Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Guide for Patients and Families (edition 2009)

Dr Mitsumoto in his informative handbook collected articles from various experts surrounding any aspect of Lou Gehrig's disease, covering physical symptoms as well as emotional aspects, treatments and care. This book is a comprehensive reference handbook of value to patients, their families and care givers alike. ( )

This is quite a meaty, informative book on ALS, written primarily for patients & families, although would be helpful for anyone seeking additional information about the disease itself &/or ways in managing it. Although for my purposes, it's more of a reference book that I & my family skim through as needed, it appears to be very well written for the lay person, yet technical enough to be very well validated. As a physical therapist myself, as well as the daughter of a parent currently battling ALS, I find this perhaps the single most valuable tool for referencing additional & up-to-date information concerning this disease. Very thorough & extremely helpful. ( )

Perhaps the greatest challenge of writing a medical text is balancing the dissemination of information with accessibility. This book does an excellent job of walking this line. It manages to neither be too complex nor to be dumbed down to the point of uselessness. The book demands something the reader--but readers willing to put in the effort should be able to learn about ALS without a scientific background.

The book is targeted toward patients and their families and contains a wealth of information on everything from selecting wheelchairs to clinical features and prognosis. The book is fully updated with recent and accurate information. The book contains full references to other works and is fully cited for those looking to learn more.

I found this book to be very helpful for anyone dealing with a loved one who has ALS - My Grandmother passed away with ALS and I would have loved to have had this resource to guide our family though the diagnosis and progression of ALS. Some area's are more technical than our needs, but their is information for eveyone in this one volume.

I would recommend this item be available when a patient is suspected of having ALS - the book is well written and has the answers to many of the questions we had.

I asked my Mother if she would like to review this book, and her thought were the same as mine. I very useful book for anyone dealing with people diagnosed with ALS. ( )

I have taken far too long to review this book. but ALS is not a disease I dealt with during my career in the pharmaceutical industry and old habits and senses of responsibility die hard. During my time in the pharmaceutical industry I commissioned a number of books, and physician educational material of all kinds and in many different kinds of media. I also commissioned material for government functionaries, insurance industry employees, nurses, patients and their families, and pharmaceutical sales representatives. Although the materials were produced by physicians and other health professionals and reviewed by my company's medical affairs department and editors, at the end of the day I was responsible for every word of this material. Because of this I reviewed all of the literature myself with great care. I have done the same with this book and I cannot find scientific or medical fault with it and am able, based on the quality of the information, to wholeheartedly recommend it. However, I am uncomfortable with the way the information is presented.

The author seems to assume that readers will have a rather high level of medical awareness. From my experience the writing seems more appropriate for a medical representative - some one who is much more conversant with physiology, anatomy, the immune system, pharmacology, etc. than an average person whose last experience with any of these subjects was in high school or in a to course to fulfill general science credits as an undergraduate. The author and (especially his editor) must exercise a great deal of control to ensure that they keep the writing within the medical knowledge that the reader is likely to have. They must also take into account the effect a diagnosis of ALS has on the patient and his family.

I know from personal experience how overwhelming receiving the diagnosis of an incurable, life-changing disease is and (irrespective of all of my knowledge and ability to obtain any other information there is) I also know how initially paralyzing and confusing it is. Patient education material must take this into account and serve as a true guide to the patients and their families. To do so, the material should be presented in a progressive fashion. The first chapter should be dedicated to what the patient and his family members need to know and what they must do when the diagnosis is made. The following chapters should be dedicated to what the patient and his family should know and do during the successive stages of the disease. In other words, the information should be presented chronologically - each section covering how the factors that affect the patient (physiology, symptoms, treatments, side-effects, insurance, physical therapy, etc.) during each phase of the disease. This not withstanding, the book is a quite comprehensive resource for anyone affected by ALS (whether as a patient, a care-giver, a family member, or a friend) and should be a part of their personal library about this condition.
In summary, this book is a very comprehensive guide to the disease and the information it contains is of a very high quality and is as up-to-date as a book can be. However, I believe that its writing needs to realize that the reader's level of medical knowledge is lower than the author seems to assume. Furthermore, I would rearrange the way the information is presented. It is divided into the following sections: 1) Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: An Overview; 2) The Medical and Rehabilitative Management of ALS; 3) Living with the Reality of ALS; 4) Managing Advanced Disease and End-of-Life Issues; 5) Where You Can Turn to for Help. I would like to see the book keep this same organization, but I would like to see this organization presented for each phase of the disease. ( )