| The Forgetting: Alzheimer's: Portrait of an Epidemic Contributor(s): Shenk, David (Author) |
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ISBN: 0385498381 ISBN-13: 9780385498388 Publisher: Anchor Books OUR PRICE: $19.00 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: January 2003 Annotation: Afflicting nearly half of all persons over the age of 85, Alzheimer's disease kills nearly 100,000 Americas a year as it insidiously robs them of their memory and wreaks havoc on the lives of their loved ones. It was once minimized and misunderstood as forgetfulness in the elderly, but Alzheimer's is now at the forefront of many medical and scientific agendas, for as the world's population ages, the disease will kill millions more and touch the lives of virtually everyone. The Forgetting is a scrupulously researched, multilayered analysis of Alzheimer's and its social, medical, and spiritual implications. David Shenk presents us with much more than a detailed explanation of its causes and effects and the search for a cure. He movingly captures the disease's impact on its victims and their families, and he looks back through history, explaining how Alzheimer's most likely afflicted such figures as Jonathan Swift, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and William de Kooning. The result is a searing, powerfully engaging account of Alzheimer's disease, offering a grim but sympathetic and ultimately encouraging portrait. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Health & Fitness | Diseases - Nervous System (incl. Brain) - Health & Fitness | Diseases - Alzheimer's & Dementia - Health & Fitness | Health Care Issues |
| Dewey: 616.831 |
| LCCN: 2001028012 |
| Physical Information: 0.66" H x 5.24" W x 8.12" (0.52 lbs) 304 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: NATIONAL BESTSELLER A powerfully engaging, scrupulously researched, and deeply empathetic narrative of the history of Alzheimer's disease, how it affects us, and the search for a cure. Afflicting nearly half of all people over the age of 85, Alzheimer's disease kills nearly 100,000 Americans a year as it insidiously robs them of their memory and wreaks havoc on the lives of their loved ones. It was once minimized and misunderstood as forgetfulness in the elderly, but Alzheimer's is now at the forefront of many medical and scientific agendas, for as the world's population ages, the disease will touch the lives of virtually everyone. David Shenk movingly captures the disease's impact on its victims and their families, and he looks back through history, explaining how Alzheimer's most likely afflicted such figures as Jonathan Swift, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Willem de Kooning. The result is a searing and graceful account of Alzheimer's disease, offering a sobering, compassionate, and ultimately encouraging portrait. |