Rating: 
Summary: Leaves You Wanting Some More
Review: The subject matter of the book really intrigued me. The fact that it was Number #1 on the Best Seller List told me it was a worthy buy. Whereas I admire Jeri Neilsen's courage and stamina for enduring her many ordeals, this memoir comes up short in several respects. Somehow I would have liked to read a little bit more about Antartica. How do people deal with such abomidably cold weather. How do these people keep up with the food supply? More detail on how heat is preserved on the inside. You just some vague thoughts in this area how the ehat is regulated so people can walk around in normal layers on the inside. Heck, there is reference that at some parties, some people were wearing shorts.What was nice is the way Jeri Neilsen described the sense of community within her little world by the Pole. On many occasions Jeri perservered well beyond the call of duty to think of others and serve her role as doctor. Her comrades were very supportive as well. Its nice to read stories of teamwork. On another note, it is a crying shame that Jeri Neilsen's ex-husband and children have such a terrible attitude towards our heroine. Sometimes one must strive to put one's ego at the door. Jeri's ex sounds like the worst kind of jerk and regardless he should never have even considered turning her children against her. One should always try to take a diplomatic approach regarding divorce issues and children should try to love and respect both parents. However, it would have been nice if Jeri Neilsen mentioned the specific issues her fromer spouse and children had against her. Its sad that not even a severe illness as cancer could soften the hearts of her "former family". All things considered, this book is a fairly interesting read. I truly enjoy stories of perserverance and courage and this memoir is not lacking in that area. However, there are several missing pieces that need to be told. Therefore, this book is not completely effective.
Rating: 
Summary: A Remarkable Tale of Courage Against All Odds
Review: I was finally able to finish "Icebound" after 4 nonstop hours of reading, and was moved to tears by this wonderful tale. I loved this story of "Doc Duffy" [her nickname by her family, if you haven't read it]. I could definitely relate to her story of loss and inner strength. The worst pain any woman can experience is the loss of her children. It is inspirational to see that she had a close network of family and friends willing to sacrifice anything to see her survive. Doc Nielsen's story cleared up a misconception I had: that people only take on projects in inaccessible areas like these to escape from something (or someone). Some may, indeed, do that, but the snow becomes a type of "new frontier" where everyone has a chance for a new beginning: the 'Polies' became a law unto themselves. There was not (much) room for petty squabbles or jealousies in weather 100 deg below zero. One of my passages was on page 142, when John Penney reads the Robert Service poem at one of the weekly poetry slams: There's a race of men that don't fit in, A race that can't sit still. And they split the hearts of kith and kin, As they roam the world at will.... Though this is titled the "Men That Don't Fit In", I felt that the title could apply to we women, as well. As a woman, it can be difficult to carve out a niche for yourself. The search doesn't stop, once you become an adult. Jerri found her sense of self on the coldest place on earth, and shared her warmth with all around her. As a twentieth - century citizen, I always knew there was a value to email. It was fun reading the exchanges between Jerri and her mom. She has a good mix of her Mum's strength and Dad's quirky sense of humour. You have a responsibility to uphold the values of the "300 Club", after all. It takes a certain amount of nerve to run outside in -90 deg weather. I was touched to read about the close relationship that developed between Jerri and Kathy Miller. In the middle of Antarctica, it must have been daunting to know that your only lifeline is thousands of miles away and communication is subject to the whims of weather. It IS possible to develop strong and true relationships with 'strangers'. This book is proof of that. Indeed, the blurb of the tale could have read, "You doubt, you die". There is little room for error. I only wonder how Jerri is doing now. Has she ever taken that sailboat trip with Scotty, that she promised herself after finishing her round her round of chemo? I can only hope she reconciled with her children. It took a lot of strength for her to leave her children with their father. Though he seems stuck on emotional pause, I do hope they grow to appreciate her sacrifice. With the great amount of tell - all books filling the bookstores, this book will provide an invigorating taste of adventure to an avid reader. This book is definite gold.
Rating: 
Summary: A pretty good icy yarn...
Review: This book is worth a read; I found the tale of living a year at the South Pole really fascinating. I wish her kids would contact her because this was the only distraction of the story...it seems as if she is writing this in a desparate attempt to contact her children, instead of telling *all* of us her story. Attention: CALL YOUR MOM!! YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!! LET YOUR MOM WRITE A BETTER BOOK NEXT TIME!!
Rating: 
Summary: If I wanted to read e-mail I wouldn't have bought a book
Review: This could be best described as a collection of e-mails loosely tethered by a oft sappy, relatively bland narrative. I enjoyed the snap shot of life at the Pole, but frankly grew more and more leery of Nielson as the read went on. Her children want and have nothing to do with her and that's odd. She paints herself as a victim, but her credibility is not all that great. The reason I call her credibilty into question is that when she quotes fact from *Endurance* by Lansing (a must read, if you want a REAL adventure tale, scrap this drivel and buy that)she gets three facts wrong about the book in the span of a page. Simple stuff like saying Shackleton and his men took to two books after leaving the pack ice (they took three). Real simple FACTUAL stuff that's wrong... So I was forced to question every other fact she presented. I ended up thinking she was a flake and a little annoying. Like I stated the stuff about the Pole and the Dome they live in is pretty cool. The illness stuff is boring. Her doting on a married man("Big")like a 12 year old is REAL boring. And the e-mails that dominate the second half of the book are AWFUL. Why hire a biographer to reprint mushy e-mail??? Boo. There are other books about the Pole that merit a read well before cracking the spine on this sucker. I am going to search for another one right now. (let me know if you have a suggestion, I love the topic). SWG
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Tale of Courage
Review: WOW !!!!!!!! Not often do I read a book that leaves me speechless...or close to it. While reading this tale I found myself crying more often than not, and reevaluating the "needs" in my life. Not only was it a tale of how the South Pole can change your life, from needs to the way you look at reality, but it was the story of a courageous woman's struggle. The book was well written and had email letters that she sent as well as ones that she received and often they told the story better than an author could. It was these letters from family and friends that usually brought me to tears. Just when I thought I knew what bravery and courage are....the book helped me redefine the words. It is one thing to look death in the face when you get news of a cancerous tumor in your body, but quite another when you learn that you have to treat yourself and there is no way to send physician help to you. The book was frank and to the point with concise terminology that was easily translated to laymans terms. If you want a sad but ultimately uplifting story, or have loved ones facing the terrible disease of breast cancer, then this book is a must read. I highly recommend this one for ALL women (and men).
Rating:
Summary: Courageous -- in a couple of ways
Review: I've read many memoirs/accounts related to Antarctica. This one isn't my favorite but I do admire Dr. Nielsen's courage and stamina--facing not only the 'general' challenges of life at the pole, but the additional major threat to her health. The 'Incredible Battle for Survival' of the title seems a little over-hype to me. But, what I found very inspiring was the doctor's account of the closeness of her fellow 'polies' and their commitment to her. These (mainly non-medical types) friends on the ice supported her battle by learning how to assist her in tricky medical procedures while providing friendship and emotional support. I especially like the use of her email correspondence. By the time the crisis looms, the reader has a sense for 'the Doc' based upon her recounting her experiences to that point, and by reading the emails between her, her family, colleagues and friends. When it is obvious that the medical threat to her own health is major, the emails from her to friends and medical professionals are very affecting in their sparse statements of the problem and her reactions to it. This is also an intriguing story in that the medical provider ends up being the one facing a major, personal health problem. If Amazon allowed 'half star' ratings I would give this one 3-1/2. I do recommend the book but feel if one is particularly interested in Antarctica there are better choices--Sara Wheeler's book, for example. But, if you are interested in a good account of coping with a life-threatening medical condition in an extreme environment, you should like this book.
Rating:
Summary: A story of the cold that warms your heart
Review: Dr. Jerri Nielson was no ordinary ER Physician. She sought adventure in her practice as a member of the trauma team in an Ohio Hospital. She struggled to get past an unhealthy marriage that resulted in the loss of her children to a husband who would sooner spite his own children from their mother than accept defeat through an ugly divorce. Dr. Nielson found healing and new adventure in her new job at the Antarctic. Little did she realize that this assignment would not only change her life, but bring her on the brink of death as well when she found a tumor growing in her breast deep in the night and cold of Winter at the South Pole where a flight to safety and life-saving medicine was out of the question for months. Readers will be enthralled and delighted as they read this tale of one woman's bravery to heal her life and fight the cancer that threatens to take all that she hoped for away like a thief in the night. I found this to be a book that I looked forward to reading nightly and difficult to stop reading until the night enveloped me and sleep was easily put off in lieu of "one more chapter". We all know of Dr. Jerri and here is the story we don't know, her thoughts, her fears, her hopes and her dreams during the time when she doubted she would see her life return to "normal" or for that matter see any of her family again. In one sentence, this is a story of triumph over not only breast cancer but over chaos of a life shattered by years of abuse and eventual divorce.
Rating:
Summary: great story, could be better written
Review: I thought the subject matter would make a compelling read. However, I was disappointed that Dr. Nielsen's story just scratched the surface. This book could be that much more inspirational if we only had more insight from those around her.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting easy read
Review: I read Icebound after seeing Jerri Nielson on Oprah. What I enjoyed most in the book was learning of the conditions at the pole and the effects of extreme sub zero weather on the crews mental and physical state. Being from North Dakota I understand what -60 wind chill is, but I still cannot begin to imagine months of 80 below zero! I didn't realize there were photos in the book until I was halfway through it and would have preferred them in the beginning to help me form a truer mental image. I wanted to know more about some of the other people in the book but since I don't read alot of nonfiction, I had to remind myself that they were not "characters" created by an author for my enjoyment. I do admire the author and her courage but the book really made me more interested in the polar experience than anything else.
Rating:
Summary: This story deserves a media circus!
Review: I can understand the author's fear of losing her privacy in a media feeding frenzy. But, the circumstances of this story are so foreign to most people that it is immediately interesting and fascinating. I applaud the author for having the courage to tell her story. I was fortunate to also see the ABC Primetime episode which was devoted to this amazing story, and I would like to make two observations: 1. The television story about Dr. Jerri and the South Pole was incredibly well done considering that this story was told inside of an hour. They spent the first half-hour showing us what it's like at the Pole. We met the doctor's fellow Polies, and we saw pictures and video of a place that few people will ever visit. The second half hour showed the ingenuity and heroism of all of the many people involved in this emergency. We saw video of the welder practicing for a biopsy on a yam, the actual biopsy, the airdrop, a chemo session, etc. The television episode was very well done, and the viewer was directed to this book at the end for more information about this incredible story. I enjoyed the beginning of the book, which gave a more thorough biography of Dr. Jerri and the months immediately preceding her decision to come to Antarctica. The rest of the book was somewhat lacking, because I had already seen the TV episode, and I wanted so much more. Much of the second half of the book was a reprint of the actual email correspondence between Dr. Jerri, and her family, doctors, and the adminstrators at the ASA and NSF. As a health care professional (pharmacist), I was hoping for a more detailed story of the medical emergency. 2. The author's divorce and estrangement from her children is a sticky issue. In the television special, Dr Jerri contends that she never would have left for the Pole if she thought her children could somehow be in her life. Diane Sawyer (the narrator of the television episode) summed the situation up well without dwelling on it. She said, "Her ex-husband says that the children could have been in her life, but as is so often the case in messy divorces, the facts are in dispute." This book seems to be a platform for Dr. Jerri to defend herself against her husband. But, I personally find that to be the least interesing aspect of the story. Otherwise, I enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend it.
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