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For psychotherapist, and disability activist Harilyn Rousso, hearing well-intentioned people tell her, "You're so inspirational!" is patronizing, not complimentary.
In her empowering and at times confrontational memoir, Don't Call Me Inspirational, Rousso, who has cerebral palsy, describes overcoming the prejudice against disability--not overcoming disability. She addresses the often absurd and ignorant attitudes of strangers, friends, and family.
Rousso also examines her own prejudice toward her disabled body, and portrays the healing effects of intimacy and creativity, as well as her involvement with the disability rights community. She intimately reveals herself with honesty and humor and measures her personal growth as she goes from "passing" to embracing and claiming her disability as a source of pride, positive identity, and rebellion.
A collage of images about her life, rather than a formal portrait, Don't Call Me Inspirational celebrates Rousso's wise, witty, productive, outrageous life, disability and all.
Tuesdays with Morrie
Based on a true story, Tuesdays With Morrie tells of the relationship between the author, Mitch Albom, and his old teacher, Morrie Schwartz. After more than a decade without seeing one another, Mitch learns that Morrie has Motor Neuron Disease and decides to visit him.
Many people have had a mentor like Morrie. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, and gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it?
For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.
Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded. Wouldn't you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you?
Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man's life. Knowing he was dying of ALS - or motor neurone disease - Mitch visited Morrie in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final 'class': lessons in how to live. A powerful story that reminds us what aq profounded impact spending time with loved ones can have.
This is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie's lasting gift with the world. The proceeds of which he uses to pay the medical bills of his former mentor.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Winner of the Whitbread Book of the Year
Mark Haddon’s 2003 novel was successful as both as a children’s and an adult’s book. Told from the perspective of fifteen year old Christopher, the book deals with the challenges of day to day living with an autism spectrum condition, as Christopher sets out to solve the mystery of why his neighbour’s dog was found dead outside. The overwhelming stimuli of the world beyond the safety of his routine and his difficulty in understanding interpersonal relationships are simply yet powerfully expressed in this touching tale.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a murder mystery novel like no other. Christopher knows a very great deal about maths and very little about human beings. He loves lists, patterns and the truth. He hates the colours yellow and brown and being touched. He has never gone further than the end of the road on his own, but when he finds a neighbour's dog murdered he sets out on a terrifying journey which will turn his whole world upside down.
