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Serving as doctor to the Americans "wintering over" at the South Pole in 1999, Jerri Nielsen made headlines when she discovered a lump in her breast that a self-administered biopsy revealed to be an aggressive, fast-growing cancer. No flights in or out of Antarctica are possible during the continent's long winter, and Nielsen's account of giving herself chemotherapy while she and her fellow "Polies" waited for the weather to break is even more gripping than the news reports at the time. She's candid about her pain and fear; the media battle waged by her embittered ex-husband makes her ordeal even more challenging. Interestingly enough, however, this high drama does not overshadow Nielsen's deeper narrative of a woman who came "to the Ice" seeking new meaning in a life shattered by divorce and estrangement from her children. In the back-to-basics world of Antarctic medicine, with outdated equipment, few supplies, and no assistants, she rediscovered her vocation as a doctor, free from the imperatives of corporate-directed medicine. More importantly, Nielsen found spiritual solace in the world's most extreme environment, where she was "introduced slowly to the notion of giving more than you have and using less than you need ... of knowing that all you really own are your own thoughts." She makes the glories of the Pole so palpable that, by the end, readers will not even be surprised when she signs an e-mail to her family, "from the wonderful Ice." --Wendy Smith
Book Description
Serving as doctor to the Americans "wintering over" at the South Pole in 1999, Jerri Nielsen made headlines when she discovered a lump in her breast that a self-administered biopsy revealed to be an aggressive, fast-growing cancer. No flights in or out of Antarctica are possible during the continent's long winter, and Nielsen's account of giving herself chemotherapy while she and her fellow "Polies" waited for the weather to break is even more gripping than the news reports at the time. She's candid about her pain and fear; the media battle waged by her embittered ex-husband makes her ordeal even more challenging. Interestingly enough, however, this high drama does not overshadow Nielsen's deeper narrative of a woman who came "to the Ice" seeking new meaning in a life shattered by divorce and estrangement from her children. In the back-to-basics world of Antarctic medicine, with outdated equipment, few supplies, and no assistants, she rediscovered her vocation as a doctor, free from the imperatives of corporate-directed medicine. More importantly, Nielsen found spiritual solace in the world's most extreme environment, where she was "introduced slowly to the notion of giving more than you have and using less than you need ... of knowing that all you really own are your own thoughts." She makes the glories of the Pole so palpable that, by the end, readers will not even be surprised when she signs an e-mail to her family, "from the wonderful Ice." --Wendy Smith
Customer Reviews:
Life at the South Pole.......2007-03-05
This book is the story of Dr. Nielsen's time working at the south pole. It is full of anecdotes of everyday events that gave me a feeling for what life must be like in such a remote place.
It reminded me a lot of science fiction and especially Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars. Robinson has another book on Antarctica that is said to be very similar to Red Mars. It's uncanny how similar Dr. Nielsen's account is to science fiction stories about space colonization.
Maybe the idea of life on the frontier brings out these themes. The difficulty of life makes people work together and abandon some of the petty problems from home. That gives people a new perspective on the culture of their home.
This story also made me consider how psychologically hard cancer must be. Dr. Nielsen says being in Antarctica in some ways made it easier because she didn't have to deal with daily ups and downs as the results of many tests came back. They only had the most basic diagnostic equipment in Antarctica.
Nielsen is honest about her fear of her illness and the pain of being alienated from her kids. Although it's unlikely because of her history of cancer, I hope the powers that be approve her for more work in remote locations.
Ice Bound: A Doctor's Incredible batttle for Survival at the South Pole.......2007-01-29
The book was worth every penny and it was sent in a timely manner.
Warm and Beautiful, not gruesome........2006-08-04
This book was a fascinating portrait of the American South Pole Station and the people who winter over there. It is rich with details that one would never have thought of, like the difficulty of contacting the outside world when the communications satellite only peeks over the horizon for a brief time each day. All the people at the station are portrayed as exceptional, (maybe eccentric), strong, very human people who survive in part because of the great love and respect with which they treat each other--not to mention a strong sense of humor! Really inspiring. Made me want to go there myself.
Where Life and Death Meet the Ice.......2005-09-19
"Ice Bound" is three stories that come together to create one indelible experience: a woman's struggle and escape from an abusive marriage, a travel adventure to the South Pole, and a life and death fight against cancer. Dr. Jerri Nielsen lived all three of these stories and writes about how they merged into one phenomenal journey.
Some reviewers have been critical of Dr. Nielsen's motives or of the construction of her memoir. I cannot share their criticism-I found Nielsen's story to be an excellent telling of excitement, struggle, self doubt, and near death at the extremes of the Earth. I have lived high above the Arctic Circle; I know the wonder and awe one sees in the ice, the humbling realization that death awaits behind any mundane mishap. Despite this tension, day upon endless day passes beneath skies that are forever light or forever dark, an exotic sameness that captivates but provides little material for a full-length book. If anything, I congratulate Dr. Nielsen and her co-writer, Maryanne Vollers, for being able to relate Nielsen's story in such depth and detail, to have been able to sift through the routineness of life at South Pole Station for enough material to construct an interesting book.
Dr. Nielsen was diagnosed with breast cancer during an Antarctic winter. We cannot blame the victim; Dr. Nielsen did not wish this condition upon herself. She did not want others to risk their lives on her behalf-others made that choice for themselves. Dr. Nielsen could not have stopped them if she had tried. The story of the courage and dedication of others is as important a theme in Dr. Nielsen's experiences as is her own internal fight to overcome loss and despair.
I recommend "Ice Bound" for a very accurate and authentic description of life in polar places. Nothing takes the romance out of extreme places more than a true story well told. I think that her struggle against cancer would have to energize others suffering from the same condition, and I think that her children's alienation from her by a vindictive ex-spouse is a more common story than many may realize.
What Coulda Been Great Turned Out Just Good..........2005-07-31
Dr. Jerri Nielsen's trek to the South Pole would have been filled with danger no matter what...most of the people that head down there must have a few screws loose to want to spend a year in complete darkness, with extremely cold temperatures, only to lose (in part) their social skills, their memories, and their sanity. What makes her story somewhat extraordinary is the fact that as the only trained medical professional 'wintering over' at the South Pole, she diagnosed and was forced to treat her own breast cancer with a small untrained support staff.
The book takes you on the journey of how Nielsen got to the pole - and how she got out, and the factors attributed to both. With mounting frustrations over her estranged family, including her children, and with the US medical system, Nielsen, an adventurer in her mind, took up the opportunity to head down south...way south. What lay there was a network of amazing friends, and a workload of amazing proportions. Even in the cancer-ridden portions of Jerri's story, she often mentions lighthearted evenings and events and the plight of others over her own pain.
My problems with the book? First off I'm not a huge fan of how Nielsen wrote the story. Her tone is somewhat smug, as though she is writing an insiders guide that can only really be understood by her fellow "polies". She re-iterates many times over how special and wonderful it was, and how clueless the rest of the world is, and while I believe the experience was incredible, 160+ pages of exposition about the day-to-day events of the pole isn't necessarily relevant to the tag line of the book "A Doctor's Incredible Battle for Survival"...it almost feels as though Jerri would have written this book as a memoir for herself had it not been for the international interest in her cancer case. The main interest being her cancer, it is somewhat misleading as to what Jerri actually puts into the book, as though she wants to make sure she acknowledges every person that came across her path while she was there, rather than discuss her cancer case.
My second issue was with the language. At times the medical talk was too intense for the average reader, leaving you drawing blanks. Most of the understanding of Jerri's cancer came from the back and forth e-mails between Nielsen and her cancer specialist Kathy.
Another issue I had was how the book meandered at times with Jerri's dreams and plans for the future. There were some e-mails and long descriptions of what Jerri and other wanted to do that I could hardly be bothered to read them in entirety. I think most people, like myself, would be more interested in the present situation in the story rather than read a two-page letter her brother wrote on sailing his boat into space.
I think altogether I appreciated this book more of a study of Antartica and what it is like to live there (insane by the way) rather than reading it for the sensational story Nielsen promises to divulge in regards to her cancer. I have admiration for what she did, and think it was important for her to acknowledge the media in some way, but I just wasn't totally sold on the actual book itself.
Average customer rating:
- A view of the battle from the inside looking out
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The Battle of Britain: New Perspectives : Behind the Scenes of the Great Air War
John Philip Ray
Manufacturer: Arms & Armour
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1854092294 |
Customer Reviews:
A view of the battle from the inside looking out.......2000-05-05
John Ray's book is in keeping with the excitement and suspense of other accounts of this fascinating battle (the only one in history to be fought completely in the air), but he takes the point of view of Britain's Sir Hugh Dowding, Commander-in-chief of RAF Fighter Command. Ray tells of the inner workings of the RAF, the political battles and clashes of personality that were happening as the battle was being fought and eventually won. It isn't a hagiography of Dowding, but defends his positions and points out his weaknesses. The details on the battle are given as they relate to Dowding's story, without a rigid historical chronology, but containing some terrific anecdotes (such as Dowding's visit to the French Armie de L'Aire headquarters in March of 1940, which helped him make up his mind not to send any more of his fighters to be destroyed in what was obviously a lost cause.
This is a book for those who already know the Battle of Britain and wish to delve deeper into the personalities involed, rather than a complete record of events during the Summer of 1940. It is an intellectual and entertaining look at the Battle from behind the desk of its most tenacious leader.
Customer Reviews:
An impressive, if heavily biased, scholarly work.......2007-07-07
This book is already nearing 20 years in age, so much has already been said about its portrayal of modern Near East geopolitics. Anyone interested in this subject matter should read this book, as it is provides valuable insight into events within Syria, throughout the region, and across the world that shaped the relationships between Arab states themselves and with Israel as witnessed in the late 20th century. Much has occured since and it is interesting to speculate how Seale would have woven into the narrative, among other major events, Jordan's 1994 treaty with Israel, as Assad long prided himself on thwarting such an agreement. (Granted, Seale's ongoing journalistic activities offer plenty of insight into his perspectives on most any regional developments.)
Seale's research is exhaustive and paints a fascinating picture of a man who seized and retained power in a complex, volatile country and who thrust himself into one of the most divisive and enigmatic conflicts facing the world today. Unfortunately, this book must be regarded as the romantic (harsher critics may say sycophantic) chronicling of Syrian and Arab nationalism that it is. There can be no doubt that Seale is vehemently opposed to Israeli values and worldview, and to a lesser degree those of the United states and other Western powers. Seale characterizes Israel as continually exercising an almost Svengali influence on the West, able to unilaterally bend the wills of its more powerful allies and impose nefarious designs upon the entire Arab world. His attitude toward terrorism is forgiving to say the least, not to mention his argument that the West's fear of terrorism is a function of Israeli "psychological warfare" rather than a true international reality and utmost national security priority. Seale is also reluctant to hold Assad accountable for his diplomatic failures and military defeats, but is rather wont to characterize the venerable pan-Arab leader as simply a victim of external circumstance.
So long as one is able to distill much of these biases (or at least acknowledge their influence on the reporting), Seale's book constitutes a uniquely detailed survey of modern Syrian history in the vital context of regional conflicts that have defined it.
A Must Read.......2007-05-29
Patrick Seale did a great job here, this book is a must read and I would reccomend it not just to people who are interested in how Syria's contemporary history was shaped by the late president Asad but also to those who want a deeper insight on Middle East politics, Arab nationalism, the question of Lebanon, the formation of the United Arab Republic by Egypt and Syria and the doomed divorce between them, the rocky relationship between Jordan and Syria, the October 1973 war, Sadat and his controversial peace treaty with Israel, Sadat's deceit, Henry Kissinger's role in the Middle East and last but not least American foreign policy in the Middle East. This book should be read by all major think tanks in America and also by the current government personnel interested mainly in Syria and foreign policy
Not as objective as possible.......2007-05-23
This is probably the only available biography of late Syrian President Hafez Assad. Keep in mind that Seale was given all that he had asked for - like many other Western scholars who were treated to the court and became apologetic to the regime - to write this book which makes him, so to speak, the spokesperson of the presidential court. Even though Seale reports about the many murders that happened during the career of Assad, he does so from an apologetic perspective. Assad is always depicted as having to kill before his adversaries kill him. While this could be true in the context of tribal Arab politics, it relieves Assad of all of the responsibilities of the killings that happened during his reign.
Additionally, the book lacks proper investigative methodology.
Things are narrated from the eyes of Assad, with some minimal background. When Seale talks about Assad's brother Rifaat who tried to replace his brother through a coups d'etats in the early 80s, for example, Seale gives an account about Rifaat that could have only been written after Rifaat had fallen out with his brother and was sent to exile. Rifaat is described as a hot tempered gangster kid since his early childhood who used to carry a stick and bully his peers. While reports about Rifaat's atrocities during his rule under his brother should not be undermined, stories about Rifaat's innate hot temper should be taken with a grain of salt. If this book was written during the days of Rifaat while still in favor with his brother, then a different account would have probably been produced about the president's brother. Additionally, the sources are limited and often not thoroughly cross examined to establish their credibility when writing the history of Syria's dictator.
Syrian History at its finest.......2006-12-14
This really is the only good source of information about Asad. It is essential to understanding the conflict in the Middle East and understanding how Syria got to where they are today. While it could use some updating overall the information is very good. It stays on point and if anything goes into too much detail. Syria is a mess politically and frequent assignations occur throughout the book. Keeping a list of people and crossing them off is very helpful as you read through. The book does an excellent job of putting Syria in perspective and really it is the only good Syrian history I have found.
Indispensable biography, should be updated.......2004-03-12
You can't understand the Arab-Israeli Conflict without understanding Syria, the most unjustly maligned state in the Middle East.
One gains a great appreciation for the achievements of Hafez Asad and Syria.Of all of the Arab states, Syria has remained the most faithful to the vision of the modern Arab nation,despite being under constant harassment and attack from Israel, Islamic terrorists, the United States and even other Arab governments.In fact, it is Syria's faithfulness to secular Arab nationalism which makes it anathema to Israel, the oil interests and the Islamists.
Although I am in no position to judge the truthfulness of Seale's Syrian interviewees they certainly ring true in many cases, and his published sources are impeccable.The "revelations" concerning Israel's arms trade to Iran which some find objectionable are corroborated by Iranian, Israeli, Syrian and Western sources.If not for the activism of Ayatollah Montazeri and Syrian intelligence, Reagan's "arms for hostages" deals and the North network would have never come to light.Syrian claims were fully vindicated.
Seale's account of Kissinger's manipulations and the behavior of other US officials is consistent with what is known from Iranian, Egyptian and Jordanian diplomats.Asad's version of the 1973 War is certainly less contradictory than the self-serving accounts provided by Egyptian, US and Israeli officials.Admirers of Sadat will be enlightened but disillusioned by his betrayal of the Arab cause in 1973 and in the years of negotiation which ensued.
Asad's shrewdness in his handling of the Lebanese Civil War is justly highlighted by Seale, and one comes to appreciate the skill and intelligence behind the Syrian alliance with Iran.The account of the attempted union of Syria and Iraq, which precipitated Saddam Hussein's ultimate power grab in 1979 is also invaluable to an understanding of Middle East politics which is totally at odds with what powerful Western media interests would have us believe.
Incidentally, Seale asserts that the number of people killed in 1982 when the Muslim Brotherhood stronghold in Hama was destroyed was 7000, not 20,000.He clearly states that the figure of 20,000 which was promoted in the West by Syria's enemies was innaccurate and inflated.
Average customer rating:
- A well-balanced overview of a complex political situation
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The Struggle For Power in Syrian: Politics and Society Under Asad and the Ba'th Party
Nikolaos van Dam
Manufacturer: I. B. Tauris
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1860640249 |
Book Description
This is a fully revised and updated paperback edition of this study of power in Syrian politics.
The book explains the factors which have enabled the regime of Hafiz al-Asad to stay in power much longer than any other since independence; it also shows how al-Asad's disappearance may seriously disrupt Syria's present stability. Providing an in-depth analysis of the role of sectarian, regional and tribal loyalties in contemporary Syrian history, the author focuses attention on developments within the military and civilian power elite and the Ba'th Party organization. He shows that the 1963 Ba'thist takeover constituted a decisive turning-point. With the help of the army and the Ba'th, members of Islamic minority communities, especially Alawis, Druzes and Ismailis, and people from the poor countryside, were brought to the fore, and went through a process of rapid national emancipation. In 1970 this culminated in the monopolization of power by al-Asad, whose Alawi-dominated officers' faction has ruled Syria ever since. The text considers the political history of Syria in the 1980s and 1990s and speculates on its future.
Customer Reviews:
A well-balanced overview of a complex political situation.......2000-04-21
The author gives a brief but well-balanced account of the rise of the Alawites in Syrian politics. It focuses on the continuous discussion of sectarian interests this involves both in their own ranks and among their opponents. I understood many aspects of recent Middle-East history much better than after reading only such general overviews as Mansfield's.
The style of the book does not contribute to the pleasure of reading it. There are many small signs of it being translated from Dutch. To my taste, the text is somewhat overloaded with names, which might appeal more to specialists than to general readers.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Middle East Policy, published by Middle East Policy Council on May 1, 1997. The length of the article is 1406 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: The Struggle for Power in Syria: Politics and Society under Asad and the Ba'th Party. (book reviews)
Author: Robert Brenton Betts
Publication:
Middle East Policy (Refereed)
Date: May 1, 1997
Publisher: Middle East Policy Council
Volume: v5
Issue: n2
Page: p204(3)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
Since becoming president, George W. Bush has walked away from the Kyoto Protocol, pushed for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, undermined protections for endangered species and wilderness, and retreated from his campaign pledge to regulate carbon dioxide. But the president’s agenda reaches deeper than these well-known policies. In
Bush Versus the Environment, Robert Devine shows how the White House is quietly undermining the entire system of environmental safeguards that has developed over the past thirty years. The administration's tactics include:
-Encouraging lawsuits against the federal government that challenge existing environmental laws, and then feebly defending the cases in court.
-Ignoring science that doesn’t support the president's goals, and pressuring government scientists to produce the results the administration wants.
-Using fuzzy math to overestimate the costs and underestimate the benefits of regulations that protect human health and the environment, which can lead to the elimination of much-needed rules.
These are just a few of the administration’s strategies, which are being pursued beneath the radar of a public that overwhelmingly supports environmental protections.
Bush Versus the Environment is a compelling and important look at one of the most important issues facing America today, one that will have consequences that last long after Bush has left office.
Customer Reviews:
A Stunning Indictment.......2006-08-26
The title says most of what you need to know. But unlike many political works, it does not simply focus on "Bush-bashing", but rather looks at the report card for the current administration (at least up to summer 2004). Mr. Devine does point out that there are some successes by Bush et. al., but brings an environmental reporter's skill in digging into the minutae of all the reports, good and bad.
And what he finds is truely terrifying if you enjoy clean air and water. Rolling back the last few decades worth of environmental protections and progress, the Bush administration seems to be more interested in the quick, short-term buck than future health of people and well being of the planet. I know that sentence, ending with "the well being of the planet", seems to sound extreme, but it applies. As Mr. Devine shows, many of the cronies that are in high-ranking spots seem to think that there is no connections in the environment and that one species exists in a vacuum related to the rest.
I taught biology and environmental science for 10 years, and I knew there was reason to worry about what was going on in Washington D.C. by 2004. This book provides a clear and well done explaination why; not just on the face of what I knew from science journals, but also into the machenations of the White House and its finatial doners.
More anti-Bush than pro-ennvironment.......2004-08-10
As much as I'm inclined to do so, I can't really attack this book. In fact, its a pretty good attempt to delineate the many ways in which president Bush is selling America's environment right out from under our feet, not that we really need a book to tell us that. I essentially agree with every claim the author makes: that the White House encourages lawsuits against the government as a way of weakening policy, that Bush appoints like-minded anti-regulatory staff to head up the major environmental departments, and that the president is doing everything he can to pave the way for exploitation of America's last pristine wildernesses.
What I really don't agree with is the author's reading of Bush's motives. It's fairly vogue among the left just now to paint the president in the most cynical and self-serving terms. But that isn't quite the case. I'm no Bush fan, but it ought to be obvious to even the crudest observer that the president has more weighing on him than merely the demands of the fatcat lobby, which is what Devine seems to imply. In addition, I think Devine adopts a tone of desperation, as though this may just be America's last hurrah. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In numerous ways, the Bush years will only further the liberal cause. Sure, the president's agenda is frightening. But he's such a poor administrator that he has no idea how to achieve it. From both a liberal and a conservative perspective, the Bush presidency will prove to be a flop, simply because of the president's lack of ability. The environment will be fine, and so will the rest of us.
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Ice Bound
