Rating: 
Summary: Wacky, touching account of an expecting mother
Review: I've just completed Expecting Adam which my wife calls her favorite book she's ever read. This high praise echoes my own sentiments although, I did find it was a bit hard to get into the book. But once it happened, I was whisked into the wacky world of a self admitted overachiever from Harvard who is expecting a Down Syndrome child.. As I read I grew to love many things about this book. First and foremost, here we have a master crafter of language weaving her story from past to future.,giving us a glimpse of Adam at his 2nd birthday or a troubling moment. Then gracefully returning you to the present or recent past. Her honesty is slightly raw but frankly I feel that it is something that you begin to trust deeply as the story progresses. If she's telling you the truth about her fears and problems with her pregnancy, she must be also telling the truth about her paranormal experiences. I have read some of the other reviewers who accuse Martha of being a whiner and I can actually understand where they're coming from. I don't personally think of her as whining but someone without a certain kind of background might interpret her self criticism and problems at Harvard this way. My way of viewing her "whining" is that she freely details her frustrations, fears and feelings around stereotyping of down syndrome kids and her problems with her health and raising a family. My reactions to this evolved with each chapter. I felt I grew to understand her frustrations more as I got to know her and in the end grew to love every complaint that she cared to share with us because it seemed to invite me deeper into her intimate world. Beyond this very intimate portrait of Martha and her family, this story also let's us view a spiritual story which began with her pregnancy. This kind of patchwork spirituality was, by the middle of the book, credible and compelling. It's another reason that whinner doesn't quite fit. One more thing that pervades the book is this woman's sense of humor. Her humor happens only occasionally in her book but when it happens it is utterly suprising and delightfully offbeat. I found myself laughing out loud many times. Finally, there is a part of the book which no one I've read talks about. The relationship of Martha and her husband. It's not a big part of the book, but I found myself crying (something I rarely do), over their relationship problems and the way they worked through their issues. These things made the book come alive to me along with her struggles. There are many reasons to criticize this book. It's cursory and yet bizarre treatment of Mormonism, her weird family and her portrait of Harvard as a harsh world. But to me, these are merely footnotes to an inspirational story that touches very deep.
Rating: 
Summary: A reminder of what matters
Review: Because this was an account of something significant, namely one person's journey to finding greater meaning and purpose in life, I thought it was worth reading. Beck shares wisdom and insight that seem to exclusively accompany times of deeply personal, painful struggle--in her case, coming to terms with the diagnosis that her unborn baby had Down's Syndrome. She articulates some thought provoking concepts, such as the paradox of feeling thankful for the growth one derives from trials while at the same time fervently hoping never to encounter such pain again. One particular theme, that much of our energy is spent confusing happiness with "power, wealth, prestige, and influence," resonated with me. I wished Beck would have further shared the lessons she has learned watching Adam "damn the detours" and go straight for happiness itself. If there was something that detracted from her story, it was Beck's tendency to dramatically stereotype certain elements of her experience. For example, I found it hard to believe the Harvard crowd could really be such monstrously uncaring bad guys. As a member of the LDS church, I am sure her depiction of Mormons as frighteningly self righteous (the duck story), unevolved (the invoking divine intervention to squeeze a fat woman through the door story) fanatics is way off base. This device of trivializing something as complex as a major university or religion seemed a suspiciously convenient and self serving means to telling her story. That Beck frequently stresses her extensive training in research makes these over-simplifications all the more incongruous. Still, you have to respect that it would take courage to lay such a personal story out on the table. Perhaps the thing I most appreciated was the sense of "natsukashii" (read the book) this story brought me, while ultimately encouraging me that life's real beauty is deeply imbedded and only grows more radiant as you discover it.
Rating:
Summary: Magical! Wonderful!
Review: I read Martha Beck's book in virtually one sitting - I simply couldn't put it down. I feel that this book had less to do with a family coping with Down Syndrome and more to do with the family's spiritual awakening for which their Down Syndrome baby was a conduit. Beck's experiences in the world of academia were alternately amusing and outrageous. Her amazing physical and emotional strength throughout such an arduous pregnancy is inspirational, her spiritual awakening enviable. I have no doubt that the metaphysical events Beck described actually occurred. I happen to be a believer of such instances, that they are common occurences but that the vast majority of people are simply unaware of them most of the time. Beck writes with humor, sensitivity and astounding honesty. You can't help but feel you know her while at the same time wishing you could actually meet her face-to-face. You walk away from this book realizing how truly blessed Beck and her family are - and how fortunate we are for having had the privilege of reading her story.
Rating:
Summary: I really enjoyed this interesting book
Review: As an academic, I could really identify with Martha Beck's discussion of the conflict between the professional demands of graduate school, along with its complete emphasis on things of the mind, and the personal (family, love, etc). Fortunately, my own grad school environment was not as hostile as that she describes. I was shocked at the idea that others would insist she abort to protect her husband's career--I wondered if I had ever seemed as insensitive to my students and their personal needs. I was also impressed with Martha Beck's ability to embrace her non-rational side, and be honest about it, given her academic training. I liked her willingness to be open to the simple beauties in life that her son inspired. I really enjoyed the voice in which she wrote--I'd like to get to know her if she lived around here.
Rating:
Summary: touching and personal
Review: This isn't the type of book I usually read, but it was suggested to me by a friend and I enjoyed every minute of it. Reading it was like sitting down for a chat with the author. Her openness and honesty made it feel very personal and sweetly touching. Her stories were amazing! Some made me laugh while others disgusted me. it was informative and made me think a lot about how I interact with others and what I would do if I had been in her place. She never tells the reader what to believe, which was refreshing, but tells you what she has come to believe and why and how it has changed her life. I highly recommend this to anyone with a couple hours to spare. You won't be sorry. Adam might even change you!
Rating:
Summary: Amazing book
Review: I rarely afford the time to read for pleasure and wasn't excited to receive a book for Christmas. I read the first four pages of _Expecting Adam_ and was hooked for the duration. I literally wouldn't put it down. When I did set it down, it disappeared. My 18 yr old daughter had spirited it away and wouldn't return it - she read half of it and ran out to buy a copy for a friend. As a teacher, I assisted in a classroom of teenagers with fairly serious "handicaps" and discovered that there is nothing to fix except our own attitudes. That's very much what the book is about, but what an entertaining and intriging way to get there It's hard to say why, but reading the book left me feeling quietly better than before. When I read the one sour review, my first thought was, "this sounds like it was written by one of the snooty characters from Harvard." I would remind the reader that much has changed in 13 yrs, in the academic world, childcare availability, birthing facilities. Rather than accuse the author of fictionalizing her experience, be glad the world is better now at meeting the needs of parents. And rather than discount the miracles of another mother, remain open to her own - maybe then we'll be writing a review for her book.
Rating:
Summary: Uplifting, Inspirational, Worth every second of your time!
Review: This book was my Christmas present to myself one year ago. It nearly jumped off the shelf and called me to stop and read it. From page one to the end, I could not put it down. What a treasure-gift it is! The Beck's story grips you and takes you candidly on their journey through the intimate, courageous challenges of parents-to-be, faced with the fears and trepidations of the prospect of a child who they know will not be "perfect," even more than that, a child who will be "retarded." This book makes you think, makes you re-examine your values and beliefs about the value of life and your place and purpose in the big picture! Beautifully written, this book will inspire all whose hearts are open to the power of their experience. Not preachy, not holier than thou....they take you with them as fellow travellers on the common and uncommon journey. A spirituality that can renew your faith in humanity radiates from this gem. Read it!
Rating:
Summary: Expecting Adam
Review: This book left me with my mouth hanging open in surprise, amazement, and wonder. Like another reader, I too read passages of it to my husband over the course of the 24 hours it took to read it. This story reminded me a lot of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's book "The Wheel of Life"-once again, we have a highly educated, credible person telling us that fairies, astral projection and healing spiritual presences are not just possibilities, but in fact exist! Who couldn't like this?
Rating:
Summary: The best book I have ever read, and I've read thousands!
Review: Martha Beck's story of the birth of her son is the most amazing story I have ever read. It was uplifting and restored my faith! The walk with her from Ivy League student to loving parent is so expertly written I feel like I have known her for years. This book is so intelligently and humorously written that I was truly sorry to see it end. This book would make and amazing holiday gift for freinds of any faith, or no faith at all. It is a must read for parents expecting children, especially children who will be born with special needs.
Rating:
Summary: Life Altering
Review: I feel like this book was an "angel" in that what it delivered to me was very important. What it really did was to remind me of what is important in our lives. And that is the connections we have with people whether they have down's syndrome or without disabilities. I am at a stage of my life where I am evaluating my connections and I thought it was wonderful that Martha and John love each other as much as they do. I am an engineer and have had similar paranormal experiences. I truly believe that only "honest" people can have these experiences. I haven't had any in a long time and I've never had a connection with my husband, because he is getting his PHD at MIT and is focused on the "wrong" things in his life. After first feeling intimidated by the intelligence of people in Cambridge, I truly understand that as intelligence increases, intuition and common sense decrease. These people are just compulsives. I would love to learn more about Martha's idealogy, which confirms my belief that "the power" is not female or male, Lutheran, Mormon, or Jewish but is whatever your mind opens up for. I feel blessed to have found her book. I don't feel quite as alone. If you love someone enough and you are thinking about them, you can connect with them in a cosmic sort of way as she describes. It is not something you control though or will. It just happens.
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