The Forgetting: Alzheimer's, Portrait of an EpidemicDoubleday, 2001 - 290 sider An urgent and moving exploration of the Alzheimer's epidemic, The Forgetting is a dazzling meditation on the nature of memory and self and on the disease that robs people of both. Alzheimer's disease is a demographic time bomb. Since 1975, the number of Americans afflicted has risen from five hundred thousand to five million; over the next fifty years, an estimated eighty to "one hundred million more people worldwide will succumb to it. But it is the story behind these numbers that makes The Forgetting such a landmark work. A magnificent synthesis of history, science, politics, psychology, and profound human drama, the book explores the nature of a disease that attacks not merely memory but the very core of our human identity. Delving into such diverse areas as art history, literature, genetics, and neurobiology, David Shenk shows that Alzheimer's particular terror, the gradual eradication of memory and of mind is as old as humankind itself. He convincingly posits that such historical figures as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Jonathan Swift and Frederick Law Olmstead were caught in the disease's insidious grip. Moving portraits of contemporary patients, their families, and their caregivers drive home the sad pattern of regression Alzheimer's exacts, a pathology that eerily mirrors child development in reverse. Yet Shenk offers a well of empathy and understanding for families striving to better understand and come to terms with their loss. With equal mastery Shenk charts the complicated race to find a cure. As scientists pursue a treatment worth billions of dollars, the brutal competition among them poses a serious threat to the traditional ethic of sharing vital research. Butthere "are heartening signs of progress, and for the first time there is excitement among scientists that a cure may indeed be possible. Shenk eloquently calls Alzheimer's "death by a thousand subtractions." The Forgetting is at once a powerful examination of what this means and a forthright discussion of the impact this epidemic will have on the life of every reader. |
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Side 31
... this it was over- whelming for me . It's very hard to get used to a normal person who happens to have dementia . It's a whole different ballgame . ” Judy and Irving recognized , along with many others in 31 Early Stage.
... this it was over- whelming for me . It's very hard to get used to a normal person who happens to have dementia . It's a whole different ballgame . ” Judy and Irving recognized , along with many others in 31 Early Stage.
Side 153
... happens in this field , and I think it has really slowed ther- apy . The reason I say that is because these guys don't make drugs . Drug companies make drugs . And when drug companies want to start an Alzheimer's program , what do they ...
... happens in this field , and I think it has really slowed ther- apy . The reason I say that is because these guys don't make drugs . Drug companies make drugs . And when drug companies want to start an Alzheimer's program , what do they ...
Side 222
... happens that is chilling even for this disease : the return of the infant reflexes . In normal development , infants younger than six months will , when the soles of their feet are stimulated , raise their big toe up and spread their ...
... happens that is chilling even for this disease : the return of the infant reflexes . In normal development , infants younger than six months will , when the soles of their feet are stimulated , raise their big toe up and spread their ...
Indhold
The God Who Forgot and the | 44 |
The Race | 62 |
Irrespective of | 72 |
Copyright | |
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