A Life Shaken: My Encounter with Parkinson's Disease Book

Probably one of the most intelligent books I've read on any chronic illness, the author combines science with anecdote to lay out the landscape of Parkinson's for the novice. The science is clear enough for the lay reader, but definitely not oversimplified, and if you suffer from Parkinson's, or someone close to you does, it will help you understand what the various medication choices mean. The section on new directions in research is lucid.

Best of all, this is not a relentlessly "Oh, yes, battle bravely with the enemy disease and keep a positive outlook and never give up like a good American" sort of book. It's willing to face up to the fact that things get worse, not better, for folks with Parkinson's, and that if you're going to have the disease, it's important to have a worldview that can contemplate suffering as real and meaningful.