This sat on my shelf for over three years! I am sorry that I did not pick it up to read sooner, so it could have found more readers.

The title is great. I wish I'd thought of it. It is also perfect for this particular group of stories.

Johnson subtitles the book "nearly true tales from a life". The tales are about her life, from early childhood into middle age, as a person with a neuro-muscular disease. She did not want to know specifically which disease, and it didn't matter anyway. The stories begin with her realization that she would some day die. And that whatever disability she had would likely figure into that death. She came to grips with the realization early and got on with it. Saying to herself such things as "As long as I'm going to die I might as well be in Kindergarten"...on up to "...I might as well have a law degree" and "I might as well be a lawyer". She spent no time on self-pity.

The stories are arranged chronologically so the book really reads as a memoir. The underlying theme is that people with disabilities are no less likely to be happy or to live full lives than are able-bodied persons. It seems like a no-brainer but to much of the world it is not. Taking the message further, Johnson fought for accommodation for persons with disabilities so that it would not be so unnecessarily difficult for them to get all they can from life.

The tales are told with a brand of humor that is easy to like, that seems to come naturally to her. The book is thus easy and fun to read, yet it packs a powerful punch. ( )

Harriet McBryde Johnson is amazing. But not in a sappy "inspirational" way. She has incredible tenacity in standing up to people in power, regardless of how unpopular it might be.

This book is an excellent collection of stories from Johnson's incredible life. ( )

Harriet McBryde Johnson recently died at age 50. I was sorry to have only lately discovered her in this fabulous and often funny book full of stories of her life's work fighting for justice. ( )