Disability & Quality of Life; Book Review "Thanks"

I'm sure that I've said it before, but, if not, I'll sayway, then the next, or merely the distant dark
it here. I am firmly convinced taht your attitude isstorm clouds scudding across an ominous sky."2)
a very key component both to your quality ofpg 200: "We are all defined by the dark, I thought.
life, and, to your ability to - in balance - effectivelyAnyone can portray anything in the daylight. But it
manage your Chronic Illness!And, with this in mind,is only at night, after the world had closed in, that
my advice is to develop hobbies. Within yourour true selves come out."3) pgs 218 & 219:
hobbies, remember to share with others,"Sometime later that day, or maybe after the
especially the "guides" within your hobbies, yournext, but certainly at some point during the
thanks for their input. For example: perhaps yousteady procession of mad folks being escorted
decide that you want to become a great cook,into Lucy Jones's office, it occurred to me that I
and use Martha Stewart as a model. After youhad never really been a part of something
dook something, using one of her recipies andbefore.....As a child, not being able to join in is a
receive rave reviews from your "eaters", writeterrible thing. Maybe the worst.....In all those years,
Martha a thank you email or letter! It'll make bothI was never once invited to a birthday party.
of you feel so much better.For me, I love reading.Never asked to a sleepover. Not once shoved
And, when I finish a book that I really love, I gointo the back of a station wagon for an
to the Author's website and let him/her know,off-the-cuff trip to Friendly's for an ice-cream
and thank them. Most even write back! I evensundae. I never got a phone call at night to gossip
got an autographed "drink coaster" from one, andabout school or sports or who had kissed whom
am going to be a "reader reviewer" of one of myafter the seventh grade dance.....My life was
favorite author's upcoming book, while it is inunique because of the absence of all those little
draft.I've copied below the thank-you email that Ithings that make up everyone else's normalcy."
just sent to an author so that you can see what4) pg 269: "But that wasn't the real terrain of
one looks like. Hope you too enjoy a hobby andeach housing unit. The contours and topography
thank those who inspire you.Dear Mr.were really defined by all the variety of
Katzenbach:Not sure why I just found you, butmadnesses contained within." (Note: this one
am soooo glad that I did! The Madman's Tale isREALLY resonated with me, as I was a Human
the third book of yours that I have read, and justResources Executive for over 30 years before I
finished it. (Started with State of Mind, followedwent on Disability. Whenever I walked into a
by The Analyst). Loved State of Mind; liked theroom, I took deliberate "stock" of the
technical structure of The Analyst, but thought ittemperature of the room; of the currents and
was too sad - he was soooo isolated - buteddies swirling around; of who was bouncing off
REALLY LOVED THE MADMAN'S TALE!!I am aof whom, etc. I've just never seen it articulated
voracious reader (I've been "managing" Multipleas you have done!)5) page 326: IMHO, this is the
Sclerosis for over 45 years, and now find myselfdepiction that separates someone like Francis who
on full time Disability) particularly of books ofmay be "crazy", yet is still humane, from a
intrigue. I find, however, that increasingly I needsociopath! I loved how you phrased it!! "All my life,
novels that keep me invested within the book. Ifall I wanted was to be normal. Even tortured, like
the story is too predictable, it just doesn't "hookPeter and Lucy were, but normal. Able to
me".You, sir, have a marvelous mastery ofmodestly function in the outside world, enjoy the
phraseology; your lyrical prose paints pictures sosimplest of things.....But I couldn't, because I knew,
accurately that I found myself in the Hospitalright in that moment, that I would forever be
along with Lucy, Peter and Francis!! I havedoomed to be closer in spirit and action to the
obtained, and will read next, Hart's War - theman I hated and the man that scared me. The
book, and not the movie. I want to view myAngel was giving in and luxuriating in all the
OWN mental movie through your words!Couldn'tmurderous evil thoughts that lurked within me. He
help but document, and share back with you,was a fun house mirror version of myself. I had
some of my favorite phrases from Thethe same rage. The same desire. The same evil. I
Madman's Tale. These specific phrases were sohad just concealed it, shunted it away, thrown it
eloquent; they so accurately depicted an emption,into the deepest hole within me that I could find
or a feeling, or, in the case of Francis, so clearlyand cover it up with every mad thought, like
defined, in my humble opinion, (IMHO)boulders and dirt, so that it was buried where I
SPECIFICALLY WHAT IT MEANS TO BEhoped it could never burst forth."In these few
"HUMAN", that I couldn't help but let you knowwords, you clearly articulated the essence of
just how your words affected me! Your prose"free will". AND, IMHO, just why God gave us
kept me reading EVERY WORD, and not justhumans free will. He wants us to control our
skimming to catch the thread of the story,baser, evil urges, and do what is "right" through
hurrying to "who done it"!Many authors canchoice, not through coersion.You have succeeded
describe events, action, places and things, andin depicting the essence of being "acceptable"; of
some can capture the superficial quality of thebeing acknowledged as a human being, with
characters. What I find unique about you, Mr. K., is"rights" to exist. And, after all, that's what all
your ability to capture the essence of eachhumans live their existence for; simply to be
character's "ghestalt"; raison d'etre (sp?); uniqueacknowledged as existing.Well, I've taken up too
personality; and, how each both taps into themuch of your time. If you want to use my words
collective humanity, yet stands uniquely apartas a review of your book anywhere, please feel
from it.1) pg 168: "When I think back, I can seefree to do so.Also, if you ever need to a reader
so many little things that should have meantto read an ARC of your new book(s), I'd be
something....I was young, and I didn't understanddelighted to do so.THANKS, again, for many
that crime is like all the mechanical parts of aenjoyable hours! I'll probably be writing you again
transmission. Bolts and nuts, screws and pins, allafter I finish Hart's War!About
meshing together to create a self-containedDisabilityKey.comThe Disability Key Website ( ) is
momentum that travels forward, controlled bydesigned to assist each person in his/her own
forces that are a little like the wind; invisible, yetunique quest to navigate through the difficult and
leaving signs in a piece of scrap paper thatoften conflicting and misleading information about
suddenly takes flight and dashes down thecoping with a disability.
sidewalk, or a tree branch being tugged frist one