If you appreciated Emperor of Maladies...you will appreciate Jebelli’s historical overview on Alzheimer’s disease, and his humanity when sharing the stories of those who are living with the disease, and the caregivers who are taking care of their loved ones. ( )

When you think of diseases that kill people cancer and heart disease would most top peoples list, but with the population in the western world getting older, other illnesses are having an effect on mortality rates and people’s quality of life. One of the most significant is Alzheimer's and dementia, a cruel disease that leaves the shell of the person whilst stealing their personality, dignity and their memories. The first time that Joseph Jebelli came across this illness was when he was twelve years old and his grandfather started doing strange things and becoming ‘indefinably peculiar’; Gone was the warm person he had known. This family tragedy became a pivotal point in his life and drove him to pursue a career in science researching the very disease that claimed his grandfather.

I felt totally alone, with the world receding away from me in every direction, and you could have used my anger to weld steel – Sir Terry Pratchett

Jebelli is now an established expert in the field of Alzheimer's research and in this interesting and informative book he sets about describing the background with Alois Alzheimer's discovery of the illness in 1906 all the way up to the current understanding of the science behind this distressing disease. Travelling all over the world he talks to the people at the cutting edge in laboratories about the latest avenues of research as they race to find a cure. He takes time to talk to sufferers and their families gaining a heartfelt understanding of the anguish they go through every day. It is a clear and well-written exploration of the different efforts that encompass research into Alzheimer's. There is a small amount on Sir Terry Pratchett, who was sadly one of those to get early onset Alzheimer's, or his embuggerance as he called it. He donated a fairly hefty sum of money to enable research, but more importantly, he spoke about his illness and spent time raising awareness of it. Jebelli writes about a difficult and personal subject in a way that brings clarity to the dark world that is Alzheimer's, I can highly recommend this book. 4.5 stars ( )

"As the world’s population ages, Alzheimer’s is expected to affect 135 million people by 2050, overtaking cancer to become the second leading cause of death after heart disease." So - yes - a very timely topic, discussed in a lively and informative manner. ( )

This book almost presents as a review of the literature on current developments in the treatment and research related to Alzheimer's disease. It is interesting to learn about the different approaches being explored. A few case studies are thrown in which make the reading more relate-able. ( )

"I have, so to speak, lost myself." Alzheimers victim.

Alzheimers now affects 47 million people. By 2050 it will affect 135 million people and will overtake cancer as the second leading cause of death.

The author, a neuroscientist, became interested in Alzheimers when his grandfather was diagnosed with the disease. This book relates a short history of the disease, its origins as well as the implications now facing our aging society as more and more of us will suffer this disease in epidemic numbers. Most of the book consists of short discussions of various aspects of ongoing Alzheimers research: Is there a cure? Can we prevent it? Is it cultural--why does almost nobody in some cultures get Alzheimers? Is it genetic--why are there societal pockets where it runs rampant? How do we diagnose Alzheimers? Would you want to get tested for one of the several genetic mutations indicative of greater risk for early onset Alzheimers? Are there currently any effective treatments?

I enjoyed this book. My only complaint is that it covered many topics but rarely went into depth on any one topic. So the book is more of an overview of the current state of Alzheimers research. I particularly enjoyed the personal stories of the various people the author encountered along the way--the victims, their families, their doctors, and the researchers.

One particular fact I wasn't aware of before is that there is a particular type of Alzheimers called Visual Alzheimers (or Posterior Cortical Alzheimers). In this variation, victims usually remain aware of current events, retain their memories and thinking skills, and have considerable insight into their own predicament. Instead, what they have is profound visual dementia--they are unable to read, to recognize faces, to situate themselves in space, to accurately perceive movement or the size of objects. This is the type of Alzheimers Terry Pratchet had. One person with this began seeing the world upside down.

Recommended.

3 stars ( )