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One Family's Journey through the Science and Struggle of Alzheimer's
Nicholas Brealey Publishing
February 2010
On Sale: February 16, 2010
240 pages ISBN: 1857885368 EAN: 9781857885361 Hardcover
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Non-Fiction
When most members of the Reiswig family reach their 40's,
they develop "the thousand mile stare"--a gaze into the
distance, as though they are trying to locate some vital,
lost piece of themselves. Interweaving cutting-edge medical science with a poignant
family chronicle, The Thousand Mile Stare is the true story
of one Midwestern family's discovery that it carries a
unique gene for Early Onset Alzheimer's. Each family member-
-afflicted or not--finds a way to meet this challenge,
whether through faith or a desire to understand the science
behind the illness. When most members of the Reiswig family
reach their 40's, something in their demeanor changes. An
aunt puts ice trays into the stove instead of the freezer.
A normally responsible father assigns a dangerous farm
chore to a much-too-young son. A vigilant grandfather
drives in front of an oncoming train. And they all develop
what the author calls "the thousand mile stare"--a wistful,
blank gaze into the distance, as though they are trying to
locate some vital piece of themselves that has been lost. As the Reiswigs face a destructive genetic legacy, they
play an important role in the discovery of a key genetic
marker for Alzheimer's, give valuable testimony to Congress
that influences research and scientific development, and
learn to understand each other and the debilitating disease
that both bonds them together and tears them apart. From
the author's story of his ancestral roots in a small German
town, to Dr. Alois Alzheimer's discovery of the disease, to
the Reiswig's triumphs and tragedies on their Oklahoma
farm, to a modern-day Congressional hearing room, this book
offers profound insight into the devastating world of
Alzheimer's, and hope for the development of a cure.
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