The author identifies the effects of chronic and acute illness on each integral part of the sufferer, and describes personal attributes/approaches of patients that enhance their ability to live with their condition. This book is an inspiring insight into strategies for finding new meaning in life after loss of mobility and during years of living with chronic pain. I refer to it each time my condition has worsened my outlook; it never fails to help me find new strength.

I would recommend it to doctors, patients, and counsellors.

As a primary care physician old enough to have experienced the deficiencies of fee-for-service payment, the attenuation of relationships induced by technology, and the intrusions of "managed care," I resonate with Dr. Cassell's return to "the basics," the primacy of the personal engagement between two unique individuals, and how it must predominate regardless of the overlying system. It is unfortunate that the publisher failed to match Dr. Cassell's attention to detail with their own. Mispellings, errors in punctuation, and simply sloppy proofreading abound. These defects constitute a serious, though nonfatal, shortcoming.

I remebered Dr. Cassell after 25-30 years after I had given up on the medical profession and he is still contributing like he always did.

This is a remarkable presentation of the vast difference between what is taught in most medical schools in which the enphasis is on "What disease does the patient have?" versus the role of the primary physician who is concerned with how does this person adapt to what ever disease he has and how does it affect his life. Pediatricians are rated highly in this task in that they are so often involved on an ongoing basis with children and parents thru minor and major illnesses...as well as during life's normal challenges!. This is a great book written in a thought provoking and challenging manner. . Morris Wessel.