Living Medicine: Memoir

Rating:
Summary: Living Medicine
Review: Dr. Beckett tells a story of adaptation to change and displays her wisdom and insight in dealing with the things we cannot control. She is excellent in capturing the essence of the people she admires. I was touched by her affection for her father, Little Ping, her glorious childhood years in China and Cuba, and later her admiration for her mother in helping her escape China for a life in the US. Her book teaches cultural tolerance and takes us from China, to Cuba, to the US, to Ireland, and then back to the US and to the Mayo Clinic. Her approach to retirement is very instructive, especially to me, since I have not yet reached that point.

Rating:
Summary: A Remarkable Memoir from a Remarkable Woman
Review: I have just finished reading Dr. V. Becket's "Living Medicine." I read the whole book in one day. That is how attractive the book is. With a chronological organization and lucid language, the author displays a remarkable life in three countries, China, America, and Ireland, with dramatic ups and downs, and with admirable determination to succeed. The first few chapters are of specially interest to me as a reader with a Chinese background: the vivid description of the author's father partaking in the last imperial examination, the author's early childhood as a privileged class and then the author's escape from the invading Japanese in WWII.

The book is an inspiring tale of a talented and determined woman, and is a fascinating read.

Rating:
Summary: Recommended heartily
Review: Living Medicine is an inspiring story of the author's fight to excel rather than just survive, and an entertaining read from start to finish. I found that the later chapters about being active and continuing to learn in retirement and later life are as valuable as anything in the book. A wonderful story of a remarkable, multi-faceted life.