I've been saying this Novena for almost 20 years. It has been a source of comfort and strength to me and anyone I have recommended it to. The only place I've been able to find this book in recent years is at Amazon!

This book is a wonderful way to increase our awareness of the power of prayer and to help us realize that Our Blessed Mother always listens to us. I am glad I could finally get another copy!

This is a long Novena. It is 27 days of asking and 27 days of Thanksgiving. My mother has been saying this Novena for years. Not until I was over 30 did I borrow hers. I believe in this Novena. It is very powerful. As the book states, "A laborious Novena, but a Novena of Love. You who are sincere will not find it too difficult, if you really wish to obtain your request."

I had to search hard to find this book, because other "Charles Pierces" kept coming up online and it was hidden in "aging" or "disease, listed alphabetically" in the bookstores, but I recommend you persevere -- it was worth it. Somehow the author manages to combine a poignant memoir, exploring the way we're taught in our families of origin to deal (or not deal, in the case of the Pierces) with serious issues, with a highly readable account of what doctors know and are racing to find out about this cruel disease. On Saturdays, I often listen to Pierce on the NPR shows "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" and "Only a Game," and he is very funny. Some of that humor, although darker, leavens this book, which also gives an amazingly understandable summary of what scientists know about Alzheimer's and possible treatments. I hope people will read the excerpt here (or in Yankee magazine) and give this book a chance, even if they don't personally know someone with Alzheimer's. With all of us Baby Boomers aging faster than we care to admit, there are expected (according to last week's cover story in Time magazine) to be many, many new cases that eventually will touch most of us. Alzheimer's disease is depressing, but this beautifully written book is not. Highly recommended.

Fortunately, my family has no history of Alzheimer's disease. My only experience with the disease came from my next door neighbor. An elderly couple moved into the house next store to my family home when I was only 3 years old. The couple became my third set of grandparents. The husband, Howard, died about three years later. His wife began to suffer from Alzheimer's shortly after his death. I remember being very confused when she asked me to fetch her sweater that was upstairs on the sewing machine, when she lived in a one story home. My mother tried to explain her condition to me, but I did not understand how she could not know there was not a second floor in the house she had been in for about 5 years. Her family decided to put her into a nursing home because of an injury she sustained in a fall. She died before the Alzheimer's got worse. Since I never had to deal with anyone suffering from Alzheimer's after my neighbor died, I never learned about the disease. I picked up "Hard To Forget: An Alzheimer's Story" to learn about the disease, and what happened to my third grandmother. I found the book very informative and interesting to read. Pierce wonderfully blends together the history of the disorder and his own family's experiences. I managed to finish the book in one sitting because of Pierce's captivating style. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about Alzheimer's disease, or anyone who is looking for an enjoyable and informative read.

As an Alzheimer's family member, I read "Hard to Forget" with great interest. When my mother was diagnosed 13 years ago, my family went through stages of initial denial and then finally accepting the diagnosis and then coping as best we could...a similar story to the Pierce family - and to so many other families. The difference is that my mother was not an "early onset" patient. Hers is probably not the "familial" Alzheimer's Disease. And the terror is not as great for my sister and I as it is for Charles Pierce. But it is still there.

The author has a wonderful way of describing the emotional toll of the disease but also of shining a light on the heroism of caretakers like his wife Margaret. I've seen the devotion of wives, husbands, children and grandchildren as they pay weekly and sometimes daily visits to their loved ones in the nursing home. The visits go on for years. They watch as their loved one slips away. But it helps to know that you are not alone in this difficult journey. "Hard to Forget" will help all the families who are coping and who are waiting for a cure.

After hearing Pierce on NPR over the years, I looked forward to reading this book expecting to be entertained--at least a little. But, I was most disappointed by both the writing and the content. The book lacks the wit and the depth of insight one might expect from the title. I also found Pierce and Blount to be overly critical and harsh in many spots--almost irrationally angry and ornery--it left me scratching my head and saying to myself, what's their problem? So, this book is not recommended for the avid sports reader--maybe it's because these guys have no or very little experience with playing sports themselves--a common probelm with so many obnoxious sports critics! Overall summary: A waste of money I could have spent attending a good sports event!

I am a fan of the game behind the game when it comes to sports. I do like to watch the games, but what I find really interesting is stories of the individuals and the stories about what happens off the field. That is why I have thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Pierce's book.

I believe the reason sports fascinates us so much is not do to the game but the people who play the game, and how the "game" effects the rest of the world. Mr. Pierce provides that much-needed insight into sorts. He pushes beyond the box scores to bring reader to the heart of sports.

In this collection there is a wide range of topics and sports covered, each with Pierce's attention to detail and sharp wit. He goes from the back roads to the inner offices to find the stories behind the sports. He handles each subject with care, and though he may not handle each person or more appropriately ego with care it is done only to breathe reality into the Hollywood and marketing of sports.

Pierce has a writing style that is refreshing and each piece has its own flavor. Sitting down with his book is almost like sitting down with a collection of different authors. While Piece does have his own style he does not let that interfere with writing the story they way it needs to be written. He does not try to shoe horn events or people into his style instead he lets his subjects pick the tone and the pace, and he adds the frame and the lighting for us to better understand them.

But please do not take my comments about Pierce style to mean that his work is heady or inaccessible. In fact its quite the opposite, after all this is a man who likes to sit in the bleachers with a paper cup of beer in his hand and cheer loudly for the home team. Instead I offered my comments to point out that this book is not just for sports fan, but also for people who enjoy stories.

I am a fan of the game behind the game when it comes to sports. I do like to watch the games, but what I find really interesting is stories of the individuals and the stories about what happens off the field. That is why I have thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Pierce's book.

I believe the reason sports fascinates us so much is not do to the game but the people who play the game, and how the "game" effects the rest of the world. Mr. Pierce provides that much-needed insight into sorts. He pushes beyond the box scores to bring reader to the heart of sports.

In this collection there is a wide range of topics and sports covered, each with Pierce's attention to detail and sharp wit. He goes from the back roads to the inner offices to find the stories behind the sports. He handles each subject with care, and though he may not handle each person or more appropriately ego with care it is done only to breathe reality into the Hollywood and marketing of sports.

Pierce has a writing style that is refreshing and each piece has its own flavor. Sitting down with his book is almost like sitting down with a collection of different authors. While Piece does have his own style he does let that interfere with writing the story they way it needs to be written. He does try to shoe horn events or people into his style instead he lets his subjects pick the tone and the pace, and he adds the frame and the lighting for us to better understand them.

But please do not take my comments about Pierce style to mean that his work is heady or inaccessible. In fact its quite the opposite, after all this is a man who likes to sit in the bleachers with a paper cup of beer in his hand and cheer loudly for the home team. Instead I offered my comments to point out that this book is not just for sports fan, but also for people who enjoy stories.