ON PLUTO

INSIDE THE MIND OF ALZHEIMER’S
by Greg O’Brien

When my friend Carolyn told me that she was reading On Pluto and what it was about, I felt an obligation to read it.  Having a mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease a few years ago, I wanted to see whether O’Brien could help me better understand what she is going through.  How unexpected and delightful then to find a book that is not only truly informative, but heartfelt and light-hearted at the same time.  O’Brien examines what it feels like to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and to experience its inevitable downward spiral. That’s right: O’Brien, himself, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and as a journalist felt compelled to write this book to document his experience with the disease.

Maybe reading a book about Alzheimer’s disease won’t make it to the top of your summer reading list.  But I encourage you to add On Pluto to your TBR* list.  As O’Brien emphasizes throughout the book, it is the fastest growing disease in the United States and if you don’t know someone diagnosed with it yet, you will very soon. Not only is it growing at a phenomenal rate as baby boomers hit their 70s, currently there is no cure for the disease or even options for slowing down its progression in patients.

As a writer, O’Brien is funny and easy-to-read, while at the same time offering a wealth of information.  And, he’s an excellent storyteller. On many occasions, I had to read aloud to my husband to share O’Brien’s humor.  But On Pluto also contains an abundance of facts about the disease.  Perhaps most interesting to me, however, was to hear from an insider, raw and unfiltered, how it feels to navigate the disease.  If you want to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease, On Pluto offers a multitude of details in a straightforward, poignant format. (Liz)

*TBR – To Be Read