Michael Bérubé

I used to read Michael Berube's blog, so I was familiar with Jamie. On the blog and here in the book Michael Berube, like the best teachers, is patient, clear, and passionate. There's so much fatherly love here but the book never comes close to being sentimental. Instead this is a smart, beautifully written memoir of Jamie's life thus far and a powerful indictment of prejudice. Berube points out that as people with Down's Syndrome have gained access to educational and vocational training, show more their achievements have likewise grown. It's not the people with "limitations" who are the problem, but instead our culture's fears and ignorance of those people and their capabilities. Towards the end, Berube writes that maybe Jamie and those like him are not as "eloquent" as others, but that "maybe it would be a good idea if we humans stopped trying to come up with reasons not to treat each other as equals" (201). That kindness and fairness make this book important reading, even if you're not interested in Down's Syndrome specifically. show less

Life as Jamie Knows It, by Michael Bérubé, is in many ways a typical memoir of a parent’s fears, frustrations, and joys. The difference is that Bérubé’s son has Down syndrome. Bérubé successfully avoids the maudlin, and succeeds in introducing the reader to a young man deserving of our respect, but never our pity. Bérubé has clear biases regarding a variety of issues impacting his son, education, medical care, and governmental bureaucracy foremost among them, but he is honest show more about them. Any parent will relate to what Bérubé has to say on these and other topics that we deal with every day.

Among the most interesting parts of this book is Bérubé’s discussion of Down syndrome as a “disease” that might be eradicated. I confess that before reading this book, I would probably have agreed that if Downs could be completely done away with, as we have eradicated smallpox, that would be a good thing. Bérubé, however, presents the rather convincing argument that this is not a disease to be conquered, but a different way of being human that requires all of us to accept others in all their many forms. Perhaps Jamie Bérubé can be the catalyst for us to pursue acceptance rather than assimilation, and to encourage everyone to be who they are rather than trying to become the societal ideal.

Personally, I feel that Bérubé’s book will ultimately be one that truly transforms my life. I have a child with attention deficit disorder. I do not mean to suggest that the medical issues she will face in life are in any way comparable to those Jamie Bérubé has had to deal with. But reading this book has made me consider more carefully how and why I seek treatment for her. The pills she takes enable her to focus in school and get better grades. But would she be better off without those pills? Before she started them she was upset and frustrated by her inability to follow the school lessons. But is part of her frustration due to my insistence on doing her best in school, or following in the footsteps of two older sisters who excelled in academics? The medication suppresses her appetite, so we don’t give her pills during the summer in the hope of “bulking her up.” But are we hurting her by allowing her emotions to pinball around? Is ADD necessarily a bad thing? Is it bad for her? Is it just a part of who she is that we should respect and not try to control? Should we encourage her to learn how to deal with it without the use of medication? I’m not sure what the right answers to these questions are, but I hope that by thinking about them, I will be able to be a better parent, and help my daughter grow up to be the adult she was meant to be. And I believe that Bérubé’s example of helping his son become the person he was meant to be will positively impact our family. show less

I went back and read the original book, _Life as We Know It_, before reading this, and if I had not gotten this one via LibraryThing (though my actual copy hasn't arrived yet and I read a library copy), I might not have gone for it given the earlier book, which is more philosophizing about disability than a story of a family. This second book does a little better in actually discussing Jamie's life, but it's still heavy on the ideas and light on the stories. After two books featuring Jamie, show more I know a lot about Down syndrome, but I feel I know very little about Jamie, and that may be better for my overall understanding of the world, but it still left me disappointed. show less

I totally enjoyed this book written by Michael Berube about his son Jamie who has Downs Syndrome. This is a sequel to his first book, "Life as We Know It" about Jamie's first years. A talented writer and even more talented parent, Berube poignantly shares with his reader his relationship with his son and his dedication to foster independence and a love of learning and travel in his son. Jamie has an excellent memory and thrives under his father's tutelage. He benefits from schooling where he show more is mainstreamed part of the day and the rest of the time he learns with his fellow students who also have disabilities.

The author explains that he has no regrets about welcoming his son into this world. He relates with enthusiasm that his son enjoys life and he enjoys his son. The value of this book is that it is a first-hand account of the preciousness of a life not less perfect but one made more perfect because of a disability and the love of parents who appreciate their child not for who he will become but for who he is...a warm, kind and curious young man. show less