EDITORIAL REVIEWS
Product Description The heart of this book consists of thirteen, riveting, in-depth stories of people who fought back with courage, humor, and a positive attitude. In doing so, they have provided valuable guidance for you, the readers of this inspiring work. The seriously ill, their friends and family will gain priceless advice on coping, dealing with depression, how to partner with the medical profession, the tremendous value of self-help groups and the vital importance of attitude. Those with disabilities will learn how others have successfully played the hand they were dealt and managed to live successful, fulfilling lives. The disabled and those with serious illnesses can learn from each other. There are no silver bullets buried in these pages, just the sound, useable experience of others. Caregivers, be they family, friends, or health professionals will gain great insight from the in-depth stories of survivors, the bereaved, and those who died with grace and even style. "This book helps sufferers and caregivers alike to make sense of their situation, to avoid the mistakes while copying the successful strategies of these very real people." -Bob Rich, PhD, author of Cancer: A Personal Challenge "Far from a mere theoretical discourse and despite its potentially morbid topic, it brims with life: real cases, real people, real triumphs over a variety of illnesses and the distress they cause. A treasure trove of celebrated stories of survival and passages from the memoirs of those who made it." -Sam Vaknin, PhD, author of Malignant Self Love
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 3 reviews)
Encouragement for those who are ill The most amazing thing is the human spirit and it's power. In "You've Gotta Fight Back!," Dirk Eldredge gives testimony to the ability of people who are faced with a variety of health and life challenges to beat the odds and overcome or manage their conditions. With detail and compassion, he tells the stories of a number of people who had the courage and insight to study, research, and work hard, and make the most of the life challenge they were facing. He also lauds supportive spouses, caretakers, family members, and friends for the role they play in helping these challenged people. For a person who has been diagnosed with a serious illness, this book can give hope and encouragement. April 12, 2008
You've Gotta Fight Back! They are some of the most disheartening and utterly devastating words in the world: You've got ... Life will never be the same again. Suddenly, the day to day issues that used to cloud your mind seem petty. Everything becomes about the pain, disease, the condition, or the disability. When dealing with a serious illness, injury, or disability it's really difficult to stay positive. Often just the thought of fighting back and living each day to the fullest seems much too overwhelming. Still, that's exactly what we must do. You've Gotta Fight Back! is filled with inspiration and heartwarming stories about people who pushed the limits. Some took it as a challenge when the doctors gave them months to leave, extending their lives for decades through pure will. Others took control of their health issues, asked questions, and made choices that worked for their situation. All of these stories are genuine, showing that we all have good and bad days but the most important thing is to never give up. March 21, 2008
Encouraging, no-nonsense book Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (11/07) When confronted with truly life-changing circumstances, such as serious illness, injury or disability, most people find the situation extremely overwhelming and horrifying. Most of us think that something of the kind will never happen to us or our nearest and dearest, and when it does we do not know where to turn to and how to react. Mr. Eldredge's "You've Gotta Fight Back!" is an inspiring and very much no-nonsense book about fighting back when confronted with such adversity in life. Through more than a dozen touching and encouraging true life stories of people afflicted by different diseases, conditions or accidents we learn about their way of dealing with their conditions. We learn about different approaches to life-changing events and how different people learned to accept the changes and/or learned how to fight back. One of the simple, yet very profound insights in fighting back and being happy again is the so-called triumvirate of happiness: someone to love, something to do and something to look forward to. Even if we are not in a perilous situation at the moment, we would do well to remember those three simple rules. Some of the most valuable advice I found in this book dealt with coping with the situation and how to make the best out of it. While the book is never mindlessly cheerful and it never promises any miracles, it clearly illustrates how it is possible to find happiness and fulfillment even under such extremely adverse conditions. It underlines the importance of working together with the doctors and other medical professionals; of having a positive outlook and attitude, of finding ways and means to still live life to the fullest, of finding humor even in the worst situations and more. Another segment of the book that I found very valuable was all the parts dealing with the role of caregivers, who are oftentimes forgotten or at least overlooked in the struggle. My favorite part of the book is the author's affirmations which I've copied on a card to carry with me. I do not know anybody who could not benefit from this: "I'm going to be a happy person. I will think happy, positive, enthusiastic thoughts and push out anxiety, fear, hatred, depression, and feelings of inadequacy. I'm going to enjoy life. I will try to make somebody else happy each day. I'm going to love my family and friends and know that they love me. I'm going to be a very confident person. I have a lot of successful experience, so I have every reason to be confident of myself and my ideas. I'm going to remember always that happiness is a state of mind, not a set of circumstances. I make my own happiness in my own mind and my own unhappiness in my own mind. I choose to be a happy person." "You've Gotta Fight Back!" is an extremely valuable book for anybody needing encouragement and guidance while in a difficult situation. Written in a fluid, easy-to-read style, it should find a permanent home on your bookshelf - to help you, your family or your friends if help should be needed. November 07, 2007