health Books

This book has given me some help on things to think about with my aging parents.

Read "The Retirement Nightmare" by Dr. Diane Armstrong. Get the real truth about the fraud and abuse of the elderly and not so elderly. To avoid a professional guardianship, should be of paramount importance. Reports of guardians stealing from their wards' bank accounts and other wise abusing guardianship powers are surfacing with disturbing regularity. 'This problem is going to get bigger and bigger,' says E. Bentley Lipscomb, AARP's Florida state director and a former state secretary of elder affairs. - GUARDIANS DRAWING INCREASED SCRUTINY, AARP Bulletin.

Virginia Morris nails it with this comprehensive volume. She addresses every issue I've faced as a caregiver and more. Her sensitivity and caring shine through every page, and she's packed the book with useful information.

If you're caring for aging parents, start here. "How to Care for Aging Parents" stands head and shoulders above other general caregiving books.

Phyllis Staff, Ph.D.
author, "How to Find Great Senior Housing"
and
"128 Ways to Prevent Alzheimer's and Other Dementias"

Taking care of my 90 yr old Grandmother was so difficult. This book gave me so much insight on area's that I had no understanding of. Also helped point me in the right direction to planning at the end.

This book is exceptional. The author includes all specifics needed to apply the valuable information provided throughout the book...including phone numbers and addresses. Not only did the book help my husband and I prepare to care for our own parents, reading it has helped us prepare for our own aging process. The information will make things as easy as possible for our single child when we become the "Aging Parents". This book is a must have. I bought one for each of my siblings and also copies for good friends who are also caring for elderly parents.

I bought this book as a Christmas gift for a friend who is a hypochondriac. She got a kick out of it which is what I wanted. I'm not sure how informative it is but works good as a conversation piece on the coffee table.

This is the FUNNIEST book you'll ever read. Hands down. Fast delivery with good packaging (bubble wrap) for protection.

This book was funny. All the diseases shown are some of the worst diseases anyone could ever imagine. You won't even want to shake hands with someone after reading about Bejel. *ew*

If you have the nerve, and are into perverse entertainment, this is the book for you -- or someone who will appreciate midnight black humor with a glossy blue sheen. We're talking forty-five horrifying ways that Nature is out to get you, with plenty of gruesome details on how she will succeed, and the pitiful or nonexistent steps you can take to protect yourself.

The writing is excellent. The author has a way with words, content aside. It really takes talent to make me laugh out loud, all the way through a book, especially when what I'm reading is also giving me cold sweats and an irregular heartbeat. I couldn't put the book down, and now I'm afraid to move or breathe. Other people have to get their thrills on mountain tops -- me, I can sit right here, white knuckled, waiting for unspeakable dangers to come to me. I am now regarding my cats and coworkers with suspicion -- no, outright terror.

Three days ago, I had no trouble making the leap from tiny flickering pain in my head to malignant brain tumor. Now I look at that self-diagnosis as a sign of childlike innocence. Do you have any idea how many truly unspeakable, debilitating, and deadly diseases start out with a simple rash or swelling? Numbness, coughing, itching, of course headaches, the list of innocuous symptoms is comprehensive, and all symptoms seem to lead to blindness and loss of body parts.

I find the ailment Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, where your immune system decides to replace your sore muscles with bone, particularly insidious, although I feel better about not going to the gym now. Another favorite: Fatal Familial Insomnia, in which you never sleep again. (It's now 2 a.m. -- I'm feeling perky, and worried.) Furious Rabies, Norwegian Scabies, very bad. And let's not ignore good old pinworms, which 1 in 10 of us have at this minute and everyone has a 50/50 shot at getting at some point before they die (probably not from pinworms, which, by the way, are IN your butt and come out at night to lay their eggs ON your butt. Remember that time you scratched your itchy butt? Yuh huh. Trust me, the least of your worries. You want to be focusing on Scleroderma, in which your skin and organs slowly harden and you begin to resemble a statue, or Myasis, in which maggots crawl around beneath your skin. If you're lucky you'll get off with Chronic Idiopathic Diarrhea or Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. Both of which sound marginally better than the Mycobacteriosis I could get from changing the water in my fishbowl, or Bacillary Angiomatosis (cat scratch fever).

Giving this book to a full-blown hypochondriac is what passive aggressive behavior is all about. Or, you just think your mom will really get a kick out of it.

What better way to bond to the sweet hypochondriac in your life than by giving them this book? The diseases are real, the commentary is hilarious. Guys, believe me, you won't want to swim in the Amazon after you read this.

This is an excellent book for any student who is doing a report on drugs. it has everything you would need to know and not just about the drugs themselves it has the culture, the history, chemical make up. a very well organized book

like title states this book covers it all. whether your a student doing research or a concerned parent this book will make things much clearer. from how addictive drugs are to street names to statistics this book has it all.

I can't praise the author of this book highly enough. He has created a comprehensive, readable and thoroughly engaging reference including almost every drug found in society today. The bulleted notes found at the beginning of every chapter were some of the most helpful I have found; indicating risk factors, addiction potential, chemical makeup and street names. Antic dotes keep the subject matter fun and well-cited scientific facts lend credibility to the oft surprising statements. I wish the author had included a more extensive section on legal substances like alcohol, but it's a small issue in the face of all the other information included. A must read for anyone interested in drug culture or for parents seeking an informed point of view on the subject.

This is an excellent, informative book. The reviewer who said this book lacks cites is correct. Otherwise, it is money well spent.

Paul Gahlinger does an excellent job of finding "all" of the 178 or whatever number he says is the number of illegal drugs in (I guess) America. He readily admits that the war on drugs is not working, but then compliments the DEA on its extreme efforts to curve the war on them. This is a rather old subject of thought that has been updated time and time again. He is an MD from Utah, so remember that as you read. On many of the issues he raises he is correct, but on several he not. For example, he states that caffeine (on page 180) is "highly addictive, creating both physical and phychological dependence after as little as 100mg a day." Now, if that were true, most of my friends and I would be in the ER every other day!! Goodness. This is totally false and he knows it. Also in the book he includes the deaths of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe to get his point across that almost everything except water is not good for you-- or can be addicting. His data at times is two sentences, and his sources are questionable, because they are not listed. I must admit he covers just about any, and I do mean any substance that could used to make something illegal. But Dr. Gahlinger is missing the point. We also have outlawed murder, but it still happens. There are laws against theft, but people steal. I had a student tell me he gets stoned sniffing gasoline, so does the author want to outlaw gasoline also? The US laws are full of these draconian statutes which give the government unlimited power of seizure already. One legislator in congress said recently the US cannot afford to win the war on drugs because it has become too lucrative for the DEA and other governmental agencies. The author says knowledge is the only way to win the war on drugs..haven't we done DARE for 15 years now? It does NOT work. This is a very good text on the history of illegal drug use, but is a little weak on the pharmaceutical aspects or dynamics of how medications become addictive to human beings. Can anyone say the drug problems of the 70s are any better now, almost 40 years later? I do question some of his numbers and science, but as far as covering a subject matter, this is a fine addition to anyone's library. Just double check the numbers before using it as a reference. guyairey

In my opinion this book is an excellent resource for those suffering and those who know someone with diabetes.

My teenage son was diagnosed recently with Type 1 Diabetes, it was very scary not knowing anything about Diabetes. This book is easy to understand and it explains everything about Type 1 diabetes. Wonderful help to me.

Great book for the Type 1 patient or the parent/spouse/family member of one.
Gives good suggestions on a variety of topics. Well worth the money.

I have found this book VERY helpful. From time to time we have questions/concerns that come up, we have found easy to understand answers/advise for real life issues.

This book has helped us so much.
The doctors don't help you too much so you are left with a million questions and this book has helped so much.
This disease is so overwelming and this book is so helpful in easy to understand words.
Instead of going into a panic when something happens we now just go to the book and it calms us right down.
Thank God this book is here.

most people of mature years are loathe to think of what their final weeks or months are likely to be like. This book puts many of these issues in perspective, and I would put it in the category of "required reading" for everyone over fifty. The author has rich experience of dealing with people who either were reasonably well prepared for their last days, or were not prepared at all. This book can help put you in the right category...

Our Mother recently passed away peacefully in the care of Hospice and my Brother. We had opted for Hospice in the final stages of her long and wonderful life. Last Rights gave us so much useful and comforting information during this time. We Highly recommend Last Rights!

This book is excellent for elderly persons and for those with serious illnesses. Kiernan's main point is that death in America is increasingly gradual rather than sudden, and is typically preceded by a long period of illness. Yet most doctors have almost no training at all in the care of terminal patients. The result is that patients frequently suffer unnecessarily. Be warned that some of the stories Kiernan tells of patients' last days in ICUs are nothing short of horrifying. I was stunned to find out that it is common practice for patients who are clearly already dead to have their clothes cut open and their hearts defibrillated and injected with adrenaline.

The American medical system is presently in a state of ever-diminishing returns. Costs keep rising, but health is not substantially improved; in fact, in many cases health is worsened by the aggressive medical interventions so common today. My husband and I spend a substantial chunk of our incomes on insurance for ourselves and our son. Are we getting our money's worth? I don't think so. Kiernan's book makes clear that a large part of the reason is that doctors are too cowardly to face a patient and admit that there isn't much more they can do. The fact is, though, that everyone dies sooner or later. I certainly hope that when my own time comes, I will die pain-free in peaceful surroundings, with music playing and someone there to hold my hand.

As a lawyer myself, I felt that Kiernan had too little to say on the contribution of lawyers to the problem of terminal illness and quality of care at the end of life. I think that one important change that needs to be made is a simple state or federal law that forbids suing a doctor for malpractice if he chooses not to implement certain treatments. I would propose that this list include: all forms of open-heart surgery, including cardiac bypass; heart defibrillation after cardiac arrest; CT and MRI scans; chemotherapy for persons who are over age 70 or who have other serious illnesses; and ICU treatment for persons over age 70 or who are terminally ill. Doctors would still be free to order these treatments if they felt that they were clinically necessary or desirable, but they would no longer have to live in fear of being sued if they don't take every step imaginable.

If you are considering surgery or other high-tech medical treatment, I would suggest pairing this book with The Last Well Person: How to Stay Well Despite the Health-Care System.

This book was just what was needed to reassure our family that our decision for Hospice care was the right course for our elderly parent's end of life. It contained so many good suggestions that we were able to act upon. It helped us all cope with our loss, both before and after the actual death.

I recommend this book HIGHLY if you are facing a similar situation. The constant focus is on Quality of life and comfort during one's last days, just what my father wanted! Very reassuring!

This is a "Must Read" for everyone! As an R.N with 32 years experience (12 yrs critical care & 7 yrs In-Patient Hospice) it is my privilege to endorse this book. Mr. Kiernan has clearly and accurately documented what is a reality that will ultimately affect every single one of us. In both scope and depth Mr. Kiernan has spoken the truth. He has not embellished, exaggerated or dramatized any detail of his book. Every human being deserves to die in peace (spiritual and emotional) and free from pain. This is a goal which is attainable but I can assure you that your chances of experiencing this are not good in any of today's modern acute care hospitals or nursing homes. (There are always exceptions). Hospice care is the only option and that is primarily because hospice is not a place but a philosophy of care. All physicians can manage the care of an acutely ill person but only a few physicians are qualified to manage your care if you are dying because the vast majority of physicians do not recognize or they refuse to accept that there is a difference. Please read this book. It could be one of the most important things you ever do both for yourself and for those whom you love.

Barb Lyons, R.N.

I enjoyed savoring each chapter,like a fine chocolate melting on my tongue. Very inspirational with wonderul life lessons. Thank you to Teri Hawkins for taking the initive and continuing to inspire us. I hope to see more books in the future.

Teri Hawkins is gives insightful food for thought to consider about everday life experiences. Her imaginative character, sense of humor and provocative questions help to bring new light on how to grow from every experience in life. I would reccommend this book to anyone wanting to see and experience their own life from this perspective.

I enjoyed reading this book tremendously, I would read one story at night before falling asleep. I slept well and found that some nights I remembered dreams that worked with the theme of the story I read.

The book begins with a childhood memory, and goes through the author's experiences growing into who she is today. Each story has an aha moment when she recognized her own false beliefs, or learned something new about herself and God.

After each story there are exercises you can do to deepen the experience. I did not do all the exercises on this first reading but plan to read the book again in a few months and do them then.

Definitely a keeper but also a good book to share with others.

This was a very easy read. Individual chapters are like short stories and then there is a chapter review that can be used for a book club discussion. For those of us burried in self help books and then burdeoned with all the other "great books you should read" this is a refreshing change in that it inspires but doesn't devour you! I would recommend it as a great travel read, or the next to the bed read as a chapter a night is simple to accomplish.

Life Retold moved me to the core of my being ~ beautifully written and inspiring beyond words. Teri bared her soul, helping me to review my own life, to ask questions heretofore unasked, and to see into my own soul further than I've ever previously dared to look.

This is an excellent book for the first time yoga user - but there is plenty to keep the seasonsed yoga person engaged as well. There are good pictures of the poses, a great introduction, and nice summary, of the yoga movements and what you need to know to do the program!

I purchased this book on the last day of Radiant Health Yoga Teacher Training. I had heard about it months previously and knew that at some point I would read it. I thought it was very "appropriate " that I came across this book on the last day of training. The reason is that Lilias Folan was the first yoga teacher I was ever exposed to back in the seventies via her PBS television program. So here I am almost 30 years later, my last day of classroom teacher training and I find her book, not in a conventional bookstore but in a gift and candy store. There she was, looking up and smiling at me from the front cover in her purple long sleeved shirt and black pants, arms out stretched lovingly with her palms open. No accident.

This book gently introduces yoga to an aging population (Lilias and I are both a part of that population now) in typical Lilias fashion.

Not only does this book discuss asana (and adaptations) but also much of the book is dedicated to meditation, pranayama, the koshas, as well as a little information regarding the Yamas and the Niyams and the stage of life that people our age (Lilias and me) are in now. It is wonderfully written to this age group.

This is a beautiful book and I will use it both as a reference and an inspiration for many years to come.

Yoga gets better with age, and age gets better with yoga a la Lilias.

Whether you grew up learning triangle pose watching Lilias on TV, or if you are brand new to yoga, "Yoga Gets Better With Age" is for yogis of any age or level of wellness.

Clear, concise and with lots of easy to follow pictures featuring people with real bodies, "Yoga Gets Better with Age" stands out from the pack.

Lilias's book is an excellent resource for understanding yoga but also to better understand your own practice. Lilias shares her knowledge of yoga in a holistic manner, covering all of the major topics necessary to gain a true understanding. She communicates the philosophy and practice through her own experiences so that it is not intimidating and easy to understand for a yogi at any level. It is a truly wonderful book and Lilias's enthusiasm for yoga is felt in every word you will read.

This book added so much to my love of yoga. Lilias has such a beautiful way of teaching and she is such a warm and understanding person. She has given me the gift of "love and light" in this wonderful book.

Reviewed by Cayden (age 3-1/2) and Max (age 20-months) Aures and Mom for Reader Views (4/08)

"The Little Elephant with the Big Earache" begins when all of Eddie the elephant's cousins arrive on Wednesday to help celebrate his birthday. They run down to the river and start building mud castles for the Mud Castle Contest on Saturday. Wednesday evening, however, Eddie wakes up in the middle of the night because his ear is hurting him. His mom gives him some medicine and says that they will see the doctor in the morning. After a visit to the Dr. Hippocrates, the doctor determines that it is an early ear infection and that they are just going to monitor it. By Saturday Eddie feels better just in time to enjoy his party!

Cayden: "His ears hurt!"
Max: "Hurt! Hurt!"

Max: Pointing to the picture of Eddie crying: "Cry!"
Cayden: "He looks sad because he is sick Max."

Cayden: "Why would they sit on the porch in the middle of the night?"

Cayden: "Why doesn't he like to go to the doctor? I like to go to the doctor!"
Max: "Like!"

Cayden: "Why is he wearing his blanket as a cape? Maybe he doesn't want it to fall in the road on the way out to the car."

Cayden: "My favorite part was when the doctor looked in his ears to see what was wrong."

Cayden: "I also liked the pictures of when they were building those mud castles, especially the elephant one!"

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

Little Eddie the elephant is having a birthday. All of his family have gathered at the lake for an exciting weekend. There will be cake and ice cream and a mud castle contest. Eddie is so excited!

The first night though, poor Eddie can't sleep because his ear hurts. He wakes up his mom, who tries to make him feel better. In the morning, she takes him to see Dr. Hippo. At first, Eddie is nervous, but quickly learns the doctor is kind and funny. Soon Eddie is on the road to recovery and can enjoy the rest of his birthday weekend. He even wins the mud castle contest!

This book is gorgeous! My two-year-old was captivated from front cover to back by the bright illustrations.

Also, the pages are thick enough that he can't rip them out! Even my eight-year-old enjoyed the story. The best part for me was the laminated trifold instruction leaflet in the back of the book. It was filled with all the information every parent needs concerning infections, including when to consult your doctor.

Armchair Interviews says: A book for kids that even helps parents.

Written by pediatrician Charlotte Cowan, The Little Elephant with the Big Earache is a children's picturebook dealing with the subject of ear infections in terms young readers age 2-7 can understand. After young Eddie the elephant spends the day making mud castles with his cousin, he comes down with a terrible earache. His mother looks after him during the night, and Dr. Hippo offers reassurance the next day. Will Eddie get better in time for his birthday party? An accompanying fold-out card "Ear Infections Made Easy: Answers to Common Questions" serves as a useful quick-reference guide for parents concerned about what to do when their children have ear infections. Highly recommended.

My 3-year-old daughter, who is almost never sick, and my 7-year-old son, who has frequent ear infections, both love this story. Although the plot line is simple and straightforward, they seem attracted to its familiarity: Eddie wakes in the middle of the night feeling sick; his mother comforts him; they go to the doctor; he feels better...just like real life, in their view. They also find the pictures extremely engaging. At first glance, the illustrations attract merely with their bright colors and whimsy, but upon further readings, the kids began to notice all the smaller details: the various ages and sizes of the party guests, the giraffes enjoying an outdoor fountain, the placement of the blue ribbon at the end. Almost all kids experience earaches, and almost all parents learn to cope with them; this book provides a soothing reflection of one of childhood's most common events. My kids are looking forward to reading more books by Dr. Cowan.

A friend recommended this book to me and I am forever grateful.
Kathleen shares easy-to-follow steps to help kid's - and families -
kick the sugar habit.

As an educator I found this personally helpful and bough a copy for our food service manager. It also gave us more information for parents who have complained about our ban on ALL junk foods including those with high sugar content.

I read Dr. Kathleen DesMaison's "Your Last Diet" and followed her program for about 9 months. It changed my life! I lost 30 pounds and I feel so much better, physically and emotionally. I have more energy, self-confidence, inner peace and zest for life. I was well on my way to healing my sugar addiction and was ready to help my children.

Then, I read "Little Sugar Addicts" to help my children. "Little Sugar Addicts" helped me guide my family through the process of healing their sugar addiction. It had everything we needed: easy to follow step-by-step instructions, recipes, ideas for the holidays and inspiring stories from other parents. The transformation of my children was amazing. What's more, Kathleen's program is a lifestyle change, not a quick fix or a bunch of other things to buy. It is economical, simple and it works. Our family has been healed by this book and I highly recommend it.

Kathleen DesMaisons first book, Potatoes Not Prozac, changed my life. I went from a completely depressed person well on my way to taking anti-depressants, to a happy, confident person who loves life--all because I changed the way I ate! Since healing my own body and mind I have changed my children's diets with miraculous results.

Before Kathleen's program my kids would whine, scream, hit, be totally out of control, throw tantrums and in general, I didn't like them very much a lot of the time. I couldn't understand what I was doing wrong?!? How could I feel this way about my kids and what could I do about it? No amount of parenting advice or classes could change what was going on with them. Well, after getting myself steady on Kathleen's program I started to look at my kids diet. It took a little time and adjustment, but now by feeding them differently and at consistant times they are mostly fun, loving, compassionate, focused, easy to talk to and the joys I always knew they were. Food was the answer, pure and simple!

Get this book if you've ever had those feelings of helplessness with your kids. It will change your life and your families life!

The program that Dr. Kathleen DesMaisons designed for children in her book Little Sugar Addicts is wonderful. The book describes the program is simple, plain language. Dr. DesMaisons has dedicated her life to helping people heal and her compassion, warmth and sensitivity comes out in her latest book, Little Sugar Addicts. I read this book and started doing the program with my kids and I have seem miraculous changes in them. It has been such a blessing. This book is very easy to read and the program is very easy to do. I highly recomend it to all parents.

This is a really fascinating read! For people who are interested in the unknown reasons for why tragic events happen, Goss's book will surely be a best seller. I don't think anyone could write fiction as unbelievable as this.

--An "I can't wait for more like this" fan.

As a health care professional, I was definitely impressed by THE LUCKIEST UNLUCKY MAN ALIVE. I have always been interested in the outcomes of illness and how people relate to the same situations differently. The outcome is in the belief system of the afflicted. This book talks about getting past adversity that we all have to face at some time in our life. It is really fascinating, especially for those of us who want to find meaning in the tragic events that plague us mortals.

I loved the book and it reminds us all how short life is and how we need to live it to the fullest. I have already loaned the book to a melanoma survivor in hopes it will be an inspirational story to her.

It is easy to read and well worth the money.

YOU WANT TO READ THIS BOOK ON PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL FULFILLMENT! If people invested their money like Bill Goss invested in life, we'd all be billionaires.....Executives can relate with Bill's background as a Navy pilot because we too fly high-performance aircraft at over 500 mph---it's called your company---and we're all on this plane together---and we don't want to crash and burn either! ..................YOU'RE GONNA WANT TO GET YOUR TWO HANDS ON THIS BOOK AND READ EVERY WORD OF IT!

Retired Navy pilot Bill Goss' autobiography chronicles his life-threatening experiences, including a bout with a quick-killing cancer, auto accidents, a plane wreck and the collapse of a mine that left him dangling over a chasm by his safety belt.

The Associated Press...

Syracuse Herald American, November 7, 1999...

....Young Bill Goss plunged his head into a sink full of water, hoping to get the wethead look of Elvis Presley. His head wedged between two facets as the water poured in. Bill, just 9 years old then, thought for sure he was going to drown.

"My screams dissipated into gurgling noises, since my face was immersed in the water," he recalls. "My head was too big and the basin too small. There was simply no way I could get my hands around my face to to unplug the lifesaving stopper and drain the water. That's when I knew I was going to die."

Goss survived by ripping out two hunks of scalp, denting the facet handles. It was the first of 30 near-death experiences that he says he survived over the next three decades. From mine collapses to plane wrecks, his dances with the grim reaper are recounted in his book, "The Luckiest Unlucky Man Alive."

TAKING ON CANCER. The most threatening of the retired Navy pilot's experiences began five years ago with a small pink cyst-like bump behind his ear. Navy and civilian doctors told him to get his life in order because the cyst was a rare form of malignant melanoma, a quick killer. In a desperate attempt to stay alive, Goss found a doctor who removed his left ear and 200 lymph nodes.

The stitches along the side of his head and down his neck made the dashing naval officer look like he had been put together with spare parts. Reconstructive surgery helped him look normal again, but for a while he had to glue on his silicon ear with rubber cement.

Greg O'Neil, a Cinncinnati businessman and lifelong friend of Goss who was with him on several misadventures, thought the cancer would kill Goss.

"I was devastated. I thought this was it for Bill," said O'Neil, who grew up with Goss in the Millburn, N.J. area.

Goss, 44, has been cancer-free for five years now. "I lucked out," he said. "I learned from those dark days that behind every challenge are great opportunities."

O'Neil doesn't see Goss as being unlucky.

He was always able to pull something positive out of bad circumstances," O'Neil said. "Bill Goss is like 'Forrest Gump' meets 'Terminator II."

BRUSHES WITH DISASTER. Few people, however, would wish to be quite as "lucky" as Goss.

While attending University of Arizon in 1974, he worked weekends at a nearby copper mine. He was rigging blasting caps 5,000 feet underground to clear a chute along a 40 foot hole when he heard the sound of splitting granite. When the dust cleared, he was dangling over the chasm by his safety belt.

In 1985, Goss was in Spain as a Navy pilot of a P-3 Orion, an aircraft used for tracking soviet submarines and drug runners. He was doing test landings when a crew member inadvertently shut down one of the planes four engines.

"Suddenly the aircraft snapped to the left more violently than before," he wrote in his autobiography. "It departed the left side of the runway, twisting off the landing gear and causing the number 3 propeller to touch the ground. That instantly tore the entire 4600 shaft horsepower engine propeller assembly off the aircraft. I remember seeing it out the corner of my eye as it flew over the right wing."

Damage amounted to $3.5 million. No one was injured.

In 1991, Goss stopped his car on Interstate 295 in Jacksonville to remove a box of garbage from the roadway. As he stood in the median, he was struck by a car going about 50 mph. The police report stated he flew 45 feet through the air and he had an out-of-body experience, but he escaped without serious injury.

"It felt great to be dead, still able to think but no longer constrained to my physical being," Goss wrote. "I felt my mind and spirit advance out beyond our stars. In the big picture; I mean the really big picture, time, space, distance, structure, weight, dimension -- these things have no meaning -- only human spirit does."

His cancer forced Goss to retire from the Navy. Now he spends much of his time writing and giving inspirational and motivational talks, billing himself as a "totally unique speaker" on his website: www.luckiestman.com

Bill Goss lives on historic Fleming Island, in Orange Park, southwest of Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife Peggy and their 12-year-old twins, Brian and Christie. He said the kids were his inspiration for writing the book.

"I wanted to leave something behind -- something for my kids to remember me by just in case I didn't make it -- something to let them know who their dad was," he said.

"Bill has been knocked down, but never out, and he would always rise again. The guy I married has nine lives," Peggy said. "My problem was I didn't know what number he was on."

You'll want to read this book.