Rating: 
Summary: Great adventure ... with an agenda
Review: This is a truly wonderful story of exploration and self-discovery. I found it extremely compelling to read and was especially interested in daily life at the pole. As an MD, I found details about Dr. Nielsen's medical practice under difficult conditions fascinating. What fun would a review be without some comments and questions? Here goes:1) I think after an initial brief discussion of her marital problems, it would have been better to drop the subject. Little was added to to to the book by revisiting the issue. Besides, there's always another side to the story. 2) Photos in the book are disappointing. I thought the B&W photos in the book were the best to be expected, given the difficult conditions However, there are much better color photos available on the Web taken during the same
winter that Dr. Nielsen was there. Search for "joelpole" in a good search engine to see the photos that should have been in the book. You'll find not only great color photos of Dr. Nielsen, but wonderful others that show life at the pole - and good closeups of other "polies." Plus, great background info and commentary from others who wintered at the pole the same year as Dr. N. These photos illuminate some of the events that took place there, such as parties, etc. 3. Not enough info on why wintering at the Pole is worth risking people's lives. And was ASA's support and contingency planning adequate? 4. Pretty well written, but as another reviewer pointed out, editing slightly remiss because of repetition of some details..."didn't I just read that a few pages ago?" On balance, reading this book was a great adventure for me to share vicariously.
Rating: 
Summary: Warm account of a chilling story
Review: I came to eagerly write about this moving book, only to find two "comments", not REVIEWS of Ice Bound, the book. They give no insight into the book whatsoever, and that's a shame. Jerri Nielsen's fascinating story of courage and redemption at the South Pole should not be missed. Whatever her previous situation, this woman found herself dying of aggressive cancer at the bottom of the world, with few options and an admirable concern for her colleagues. The events that transpire over a matter of a few dark months serve to illuminate the qualities of some resourceful, and compassionate people. Jerri Nielsen is to be admired, but she is not the only hero in this lovely book. It's a work of beauty and warmth -- even those who are phobic could find themselves wanting to be a part of the fiercely loyal and gently-accepting tiny community in that dome in Antarctica. Jerri Nielsen is a remarkable woman, a caring physician, and obviously a spirited, loving person who, through adversity and "chilling" conditions, finds the best part of her self. Don't just buy this book for yourself; pass it on, give it as a gift. You'll wish you were 1/100th as calm, courageous, self-effacing, and determined as this amazing woman and those who come to her rescue.
Rating:
Summary: Life on the Ice with Cancer
Review: The plot of Ice Bound is very good. It was very informative about a lot of the effects of chemotherapy and cancer. Dr. Jerri Nielsen did a very good job on desribing what it was like to live on the Ice. She also did a good job on desribing cancer and other medical terminology without being too technical. That way, people who are not doctors can still follow the book. I thought it was very interesting how she and others were able to come together when she need it most.
Rating:
Summary: A great read!
Review: I found this book fascinating from the very first page, and stayed up late every night reading. I bought it thinking it was an "adventure on the ice" book but it turned out to be much, much more. Dr. Jerri Neilsen is surprising in her candor about the issues in her personal and professional life that brought her to Antarctica right from the start. Later in her descriptions of her finding the lump while wintering over at the South Pole with inadequate medical equipment and supplies, and then trying to treat her own cancer, I couldn't put the book down. The author is a great story teller and writer. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Ice Bound is fascinating!
Review: Ice Bound is one of the best books I have read in years. I just couldn't put it down. It is a wonderful story of love, friendship, and problem solving. I found it very educational. As I knew nothing about the South Pole and life there, it taught me so much about that mysterious part of the world. Ice Bound was so fascinating that I immediately started back at the first of the book to read it again slowly. As a nurse I found the medical parts of the book along with the profound effects on the body and mind at the South Pole just amazing. I believe the thoughtless comments about Dr. Neilsen and the flag being upside down were quite petty beyond belief. They weren't a book review. Get real! This is a great story. After reading her book it makes me wonder if those petty comments were made by her ex or his friends and family in an effort to sabatoge the success of her book, that is, to discourage readers. If so, it didn't work. This is a fabulous book that must be read by one and all.
Rating: 
Summary: Doctor, diagnose thyself.
Review: The book cover proclaims "A doctor's incredible battle for survival at the South Pole". Indeed, the battle for survival is incredible and heartwarming. The life Dr. Nielsen and her companions lived and others continue to live at the South Pole is described in fascinating detail. The book is worth your time. However, I recommend skimming through any section of the book that seems to drag or you find annoying. In my reading, I found the author's description of her circumstances and reasoning for her need to escape traditional civilization a bit annoying. In addition, some of the reprinted email exchanges added little if anything to the story.
Rating:
Summary: A Candid Look at a true Mission Impossible
Review: Having Breast Cancer is bad enough, Having to be a doctor and treat that breast cancer is worse, but being stuck in Antartica while all of this is happening is the worst. Jerri writes a wonderful memoir about that time on Antartica, without holding back anything. I loved this book. It showed the triumph of the human spirit in the real world.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful true story
Review: I listened to the audio tape during my long commute, and the two-hours+ a day never flew by so fast. The pyschological drama of the "winter-overs" on the South Pole is mesmerizing, all the more so because it's non-fiction. Jerri's first-person narrative describes a motley group of people who rely on each other for survival so completely that it drives home the basics of what it means to be a member of the human race. Even without the ugly specter of cancer looming, this book had to be written to show exactly how ordinary people can come together under extraordinary circumstances. I liked that Jerri read the text herself. The little breaks in her voice ocassionally (not often) reinforce the humanity of the story and offset the clinical delivery of a doctor and scientist reporting the facts (although the facts themselves are fascinating.) I could have done without all the personal detail at the beginning about the bad marriage, though I understand why she included it. But hang in there: when she gets to the Pole, the account is riveting.
Rating:
Summary: Read it--don't listen to the tape!
Review: An extraordinary true story of an amazing community. I couldn't put this book down and will never forget it. BUT when a friend and I got the audiobook version to listen to on a trip, we couldn't get through it! Jerri Nielsen is a terrific writer and truly admirable person. But she should not have been encouraged to do her own recording. She frequently stumbles on simple words and phrases, and much of the time sounds like she's tired of reading. DO get and read the book, you won't regret it!
Rating:
Summary: Like life on another planet
Review: This amazing story of a winter at the South Pole entertains on several levels. Jerri Nielsen was obviously looking for an escape from the real world of a nasty divorce and loss of her children when she accepted the job of physician at a U.S. South Pole station. Her story of discovering cancer and treating herself until she could be lifted out is well-known and interesting, but I found far more compelling the story of how any group of human beings survives a winter of total darkness and outer-space-like cold. Jerri arrives during the "summer," when it's still safe to go outside with face uncovered and the station is crowded with seasonal visitors. She quickly becomes immersed in the "polie" culture and like the others begins to long for the quiet and solitude of the dark months. Practicing medicine under these conditions was certainly a challenge--adhesive doesn't stick, wounds are covered with crazy glue, a doctor must burrow through 10 layers of clothing to examine the patient. Patients suffer from the effects of high altitude--I never knew that the polar ice is so thick the pole stands at 10,000 feet. As darkness smothers the station, life becomes precarious, hanging by the thread of 4 generators which provide heat and light. The strain of spending long months coccooned with 40 other people takes its toll--some people become "toast"--withdrawing into music or the internet or staring into nothingness for long periods. The polies engage in what seems like an endless round of parties and hijinks to relieve the tedium. Some are rather dangerous, like the century challenge, involving running outside naked in 100 degree below zero weather and returning to run into a 100 degree sauna. Birthdays and holidays become a very big deal. It's hard to imagine how people survived in the station before the internet--although only available for a few hours a day polies stay in constant touch with families and friends. And medical advice dispensed over the internet and eventually through a live hook-up saves Jerri's life. One wonders what kind of person chooses this life--the same people who sail across the ocean solo, or spend months on submarines, or withdraw to live in a hut on a mountaintop--or who will someday sign on for the first manned flight into deep space. This book gives a hint of what that might be like! I listened to the audio version read by the author. Not a professional reader, the author mangles words occasionally and can get a bit whiny in parts. But she did an adequate job, and the story is interesting enough to hold one's interest on a long drive.
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