roam freely! I hope you enjoy the book, and leave a journal entry so I can see where the book ended up. You can remain anonymous if you'd like, or join and follow the book's travels throughout the world. The site is free, secure, and non-spamming. Take a look around, and then go read!
P.S. If the book is too good to read and release, that's okay, you can keep it, just let me know that it's found a good home!
Welcome to Bookcrossing, where Books roam freely! I hope you enjoy the book, and leave a journal entry so I can see where the book ended up. You can remain anonymous if you'd like, or join and follow the book's travels throughout the world. The site is free, secure, and non-spamming. Take a look around, and then go read!
P.S. If the book is too good to read and release, that's okay, you can keep it, just let me know that it's found a good home!
I'm taking this from the Medicine Chest bookbox - thanks! I read Deadly Feasts a while back, and it should be interesting to compare this author's viewpoint.
Later: Very intriguing mix of the study of prions and the horrifying ailments they cause, and the very personal impact of one such ailment on many generations of the titular family. The story weaves back and forth between the personal anecdotes and history of the family, along with the horrors of their disease, and the long, tangled history of prion-caused ailments, including bits about the selective breeding of farm animals and the use of meat-processing by-products to feed animals. Along the way, some of the steps taken by researchers - including stealthily pocketing brain samples for further study - were rather eye-opening...
I knew some of the subject matter from previous reading, but I did find this book compelling. Thanks for sharing this one!
Later: Very intriguing mix of the study of prions and the horrifying ailments they cause, and the very personal impact of one such ailment on many generations of the titular family. The story weaves back and forth between the personal anecdotes and history of the family, along with the horrors of their disease, and the long, tangled history of prion-caused ailments, including bits about the selective breeding of farm animals and the use of meat-processing by-products to feed animals. Along the way, some of the steps taken by researchers - including stealthily pocketing brain samples for further study - were rather eye-opening...
I knew some of the subject matter from previous reading, but I did find this book compelling. Thanks for sharing this one!
I'm sending this to BCer hyphen8 in Hawaii to fill a wish. Enjoy!
*** Released as part of the D for December release challenge. ***
*** Released as part of the What's in a Name release challenge, for the embedded "Lee" in the title. ***
*** Released as part of the D for December release challenge. ***
*** Released as part of the What's in a Name release challenge, for the embedded "Lee" in the title. ***
Oh goodie, a surprise RABCK in the mail today - thank you very much!Prions are a fascinating (if rather creepy) subject. My mom's aunt died of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (they don't know where/how she got it) - her family said it only proved she really was one in a million.
(Larger photo here.)
So...virtually nothing can destroy a prion. Which means that the bodies of the victims of prion diseases are permanently toxic waste? Even cremation won't take care of it. Wow. It's like the stories about digging up victims of the 1910 flu pandemic and whether or not they might still have viable flu viruses...shiver.
The frustration on both sides (patient & doctor) and the scattershot misdiagnoses are quite a story - imagine being told you must be an alcoholic because that's what your symptoms indicate!
As for the researchers, their story sounds like it could be a soap opera: pedophilia, sample stealing, conflicts over credit..and of course only "sexy" diseases get research funding.
This book had several references to von Economo's disease (encephalitis lethargica) - fortunately, I have a book about that on my TBR stack, so I can satisfy some of my curiosity about that too!
The frustration on both sides (patient & doctor) and the scattershot misdiagnoses are quite a story - imagine being told you must be an alcoholic because that's what your symptoms indicate!
As for the researchers, their story sounds like it could be a soap opera: pedophilia, sample stealing, conflicts over credit..and of course only "sexy" diseases get research funding.
This book had several references to von Economo's disease (encephalitis lethargica) - fortunately, I have a book about that on my TBR stack, so I can satisfy some of my curiosity about that too!
Headed out in quietorchid's Medicine Chest V box - go book, go!
Taking from quietorchid's Medicine Chest V Bookbox.
So frightening. There's not a lot to add to the previous reviews, other than to say that I may go back to my earlier vegetarian ways. 😟
I'd never heard of kuru or scrapie, and reading about the FFI in the Venetian family was just heartbreaking.
A quick look online indicates that there has been some research progress since the book was published in 2006. May we someday have a cure for these horrible afflictions caused by prions.
A disturbing and important read.
I'd never heard of kuru or scrapie, and reading about the FFI in the Venetian family was just heartbreaking.
A quick look online indicates that there has been some research progress since the book was published in 2006. May we someday have a cure for these horrible afflictions caused by prions.
A disturbing and important read.
Traveling as a surprise to fill a wish. I hope you enjoy it!
Released for April 2022 Ultimate Challenge.. This month's theme is Family.
Released for 2022 Keep Them Moving challenge hosted by booklady331.
Thanks for the surprise RABCK! After reading the other journalers' comments it sounds both sad and terrifying.
