If I Get to Five: What Children Can Teach Us About Courage and Character

Rating:
Summary: Stories of hope
Review: It is interesting that Dr. Fred Epstein - the subject of countless television and news stories who refer to him as a "miracle man" - chooses to assume only a supporting role in this collection of stories about his young patients. Perhaps the reason Dr. Epstein has created so many miracles in the lives of others is that he so deeply respects the forces of life and hope within us all. He reminds us of the importance of faith - saying in one of my favorite passages "I've found that when you're filled with anger and fear, it helps to be able to believe. It doesn't matter what you believe in - I've seen kids sustained through terrible ordeals by their belief in Tinkerbell - as long as you believe in something. Even if it's just a God to curse and berate. If you don't believe in anything, you're sunk." For anyone who has experienced a test of faith, this book will resonate. With stories like Dr. Fred's, there is always reason to wish, to hope and to believe.

Rating:
Summary: Dr. Fred saved my daughter and my life
Review: My daughter was born while we still lived in NEW YORK....When my daughter was born, she had craniosynostosis, the fusing of the bones of her skull. At 6 months old, he took us in without and hesitation and assured us that she would be fine and there's nothing to worry about. This was on a Friday nite of the 4th of July weekend. During the years, we have emailed and i've sent photos of my daughter to him so that he may see his accomplishment. If there is a god, it is he. Thank you, Dr. Fred, and to your wonderful family. You are indeed an amazing man.

Rating:
Summary: A Suprising Disappointment
Review: This book could have been so much more. Dr. Epstein has experienced a unique situation...he learned so much from the children he treated over the years AND he has experienced the harrowing journey of reclaiming one's identity after suffering a head injury. If only he had shared with us how what he learned from the children affected his attitude toward his own recovery. Instead, we are given superficial anecdotes about one child after another, seemingly in random order. The children and their families do not come alive as individuals. As I read the book, I got the feeling that Dr. Epstein gave a tape recounting several cases to Mr. Horwitz and said, "Here, you make this into a book." What you end up with is a book, while competently written, that lacks soul, depth or insight. By far the biggest disconnect is the unwillingness or seemingly oblivious attitude of what Dr. Epstein personally learned from these children, and how he must have needed evey one of those lessons learned from his patients to overcome his own challanges. Why does Dr. Epstein even mention the fact of his own injury if he does not plan on using himself as an example of the power that can be gleaned from the attitudes of these children? There comes a time in every person's life when they will need to "get to five", and the lessons learned from these children applied to the life of an adult could have made a book that was a tribute to both Dr. Epstein and his patients. I'm sorry, but in my opinion the mark was missed; what could have been a great book and one of enduring importance took the easy way out.

Rating:
Summary: A Suprising Disappointment
Review: This book could have been so much more. Dr. Epstein has experienced a unique situation...he learned so much from the children he treated over the years AND he has experienced the harrowing journey of reclaiming one's identity after suffering a head injury. If only he had shared with us how what he learned from the children affected his attitude toward his own recovery. Instead, we are given superficial anecdotes about one child after another, seemingly in random order. The children and their families do not come alive as individuals. As I read the book, I got the feeling that Dr. Epstein gave a tape recounting several cases to Mr. Horwitz and said, "Here, you make this into a book." What you end up with is a book, while competently written, that lacks soul, depth or insight. By far the biggest disconnect is the unwillingness or seemingly oblivious attitude of what Dr. Epstein personally learned from these children, and how he must have needed evey one of those lessons learned from his patients to overcome his own challanges. Why does Dr. Epstein even mention the fact of his own injury if he does not plan on using himself as an example of the power that can be gleaned from the attitudes of these children? There comes a time in every person's life when they will need to "get to five", and the lessons learned from these children applied to the life of an adult could have made a book that was a tribute to both Dr. Epstein and his patients. I'm sorry, but in my opinion the mark was missed; what could have been a great book and one of enduring importance took the easy way out.