The Forgetting Alzheimer’s Portrait of an Epidemic
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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. more info
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October 21st, 2009 at 11:49 am
A reassuring book about a dreaded disease
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Alzheimer’s is a distinctly unglamorous disease that nevertheless has been thrust into the public eye of late. Famous names have withered in its clutches and most recently, the film Iris thrust dementia out from behind closed doors.
The losing of one’s memory, arguably the essence of the person, is one of the most distressing disease processes to contemplate making Alzheimer’s a name that brings with it stigma and fear.
Shenk gives a uniquely humane coverage of the condition which is devoid of harsh clinical language. He explains concepts such as the multifactorial causes of the disease with a pleasant use of analogy. A roughly chronological account of both the natural history of the disease and the history of scientific study of Alzheimer’s allows the book to evolve naturally and gives it a structure that is often not found in lesser disease-orientated books.
Stories, both of anonymous families and famous victims of the disease, are woven into the narrative in a wholly sympathetic manner.
Shenk also offers us helpful ways of seeing the degeneration of the disease in a mirror held up to childhood development which may help some people to break through their fear and disgust and see the decline as more of a natural process than the pathological process that it has become in the eyes of many.
This gentle book holds much of value for victims, families and carers as well as for students of health related subjects.
October 22nd, 2009 at 8:05 pm
Expanding the understanding of Alzheimer Disease
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
THE FORGETTING is an exceptional book on the subject of Alzheimer’s. One follows the historical biography of this disease through lucid and engaging writing, with much anecdotal evidence of its’ effects upon prominent persons, like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Willem de Kooning. The author offers ways of understanding the disease that include perceptions of some actual sufferers who, themselves, offer their insights. Having read several books on this topic, this is the one I pass along to others as a valuable book to expand one’s understanding about Alzheimer’s, while being eminently readable.
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:07 am
“The Forgetting” is one to fill your mind with knowledge, hope, and insight.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The author does an extraordinary job painting the complex details about Alzheimer’s into a portrait that can be easily accessible to the general audience. I’ve learned many fascinating things through this book. After finishing this book, I have migrated from believing that Alzheimer’s is a horrible, dreaded disease to one with a sense of appreciation for the inevitable things in life. Shenk quoted in his book, “”Babies are born with no memory. They gather memories as they grow. As they get old they lose these memories so they can be reborn again in void.”
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:39 am
My Interest Decreased As I Read On
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Since I only rate this book only 3 out of 5 stars, my review will no doubt be found “not very useful”…I noticed that the lower the rating readers give, the less useful the review is, and vice versa.
My reason for reading this and all other books I’ve read about Alzheimer Disease is probably the same as yours. I have a reason to want to learn more because I have a loved one that suffers from Alzheimers, I am the full time caregiver for my Mother.
When I first started reading, I thought this was going to be the best and most informative book on the subject I had ever read. But as I went on, I felt the writer was mostly out to prove his writing abilities and that he is well educated. I don’t read these kinds of books to be impressed with writing abilities, and I sure don’t care how educated author might be. It is written in pure NPR and Washington Post fashion, so perhaps if you’re impressed with that, perhaps you’ll be more impressed than me with his efforts.
By the time I finished the book (I admit, I did have to finish it) I was sick of hearing about Ralph Waldo Emerson, the authors idle. If you want to write a book about Emerson, do it…but if the book has Alzheimers in the title, you told me way more than I needed to know about Emerson.
That being said, it is definitely worth reading, and I’m glad I read it. Just don’t put it first on your list about this subject.
October 24th, 2009 at 11:33 am
The Forgetting
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The Forgetting will (and should) become a classic on the subject of Alzheimer’s Disease. It is at once a wonderfully educating and HUMAN book. This book has taught me more about AD than all of the books on AD combined (and I have read them all).
My mother has had Alzheimer’s for 6+ years; it is most certainly “a death of a thousand subtractions”. This book should be required reading first for ALL Physicians dealing with this disease and be required reading (at the physicians insistence) by every family that has a loved one(s) with AD;this book goes far beyond education of this disease. For the first time in all these years I understand AD better. While reading this book many “aha’s” and “of course’s” were spoken aloud by me.
My feelings and emotions were validated by The Forgetting during this long last goodbye to my Mom. I shuddered to read all of the steps to the unraveling of Mom’s mind and how the end would be for her should she (God forbid) reach the very end of her unraveling. But, I appreciate this knowledge I have gained from this book so I can deal with Mom’s death in a better way, an informed way. I am passing this book along to my brothers and to many friends of mine who have loved ones with AD. My thanks and appreciation (as well as my blessings) go out to David Shenk for writing The Forgetting. This book will bring revelations and comfort to all who read it.
October 24th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
This Is A Must Read
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The Forgetting is a book which will give you a wide angle view of a disease which is reaching epidemic proportions. He looks at the history of the disease, the political ramifications and the cost to our nations health care system. If you are looking for a wide ranging examination of the topic of Alzheimer’s disease this is the book.
Into the Mist
[...]
October 25th, 2009 at 8:59 am
The Forgetting
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was diagnosed nine years ago with Alzheimer’s and have read everything I could get my hands on about this disease. I think your book is the most informative book on Alzheimer’s that I have read. I think it could be called the Alzheimer’s Bible.
October 25th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
A Must Read
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
“The Forgetting” is both evocative in its description of this horrible disease, and provocative in its analyses of the current research environment. A must read for anyone touched by Alzheimer’s Disease or anyone concerned with the complex consequences of increased longevity.
October 28th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Death by a Thousand Subtractions
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is an extraordinary work, a most elegant piece of medical writing that almost soars to poetry of it’s own at moments, and that aptly quotes the poetry of others, particularly Ralph Waldo’Emerson’s amazing stanzas on his personal experience of disabling memory. loss.
It’s hard to believe that a book on such a gloomy subject could be so gripping and, yes, inspiring but it is. Shenk seamlessly includes the history, the politics, the vicious economics of a biotech company vs. not-for-profit Alzheimer research,as well as mini-biographies of scientists, patients and caretakers, about whom (the caretakers) he affectionately writes: “The unique curse of Alzheimer’s is that it ravages several victims for every brain it infects….close friends and loved ones are forced to step in and compensate for lost abilities.”
Have you ever wondered why, if Alzheimer’s was first described at the start of the 20th century, it wasn’t until the 1970s that it became a household word.? This is in itself a fascinating story, -( and what a play or screenplay could be based on it.)
I now understand this illness in a far deeper way than I ever did before. Shenk describes how Alzheimer’s takes an average of eight years to “erase the brain,” followiing a course that he depicts as a regression to infancy. There may or may not be breakthrough products on the horizon, yet lawsuits and charges of patent infringement are needlessly delaying progress.
If I have one criticism of THE FORGETTING, it is simply that it makes most of the other writings on this topic seem pale, or dull ,or lacking clarity..THE FORGETTING will surely reign as the great literary and humanistic classic of this field..
October 28th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
A Basic Getting Started Book
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
David Shenk’s book is a good basic beginning book for anyone newly associated with the disease. It gives a brief history of the beginning research and awakening knowledge of this horrible disease. A combination of “scientific” knowledge coupled with “real life” examples make this a riviting book.
October 31st, 2009 at 9:18 pm
That’s still Dad, why can’t my family see that?
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I read “The Forgetting” in hopes of getting support for myself about how my family has been dealing with dad’s alzheimer’s for four years. We know how awful the disease is, and we can only hope for a cure, which the book puts into perspective, but I need to know how mother can be in denial about it and how my brother can say that in his mind dad is already dead.
This book helped confirm my beliefs that people with alzheimer’s are still valuable souls, no matter the form or mind they take, or rather is taken from them. Throughout the book, there are short quotes from caregivers and from those with the disease. They said things I also experienced with my dad and it supports my compassion for him. I think this book could help others desperately seeking peace and reconciliation with dementia. In my search for meaning, “The Forgetting” also presented to me an enlightened viewpoint about what it is like to have memory loss.
November 4th, 2009 at 7:15 am
A REMARKABLY MOVING AND DISTURBING BOOK!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
In our great-grandparents day, it was called dementia, in our parents time senility, now the terminology is Alzheimer’s. Whatever you choose to call it, “The Forgetting” is a remarkably moving book due to the nature of the subject. Alzheimer’s takes the form of regression, a pathology that mirrors child development in reverse. The disease attacks not only memory but the core of humanity. The disturbing fact of the book is that over the next fifty years between eighty and one hundred MILLION new cases around the world will be diagnosed. This book is highly recommended to anyone who has a family member or person close to them suffering from this traumatic disease. The author takes an inside look at the history of Alzheimer’s, the lastest in research and hope for the future, and this is one of the most complete and up-to-date books written on the subject.
November 7th, 2009 at 2:10 am
This is an important book
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
If you know little about Alzheimer’s Disease, you should read this book. If you are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s Disease, or have cared for someone in the past, you should read this book. If you are interested in, or indeed, scared of, Alzheimer’s Disease, you should read this book. In short, I believe everyone should read this book.
As a former caregiver who was immersed in this disease for many years, and still devote endless time and energy to the cause, this is valuable work. It is immensely readable, fast paced, interesting, and while offering a face (actual several “real” faces) to the disease, it also refers to the difficulties plagued with research. Research is a business, but not everyone realizes that. Hence, Mr. Shenk describes the immense challenges medical researchers encounter in attempting to arrive at a prevention or cure. This is a critical fact; because age is a major risk factor, if a cure is not found, the increase in the number of Alzheimer’s Disease patients will implode in the next several years. If you are a baby boomer, you may not realize that this disease may be an unwanted part of your future.
If you are not close to Alzheimer’s Disease, Mr. Shenk takes you through the process but does it in a way that is not overly sugary or depressing. And, believe me, this is one depressing disease. It differs from just about every other life threatening disease because those with Alzheimer’s CANNOT speak for themselves. For every single Alzheimer’s patient, there are 1 to 3 (or more) “victims” living with the disease.
If you are looking for scientific research, this is perhaps not the book for you. However, if you want an overview of all the factets of the disease, read this book. The images of the people with the disease, and those caring for persons with dementia, will not leave you for a very long time.
November 8th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Interesting but shallow
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
OK, it’s an interesting book, with much anecdotal information and philosophical musings, which the author is obviously good at. Included, for example, is how the disease affected certain famous people. However don’t expect much here in the way of scientific information or practical advice. The book is also rambling and repetitive, encompassing tangental topics such as the scenery of New Mexico, and Nazi Germany. The practical information could be distilled down into one short chapter. Nevertheless the book may help you if you are having to cope with this disease by giving some perspective to it.
November 11th, 2009 at 8:51 am
Insightful, meticulously researched, & eloquent
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in the early 1990’s; his illness has now progressed to the point that his condition is “off the charts” (I refer to Shenk’s diagnostic outline showing the disease’s progress as a kind of ominous reversal of the developmental stages of early childhood.) This book is surely the most comprehensive recent assessment of the state of research on the disease. Shenk has obviously done exhaustive research, and he presents it in admirably clear, often eloquent prose.
I am writing this short, admittedly incomplete review partly in reaction to the comments by another customer (in Ann Arbor), who suggested that there was not much new to be learned from reading the book and that the last portion of the book is insensitive. Though much of what Shenk reports may be found in research and popular journals and scattered across the pages of other books, I have not found a single, comprehensive book that matches this one.
I especially appreciated Shenk’s philosophical reflections on the larger implications of the disease for families and our society in the coming years. Yes, we do need to focus on a cure (all children of Alzheimer’s victims surely dread the possibility that they too may suffer from it some day). But we also need to learn to live with it somehow in the meantime. As my father’s inevitable decline has unfolded over the past ten years, my family and I have searched for positive glimmers amid the gradually spreading darkness of the disease. What does each of us learn from undergoing this painful trial? How can we live our lives differently as a result? My mother, who is still the primary care-giver for my dad, has shown enormous reserves of courage and patience as she copes with the daily challenges. But, as she has told my six siblings and me over the years, great and small tragedies happen in the lives of everyone–we all must muster the strength to weather them. The reflective tone of the closing pages of Shenk’s book registered quite strongly. I am deeply grateful for his contribution to public understanding about Alzheimer’s.
November 11th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
I love this book.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The Forgetting is a great book. I love the way it “introduces” you to Alzheimer’s. Not so much scientific as human. This terrible disease process that is stalking us as we all age is often misunderstood and not truly appreciated for all its horribleness until it strikes within your own family. I found this book strangely comforting and ultimately left me in a better place than when I started reading it. I highly recommend this book. As an elder law attorney who specializes in helping family’s with issues related to this disease process I include this book on my must read list I give to clients. I also highly recommend the DVD that was inspired by this book The Forgetting - A Portrait of Alzheimer’s.
November 12th, 2009 at 4:06 am
Beautifully written, yet somewhat too pessimistic…
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
David Shenk is a beautiful writer. His knowledge about Alzheimer’s history is beyond imagination. In an effort to write a positive and enlightening book, he portrays it as a human condition, instead of a “disease”.
But I am sorry to say that he lacks a certain optimism about what science can do, and that has major effects on the book he wrote.
He manages to link Alzheimer’s to litterary and philophical history in a very nice way. However his style is very sad and the passages about Swift and Emerson struggling with the disease are horribly depressing.
I believe many caregivers can learn from the philosphical teachings of this book (and there are many), but I was expecting something more optimistic, about the future of our dealing with Alzheimer’s. What Shenk does, is the opposite. He looks at the past, and almost seems to conclude that we must give up our fight, because there is nothing we can do.
Dont get me wrong however, there are in this book great many precious pages full of information about scientific research and clinical knowledge of Alzheimer’s.
Overall I greatly recommend this book, for both its content and its (although very sad) philosophical style.
November 12th, 2009 at 6:50 am
One of the Best Books of the Year
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
(…) Though Shenk’s book makes an excellent introduction to the subject to the lay reader, as well as a thoughtful meditation for those whose families have been directly touched by the disease, it also transcends its single subject to become a profound exploration on identity, will, memory, and loss; in this regard, “The Forgetting” stands with the classic works of what neurologist A.R. Luria called “neurobiographies” — including Luria’s own “The Man with a Shattered World,” as well as Oliver Sacks’ numerous works, such as “An Anthropologist on Mars” and “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat.” In books like this, the disorder itself becomes a way to investigate consciousness and meaning, and thus becomes worthwhile reading for anyone interested in the nature of mind.
Shenk’s prose is lucid, erudite, and often luminous, weaving historical information, science, and direct observation into a multifaceted consideration of the profound impact of Alzheimer’s on those who have it, and those who love them. I found myself weeping at several points in this book — not out of horror, but out of admiration for the courage of those who face this disease, and the bravery and humanity of those who love them.
Personal disclaimer: I was the co-author, with Shenk, of a book in 1993 called “Skeleton Key.” I was frankly blown away by how Shenk’s prose style has matured since the writing of that book and his fine later work, “Data Smog.” The gravity of his subject in “The Forgetting” has drawn the very best out of him, and I would have been as moved by this book even if I didn’t know him. It was Shenk’s bad luck to have his masterpiece come out in the same season as the attacks on the World Trade Center — I have no doubt that “The Forgetting” would have become a major bestseller on its merits if the world hadn’t been distracted by anthrax and war. But I also have faith that this book will find its audience, and proper recognition, over time.
Needless to say, anyone who has been touched by the life story of Iris Murdoch will find even more illumination here — the problems Shenk’s subjects face cut to the heart of the human condition.
A brilliant, important book — easily one of the best books of 2001. It’s the kind of book you want to give to your friends and relatives so they can experience the redemption that comes from facing darkness full-on, and remembering what qualities of the human spirit prevail through the gravest difficulties.
November 17th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Easily readable Alzheimers book for general public
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is the best book I’ve found on Alzheimers for the general public. It offers tentative hope (which is all that is warranted now). Other books have been very depressing. This is a good overview of where we are now in knowledge of this disease.
This is not meant to be a technical book for researchers. It is aimed towards those with friends and family who are dealing with Alzheimers.
For those dealing with this disease, the stages of Alzheimers are clearly listed. The book differentiates the symptoms of ALzheimers from normal forgetting. This is very helpful information that is not presented as well elsewhere.
November 19th, 2009 at 7:44 am
Very thought provoking
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
An extremely well-written book that gives me as a lay person a better understanding of the disease. Another reviewer considered it to be a “fluff” book. I strongly disagree. It is not meant to be a medical text. However, it gives an excellent breakdown of the disease and provides insight into what is happening to the individual from a physical and mental point of view.
November 19th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Poor Science-Sensational Writing
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I was very disappointed by the shallow and limited coverage of Alzheimer disease research in this book–from what I know much of the material is wrong or outdated and no decent history of the research is provided. The book is also generally sensationalistic and more journalistic in style (not very literary and not very well written).
November 19th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Death by a thousand subtractions…
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a very well-written account of the terrible toll of Alzheimer’s disease and I highly recommend it. The text is presented poignantly and lucidly and really let’s the reader understand what is like to deal with this disease. There have been several books on Alzheimer’s written over the past few years that I have read. This is one of the better ones. For more on what causes the disease and new treatments, I would strongly recommend another excellent book on Alzheimer’s that I read recently called “Decoding Darkness: The Search for the Genetic Causes of Alzheimer’s Disease” by Rudolph E. Tanzi and Ann B. Parson
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:51 am
I was diagnosed with ALZ 3 months before reading this book.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
“Since 1975, the number of Americans afflicted [with Alzheimer's Disease {ALZ}] has risen from five hundred thousand to five million [2001]; over the next fifty years an estimated [fifteen million in the United States alone] will succumb to it.”
In May, 2001, I went to my primary physician with some troubling symptoms of recent memory loss. He ordered a CAT scan, and referred me to my psychiatrist, who was supervising my intensive outpatient treatment of Major [unipolar] Suicidal Depression. The CAT scan depicted some small white areas, which could have been the result of undetected minor strokes or tertiary syphilis. Since neither was applicable to my medical history nor my life style, only the remote possibility of ALZ remained. The psychiatrist gave me the Mini Mental State Examination [MMSE], and I scored less than twenty-five. Based on the MMSE results, he then scheduled me for a battery of tests. My suspicions were confirmed: I now have a diagnosis of “probable ALZ” in the early or middle stages. I am now one of the “five million…When “The Forgetting” arrived, I sat down and devoured it from cover to cover in two days! This was most unusual, since two of the early memory symptoms of ALZ are my recent inability to finish a book cover to cover, or to pick up a book or article where I had left off, and continue on the textual journey.
This “magnificent synthesis of history, science, politics, psychology, and profound human drama” was written especially for me, someone newly diagnosed as “probable ALZ.” “Delving into such diverse areas as art history, literature, genetics, and neurobiology” Shenk’s “The Forgetting Alzheimer’s” clear and concise exegesis continues to give me the data I require to comfort an unbelieving and devastated significant other, my spouse.
Like the forty-two stories contained in the newly-published “Fourth Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous,” Shenk’s marvelous treatise posits what it was like, what happened, and where the afflicted of ALZ are, and gives me experience, strength, and hope. The personal anecdotes, as well as the detailed case histories of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Jonathan Swift, Fredrick Law Olmsted, and Ronald Reagan, show me where I have been and what lies ahead in the early, middle, and final stages of ALZ.
Shenk’s Yellow Brick Road stretches invitingly ahead of me, and has given me the knowledge and courage to face the challenge ahead: the inevitable, irreversible, and presently incurable ALZ which is now occupying major portions of my hippocampus. Knowing what lies ahead gives me the hope I need to face my confrontation with “probable ALZ.” I do not need the false Sirenic lure of: “Maybe, just maybe, my diagnosis is incorrect.”
Unlike Dylan Thomas, I propose to “go gentle into that dark night” of final ALZ, and with Shenk’s “The Forgetting Alzheimer’s” to “be by my side,” I now have the data to provide care to/for my significant other, who is devastated by this insidious disease, which afflicts her husband, lover, and strong oak tree, as I go forward and downward into this long dark slide.
There are many, many, books and resources written for and available to the caregivers and professionals who surround those of us afflicted with ALZ. There are few and scanty resources that level with the afflicted party/client/victim. This slender volume meets my needs, goals, and thirst for data and knowledge, in language that is clear and succinct. As I write this review, I am rereading “The Forgetting Alzheimer’s” again and again because my short term/working memory ain’t what it used to be. With luck and repetition, I hope to implant it in my long term depository, which is currently functioning at an academic level, thank you. That I could finish reading “The Forgetting Alzheimer’s” is the best testimony which I can render on its value, as I leave late early stage and begin to progress into middle stage ALZ.
L’chayyim!
November 23rd, 2009 at 3:25 am
An important book about a very serious disease
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Just in case you don’t have enough to worry about, consider Alzheimer’s disease. Over five million Americans currently suffer from this degenerative disease that attacks the neurons in the brain, slowly erasing memory, verbal skills, motor skills and the basic elements of identity. It is lethal, incurable and only negligible treatments are available. Now think about the baby boomers, currently poised on the brink of the years when Alzheimer’s disease begins to strike. Over the next fifty years, the number of Alzheimer’s patients is expected to triple, resulting in a crushing burden on the medical community and on family caregivers, who may suffer more than anyone.
People are scared to read David Shenk’s book. In his afterword, he refers to a family friend who bought it and intended to read it, but was too intimidated by the subject matter and its implications to delve into it. It’s easy to understand why. If you already suffer from Alzheimer’s, you may think it’s too late to learn about it. If you don’t have Alzheimer’s and you don’t know anyone who does, you might not want to learn any more about this terrible, merciless disease. However, as our population ages, it becomes increasingly likely that everyone will be touched by Alzheimer’s — as a patient, as a caregiver, or simply as a citizen of a world wherein a substantial segment of the population can no longer drive, dress themselves, speak rationally, recognize loved ones, or remember their own names. It is a social force as strong as any war — and information and communication are our greatest weapons against it.
THE FORGETTING provides a brief history of the disease. Shenk describes Dr. Alois Alzheimer’s first patient, a woman who suffered from what was believed to be inexplicably premature senility. He intersperses his accounts of ongoing research with anecdotes of famous people we now know to have had Alzheimer’s disease, great minds that self-destructed inside otherwise healthy bodies. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s decline was slow and sad. Jonathan Swift died bitter and thwarted by his waning skills. His last words were, “I am a fool.”
Painter Willem de Kooning had a different experience. He kept painting, even though his mind was failing and produced some of the best works of his career. His story is a reminder that some Alzheimer’s patients find a sort of peace through their disease. In letting go of ordinary habits and concerns, some patients reach a level of tranquility before their last decline.
The book also introduces us to the research community: an army of doctors, scientists, independent researchers and pharmaceutical companies who are working fiercely to find a cure before Alzheimer’s disease overwhelms us. It is heartening to know that such an effort is in progress, although it’s cruel to end Chapter 14 hinting that a vaccine has been found that will prevent Alzheimer’s disease from ever developing and stop existing Alzheimer’s disease from progressing, only to mention in the afterword that the vaccine never made it past FDA phase 2 trials. False hope is the last thing these people need.
David Shenk does not mean to be cruel; it’s just that research is moving so quickly that the best prospect for a cure in the hardcover edition had already been scrapped by the time the paperback came out. Even so, there’s a lot of good information here. Readers might find the Resources section in the back to be the most practical help and Chapter 16, “What Not to Do,” lists behavior patterns that researchers (currently) find helpful in avoiding the disease.
— Reviewed by Colleen Quinn
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:05 pm
This book is tops!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have read a lot about Alzheimer’s but this is definitely one of the best. It is easy to read with good illustrations of Alzheimer’s onset in persons such as Ronald Reagan. Shenk’s comparison of a baby’s growth with Alzheimer’s decline illustrates the heartbreak for those caring for someone with this disease. I highly recommend this book to professionals as well as laypeople.
November 25th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
NOT MUCH HERE ON ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I may be biased because I was looking for the newest findings on this disease and instead found a pretty fluffy overview–Sheck is a fine writer but clearly did not do enough research to write a useful book.
November 27th, 2009 at 7:28 am
An intimate portrait
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I am 24 years old, I have never dealt with Alzheimer’s in any way, shape, or form. I happened across The Forgetting in a bookstore, being the intense browser that I am, and was immediately attracted to the portrayal of the subject matter.
I enjoyed each page of The Forgetting. With every word, and each carefullly crafted sentence I began to see a different world, one I had been ignorant of and blind too.
I discovered the severity of an illness, which in all likelyhood will continue to spread, and battled with humanity’s inability to cure this storm of the century.
David Shenk guides the reader through the history of Alzheimer’s and the very little knowledge we have accrued on a illness which has hit its centennial mark. I am thankful David Shenk wrote a touching and compassionate piece of medical history. Although I may not fully understand the implications of Alzheimer’s I am now aware of the severity of the illness and am willing to do what little I can to help.
December 2nd, 2009 at 3:06 pm
The title haunts to tell of the forgetting disease
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
You don’t have to be a science nut to be enthralled by David Shenk’s book, The Forgetting–Alzheimer’s: Portrait of an Epidemic. From the first official case of Alzheimer’s (Auguste D., a fifty-one-year-old German woman first treated by neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1901), to the use of transgenics to study the disease in mice, Shenk covers everything you need to know about the harrowing disease that, by 2050, will affect 15,000,000 Americans. Except, that is–a surefire way to prevent it.
After 100 years, scientists still do not know exactly why humans get Alzheimer’s, but they have learned a lot along the way. Shenk explains even the most intricate details of the disease clearly and carefully, making use of helpful analogies and explaining how memory works on a biological level. He chronicles the decline of several public figures, each of which was either diagnosed with the disease or likely had it before Alzheimer’s twentieth-century discovery, including some of the greatest minds of the Western world: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Jonathan Swift, Jorge Luis Borges, Willem de Kooning.
Shenk is careful to keep a human element running through the book, reminding readers that science is not a cold, black-and-white world, but a flexible, complex world on which our daily lives depend. Each chapter begins with an anecdote from a family caregiver (spouse, child, etc.), and Shenk follows the progress (or rather, deterioration) of a support group for patients in the early stages. He also writes of a listserve, where caregivers from across the nation ask questions, give advice, share experiences, vent frustration, and celebrate those rare lucid moments.
Alzheimer’s risks increase drastically with age, and, as Baby Boomers near retirement, it becomes crucial for average Americans to understand all they can about a disease that will prove both emotionally and financially devastating even for those who do not receive a diagnosis. Shenk gives us hope, however, with discussions of scientific advances and a chapter devoted to how each of us can improve our odds and perhaps escape the ultimate forgetting.
Armchair Interviews says: Well worth reading for the future–our parents or our own.
December 6th, 2009 at 10:07 am
A reassuring book about a dreaded disease
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Alzheimer’s is a distinctly unglamorous disease that nevertheless has been thrust into the public eye of late. Famous names have withered in its clutches and most recently, the film Iris thrust dementia out from behind closed doors. The recent death of former President Reagan is likely to highlight the disease once again.
The losing of one’s memory, arguably the essence of the person, is one of the most distressing disease processes to contemplate, making Alzheimer’s a name that brings with it stigma and fear.
Shenk gives a uniquely humane coverage of the condition, in a book that is devoid of harsh clinical language. He explains concepts such as the multifactorial causes of the disease with a pleasant use of analogy. A roughly chronological account of both the natural history of the disease and the history of scientic study of Alzheimers allows the book to evolve naturally and gives it a structure that is often not found in lesser disease-orientated books.
Cases, both of anonymous families and famous victims of the disease, are woven into the narrative in a wholly sympathetic manner.
Shenk offers us helpful ways of seeing the degeneration of the disease in a mirror held up to childhood development which may help some people to break through their fear and disgust.
This gentle book holds much of value for victims, families and carers as well as for students of health related subjects.
December 12th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
A sincere and moving disappointment
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
If you read this book, you will be moved; if you have a loved one with AD, you will empathize (as I did), but you will not learn much that you did not already know.
It’s obvious that the author is intensely involved in his topic and he manages to convey his feelings to his audience. But the book wanders around, is often redundant, can’t seem to decide what its basic premise is. There are several separate stories about famous people in history who had AD (Emerson, the artist deKoonig, Reagan, etc.) It is touching to hear their stories but I don’t know what the 19-th century scholar Emerson has to tell us about a modern “epidemic.” In at least one place the author gets bogged down in the personal battles for credit between researchers instead of focusing on the research. His points at the end about the downsides of curing the disease (something to do with losing the insight about life that comes from watching memory loss, I think =–!!) are shortsighted and close to unintentionally offensive.
Finally, people might think from the title that the rate of Alzheimer’s is increasing. This is not actually what the author proposes, only that because there are more old people there is more Alzheimer’s. There is nothing in the book to support the idea of an “epidemic,” an increase in the chance of getting the disease should one live to old age.
December 12th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
The Classic Text on Alzheimer’s
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is the classic text on Alzheimer’s. It’s almost a decade old, but reads like it was written yesterday. Shenk tells us how the disease was discovered, how it develops in the brain and how it plays out in the daily lives of patients.
I read this within a month of my father’s diagnosis of advanced second stage dementia, and I’ve never been so comforted by a book. Even now, a few years later, I occasionally take “The Forgetting” down from the shelf and hold it. I read a few pages. I feel secure with it, I’m in the hands of a skilled, trustworthy and empathic writer.
Reading the book the first time, I was electrified to recognize in my father almost every symptom Shenk described. At the same time I was soothed, because I understood that it wasn’t my father who was so bizarre, it was the disease playing out in his hippocampus, amygdala and temporal lobes. To me it was a relief to know that his brain was going bad in an entirely common way: that he was not, if you will, a strange human being, but entirely normal for a patient with Alzheimer’s.
David Shenk is the ideal journalist, sympathetic without the least hint of sentimentality. His prose is perfectly crafted, never an awkward sentence, with a perfect balance of exposition and narrative. That is, he gives us technical explanations about the disease, but we’re never far from the stories of a lively set of characters. We hear about Frau Auguste D., the original dementia patient of Alois Alzheimer, and Ronald Reagan, and Ralph Waldo Emerson and Jonathan Swift, two writers who suffered extreme memory loss and the inability to make sense of even the words they’d written themself. It’s a richly peopled world, and Shenk makes it clear that this is a timeless disease, one that has been with us always.
I was surprised by the Acknowledgments section of the book, which goes on for three full pages and names a hundred people. You can see there how much research went into the book. But while reading it, I felt as if Shenk had sat down and typed it out without the least effort. Like a great athlete, he makes the job look effortless.
December 13th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Alzheimer’s Association-Detroit Area Chapter
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
As Development Director of the Alzheimer’s Association, and as someone personally affected by Alzheimer’s disease, I am all too familiar with the components, the available books on the subject and the existing research. No book effectively combines these elements in the way that The Forgetting does. Shenk weaves the tale from the vantage point of family and patient, while intertwining the scientific elements underlying the disease in a way that is both understandable and comfortable for the lay reader. He helps families to understand what is happening in the brain and how that impacts behavior and functioning. We were fortunate to have David in our community for a special program and to give his book to our major donors. It was well received by all. Definitely recommend The Forgetting.
December 13th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
INTERESTING LOOK AT A DREADFUL DISEASE
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Shenk takes an interesting look at Alzheimer’s disease–a surprisingly philosphical one and one that places the disease more in the realm of a natural inevitability of human life. The historical perspective also provides for some provocative reading. The scientific and medical information on Alzheimer’s disease is realtively thin as compared to other recent books on the subject (e.g. “Decoding Darkness” by Tanzi and Pollen), but overall the books provides a refreshing perspective on a terrible disease.
December 14th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Excellent book on Alzheimer’s Disease
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is an excellent book for anyone interested in understanding what is currently known about Alzheimer’s disease, the history of it, the research on it, the symptoms of it, and more. This book is easy to read and doesn’t get you lost in scientific lingo. It was very helpful to me. I highly recommend it for anyone trying to understand the disease and what the medical community knows and doesn’t know about this debilitating illness.
December 14th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Scant on Alzheimer’s
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Some history and lots of free-associating tangents about this terrible disease but not much useful information on the actual disease
December 15th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Alzheimer’s:Portrait of an Epidemic
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I purchased this book after seeing it described as “remarkable” by Oliver Sacks, in his own book “Musicophilia”. I gave the book to a friend, whose husband is sadly, suffering the early signs of probable Alzheimer’s disease, but as a retired surgeon, with only a rudimentary knowledge of the medical aspects of the condition myself, I was also interested to read it first. For some reason, I found the introductory passages of the book a little dense, but thereafter, it was thoroughly engaging and enlightening. In particular, the book struck a nice balance between explaining the known microscopic biological details of the illness, and practical aspects that might help a relative or care-giver come to terms with the condition on a daily basis. Examples of the experience and behaviour of well-known historic figures who probably had Alzheimer’s helped to emphasise the unselective nature of the illness, and the potentially depressing aspects of the course of the disease were treated with great sensitivity. Overall, I thought it was excellent. My friend (who is non-medical), has found it to be very informative and in many ways reassuring, in her attempt to understand what is happening to her husband.
December 17th, 2009 at 1:30 am
Warning: Limited Scientific Value Here!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I am an avid science book reader and have read quite a bit about research into Alzheimer’s disease. [In my opinion] the extent of this author’s research into Alzheimer’s research basically seems to consist of attending one single meeting on the topic, interviewing a handful of people there, and presenting some limited views and notions on what might cause the disease. [I believe there was] no in-depth research into what’s known about this this disease — only a quick snapshot of some Alzheimer’s research presented one week at a meeting a couple of years ago. The “science” that is presented is trivialized and presented in tabloid format. It is not nearly as useful as what one can find in an average newspaper article on this disease by many other adept journalists who have covered the field expertly for years.
December 18th, 2009 at 8:46 am
Brilliant!!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
A must-read!!!! If you only are going to buy one book on this subject– your search is over! This is truly a gem!!! Informative, intelligent, compassionate!!!